Some background info: I'm a 50 year old (165 lb, 5' 9") off road rider that occasionally races B class in Northern California cross country events. I've ridden KTMs since 1999 and most recently a 2007 KTM 300 XCW and a 2008 KTM 450 EXCR. I bought a 2011 Gas Gas 300 Six Days because I wanted to try a bike with different handling, preferably more like a Japanese bike. I read some of the reviews on this forum and thought I would be getting a more agile version of my KTM 300 with a smoother engine. Here's what I found during my first ride at Hollister Hills in Hollister, CA.
Even before my ride I did the following mod's to the bike:
1) Enduro Engineering Kickstand auto-retraction override
2) BPR plastic block chain slider
3) Lowered rear brake pedal by cutting down brake adjustment bolt.
4) Cycra hand guards
5) Trail Tech Vector ride computer
6) Installed normal choke knob and removed choke lever and cable
7) Safety wire hand grips
The dealer had re-jetted the bike and set the needle to maximum lean adjustment based on advice from the distributor (I think). During the initial test ride the bike felt "peaky" and would not transition smoothly into the power band. I determined that the mid-range was set too lean and when the needle clip was moved to the middle position the engine performed better with a smoother power delivery. Now the engine rev's quickly and produces very good power. I wouldn't call this engine "smooth" compared to my KTM. There is a noticeable "hit" when you're on the pipe and the motor rev's quickly, more like an MX bike. I like this type of motor a lot and I never found myself wanting or needing more power. There is a slight vibration buzz in the handlebars but overall the engine feels tight. I had no trouble kick starting the engine (my bike is a 6 Days version, so no E-start).
Conditions were wet and even with the stock enduro tires the bike felt glued to the trail in the sandy and muddy areas. The suspension initially felt a little stiff but after some miles on the bike I realized it isn't too harsh on the small stuff and can absorb the big jumps easily. On small bumps the bike just skips across them in perfect control if you stay on the gas even a little bit. The more aggressively you ride the better the suspension feels. If you sit down a lot the suspension will feel too stiff, but there really isn't a good suspension set up on any bike for guys who prefer to sit down (IMO).
The steering is quick and the front end stays planted and doesn't push through the turns like my KTM. A steering damper will help for high speed straights, but I didn't feel it was necessary during this first ride at Hollister. Of course, the Gas Gas is lighter than my KTM 450, but it also feels 10 times more agile. It is certainly less fatiguing to ride. I put 35 miles on it this first day and it was the most fun I've had on a bike in many years.
When I bought the Gas Gas 300 I thought it would have a very linear power delivery and good low speed handling, basically a better trail bike than a KTM. What the bike seems to be is more like a motocross bike that is tuned to be the ultimate trail bike and likes to be ridden aggressively, but it is still very manageable when ridden poorly. This is not what I expected, but I found that I like this more than what I originally had hoped the Gas Gas would be. Of course, these are only my opinions and I'm not a professional rider. I'm curious if others out there might agree with me that the 2011 Gas Gas 300 is really a somewhat fast revving race bike with a noticeable power band and a suspension that likes aggressive riding. It isn't necessarily a sedate, smooth power delivery, trail bike, it's more like an MX bike tuned for the woods. Any thoughts?
Steve
Even before my ride I did the following mod's to the bike:
1) Enduro Engineering Kickstand auto-retraction override
2) BPR plastic block chain slider
3) Lowered rear brake pedal by cutting down brake adjustment bolt.
4) Cycra hand guards
5) Trail Tech Vector ride computer
6) Installed normal choke knob and removed choke lever and cable
7) Safety wire hand grips
The dealer had re-jetted the bike and set the needle to maximum lean adjustment based on advice from the distributor (I think). During the initial test ride the bike felt "peaky" and would not transition smoothly into the power band. I determined that the mid-range was set too lean and when the needle clip was moved to the middle position the engine performed better with a smoother power delivery. Now the engine rev's quickly and produces very good power. I wouldn't call this engine "smooth" compared to my KTM. There is a noticeable "hit" when you're on the pipe and the motor rev's quickly, more like an MX bike. I like this type of motor a lot and I never found myself wanting or needing more power. There is a slight vibration buzz in the handlebars but overall the engine feels tight. I had no trouble kick starting the engine (my bike is a 6 Days version, so no E-start).
Conditions were wet and even with the stock enduro tires the bike felt glued to the trail in the sandy and muddy areas. The suspension initially felt a little stiff but after some miles on the bike I realized it isn't too harsh on the small stuff and can absorb the big jumps easily. On small bumps the bike just skips across them in perfect control if you stay on the gas even a little bit. The more aggressively you ride the better the suspension feels. If you sit down a lot the suspension will feel too stiff, but there really isn't a good suspension set up on any bike for guys who prefer to sit down (IMO).
The steering is quick and the front end stays planted and doesn't push through the turns like my KTM. A steering damper will help for high speed straights, but I didn't feel it was necessary during this first ride at Hollister. Of course, the Gas Gas is lighter than my KTM 450, but it also feels 10 times more agile. It is certainly less fatiguing to ride. I put 35 miles on it this first day and it was the most fun I've had on a bike in many years.
When I bought the Gas Gas 300 I thought it would have a very linear power delivery and good low speed handling, basically a better trail bike than a KTM. What the bike seems to be is more like a motocross bike that is tuned to be the ultimate trail bike and likes to be ridden aggressively, but it is still very manageable when ridden poorly. This is not what I expected, but I found that I like this more than what I originally had hoped the Gas Gas would be. Of course, these are only my opinions and I'm not a professional rider. I'm curious if others out there might agree with me that the 2011 Gas Gas 300 is really a somewhat fast revving race bike with a noticeable power band and a suspension that likes aggressive riding. It isn't necessarily a sedate, smooth power delivery, trail bike, it's more like an MX bike tuned for the woods. Any thoughts?
Steve
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. My husband was nice enough to ride with me instead of going with the rest of our group- Thanks Neal!
