Is the 2013 EC 300 too heavy?

[jpgibson]

Second time around with me and the old girl. All my mates have '18's 9GG and Beta) and my bike is at least 10-15 kg heavier. I am also old and weak!
Anyone else find the '13 a boat anchor? Sure when you're riding it it's OK. But picking it up aint so easy!
I guess the weight ( of a 450!) means it's pretty strong.....
Basically I'm considering ( next year) getting a newer bike, much as I've got an attachment ( as much as I have to any bike- which as anyone who knows me would say isnt very strong!) to this one. The newer ones ( KYB) seem to have no vibrations and float over everything.

 

[fletchman45]

As a long time gas gas liker...my purchase of a 2012 gas gas was one decision I heavily....no pun intended..regretted..the 13 had minor improvements...the 12 steering lock to lock was horrible...all regrets were related to ...well the weight..i had to drill a 3/4 inch hole in my rear brake caliper...so the brakes woundnt constantly boil over...over shooting everything....and whoops...lmfao...swapping side to side so dangerously your life is at stake! The 11 was a better bike in my book...(Did like the etrgos on the 12 better!) While I've yet got to ride and 18 all reports are of a better bike...still on the heavy side...and xc to my knowledge is 232 ready to ride no fuel.. so a slight porker but no worse then and old kdx 200....ive heard good things and spoke with a real fast guy that rides one...i like them and if they bring in a 200 may jump ship..

 

[Jakobi]

I call BS!@

I weighed equivalent bikes, on the same scales, in the same shed, using the same method.

Both using rad braces, AXP bashy, P3 Pipe guard, and everything else stock. The 13 a kick only model, the 18 with the magic button. There was 5-6kgs difference, both with about a quarter of a tank of fuel (111kg vs 116/7).

I always thought the 13 felt heavy to lift. I never really had any issue with it in motion. I haven't lifted the 18 yet.

 

[jpgibson]

5-6 kg plus e start ( maybe 2 kg inc lithium battery). Not THAT much I guess!

 

[fletchman45]

Ya so 12 or 13 pounds not counting the electric start...the 12 even with the steering stops removed where you can hit the radiator I still found not tight enough turning...the test in dirt bike magazine says the steering could be more..i would really like to ride one of these new generation gassers...does anyone know if they actually come with heavy duty tubes or Not? That would justify 2 pounds or so...if I could get and xc 250 down to 218-220 without spending a fortune I'd try one..they do seem tall..i sat on one and it felt taller then my new generation husqvarna..

 

[jpgibson]

The new GG and Beta are awesome. I liked the GG a bit better. Yep, quite tall though ( not the Beta!).
They are way better than the ?13. The ?14 lost a couple of pounds. Dirtrider weighed a ?13 fully fueled, was 270 lb ( cf the ktm which was 30lb less).
Im not a weight weenie, but you can defs feel it.
Id really like a GP.....

 

[(F5)]

When I get old and infirm I will hunt down a 2 stroke Freeride. Best woods bike ever. Until you get into the open. EC300 still more fun but Freeride soo effective and easy to ride. Would be great for slight or older rider.
Which I felt like after Sunday mostly 1st or 2nd gear all day.

 

[CDN Rick]

When I get old and infirm I will hunt down a 2 stroke Freeride. Best woods bike ever. Until you get into the open. EC300 still more fun but Freeride soo effective and easy to ride. Would be great for slight or older rider.
Which I felt like after Sunday mostly 1st or 2nd gear all day.

Have you ridden a X-Trainer? I've ridden both and I'd throw the Freeride over a cliff the day an X-Trainer became available. And I'd expect the new GG Ranger to be even better than the X-Trainer. My opinion of the Freeride can't be typed into the internet or I'll be banned.

 

[Wimpy525]

Well, I owned a 12, still have a 13 I am getting ready to sell and have about 26hrs on the 18 GP 300 I bought as a leftover in September.
The 12, well that bike was well that bike, only had about 50hrs on it when it was replaced in with a 13 which is really a 12.5. I got that bike working very well suspension was what I thought was good, it handled well very stable tracked well in the ruts. There are plenty of nuts, bolts, and spacers to hold the bike together. Is she heavy I suppose but built like a tank and carries it well, kinda sounds like me. That 13 turned into a really good bike for me, took a lot of set up and getting it right but in the end was a very good bike and brought me to a 3rd place championship in 12, and a 2nd place in13 championship in my class. So they can be very good bikes.
Well now the 18 is light years ahead, the suspension is just amazing just sprung it for my weight and set the sag. Few clicks here and there and it just soaks everything up. Still working on the jetting but I am very close.
The weight of the bike never bothered me, I won't complain about the weight of a bike until I weigh less than the bike.

 

[(F5)]

Have you ridden a X-Trainer? I've ridden both and I'd throw the Freeride over a cliff the day an X-Trainer became available. And I'd expect the new GG Ranger to be even better than the X-Trainer. My opinion of the Freeride can't be typed into the internet or I'll be banned.

No never seen one. I've only ridden the 2 stroke version in tight woods. Reminded me of my TXT200 trials bike. Almost. That TXT was tiresome as country opened out but in the tricky stuff like, a , erm, trials bike.

 

[Jakobi]

I have a mate who went the x-trainer route. Not a bad idea if you consider that our riding was moving towards more technical terrain (before priorities changed and I stopped riding all but).. But his bike seemed very comfortable and good of fuel for picking it's way through singles... I don't know though!! I don't like trials tyres on dirt bikes either..

And I guess at the end of the day I have always preferred a firmer setup as well.. and I'm not fast, and I don't have any real mad skills.. I just feel that having a broad setup that can handle more than I can give it keeps me in a better position than a bike with a narrow scope of use. I'd rather struggle with some traction or deflection at slower speeds than give up stability and predictability at speed.. even if my intention is never to really ride faster terrain.

 

[(F5)]

Yeah but I'm only a spritely 50. A mate who is early mid 60s just got a YZ450 to go along with his EC300. It's thrown him on the ground a couple of times and I wonder that he went the wrong way for certain rides.

 

[CDN Rick]

I have a mate who went the x-trainer route. Not a bad idea if you consider that our riding was moving towards more technical terrain (before priorities changed and I stopped riding all but).. But his bike seemed very comfortable and good of fuel for picking it's way through singles... I don't know though!! I don't like trials tyres on dirt bikes either..

And I guess at the end of the day I have always preferred a firmer setup as well.. and I'm not fast, and I don't have any real mad skills.. I just feel that having a broad setup that can handle more than I can give it keeps me in a better position than a bike with a narrow scope of use. I'd rather struggle with some traction or deflection at slower speeds than give up stability and predictability at speed.. even if my intention is never to really ride faster terrain.

Ya the X-trainer route is great for older riders, women, and people who ONLY ride technical slow trails. Anything faster and you'll quickly be looking for a proper enduro bike. I'm excited to see how the Ranger performs considering its a full size frame bike but with the slow hitting torque.

 

[jpgibson]

This really my quandry. I like the shed time pretty much as much as riding BUT maybe I'd enjoy riding more with a newer bike....
I have had a terrible habit of flipping vehicles very frequently ( always at a loss), which makes me the BEST person in the world to buy from! Bikes sorted and I cant usually be bothered to remove all the value added stuff I've put on.
Locally there's a 12h Beta 300 for 8500 AUD. To get that bike and set up will cost me about 5700 AUD in addition to what mine's worth ( probs minimum 4000AUD). Not sure it's really worth it given mine ( albeit pretty old), looks good and has had ( 10-15h ago) a full rebuild( inc bottom end) ( inc suspension- although Ive got Jakobi's forks on it now).

 

[Gibnut]

I have had a terrible habit of flipping vehicles very frequently

Well, not recently - the last big flip was ghosting the TM up Devil?s Gorge about 4 years ago! A-ha-ha! Actually, your RR250 kinda went upside down up Jonathan?s Hill, so, technically, yeah..

 

[rocky2by]

I just got a new bike, I did go to demo days for Beta and Husky, I also first stopped at My closest GAS GAS dealer, he had some 2018 250, 300s left setting out front. The few things I noticed were man they are heavy, also the vibration were not to bad setting there running, and I noticed they smoothed out at higher rpm. Also I looked up gearing for most all of the 250-300 bikes and did not like the new GAS GAS gearing ratio compared to the others, the Husky TE seems like a great ratio, and the Beta has a very low first (to low really) but has a great 6th. I have had both a 2011 and 2013 GAS GAS bikes and have sold both, not that they where bad bikes, but I felt there was a better choice for me. The Beta also felt a little heavy, also the most vibrations of the 3 bikes. So onto the Husky Demo, WOW is the new TX 300 VERY light, like very very light, and very low vibes, more of a little buzz. This bike rides and handles great. I have nothing wrong with GAS GAS and I really like all the new bikes and if I had enough $$$$ I would have a few of each. Sorry this was so long, but when we have to spend 10K on a new bike, you cant have enough info.

 

[memphis2857]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CDN Rick]

I just got a new bike, I did go to demo days for Beta and Husky, I also first stopped at My closest GAS GAS dealer, he had some 2018 250, 300s left setting out front. The few things I noticed were man they are heavy, also the vibration were not to bad setting there running, and I noticed they smoothed out at higher rpm. Also I looked up gearing for most all of the 250-300 bikes and did not like the new GAS GAS gearing ratio compared to the others, the Husky TE seems like a great ratio, and the Beta has a very low first (to low really) but has a great 6th. I have had both a 2011 and 2013 GAS GAS bikes and have sold both, not that they where bad bikes, but I felt there was a better choice for me. The Beta also felt a little heavy, also the most vibrations of the 3 bikes. So onto the Husky Demo, WOW is the new TX 300 VERY light, like very very light, and very low vibes, more of a little buzz. This bike rides and handles great. I have nothing wrong with GAS GAS and I really like all the new bikes and if I had enough $$$$ I would have a few of each. Sorry this was so long, but when we have to spend 10K on a new bike, you cant have enough info.

Put both those bikes on a scale. They literally weigh exactly the identical amount. To within half a pound. No lie.

 

[(F5)]

They say Gravity is a harsh mistress. Applies to the scales as well.

Sportsbikes made some serious weight reductions around the turn of the century.

. . . Mainly at the brochure.

 

[fletchman45]

Put both those bikes on a scale. They literally weigh exactly the identical amount. To within half a pound. No lie.

Absolutely not...the tx without fuel ..ready to ride will weigh right at 219..give or take a pound and the gas gas xc 2018 will weigh 232 give or take a pound...these are facts and can be found rather easily..now add the game changer counter balancer...huge huge...the tx may cost more and u will be hard pressed to find a carryover.. I'm not dishing the gassers 2018 which basically has a 2015 ktmish frame..between a beta and gasser id take the gas gas.. the weight needs to drop..from what I understand most of the weight difference is in the engine...the gas gas uses old heavy casting methods and the ktm/husky uses state of the art methods for reducing weight...it is simple I'm sure the r and d team at ktm has much much more funds available...but on topic..yes the 13 is a pig and even without electric start is heavier then a 450 electric start ktm...however I think if titled would make a great dual sport bike! The 18s are at least in the hunt and although a tish heavy sound to have nice suspension etc...i can't wait.to ride one!