New Guy - GasGas or KTM200
 

Hey all! I'm new here, first post actually, and wanted some opinions / pointers.

First off, I'll apologize in advance for being long winded. I'll do my best to keep it short and sweet.

So, background. I've been riding the snot out of a CRF230F for a couple years now, and have progressed to a point where it's starting to hold me back some. I ride almost exclusively tight, snotty, difficult singletrack. The low seat height, E-start, and mellow power is great for that, but I'm to the point that a proper enduro suspension and engine will help me out a lot.

REQUIRING a low seat height or E-start at a minimum (preferably both) and no heavier than my 250 pound CRF230 narrows the list down quite a bit. Personal preference of not wanting a water-cooled 4-stroke narrows it down even more. Not wanting to spend $5000+ on a toy pretty well narrows it down to only a few options.

I had my eyes set on an '05-'07 KTM 200 XC/XC-W. Plenty of power for my riding, low seat height, very light and nimble, decent woods suspension.
They don't have E-start, but it's fairly easy to retrofit on. However, after reading a lot about how unreliable the KTM e-start is, I started having doubts. I think it'd still be a great choice other than that.

Enter GasGas. From my understanding (correct me if wrong), the 2011 and older GasGas's (GasGasii? LoL!) have smaller frames and shorter seat heights. Win.

And then, 2011 onwards 250s/300s at least have the option of an E-start. Double win.

So, if I'm right on all this, a 2011 EC250/300 could be a sweet spot with a lower seat height AND e-start. SUPER WINNING!

All that I am reading about how well the GG turns, and how nice the engine is, how good a starting point the suspension is, and how DROP DEAD SEXY it is, is all icing on the cake. Plus, it looks like I shouldn't have any issue finding one for <$5000.

I don't like the fact that it doesn't appear to be an improvement in weight over my 230, versus the KTM 200 that's a good 20-25 pounds in real world weight lighter. That's significant when you're dragging your bike over a rock. Though that said, I've lived with 250 pounds on my 230 thus far, so I can probably live with a 250 pound GasGas.

Can someone confirm what I'm thinking here about the seat height and e-start? Are the e-starts on these bikes reliable and fairly hassle-free?

Any other advice / tips / words of wisdom here? Any other GG riders come from a smaller bike like a CRF/TTR 230 that can build up or shoot down my dreams that these bikes are the ultimate upgrade without a 4' tall seat?

Thanks in advance!

Location may help.

My bad.

Mid-Atlantic US. Almost entirely mountains of TN, NC, WV.

The stuff we ride, we usually average 8-9 mph moving speed. Very little / no fast stuff. A riding buddy of mine normally runs his Strava app when we ride, and I don't think the max speed has ever been over 30-35 mph.

And about me: 5' 10". 27 years young, decently in-shape 190 pounds. I tend to ride more towards the conservative end of the spectrum, but I know how to crack the whip when it's needed.

My friend went from a ttr230 to a slightly lowered GG and it works very well for him. He does not have the magic button start so there are times when starting is a little tricky. You can lower the suspension with different linkage "dog bones" for $50 used. I have a few pairs of them hanging around. Even with the minor changes to geometry from dropping the fork tubes and link bars it will handle 10x better than your current biike.

I am 5’7”. I have lowered my 2005 EC250 1.5” in the front and rear. It is great when it gets technical and you need to touch the ground. I do hit a bit more things here and there because of the ground clearance, but it isn’t too bad. When riding along at speed I don’t notice the weight of the GG at all. Regarding dead lifting it over obstacles, I don’t know if 230lbs vs 250lbs would be that much different. Either way you are going to blow a nut out! I just tend to push it back down the obstacle and try again.


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My observation having owned 200cc gassers (99&02) and ridden with a lot of 200ktms is the gasser (if stock) will lug out better but have less power below half throttle. Part of that I suspect is because the ktm runs a smaller carb. Most gasser 200s you will find have a 38mm carb - changing to a 36mm lectron should really wake it up on the bottom. Doing a squish mod on the cylinder head also gives a noticeable increase in power and gas mileage for under $90. One last thing to consider is a 250 gasser. They are easier to find and have way more bottom end power than the 200 gasser or ktm. As for electric start GasGas started putting it on bikes in 2010 but the 200 and 250 are so easy to crank over that it isn't necessary. Ktms seem to be much harder to crank for some reason.

That's good to hear. If he only had to lower it a bit, that makes me feel more confident that it'll work for me. I ride my 230 about as high as I can (forks all the way down in the tubes, and shock preload as high as I can get it for the sag to be roughly correct), and I wouldn't have any problem with something being even a little higher than that.

Honestly, if the e-start works, that takes away at least 75% of my concerns about a taller seat height.

I'll tend to re-start also if I don't make something. But when you make it 95% of the way, and the only thing left is to get your back tire up something, and all you've got to do is swing that back end up and over, I'll grab it and pull. And in those cases, I've done it enough on my 230 and XR400 to tell you that 20 pounds is a HUGE difference.

But, I've lived with it on my 230 for quite a while now. Don't imagine I'll be disappointed if a GG is the same way. Just as long as it's not worse.

Good info.

Good thing I'm actively looking at a 250! :D

I rode a KTM 200 of about mid 2000s. I quite liked it. But I wouldn't have traded it for my 02 GG200. Owner came away seriously impressed with the suspension.

Real easy to start a 200. Heck my 300 is pretty easy except the occasional stuck on side of hill. But that's hardly a common occurrence.

At 5’10” seat height shouldn’t be a problem. You don’t need to “flat foot” on both sides. When my son first started on a dirt bike he was 5’4 on a full size RM125.

I'm the same height & weight as you, but 45 yrs older. OTOH, I've got about 45 more yrs of experience.:)

I have a plated '06 KTM EXC 450 & like it a lot, especially the reliable E start. But finally decided I needed a light weight , good handling woods bike. I found a '01 GG XC 200 and love that bike. IMO, it does everything that I want it to do well. I ride it mainly in WNC, but have done weekend rides in Kentucky, Michigan & Florida. It doesn't seem to care if it's hilly like WNC or Ky or flat & swampy, it just does a great job.

I still use the 450 as a dual sport ride.

No put down of your Honda intended, but a well tuned, older, 200 or 250 GG will out perform it in just about in way you could think of.

Sure, the E start is a bonus, but kick starting a well tuned GG is not a problem.

RB