Who's ridden a KTM200?
 

I finally got a chance to ride my son's '99 Gasgas EC200. What a hoot! Very fun bike with nice power delivery and easy to ride.

Got me to thinking. I miss having a light flickable bike. I love the 250/300's, but for flowing terrain, it is so fun to have a smaller bike.

I have owned 2 KTM200's and they are definitely lighter feeling than my son's Gasgas200. I think the Gasgas is more planted, but not as flickable as the KTM.

I loved the KTM200, but found them to delfect quite a bit in the gnarly stuff.

Anyone own or spent time on the KTM200.

I would love to get another Gasgas 200, but they are so rare.

I had one and hated it. To be fair, it was an older one but the motor is basically the same and PDS never worked as well for me especially on the lighter KTMs, and I have ridden a couple newer ones. Bad vibration, terrible suspension, never knew what it was going to do next. It was a fast bike with very good grunt for a 200 though. 300EXC was better because it was heavier. Never looked back after my '00 GG XC250, except for a brief flirt with a Cannondale 440.

I had an 03 200exc...found it to be just like you and GMP describe. Never could come to grips with the suspension, deflected off most everything. I went to an 06 GG 250 and discovered "nirvana"....;)

had 2 of them loved the motor hated the rest

Mine vibrated BAD, more than my 300EXC, and it was mechanically sound. Just a bad balance either by design or mfg. QC. It would get me more tired and pumped up than a bigger bike. Funny, but when I could, I tended to ride it more like a 300 to avoid the vibes in the upper mid rev range. Some guys used to call them the "little 300" because of this.

I had an 09 200XC and it was awesome. Suspension was revalved and resprung. The 200 feels much lighter than a 250 when you are riding it. The newer WP stuff from 09 + is very good. Mine had less vibes than my 2011 GG and my 05 YZ250.

A 200 likes to be ridden aggresively and you need to hit your lines right if you have any real steep hillclimbs. For tight singletrack it is a sweet bike.

I would agree for the most part. I had a '99 and a '01 and have to say that the '99 with conventionals was better suspended than the '01.

Yes, I agree that that bike deflected quite a bit and could wear you out. When you encountered obstacles, the tactic was to pin it and hold on for dear life.

But, when there was open flowing trail, that bike rocked. You could really push it in the corners and whip that thing between trees like crazy. I love the motor. It had great low end for a 200 and I acutally didnt mind the hit because it is a small bike and not intimidating.

I guess what I am looking for is a bike I can push rather than hold back. With my Gassers and even my KTM 250/300's I feel I am holding them back rather than pushing them. With a smaller bike, I can feel like a hero and get less worn out.

I would like to try a newer KTM200 to see if they have improved at all.

I'd like to try a newer EC200 (2012) and see how they go between the trees. I don't particular find the 300 too powerful though and am not intimidated by the hit at all. Just a matter of picking the right moments to bring it on! :D

If GG made their 200 based on a 125 frame and not the 250/300 I would buy one.

200 ktm
 

I have owned 5 of them. I am 160 pounds and they will rip. The motor has a lot of bottom end. I live in TN we have long steep hills and plenty of rocky streams. They key to the handling is finding a tuner that can set up the light flickable chassis. The best I found is Bruce's suspension in north Carolina. He has been sidelined due to some medical issues but I believe he is recovering. He is phenomenal with WP and PDS he rides a gg 200. Google Bruce's suspension and give him a call