Hi Everyone-
This is my first post over here, and I'm glad I found the place. Sorry my first post is a novel. I haven't been riding very long (not counting the Honda z50 I had when I was 4). The first bike I bought was a 2003 CRF450...lol...how's that for a beginner bike! What an idiot I was. I spent the first year of my riding career laying on my back. Anyway, the suspension was actually great, it just couldn't climb without stalling/looping out, and generally was horrible in single track, which I found I liked. What I liked was that it felt really planted, I could weight the rear of the bike open it wide open, and it would go through anything. But the more I rode and got into technical terrain, the more the stalling/looping out issue came to play...then I did my first enduro, and knew she had to go.
So, I moved to an 05 KTM 300 EXC. Much better motor for the technical terrain, but the suspension sucked...$1000 later, suspension was still horrible, and I got tired of being tossed off going through stuff 3/4 speed I was going through on the 450. So, within a few short months, I dumped it, and bought a 525 exc. That thing was a rolling couch, and really is a great bike, unless you want to ride technical trails for more than a few hours....and then after you drag it over your first log, wow...
So, 2006, I picked up a 250xcw. Motor I like better than the 525 or 300 because it's softer off the bottom, so I didn't get as much unwanted wheel spin when it got really technical, but keeping it in the power through faster sections was difficult. Guys on bigger 4 strokes and the 300 pulled away coming out of the turns. And, after almost 2k in suspension work, still not as good as the old crf450.
I hopped on my buddies ktm 300 xc recently, still a little too abrupt off bottom, suspension is still horrible, but I like the way it pulls hard out of turns (didn't like that it wouldn't rev out as far as the 250 though), and the tighter tranny seemed like I was always in the right gear, but on fast transfer sections, I want another gear....or wait, maybe just electric start is all I need, I get confused sometimes....Anyway, not to bash KTMs, they've made decent bikes, but I am tired of being held back because the suspension scares the heck out of me. I have no confidence in it. On the honda there where so many areas I could just open it up and rail through, that on every KTM I've owned since, I have to slow down. It seems that unless I try moving to 5k in works suspension, I'm just wasting my time continuing to buy them.
Anyway, I've been looking at GG for the last couple of years. And as soon as I see an 08 300, it's mine. If the suspension is as good as everyone keeps telling me, I might have finally found the perfect bike. Let me get this straight, the power is a little softer off the bottom compared to the KTM 300, just as strong in the middle, but revs out farther like my current 250, Light weight, 6 speed tranny, link in the rear, nice solid planted bike, that actually turns, and is the rumor true that it's green sticker in CA?. Someone pinch me...
Am I missing something? Just reading some of the posts around here, it seems like a no-brainer to me.
So, I went to the GG website, I click on models, and all I get are the trials bikes. Is there a different site I should visit? I noticed a mention in a thread here about 2 different models, one with a lighter flywheel weight than the other. I want to read up as much as possible to make sure I get what fits me best. Find out about suspension upgrades, etc...I'll be reading through this forum for the next couple of days to get more info, but if anyone can point me in the right direction on model differences, and suspension upgrades I'd appreciate it.
Again, I apologize my first post is so long. I'm just really excited. I have been considering going with a yz250, and turning it into a woods bike...anything, I just cant ride KTM suspension any longer. And when I heard we would get electric start, but not a 6 speed tranny, that was the deal breaker. I can't wait any longer for them to get the basics straight.
This is my first post over here, and I'm glad I found the place. Sorry my first post is a novel. I haven't been riding very long (not counting the Honda z50 I had when I was 4). The first bike I bought was a 2003 CRF450...lol...how's that for a beginner bike! What an idiot I was. I spent the first year of my riding career laying on my back. Anyway, the suspension was actually great, it just couldn't climb without stalling/looping out, and generally was horrible in single track, which I found I liked. What I liked was that it felt really planted, I could weight the rear of the bike open it wide open, and it would go through anything. But the more I rode and got into technical terrain, the more the stalling/looping out issue came to play...then I did my first enduro, and knew she had to go.
So, I moved to an 05 KTM 300 EXC. Much better motor for the technical terrain, but the suspension sucked...$1000 later, suspension was still horrible, and I got tired of being tossed off going through stuff 3/4 speed I was going through on the 450. So, within a few short months, I dumped it, and bought a 525 exc. That thing was a rolling couch, and really is a great bike, unless you want to ride technical trails for more than a few hours....and then after you drag it over your first log, wow...
So, 2006, I picked up a 250xcw. Motor I like better than the 525 or 300 because it's softer off the bottom, so I didn't get as much unwanted wheel spin when it got really technical, but keeping it in the power through faster sections was difficult. Guys on bigger 4 strokes and the 300 pulled away coming out of the turns. And, after almost 2k in suspension work, still not as good as the old crf450.
I hopped on my buddies ktm 300 xc recently, still a little too abrupt off bottom, suspension is still horrible, but I like the way it pulls hard out of turns (didn't like that it wouldn't rev out as far as the 250 though), and the tighter tranny seemed like I was always in the right gear, but on fast transfer sections, I want another gear....or wait, maybe just electric start is all I need, I get confused sometimes....Anyway, not to bash KTMs, they've made decent bikes, but I am tired of being held back because the suspension scares the heck out of me. I have no confidence in it. On the honda there where so many areas I could just open it up and rail through, that on every KTM I've owned since, I have to slow down. It seems that unless I try moving to 5k in works suspension, I'm just wasting my time continuing to buy them.
Anyway, I've been looking at GG for the last couple of years. And as soon as I see an 08 300, it's mine. If the suspension is as good as everyone keeps telling me, I might have finally found the perfect bike. Let me get this straight, the power is a little softer off the bottom compared to the KTM 300, just as strong in the middle, but revs out farther like my current 250, Light weight, 6 speed tranny, link in the rear, nice solid planted bike, that actually turns, and is the rumor true that it's green sticker in CA?. Someone pinch me...
Am I missing something? Just reading some of the posts around here, it seems like a no-brainer to me.
So, I went to the GG website, I click on models, and all I get are the trials bikes. Is there a different site I should visit? I noticed a mention in a thread here about 2 different models, one with a lighter flywheel weight than the other. I want to read up as much as possible to make sure I get what fits me best. Find out about suspension upgrades, etc...I'll be reading through this forum for the next couple of days to get more info, but if anyone can point me in the right direction on model differences, and suspension upgrades I'd appreciate it.
Again, I apologize my first post is so long. I'm just really excited. I have been considering going with a yz250, and turning it into a woods bike...anything, I just cant ride KTM suspension any longer. And when I heard we would get electric start, but not a 6 speed tranny, that was the deal breaker. I can't wait any longer for them to get the basics straight.
