200 VS. 300, I want to buy a GG

[cwiseman]

About a year ago I owned for a short time a 2001 GG EC200 and loved the bike. I was inbetween career's at the moment so due to a few differnt reasons I sold the bike. Flash forward a year and I have the itch for a off-road bike again.

I have found a 2001 XC300 for sale and am interested in the difference between the models. The thing I loved about the 200 was the bike was light and didn't have too much power for me. The bike before was a 92 KX250 that was a man eater. It was brutally quick, fast as hell, and would slam me when least expected at times. It was more than I could handle and intimidated me a touch.
The 200 on the other hand was just right power wise for where I ride.
If the 300 has more bottom end of the 200 but without the evil midrange punch of the kaw250 or it's top end power I think I would like the 300.

I might add I would like to make the bike street legal and would be very easy for me to pull off (dealer plate). I would rather cruise to places to ride and just hobby trail ride. I usually ride alone or with a occasional friend so I'm not going to be racing.

 

[wa_ndro]

i think you answered ur own question - go for the 200 if u want light and nimble and no hard hits!

 

[paulos]

I know the ktm's are different to the gassers, but I had a well set up ktm300 and sold it and bought an 05 ec200. I can't see me selling this bike unless I literally can't get parts for it anymore.

The ktm was very smooth in it's power delivery but there was still more than I could use and when I was tired it was a handful.

 

[gasser]

Sounds like you would be happier with a 200 or a "soft" 250. By soft I mean very easy to ride. My 250 has the 2k3 ignition and electric start (e-start probably adds a little to the flywheel effect) and a Suzuki needle in the carb.

 

[celler]

300 is smother than the KX on the bottom. Both are similar In the midrange and top. I rode KX's for a number of years 1998-2003. I loved them. I like my 300 also.

 

[liv2day]

I know the ktm's are different to the gassers, but I had a well set up ktm300 and sold it and bought an 05 ec200. I can't see me selling this bike unless I literally can't get parts for it anymore.

That sounds almost exactly like what I did; sunk a bunch of $$$ into getting a 300 XCW setup for me, rode it for a year and sold it. Took one test ride on an '11 EC200 and bought it that day...it's that good.

I like my GG200 so much that I convinced my wife to let me sell her KTM 250 4T and buy another GG200 for her to ride. For me and what I usually ride (tight, single track in the coastal range of OR), the 200 is the best bike possible. And I was incredibly impressed with how well it did in the more open desert terrain we have in central OR.

I'm sure the 300's a fantastic bike - I'd own one if I mainly rode open, desert type stuff.

 

[Jakobi]

Decisions decisions. Do you sit an wait for a 200, or grab a more commonly found 300. I'd be open to both based on price and condition.

The 250 and 300s both make a lot of power, but depending how they've been set up they will be soft/smooth in comparison to the aggressive nature of an MXer. That doesn't mean they can't be a handful.

I haven't had a change to ride a 200. Not many getting around Australia. For a few years running I was ready to make the move from a 300 to 200 myself and both years no shipments of the little capacity which drove me towards a 250 conversion, and then a few years after that a brand new 250.

From what you've wrote I think a 200 is what you want, and its hard to beat the fun factor of a small bore 2T.

 

[thumperflipper]

I chose the 300 because of the high altitudes we ride here in Colorado. One peak we cross with some regularity is Bennett Peak, 13,200 ft. The smaller engines 125 -250 range lose power with big altitude changes (8-13K is where we ride), and jetting is always a struggle. However, the 300 seems to be much more forgiving with jetting and adapts to big elevation changes much easier. Rips at 8000 ft and still pulls strong at 13,000 ft.

 

[cwiseman]

Thanks for the advise, I'll keep an eye out and keep searching.
Any EC would probably foot the bill but the 200 would be ideal.

 

[liv2day]

Any EC would probably foot the bill but the 200 would be ideal.

Just saw this in the used bike forum: http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=135359#post135359

Since we just added a 2nd Six Days 200 to our garage, I can attest to how frickin' awesome the bike is

Don't know anything about the bike or it's condition, but if you can work out the shipping logistics and the bike's clean, then I'd jump on it

 

[Rod Overstreet]

Wilmington Power Sports Fred Jensen killed the 55+B class at the VA National Enduro this past weekend on a new 2014 EC200. His only mods were having Richard Wilson at House of Horsepower re-spring the front forks. When I asked him how the 200 worked at this very technical event, Fred just smiled and said "It's allot like cheating, the bike is that good!"

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[firffighter]

Have owned an ec250, ec300 and now ec200. 200's my favorite! Less tiring, totally flickable and great linear power delivery.

And yes, it's like cheating! If you ain't cheating, you ain't tryin

 

[liv2day]

Wilmington Power Sports Fred Jensen killed the 55+B class at the VA National Enduro this past weekend on a new 2014 EC200.

That's frickin' awesome

cwise - you'll have to let us know what you decide

firffighter's spot on; after riding my brother-in-law's 250 and coming off an orange 300, I'll always have a GG 200 in our garage. Or maybe several once the boys get old enough...lol.

 

[paulos]

Since I bought my ec200 late last year I've had two mates go out and buy their own and a third is about to fold I should get commission?

 

[firffighter]

That's awesome!

I've got another buddy at work who just sold his KTM300. I've got him searching for a Gasgas 200!

Probably another thread to discuss, but it sure seems a lot of folks are moving away from the 300's to smaller bikes. For me, it just wears you out after a long day in the tight stuff.

If I could afford another one, I'd get a 3rd ec200!

 

[paulos]

I think we're running out of them over here Both guys bought ridiculously low mileage 2011 6 days models.

The first mate who went out and bought one has had it "stolen" by his son so he's actually keen for another