200 vs. 300 Anyone ridden both?

[firffighter]

Just curious if anyone has spent time on both and what the impressions might be.

Still considering what new(er) Gasser to buy and have been considering a smaller bore bike.

I know every bike has their +'s and -'s.

I loved my EC250 and am enjoying the KTM300 I have now. They are easy to ride a gear high and you can be quite lazy.

But, I think a 200 would be very fun. I had KDX's in the past and loved them. I even had a KTM200 for a season and that bike was a hoot, just a bit high strung.

 

[john01]

Good questions. Someone please answer so we'll both know please. I too am kicking around the 200/300.

 

[fury1]

ok here goes,I raced an 06 300 for a few years,the 300 is soo easy to ride fast without trying its like cheating,but the only problem i had was getting tired on it at the end of the race and getting whisky throttle many times at the tail end of races when tired,it was tough in the tight jersey stuff,the motor makes it harder to turn,but its still razor sharp compared to other bikes ive ridden,i bought it after test riding every model gas gas made in 06,I was racing a Gasgas 125 at that time in 2005,i thought i was faster on the 125,but the 300 is much more planted on rocky trails and rooted uphill paths,the 450 felt the same as the 300 and i almost bought the FSR450 for enduros, I just didnt want the extra weight on the four stroke for racing.
i just bought a used 07 gasgas 200 and ive had them before and i know how they run,i raced two races on it late this season before i tweaked my knee,but my impression is the 200 will lug down low,just not as much bottom as the 300,it bounces around a bit i think due to the smaller motor,but i just let it go where it wants,it always tracks straight and you can hold any line you want in a corner,but you need to be on the pipe alot to get to the sweet spot at least for racing you do,i have an auto clutch in mine and its the best invention period,slamming into a corner in third and not having to worry about stalling the bike when the wheel locks up and just powering out of the corner is sooo much fun,just a stab of the clutch to get up on the bike and your gone!! i love the 200,but its alot of work racing it,but i wouldnt be tired at the end of a long race i was still fresh and that said i just bought a six days 250 from DIRT WORLD(thanks ron)i should be getting it this weekend,and once the knee heals you wont keep me off the bike

 

[firffighter]

Fury,

Great input. I agree that the 300 can be ridden fast with ease. It just keeps momentum and the motor is a tractor. I agree that it feels planted and it will walk up anything. My EC250 was the same. In fact, I could barely tell a difference betwee my EC250 and my KTM300 in terms of low end.

I liked riding my KTM200 several years ago simply because it was fun and it required more rider input. I do remember that it did deflect a bit due to the light weight, but you could slam that thing in corners and pick you line with ease.

I have just been intrigued lately with smaller bore bikes and there have been a few Husky guys in the NW who have been moving toward the 125/150 cc bikes as woods bikes. Most of them state that the smaller bike is less tiring and you feel like you are riding the bike, not it riding you.

I think riding a smaller cc bike keeps the rider busy, but wont wear you out, if that makes sense.

I heard one guy state it this way: Riding a smaller bike lets requires 90% rider involvement and you ride the bike to 90% of its potential. Riding a larger bike requires 50% rider involvement and you ride the bike to 50% of its potential.

 

[bondo]

200 v. 300? Here's an overview of my own observations of my son's experience with both of these bikes.

The 200 he had was an '05. Ohlins suspension at both ends, flywheel weight and a one-finger clutch.
The 300, which he's riding now is an '08. 'Zokes and Sachs, set-up by LTR.
Also, a flywheel weight. The clutch is not as light as the 200 and, try as we may, we can't get it to that point.

As to his experience with the bike. Even though both bikes weigh almost exactly the same (228 w/ gas in the tank), he says the 200 felt lighter.

Also, the 200 was more planted and followed the terrain better in every situation (though this may have been because of the Ohlins bits).
That's not to say the set-up on the 300 is no good. In my opinion (i've ridden the bike), it works great, and his speed and smoothness on the 300
confirms this. Nevertheless, he has commented several times that he misses
the 'glued to the terrain" feeling he got with the O-equipped 200.

For him the 200 was less prone to wheelspin as compared to the 300,
though now that he's been on the bigger bike for a while, he's learned to use the bottom end of the 300.

The 300 is way faster than the 200. He's been on the bigger bike for about
18 months and his speed on the bike has been steadily increasing.

Whether it's the bike or just his more experienced and developed senses, he insists that the 300 needs good tires more than the 200 did. Seems logical.

Finally, his riding style is very controlled. He doesn't like to wring his bike out, stands up alot, doesn't do a lot of moving around on the bike.
Just a smooth, undramatic, mostly feet-up style.

We ride mostly tight, technical enduro and hare scrambles type terrain.

 

[john01]

Good info guys. Thanks for the input and thanks to the OP for the question. I still don't know which bike I want but this helps. I do like my 08 CR 125 Husky but it just needs a little more grunt.

 

[firffighter]

Great write-up Bondo,

What about history anbd changes to the 200 over the years.

What year did they begin manufacturing and what changes over the years?

How would say a '99 compare to a '03 compare to a '10?

 

[stainlesscycle]

How would say a '99 compare to a '03 compare to a '10?

here are the basic changes (aside from plastics/seat/etc.:
99 right side up forks, brembo brakes
03 usd forks ohlins or wp, nissin brakes/different brake pedal mount/airbox door i think in 03
10 different frame/subframe/suspension

the motor has stayed relatively the same..

 

[firffighter]

Thanks. Sounds like much has not changed other than forks and components.

The reason I ask is there is a '99 on here for sale somewhat local and it looks very clean and low hour.

Has 45mm conventional Zokes, Ohlins rear (LTR worked over suspenders) and LTR powervalve with Gnarly pipe.

Tempting, but not sure if I want that old a bike. I looked on Gofaster to see if they listed the bike for OEM parts and they only go back to 2000.

Any concerns on that year bike?

Also found a '03 local EC200 that has full Ohlins and is also clean.

Diff. in price on the 2 is about $600.


Thinking......Just cant decide if a 200 is right for me or stick with a 300?

 

[stainlesscycle]

03 with ohlins is worth $600 more. unless it's valved all crazy...
the motors should be the same.

 

[Berkyboy]

99 first year 200 introduced.

Secondary transmission group refined in 01 slightly, completely new configuration in 2002. Same one still used today by the way. (all of the 200/250/300 use this same transmission)

05 new cases and refined crank.

05 new frame geometry

07 new subframe

etc

etc

---------------------------------

I spent a lot of time on a 200 in 08/09 and was plesently surprised how much I liked the bike after spending almost all of my GG career on 300s and 250s.

The bike came via a trade-in with the following modifications.

The motor had the RB head mod and a 15mm spacer added to the stock exhaust pipe at the exhaust spigot.

Rode the bike on low setting almost all of the time.

Suspension work was done by WER for rocky/rooty terrain.

Gearing was 13/50.

It was a sad day when this bike sold.

 

[firffighter]

Thanks for the info.

I had my last KDX with a RB head and carb mod and it was a hoot.

There is something about the smaller bikes that is so fun. I ride a lot of technical terrain (1st-3rd gear) and a 200 would be fun to rail, but the 300 is easy to flow.

I now have cash in hand and am going to look at a '03 EC200 and an '05 EC300.

Decisions!

 

[Berkyboy]

Not to mess you up but the 05 chassis is a little better than the 03.

 

[firffighter]

That is good to know.

I am also weighing in these days at 215, so I do need to keep that in mind, although I rode my KDX's and KTM200 years ago at 225 without issue.

 

[roostafish]

Having owned a 200 ('99), two 250's ('99 six days and now an '08), and a 300 ('01).

I liked my 200, but once I rode a 250, I thought that there was no penalty for the extra 50cc. I'd say that any of these bikes are just fine.

For sure, the '03 with Ohlins is worth the $600 more, all things being equal. If that '99 is super clean and low hour, it's a great bike. Not many faults. The only negative would be the Marzocchi magnum 45's. They work fine for trail riding, but there are much better forks out there.

If you do get the '99 and are unhappy with the fork, you could go for the front end off of a '96-'99 RM (Awesome Showa conventionals), or a '98 KTM with the 50mm conventional WP's. The front end of these bikes show up on ebay, usually pretty cheap. The '03 in great shape would save you the swap work, but the bikes will ride almost identical.