In our riding group we have eight GG bikes from 1998 to 2004 they are stone ax reliable, they make good power and handle well for our purposes of trail riding and a few enduros. Pretty much all parts that wear out are available new or used or those parts can be rebuilt. GG did a great job of making many parts backward compatible.
All dirtbikes (new or old) wear and need work and repair over time.
The new bikes are lighter and the KYB suspension is/was better. KTM makes a nice bike and it is better suited for larger riders. The older GG bikes were better suited for smaller riders in stock form. I am 6'4" 235lbs and i ride a 2000 GG XC300 with a 327 big bore kit. I put on a tall seat, lower pegs, and moved the handle bars up and forward. I changed the front end to a KYB SSS from a 2008 YZ450F. I resprung it and revalved it for my weight and riding style. It works very well for me and my riding style.
A few years ago I switched bikes with a friend of mine and rode his (new at the time) 2019 XC 300 KTM for a couple hours in some hare scramble terrain. The KTM was a nice bike, made good power, rode well and it had crazy brakes that honestly were a bit too aggressive for my taste but they sure stopped the bike in a hurry! I rode the bike long enough over the same trail to get comfortable on the KTM and I came away with the impression it was a nice bike and I enjoyed riding it. Truth be told I think the KTM fit my larger body better than my GG as it had a larger cockpit for the rider.
When I got back on my old GG I continued to ride the same trail and after a while I came to the conclusion I preferred my older GG. I did not notice much difference one way or another in my speed through the course on either bike. To be fair the KTM was not set up for my weight as I outweigh my friend by 35lbs.
Once you buy a new bike you need to break out the wallet again to add bark busters, skid plates, retune it, revalve and respring the suspension etc to make it fit your needs. That will easily add another $1k to the high cost of an already expensive new bike.
At the end of the day most riders will dial in the bike they have for their needs. I guess it depends on how much work and cash it will take to get you on a bike that suites your needs.
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