My 2018 GasGas 300 review
 

I've been riding a new 2018 GasGas 300 the last few rides. It's a demo bike. I have 3 solid rides in very different areas on it now. For reference I rode a KTM300w in 2016, a 2017 TE250 in 2017 and building a 2018 TE250i (EFI 2 stroke) right now.

BTW I have zero fight in the game, don't own a GG, don't have any real involvement.

Here is my assessment...

1st ride - Bend Oregon at the husky demo, short ride in more open high dez.

I liked the bike immediately. It fits me near perfect (bars need to be a bit higher for standing) and was really easy for me to get on and feel at home. The motor is nice,. pulls hard like a 300 should and has a nice long usable powerband. It's quite a bit different then the more middle feeling older motors. It's like the old motor with more snap and power. The old motor was very good, this one is even better. One of the first things I notice was how well it seemed to handle. Very neutral, very planted,does what you ask of it, nothing more nothing less. Then I noticed the suspesnion, semi firm but not harsh and feels really good for stock components. Everything else about the bike worked great and everything seems well designed and works for you when under way.

I was really looking forward to trying it in deep woods where I usually ride.

Ride 2 - Tillamook state forest (Deep slick woods)

Now we are in my main riding type. Deep, mossy, slick, clay, steep, technical woods. I was riding with 3 other guys, all very competent and fast. I felt really good on the bike. It freaking handles fantastic, I love the way it turns. I would rate the handling above the husky / KTM and Beta platforms. It's that good. I ride a ton of different bikes and this one is my all time favorite handling bike. So neutral and always working for you. The suspension also impresses and a few clickers clicked and wow, great stock suspension. One glaring issue I did not notice at the much higher elevation Bend ride was not as near sea level the bike pings and knocks really bad under load. This was disapointing as I freaking loved the rest of the bike. Was still very good and the guy were complementing my on my speed and fluid line choices.

Ride 3 - Hood River / Mt Hood area. Good variety of terrain but mostly woods.

Before this ride I thought I would ritchen the needle to see if I could eliminate the pinging. The needle was all the way lean and after talking to the rep it was because they were testing it in Idaho at elevation before i got it. I put it to the middle position and headed out. WOW, OK the motor works now. Crazy good power everywhere. No map switch or adjustable powervalve needed, this motor is the shit. Short shift and lug it like crazy or let it get into the mid rang and hold the F on. It does sign off slightly earlier that I had expected but I NEVER wised for more or better power. So now we ahve a bike that flat rips, handles fantastic, has great stock suspension, feels wonderful and seems super willing to help you do what you are trying to do. Everything from this point is nit picking and even then its hard to finds something to complain about.

Ups:

handling is fantastic
Suspoesnion is VERY good
Motor is excellent
Bike build quality looks just as good as anything and it has been super simple to work on.
The way it tracks on slick grooved out technical challenging down hills is next level. Never have I ridden a bike that you don't have to fight in those conditions. This bike tracks so well it makes hard things easier. this bike works for/with you so much it makes you feel like a better rider.

downs:

Bars are a little low for me
Starter is a "restarter" and does not work well when in gear.
Rear tire is kinda crappy
The motor while pretty smooth is not as smooth as the counterbalanced KTM/Husky.

Summation:

I have ridden several last generation GG's and honestly kinda hated them. My friend has one and has issue after issue with it and is not in love. I honestly was not expecting this much improvement and be such a good bike. This bike seriously feels like it has had years of refinement. I never thought I would say this but this bike pretty much nails it for me. I like the new husky/KTMs, I like the Betas maybe slightly more and I like this one the best of all of them. Its that good, for me.

Right now I am decking out and building the most amazing 2018 TE250i (EFI 2 stroke). This bike is going to have everything and be about as good as this platform can be. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up as the GG is now my new bench mark for off road 2 strokes.

https://i.imgur.com/W9nSjDD.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cFJlJCM.jpg

Next ride review...

Did a camp and ride this weekend so rode it two days back to back. Buddy with a decked out 2017 TE300 was along for the ride and very keen to try the GG. We swapped. Here are my feeling and this was echoed by the TE owner. The GG does not feel heavier. They feel about the same. No one has rode the GG and mentioned anything about weight. It feels as light as any other 250-300 I have ridden and that's many bikes, in fact I've ridden almost everything but a new Sherco or TM. Weight is not a factor. The TE has a smoother engine wise but not a lot, the GG is smooth too. Smoother than a Beta and much smoother than a YZ. Its 100% acceptable. We both strongly agreed the GG has a much stronger engine than the TE300 or Beta 300. More beef on the bottom and feels like a super refined big bore. It lug so freaking low and rev out so well the TE owner (mid pack A class guy) said it needs like 2 gears it is so flexible. The GG handles more sure footed, feels more planted and does not hunt around on the trail like the TE can. Goes right where you point it and does so with no need to chase it around. Much less lively feeling than the TE. Just goes where you point it with no drama or extra input needed.

My TE -v- GG feelings echo his. Ken has his TE stup well, correct springs etc.
The TE is slightly smoother motor wise
The TE handles rocks better as it is softer
The TE has a good bit less power
The TE takes more input to keep in line handling wise
The TE is sorted with springs, jetting and some aftermarket goodies. The GG is 100% stock. IMHO the GG is slightly better bike overall. The GG motor is amazing, very powerful but very easy to control. The GG clutch is super smooth and easy to use and the trans shifts crazy smooth too. This makes the GG a monster on the trails and climbs amazing. The GG is more planted and moves around a lot less than the TE and I find it easier to find and hold the line I want.

The TE is a great bike, the GG is too. The GG is my pick because of the handling and motor.

I am building a completely decked out 2018 TE250i, we will see how that stacks up.
- So many great bikes to sample these days. Do yourself a favor and ride the GG.

Great to hear this from someone who actually own's another brand.

Of course most of us are fiercely loyal. Sometimes we would be more willing to turn a blind eye to an actual problem due to our love affair.

Thanks for the review!

Great report, thanks for sharing!:D

Can I ask why you are continuing with the TE build?

I work for Trail Tech. The GasGas was a dealer demo, I had it for three weeks to fit parts to (and ride / test). The TE250i (EFI 2 stroke) is Trail Tech's bike for product testing. That's going to be a really cool bike as well...

Almost done...

https://i.imgur.com/LoMag7u.jpg

Great write up! Well spoken and delivered. Thanks!

Motosportz, are we going to see the Voyager PRO any time soon? It's been hinted at for a long time.

Yes, very soon. You should see a lot of info in the next few weeks.

full release info here...

https://www.trailtech.net/voyagerpro