Gas Gas 250 vs 300

[CPT Jack]

Well I finally saw the taxman & had been prepared for the worst. I figured I'd be writing a check to the IRS for $5k plus or minus. God Bless my CPA, I only owe $600 so... that new bike isn't as far down the road as I thought.:cool:

I'm considering the 250 mainly with the optional Ohlins forks. I know a 300 is more torquey & easier to ride, but I don't mind a bike that will challenge me to ride better. My friends on 125's can outride me any day of the week & climb anything I can with my stump-puller XR4, so I'm not too hung up on the extra torque of the 300.

I've ridden a CR250 which was a bit scary:eek: , a 200EXC which was very fun although the powerband seemed narrow & the hit a bit abrupt. Finally I've ridden an EC300 which was very nice and immediately easy to ride.

I'm coming off an XR4 & would like to go to 2 strokes for the lightness & flickability mainly (=fun). :aj: Plus all that stuff like "It'll make me a better rider" or "before they're illegal". I know the 250 will have a hit of some sort but I'm guessing that since the Gas Gas motors are so smooth that it won't be 'scary power' like a 250MX'er.

So 250 owners, what say you?

P.S. - This is for California enduro & trail riding.
Thanks

 

[sharp]

I own an '01 XC 250. I wanted the 300 because I am such a spode but got what was available at the time. After the addition of a 10 oz. flywheel weight, LTR jetting and PV cover, and owning the bike after one year I am really beginning to enjoy riding it. I love riding this bike. It revs fast but I have learned to ride in a much higher gear and slip the clutch to get on the pipe when needed. I mostly play ride and attempt enduros in the southeast.

Do a search in this forum, I believe the topic has been discussed rather profusely.

I am sure that whatever you choose you will not be disappointed.

 

[the Eel]

SPANISH JACK .... got a nice ring to it ! Gas Gas ... it's the new OSSA !

 

[smb_racing]

I've got a 1997 EC250, this bike absolutely rips. The power is smooth and broad kind of like a four stroke but still with the two stroke pep. It's not as luggable as the 4 strokes obviously but it's much easier to ride than a pure moto cross 250. The suspension on this bike is top notch (marozocchi (sp?) forks and ohlins shock). The Hebo hydraulic clutches are much nicer than the magura's in my opinion too, I can't say enough good things about the bike. I recently purchased the LTR kit and have yet to ride the bike with it installed, I'm really kind of anxious to see what kind of gains it yields :aj:

 

[DahlElama]

I have an 01 XC250 and I absolutely love it. I feel it has a very good low end and mid range hit but not as explosive as a pure MX bike. This is a good thing for me as I ride woods and trails. Out of the box the jetting was a bit fat and it didn't 'hit' like I wanted it too. That was actually a good thing as my last bike was a KDX200 and it allowed me to get comfortable with the new power. The LTR jetting and PV cover put the snap in it that I like and also improved the power off the bottom. Still very smooth, predictable power delivery. However, give it a good twist and you better be pointed in the right direction. :aj: My riding buds all ride MX bikes so we switch off from time to time. They love this bike too and a couple of them are looking to upgrade to Gas Gas for thier next bike. As for "flickability", yeah... this bike really carves and the suspension is deluxe!

 

[CPT Jack]

Thanks guys that's pretty much exactly what I wanted to hear. I did search all the past threads. A lot of comments on the 250 along the lines of "better be pointed in the right direction" which had me concerned. The 300 has been described as more of a "lazy riders bike" (no offense) that turns into a rocket when you twist the throttle. But it seems that both the 250 or 300 are very 'tunable' in their power delivery with the aftermacket parts available. Sharp, I'm pretty spodely myself so I'll probably take the 'smoothed out' route until I feel I can take it up a notch. When you say "after ... owning the bike after one year I am really beginning to enjoy riding it. " can I assume you mean you've finally tuned it to your liking, as opposed to 'it took a year to learn to control'. As long as it's not wanting to jump out from under you (or launch you) like an MX'er than it sounds like a winner. Are you other guys novice riders or are you pretty experienced? I've got 1 1/2 yrs riding & am still a slow novice.

What do you think about the Ohlins option? Worth the extra $?
Thanks again for the comments.

 

[euro gasgas]

I have an '01 ec300 with ohlins forks - out of the box they work very well. I am glad I spent the extra $$$ to get them - but if I were on a budget I wouldn't have any trouble going with the WPs. Both forks are of the same basic design (actually the ohlins have an extra bushing so they have less stiction, but they are close). Both can be valved to perform any way you desire.

jeff
'01 gasgas ec300
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[sharp]

CPT Jack,

I was off bikes for almost 20 years - need I say more? A couple of years ago I owned a KTM 300 exc. My Gas Gas is much easier to ride. The "year" I was referring to is basically the time it has taken me to learn proper technique when riding a two stroke - I am still learning - and tuning it to "me" (the flywheel weight helped tremendously). Although the ktm was a two stroke it had enough torque to just lug around, and I was play riding exclusively at the time I owned it - now I race a little. The GG has never launched me except once when I caught a vine.

This bike has great tunability. I would suggest a flywheel weight ($70) if you ride tight woods. A reed spacer ($20) is also available that can tone it down even more but I have not used one (its still in the package) and don't intend to unless its going to be an extremely slippery ride.

 

[smb_racing]

I just took a spin on the 250 after the LTR kit, and I must say that this thing has really been brought to life. It still seems a bit rich in areas but since I was happy with the bike before, I am now overjoyed with the bike, the first mod you'll want to make in my honest opinion :aj: