My 50 Year Old Birthday Present - Sept 2006

[wise old man]

Hey Mark you sound just like me although you do have a couple of years on me 7 to be exact. I live in Australia and my wife has also given approval for a new bike after a long break. I am trying to decide between Gas Gas ec 300 and Ktm exc 300 the gas gas is only small in Aus everyone has a KTM in his garage I saw my first gas gas in the flesh yesterday and was very impressed coming from a ktm to the gas gas why? do you feel it is a better bike are the gas gas a good reliable bike in the US. This forum is great I have found out so much about the gas gas since finding it.

Andrew.

[Mark Tracy]

Originally Posted by wise old man

Hey Mark you sound just like me although you do have a couple of years on me 7 to be exact. I live in Australia and my wife has also given approval for a new bike after a long break. I am trying to decide between Gas Gas ec 300 and Ktm exc 300 the gas gas is only small in Aus everyone has a KTM in his garage I saw my first gas gas in the flesh yesterday and was very impressed coming from a ktm to the gas gas why? do you feel it is a better bike are the gas gas a good reliable bike in the US. This forum is great I have found out so much about the gas gas since finding it.

Andrew.

Hello Andrew - it is a great when my wife says OK - go for it!!! For me, it must have been the new tile we had installed which she really likes.

Well you can't go wrong with a KTM for durability/relability - in S/E Texas it is usually a sea of orange KTM's, most of my friends are back on 2 strokes too. KTM wins a lot of USA off road events including GNCC and Enduros. In my opinion the KTM takes quite a bit of set up in the suspension department - mine, 05 300 handles massive tree roots great and likely would work in rocks too. I had Les at LTR do the front WP and have air cells - very nice! I had the "Terry Hay" telescopic PDS shock needle installed (Terry is from your "Oz") and again very nice - also had to add stiffer fork springs and a progressive rear shock - I the average rider at 5'10" and 175 lbs. Resale value is excellent, the Gas Gas not to good in states as far as re-sale. The GG is likely better right out of the crate.

Yes - the Gas Gas in the flesh looks awesome, and it is! In my opinion a Gas Gas handles notably better, what I mean is it steers much more predictable (can choose any corner line) and is more stable in the whoops and just "feels" lighter. I am comparing my 05 KTM to my 01 Gas Gas and the new 2007 GG are just better, so that is just my opinion. The KTM steering has been a bit problematic at times for me - I put in a E-Axle (front) with an eccentric cam and this helps quite a bit (like changing the triple clamp offset).

The GG are very reliable and have a 6th gear and the KTM only a 5 - this can be an issue if you gear down the KTM. Find a good GG dealer and you will be very happy.

Now my only concern is the 2 stoke in the USA as it may be banned in national forests (Dirt Bike magazine blurb 9/06) but no one really knows. If that would be the case, then next year 2008, I would buy a KTM 250 XC-F…

Best regards,

TeX MarK

[Eric K]

Originally Posted by Mark Tracy

Now my only concern is the 2 stoke in the USA as it may be banned in national forests (Dirt Bike magazine blurb 9/06) but no one really knows.

That is the the current situation as supported by the EPA regulations. Any motorcycle (2T or 4T) manufactured in 2007 and on that does not meet the EPA emission requirements will not be legal to ride in national forests.

I expect the same requirement will also soon be applied to state forests where there is a lot of environmental activism. The best thing each of us can do is to be active in the legislative process.

[Mark Tracy]

Originally Posted by Eric K

That is the the current situation as supported by the EPA regulations. Any motorcycle (2T or 4T) manufactured in 2007 and on that does not meet the EPA emission requirements will not be legal to ride in national forests.

I expect the same requirement will also soon be applied to state forests where there is a lot of environmental activism. The best thing each of us can do is to be active in the legislative process.

WOOOOooooooo??? No EPA certified 2007's legal in US National Forests??? That is where I ride most of the time. We will require a "green" sticker for the 1st time which starts in 2007 I think. So that would make a 2007 GG 300 2S illegal to ride in a USNF?

I don't know if I am up for this battle as I have been writing letters to the Texas and the Atlanta headquarters for the USFS as they just closed down a great East Texas national forest called Angelina - we have been fighting this for over a year. They (Angelina NF) basically write there own rules, are sneaky about secrectly closing it, and have issued ridiculous ticket to us to chase us out - this has been open for ORV use for the last 37 years. I am also a Blue Ribbon Collation member - this is very disturbing to me...

Thank you for the input...

TeX MarK

[cladoo]

I turn 50 next year but I got my new 300 this year. And I love it!

[cdn280]

Originally Posted by cladoo

I turn 50 next year but I got my new 300 this year. And I love it!

I got my first GG at 50 (a 280 for my birthday gift) and my second at 50.5 (gift to myself, had to replace my 300 4T with a 2T)
hehe

See my post on the 300 here:
http://2wheelcentral.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=96#96

I was torn between the KTM and GG 300 too. The details that swayed me towards the GG were:
- I already had a 280 and was getting familiar with the brand
- six speed !
- parts prices were in the ballpark or cheaper compared to KTM, and the list price was LOTS cheaper here considering the added cost of lights etc to get the XC street legal (I'm comparing to an EC model) The new XC was declared 'offroad only' this year by the DOT.
- the KTM needs a steering damper at speed for me (another $500+)
- stories of torque and handling sounded more my speed. The KTM's I rode seemed like you always had to be 'on it' for the suspension to work or to make them turn. I'm getting lazier as the years progress and like to slow the pace down once in a while.
- more maintenance friendly (you have to take the tank off the KTM to pull the spark splug, not good when the airbox sucks water like it does) Who the H designed that?
Good luck in your decision. I've got 1200kms on mine now and am loving it more every ride.

[Mark Tracy]

Thanks guys for the replies!

I totally agree the Gas Gas 300 is a all around better machine than the KTM 300, at least out of the crate and for my personal preference. Parts were equal/less in price than a KTM from my past experience - the things I did not like about the GG which has been improved (from furmum reports) was a poorly sealed linkage which took a good part of the day to rebuild, a swing arm and sub frame that had to be forced in place, a wimpy kick starter (actually put a KTM K/S on my 01 EC 300). The KTM motor with a JD Jet kit and a modified "Clay" head squish band is a great/awesome easy to use motor - the G2 throttle cams add great versatility. Sorry if it sounds like I am defending the KTM, but it has been a very reliable bike, however the frame/handling IMO on a GG is superior. Yep, the 5th gear runs out quick on the KTM. With the stock tank it is impossible to remove the spark plug, and I fouled one on the hottest day and had no tools (stupid me!) and had a to have friend go back to the truck - thought I was going to have heat stroke that day waiting on him. The IMS tank I have fixes that and the plug is super easy access - Ironically I just removed the IMS as it effects handling and the smaller KTM tank make it much, much, easy to get up on the tank. After jetting correctly I haven't fouled a plug in a year. So now with all this USFS needing EPA approved bikes for 07 (???) has me "craw-fishing" and I am looking (just looking) at a KTM 250 XCF-W, but would rather stick with my original plan with a 2007 GG 300…

Best regards,

TeX MarK