I rode my '05 GasGas and an '07 KTM300 XC back to back on Sunday. The KTM had freshly revalved suspension from Dirt Tricks out of SoCal. The KTM has plenty of power in the correct gear, but riding a gear high like on my GasGas was difficult. My GasGas has low-end power starting earlier than the KTM and it ramps up smoothly. The KTM low-end was abrupt, but I believe that can be jetted out with a different needle. The KTM throttle response was awesome and was fun on the MX track, but a detriment on the single track. The KTM is light and you really notice it any time you catch any air. The '07 KTM turns better than the '04 KTM 300 EXC I had for 9 months.
The KTM suspension still leaves a lot to be desired IMHO. It's still no better than my 8 year old '00 GasGas with 43mm WP forks. The KTM forte is the whoops. The linkless shock works well for me in the big whoops. The shock worked better than the forks on this KTM.
The bottom line is that I really like my gassers and they work well for me. I like KTMs also, but they don't work as well for my riding style. Chances are that if I had chosen KTM over GasGas back in 2000, I would probably still be a KTM rider. Thanks to Jim Cook and the KTMs lack of a 6th gear I'm a GasGas rider.
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