Review of 2018s GasGas-Loretta Lynn Ranch 10-20-17
 

I want to thank Rod for a great Demo Ride Event at the Loretta Lynn Ranch yesterday!:D I had a great time, this was a great experience! The dedicated GasGas test loop was fun but challenging, it was very well laid out.

WOW, the bikes are incredible! All the good aspects of the older Gassers with all the modern updates. I rode an 2018 XC300 and a modified 2018 EC300 with Lectron carb and Rekluse clutch. I am going to choose my words carefully here, these two bikes are probably the best two bikes that I have ever swung a leg over. THEY ARE AWESOME!

These bikes have an extreme range of suspension adjustability. The XC that I rode was a little stiffer. It was about perfect. The KYB forks and shock are excellent. The forks could suck up any hits and were supple on the small trail hack. Absolutely not a hint of fork deflection anywhere at any time.The shock was the same,just great KYB components and setup on the KYB suspension!

The EC has the same suspension(per Rod) as the XC, but the EC that I rode was setup a little softer. It was softer with a little more of a progressive feel. The Rekluse clutch was great too.

The engine on both bikes is similar in feel to the prior Gassers, but the 2018 motor has more power everywhere. If you like the old GG 300 motor, then you will LOVE the new motor. It's like the old motor on steroids. Rod had a 250 as well, but I was too worn out to ride another loop. I am sure it is great too.

The handling is PURE GasGas. It will turn better than any other bike. The fit and finish is excellent. The starter motor works perfect. The is definitely, IMHO, the 2018 bike to buy.

Thanks Rod for an AWESOME EVENT!:D

John

My savings account really dislikes you right now. :D

LOL, I feel your pain, I have two bikes right now, I don't know if I can justify a third machine but I am thinking, thinking,thinking about it.;);););)

I got in a ride on the '18s at Loretta's.

I went up on Friday because I wanted to ride the Alta, and I figured there would be a big crowd for that on Saturday (I was right about that). After I finished riding the Alta, I popped over to the GGs.

I rode the EC 300 1st, and was shocked how much I liked it. I had an '07 GG 300, so I know how the older 1s feel, followed by 2 KTMs. This bike was kind of a cross between the old GG and the KTMs, it has very little in common with the old GGs. It felt way lighter than the old 1s, maybe not quite as light in the front end as the KTM XC (air fork), but close. The test loop was tight and gnarly, and the suspension was like riding marshmallows on that; the trade-off was that when it opened up, it was a little too soft for me in the mid. the power was smooth and torquey, and there was plenty of it. Ergos were nice and slim, with nothing weird, and the bike was easy to move around on. Brakes were nice, better feel than the old 1s. Handling was great. I rode it about 5 loops, and really enjoyed it. I got going pretty good on it, and got to pass several guys who were trying the Alta on the test loop and couldn't quite gel with it.

All in all it is a great bike, and a serious contender, it's a HUGE upgrade from the old 1s (no offense to those with the old 1s).

I rode the XC 250 and it felt even lighter with the lower torque, like a bicycle, but was a little too pipey for me in the tight, hilly terrain. I didn't ride the XC 300, as I don't care for auto clutches and it had 1.

I rode the trials bike also, and really liked it as well, but that's another story....

I also got to ride the new GASGAS at Loretta Lynn's fall ride. It was really nice, quick to register you and they didn't mind you riding the bike more than once. They had a killer demo loop that was actually challenging so you could really get the feel of the bike going down a steep hill or steep up hills with roots and rocks. Thank you Rod Overstreet for taking the time to talk about the bike and explain a few things to me since I don't know anything about them. The bikes had just been taken out of the crate on Thursday so the first couple hours the suspension was a little stiff. A few of my riding buddies rode them Friday and then went back Saturday and they said the suspension was great even though they needed bigger springs for their weight. I waited to ride them Saturday.

I have owned KTM's since 2001, switched to a RM250 2t and KXF450 around 2010, switched again to Sherco in 2014 and switched back to KTM in 2015.

So here is my thoughts on the new bike. Absolutely Incredible! The XC 300 I rode was a power house but was very tractable. The front end felt planted on the ground and where you pointed the bike it went and it went quick. I found myself over turning the corners while standing up and having to dab a foot to stay up. It didn't matter if it was powder dust, rocky corner or roots sticking up. It went were you wanted it to go. The bike weighs more than my 2016 factory edition 250sxf that I have set up for woods but yet when riding the GASGAS it felt like a 125. Power deliver is smooth with a ton of bottom end torque and the transition to the top end is smooth. I see no need for a map switch because of how smooth the bike is. Don't get me wrong, the motor is one of the strongest motors I have been on in a 2t model.

Ergonomics is outstanding. It doesn't matter how you ride the bike, it feels comfortable. You can sit on the back of the seat just like a Sherco and the bike handles great. The bike feels like a motocross bike because of how thin it is.

The electric start worked great for me. It started in gear with a Rekluse installed in the bike and the starter did not hesitate to turn the bike over. The bonus is that it has a kick starter so you don't have to worry about started problems or a dead battery( Like Sherco and 4 revisions on the starter ). Let?s face it we all screw up and leave a switch on or do poor planning before a ride and end up with a dead battery. It?s not always the manufacturers design. I am sure just like all other brands they could run into problems with the starter or anything else on the bike.

Suspension was incredible for stock. I am 6'5 and weigh 270 with gear. Yes I am fat! The springs of course did not suit me but just the reaction and how the suspension worked was excellent and I still could ride the bike like I wanted too. I currently run Cone valve forks and trax shock and honestly think I could get the KYB to ride just as good maybe better. Some of the best suspension I had was on my KX450F that factory connection did some work on.

All in all it was a great experience not just because I got to ride the bike, but the people that helped with the demo's. I got to meet Josh with Performance Supercycle and his wife and both of them were very nice. Josh even offered to come get one of his bikes to ride for the weekend which is really nice of him to offer.

My Bike has been ordered and will have it soon.

Please post up about the Alta in the "All Other Bikes" forum section. I'm curious as to how it compares to an internal combustion bike.

Good idea, I'll do that on Monday at work when I'll have my desk top.

All done!