Newbie...just bought 2014 300R, need advice
- Thread starter 95jersey
- Start date
First Ride Report:
So my previous couple bikes were a 2002 YZ250 and a 2013 Husky TXC310R for comparison. I sold the YZ, but still have the Husky. Rode the Gas Gas 300 for the first time Sunday. Only mods were pro taper bars, zeta bark busters, pillow top grips, and horsepower house silencer. The forks seemed pretty stiff (especially being new), so with the advice of another Gas Gas rider, I turned the pre-load adjusters all the way out and ran 18 clicks out on compression and rebound (both forks and shock). The thought was since the suspension was new and not broken in, to run it soft initially and go from there. All my riding is done in soft sand (no rocks whatsoever). I am impressed with build quality (visually). I will say however, that the air filter design is ridiculous. There are no alignment holes on the intake and the filter basically just sits flat against the intake housing with nothing to align it to. Just seems such a cheesy design. There is no real way to know if you have the thing aligned properly...oh well, guess it must work.
First Impressions...My version has no e-start, and it was 38F outside, so getting her started took several kicks. Once warmed up, it was not a problem. I had a 2 mile drive to the trail head. Street manners were very good for a 2 stroke, but the horsepower pipe is quite loud. Roll on power down my street was very smooth (not like my YZ). So finally we get to the trail head and I am leading out of 4 riders. This trail opens up to a large sand pit so I had my chance to open the bike up and see what she could do. MAN talk about a power rush (hold the F on), definitely faster than my Husky, and just a tad faster than my YZ250. I think the Gas Gas has more mid range grunt than the YZ. Even in the sand the front wheel was lofting in the air. The bike tracked strait and felt planted, suspension felt surprisingly smooth and supple (especially considering how firm it felt when pushing down on it).
Hitting the Trail...So now for some trails. There is so much power on tap, that I am now being very cautious, riding well below my skill level. First thing I notice is how short the rear brake lever feels (actually a good thing). On my Husky and YZ you have to take your foot off the peg to reach the rear brake with proper feel. When I did the same on this bike, my foot hit the pipe. So the first couple turns were interesting as instead of grabbing a handful of brake, I grabbed a foot full of pipe. After a few tries I realized that leaving my foot on the peg and just applying pressure with my toes was sufficient. This took me a while to get use to, I keep taking my foot off the peg to find the brake and forgetting it was right there. It is not so noticeable by eye, but the rear brake lever is shorter than what I am use to. I see this however being a good thing once I get use to it.
The bike turned beautifully and was quick to transition, although I did notice the turning radius was larger than my Husky. I did not feel any extra weight and if anything the bike felt lighter than my Husky. The only negative I could find was the power delivery at med throttle. I was in trail that was not wide open, but certainly not a stick forest, but the bike kept hitting the power band, which created an instant rush in power, lofting the front wheel which made it difficult to control. This was not an issue in the faster trails, but the med speed trails took a ton of concentration. Too much throttle and the bike was leaping out from under me. It was kind of like riding a bucking bronco. My Husky with more manageable 4 stroke power shines in this type of environment. Good speed and traction with out ever feeling out of control. The rear also seem to kick in the whoops, forks felt great, but if I pushed the bike it wanted to throw me off the seat. This may be because the suspension is new and stiff, or a sag or set up issue, but none the less a handful.
Hitting the Trail (Part 2)...So now onto a bit tighter and more technical single track. My first thought was how am I going to manage these trails with all this power. So in 3rd I went and I kept the power down and just lugged it through the trail. We'll this worked, but when the trail opened up a bit and I got on the power, the bike hit the powerband and exploded. It is a lot to manage. My Husky on the other hand can be lugged in 3rd as easily and gives me the extra power when needed without the explosion. I must admit the front wheel being lofted at every twist of the throttle was getting a little old. When it got real tight, the bike would occasionally stall. The clutch was weird. Even though I had it pulled in at least 1/2 way, it was not enough to keep the engine from stalling in the tight. Also, I notice it would stick in the 1/2 pulled position, then slowly go back to fully extended and even when pulled all the way in, I could feel some engagement...maybe it needs to be bleed??
Got stuck in the mud, bike stalled, couldn't get out in 2nd or 3rd, had to go down to 1st with a lot of throttle. Again, my Husky would have pulled right out of this in 2nd (or 3rd) without stalling. Now onto the weight, I had my first fall (very small at low speed). First thing I though was, here we go all the stories about picking up a heavy bike. Not the case, was even easier than my Husky. I would say this bike is light and the 106kg advertised weight seems about right.
Things that need to be addressed...power delivery needs to be cleaned up. It hits too hard to early right now to be a good single track bike. It is too much work to manage. I know I am faster on my Husky even though it has less power. Is this all jetting and/or a power valve adjustment. I thought I just may need to get use to it, but having the front wheel loft every time I twist the throttle in single track is not confidence inspiring. Rear suspension needs to settle down a bit and stop trying to kick me off the bike. Bar position needs to go forward and up, just a bit too cramp. I can't get into a normal riding position. Clutch engagement is poor (and makes a lot of noise). Maybe a bleed. Also this thing sounded like it had a recluse with all the chatter. Is that normal? I hope not.
Again the power transition is poor, it goes from soft (not enough power) to a big front wheel lofting hit. This is great on MX or open trails and pits, but was a beast in technical trails.
So my previous couple bikes were a 2002 YZ250 and a 2013 Husky TXC310R for comparison. I sold the YZ, but still have the Husky. Rode the Gas Gas 300 for the first time Sunday. Only mods were pro taper bars, zeta bark busters, pillow top grips, and horsepower house silencer. The forks seemed pretty stiff (especially being new), so with the advice of another Gas Gas rider, I turned the pre-load adjusters all the way out and ran 18 clicks out on compression and rebound (both forks and shock). The thought was since the suspension was new and not broken in, to run it soft initially and go from there. All my riding is done in soft sand (no rocks whatsoever). I am impressed with build quality (visually). I will say however, that the air filter design is ridiculous. There are no alignment holes on the intake and the filter basically just sits flat against the intake housing with nothing to align it to. Just seems such a cheesy design. There is no real way to know if you have the thing aligned properly...oh well, guess it must work.
First Impressions...My version has no e-start, and it was 38F outside, so getting her started took several kicks. Once warmed up, it was not a problem. I had a 2 mile drive to the trail head. Street manners were very good for a 2 stroke, but the horsepower pipe is quite loud. Roll on power down my street was very smooth (not like my YZ). So finally we get to the trail head and I am leading out of 4 riders. This trail opens up to a large sand pit so I had my chance to open the bike up and see what she could do. MAN talk about a power rush (hold the F on), definitely faster than my Husky, and just a tad faster than my YZ250. I think the Gas Gas has more mid range grunt than the YZ. Even in the sand the front wheel was lofting in the air. The bike tracked strait and felt planted, suspension felt surprisingly smooth and supple (especially considering how firm it felt when pushing down on it).
Hitting the Trail...So now for some trails. There is so much power on tap, that I am now being very cautious, riding well below my skill level. First thing I notice is how short the rear brake lever feels (actually a good thing). On my Husky and YZ you have to take your foot off the peg to reach the rear brake with proper feel. When I did the same on this bike, my foot hit the pipe. So the first couple turns were interesting as instead of grabbing a handful of brake, I grabbed a foot full of pipe. After a few tries I realized that leaving my foot on the peg and just applying pressure with my toes was sufficient. This took me a while to get use to, I keep taking my foot off the peg to find the brake and forgetting it was right there. It is not so noticeable by eye, but the rear brake lever is shorter than what I am use to. I see this however being a good thing once I get use to it.
The bike turned beautifully and was quick to transition, although I did notice the turning radius was larger than my Husky. I did not feel any extra weight and if anything the bike felt lighter than my Husky. The only negative I could find was the power delivery at med throttle. I was in trail that was not wide open, but certainly not a stick forest, but the bike kept hitting the power band, which created an instant rush in power, lofting the front wheel which made it difficult to control. This was not an issue in the faster trails, but the med speed trails took a ton of concentration. Too much throttle and the bike was leaping out from under me. It was kind of like riding a bucking bronco. My Husky with more manageable 4 stroke power shines in this type of environment. Good speed and traction with out ever feeling out of control. The rear also seem to kick in the whoops, forks felt great, but if I pushed the bike it wanted to throw me off the seat. This may be because the suspension is new and stiff, or a sag or set up issue, but none the less a handful.
Hitting the Trail (Part 2)...So now onto a bit tighter and more technical single track. My first thought was how am I going to manage these trails with all this power. So in 3rd I went and I kept the power down and just lugged it through the trail. We'll this worked, but when the trail opened up a bit and I got on the power, the bike hit the powerband and exploded. It is a lot to manage. My Husky on the other hand can be lugged in 3rd as easily and gives me the extra power when needed without the explosion. I must admit the front wheel being lofted at every twist of the throttle was getting a little old. When it got real tight, the bike would occasionally stall. The clutch was weird. Even though I had it pulled in at least 1/2 way, it was not enough to keep the engine from stalling in the tight. Also, I notice it would stick in the 1/2 pulled position, then slowly go back to fully extended and even when pulled all the way in, I could feel some engagement...maybe it needs to be bleed??
Got stuck in the mud, bike stalled, couldn't get out in 2nd or 3rd, had to go down to 1st with a lot of throttle. Again, my Husky would have pulled right out of this in 2nd (or 3rd) without stalling. Now onto the weight, I had my first fall (very small at low speed). First thing I though was, here we go all the stories about picking up a heavy bike. Not the case, was even easier than my Husky. I would say this bike is light and the 106kg advertised weight seems about right.
Things that need to be addressed...power delivery needs to be cleaned up. It hits too hard to early right now to be a good single track bike. It is too much work to manage. I know I am faster on my Husky even though it has less power. Is this all jetting and/or a power valve adjustment. I thought I just may need to get use to it, but having the front wheel loft every time I twist the throttle in single track is not confidence inspiring. Rear suspension needs to settle down a bit and stop trying to kick me off the bike. Bar position needs to go forward and up, just a bit too cramp. I can't get into a normal riding position. Clutch engagement is poor (and makes a lot of noise). Maybe a bleed. Also this thing sounded like it had a recluse with all the chatter. Is that normal? I hope not.
Again the power transition is poor, it goes from soft (not enough power) to a big front wheel lofting hit. This is great on MX or open trails and pits, but was a beast in technical trails.
iamovru
New member
G2 throttle tamer will fix your whiskey throttle. And the main thing that I had to learn going from my 450 to my 300. Was to ride a gear or two higher in the tight stuff. Which up here is all the time 
Sounds like you like the bike! Congratulations and welcome to the Dark Side 
The chatter is the PV Gas Gas is famous for. It warns your friends you are coming. 
Sounds like you like the bike! Congratulations and welcome to the Dark Side The chatter is the PV Gas Gas is famous for. It warns your friends you are coming. 
G2 throttle tamer will fix your whiskey throttle. And the main thing that I had to learn going from my 450 to my 300. Was to ride a gear or two higher in the tight stuff. Which up here is all the time
Problem with riding a gear higher was that the bike had very little bottom end at low RPM.
Buysomerice
Gold Level Site Supporter
If I'm in flowing tight stuff it's a manditory gear high. My bike shines in the low down grunt, I love it. When I need the power of the correct gear, it started out as a handful, until I learned to harness her with the clutch. Maybe need to look at the clutch? Also diffrent trans oil makes my bike/clutch feel diffrent could play with that.
desertgasser300
Banned
Try some different jetting, not sure if you said you changed out the stock needle? I use a JD kit with the red needle and now have just two jetting changes during the year, one winter and one for summer. The rear shock sounds like it will need some massaging from a tuner? Or just a longer break in? Forgot you are not running an Ohlins. Some have used an S3 23oz. fly wheel weight with great results. Sounds heavy but it does work. I had one on mine and it makes the bike a tractor and still rips. I took mine off, being out here in the desert I didnt need more tractor effect. The air filter cage should have tabs on it that fit into the box that let the filter sit squarely and flush. The spring loaded design is great.
Guaranteed you wont find a sexier bike!!
iamovru
New member
You should have no problem taming the power. Mine has hardly any hit at all at this point. Mostly jetting did it, but I noticed a difference after cutting squish. Well, actually that's when I really changed the jetting so that's gonna do it for you. Try a different needle. There are tons of threads on here covering it.
I actually want some of the hit back. It just makes the bike more fun.
I actually want some of the hit back. It just makes the bike more fun.
Who is the rocket scientist that put the oil fill hole on the opposite side of the bike with the oil window?!?! That was an interesting oil change...ugh!
I was under the impression the power valve was built to be adjustable, sounds like it is a bit more complex than that. I will pull the cover to see what I can find. If it came just 2-3 hundred rpm's later it would make the world of difference in single track.
Sounds like jetting is my answer, but I am far from a jetting master, and testing is almost impossible in the real world, as I have to ride 1-3 miles from my house to the trail. Even though it is expensive, I may just go the JD jetting route to simplify the process. Hard to explain to your friends they have to wait for you in the trail while you take your carb apart.
Also, I found the bars too far back, so I moved them forward and up. Maybe that will get me on top of the bike more to keep the front wheel down.
Do you think they put enough bolts on that skid plate...and of course I have a 2 tri stands with 3 different prongs and NONE of them fit into this stupidly small axle bolt.
Done with my ranting for now
I was under the impression the power valve was built to be adjustable, sounds like it is a bit more complex than that. I will pull the cover to see what I can find. If it came just 2-3 hundred rpm's later it would make the world of difference in single track.
Sounds like jetting is my answer, but I am far from a jetting master, and testing is almost impossible in the real world, as I have to ride 1-3 miles from my house to the trail. Even though it is expensive, I may just go the JD jetting route to simplify the process. Hard to explain to your friends they have to wait for you in the trail while you take your carb apart.
Also, I found the bars too far back, so I moved them forward and up. Maybe that will get me on top of the bike more to keep the front wheel down.
Do you think they put enough bolts on that skid plate...and of course I have a 2 tri stands with 3 different prongs and NONE of them fit into this stupidly small axle bolt.
Done with my ranting for now
twowheels
New member
Take a deep breath and spend some time reading through the postings (esp jetting) here.
As for the oil fill hole, you're about the 9,874th guy to bitch about it ... part of the charm I suppose.
The pv is adjustable in 2015, but for 14 and prior you're a little limited in what you can do. Most guys will check for slack and alignment on the mechanism but stock up on a side gasket before you dig in. Again, well documented here.
iamovru
New member
LOL!
Changing the oil and filter changes were always fun
But like anything else you learn how to make it work. It sounds like you are not used to having that much power in your right hand. Fatten up your jetting and you will be fine. As I said before, get the G2 throttle Tamer. DesertGasser is selling his 23oz FWW and my understanding is that they make a world of difference in the tight stuff. I was going to get one for mine, but they dont fit on the estart bikes.My YZ250 easily made this much power (or more), but that was one reason I didn't use it as a woods bike. Just annoying when you are lugging down a single track and just need a little more ompff and then bam you hit this wheel popping power band just 10 feet before a tight turn. I am totally capable of handling the hit, but it just f*cks with trying to set the bike up for tight turns or technical terrain coming off a fast section. The front wheel gets off the ground and I have to slow down prematurely to get the bike to turn. I like the hit, if I could tame it down just a bit or make it come on later. I am sure more riding will get me use to it. Looks like I have gotten a bit lazy on my 4 stroke...LOL
iamovru
New member
Thats what 4T`s do to you. My 2011 300EC was a fire breather and would eat up most bikes. You just need to work on your throttle control and fatten up the jetting. Our trails here in the PNW are really tight. In the winter they are tight, slippery and snotty. With lots of mossy roots and rocks. My Gasser was the perfect bike. Your YZ may have seemed just as quick, but you have more power going to the ground on that 300. You can spin the tire of a 150,200 or 250 and be fine. 300`s are very different.
I think the air filter is awesome! This is the easiest one Ive owned. I like that I can feel all the way around the filter to see if it's seated.
I came from a 450 so the 300 feels very manageable. Once you get it jetted better I think you will like it. I can lug mine up steep Rocky climbs. Power is very linear and predictable. I can look at what needle I did if that would help. These guys can probably suggest something better than what I'm using.
As far as the oil fill hole I think it's smart because, umm.. Well it's protected from.... HEY! Wait a minute!
I came from a 450 so the 300 feels very manageable. Once you get it jetted better I think you will like it. I can lug mine up steep Rocky climbs. Power is very linear and predictable. I can look at what needle I did if that would help. These guys can probably suggest something better than what I'm using.
As far as the oil fill hole I think it's smart because, umm.. Well it's protected from.... HEY! Wait a minute!
twowheels
New member
NEDW will soften the blow, as in Suuuuuuuper Smooth. You might want to try the 'rainy' map as well.
95jersey did you change the silencer for the H of HP one. If so I'm sure you will have to re-jet to suit. There are heaps of threads on this. I bought a second hand ec300 and was recommended by jakobi to fit a n3eg, when I pulled the carby open that is what the last owner had put in it but not sure on jets though but I think they are stock. I have bought other bikes that are road worthy at the point of sale and had to do some form of de-restricting to get them race standard. It is not difficult to do once you have the right information.
I just put 900ml in a oil change and screw the plug back in. You don't have to don't have to be so specific apparently a lot of people just chuck the whole ltr bottle in.
Air filter.
I thought they heaps easy compared to ktm. You think you can get a quick release kit for the seat for top and side access if you want..I Just use plenty of grease on the seal.
I decided to leave power valve adjustments and that sort of stuff for later once until I got the bike competitive and now I am not even that interested in going there. Maybe one day though.
Nice bike there feller a good xmas pressie for yourself.
I just put 900ml in a oil change and screw the plug back in. You don't have to don't have to be so specific apparently a lot of people just chuck the whole ltr bottle in.
Air filter.
I thought they heaps easy compared to ktm. You think you can get a quick release kit for the seat for top and side access if you want..I Just use plenty of grease on the seal.
I decided to leave power valve adjustments and that sort of stuff for later once until I got the bike competitive and now I am not even that interested in going there. Maybe one day though.
Nice bike there feller a good xmas pressie for yourself.
Jakobi
Super Moderator
FWW I have a '13 EC250R with head mod, my own jetting blend, 13/50 gearing, and I can easily pull 3rd gear through most technical single trails (using some clutch). 2nd gear from a stand still. 1st is a fall back gear.
