EC300 GP – GASGAS' FIRST LIMITED-EDITION ENDURO MODEL

Añadido: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]When you look at the KDM group, yeah, the Austrian company obviously aside from KDM, you know, Husqvarna and GasGas more recently. The way that they position GasGas has been sort of below Husqvarna and KDM. KDM being ready to race, Husqvarna being the premium product. But they position position it below and I don't say that in a derogatory way. I mean just in terms of component spec and the the accompanying price tag.

[00:00:24]So I guess, you know, what you can say is that given that's a sort of like a, you know, the price point is a focal point for GasGas the brand. You haven't seen a lot of it in the way of limited edition models coming out of GasGas.

[00:00:36]Their marketing department's been pretty much sitting on their hands on that front. I mean admittedly yes, they had the 250 450 motocross about 3 years ago, the factory model. And then I didn't think they did the Troy Lee racing GasGas race team replica one a couple of years ago, but for GasGas off-road fans and Enduro fans, you know, there hadn't been a lot to cheer about until 2025. KDM announced or the KDM group or GasGas announced this new EC 300 GP model, a special limited edition model. That was a great news for GasGas fans. The bad news was that unfortunately none of them made it to Australia. They were in very, very limited um numbers.

[00:01:14]The good news is though now for 2026, obviously it's been difficult period for KDM that restructuring process has been some limitations with their production line, but the good news is for Australia is that this EC 300 two-stroke GP model is available in Australia now again in limited numbers. I want to say there's about sort of 40 of them, something like that. Only 20 of them are sold so far and they've kind of drop your pants is a probably a fair way to explain it actually for less than $17,000 ride away. So that's about sort of two and a half grand what they originally, you know, um in terms of their price tag originally.

[00:01:46]So 16 995 ride away including rego. Um and like I said that is about a sort of $2,000 differential for the standard, you know, EC uh 300. So what do you get for your money with this limited edition model?

[00:02:00]Quite a bit in fact and I think like most limited edition models, you if you were add up all the components separately, uh, you know, then it would it would fire out way the differential between the price of this, uh, limited edition and the standard model. So, let's have a bit of a look. I guess obvious stuff the aesthetic. First of all, you know, this graphics, it's interesting they've actually, uh, it's a bit of a paying homage to the um, Paul Edmondson who won for GasGas who won the 1994 World Enduro Championship. All be it on a 125 so, you know, this is a 300 so, okay, we're we're sort of fudging things a little bit there but kind of cool, very similar when you look at, um, you know, the graphics get the the Fast Eddie ran back back there in the mid-90s.

[00:02:37]Um, what else visually? Black handlebars, black polished frame, black handguards.

[00:02:43]They do come with handguards but I think, uh, they're black ones. We've also got the the skid plate. Not only the black rims, but, uh, stronger rims as well.

[00:02:51]Uh, what else visually? And obviously obviously the graphics. Then there are some functional things and in terms of, you know, what you get with this bike, you also have the map switch selector which I want to say is, you know, more than 200 bucks in itself. You get the radiator fan. You get a gripper seat cover, a really kind of really kind of cool one as well. You also get in terms of, uh, you get a a semi-floating front brake disc and an axle puller down there, some of the bling bits out the out of the technical accessories catalog.

[00:03:19]Um, you also get a brake snake. Also on the rear end here, you get a a harder solid rear disc, slightly thicker, slightly stronger.

[00:03:27]Uh, there's probably a couple of things I've forgotten. Oh, yes and then you get the Metzeler the Maxxis tires that it comes with. It gets, uh, the Metzeler 6 Day Extremes. So, quite a lot of differences, you know, we've got a list on the website. There's probably a couple of things I've forgotten there but suffice to say that things significantly different and kind of looks a fair bit different too. Looks super cool.

[00:03:45]And then and the other good news is we've got this thing as a project bike for the next few months or maybe longer, let's say. We'll see how we go but, um, you know, the intention is obviously with a lot of bits and pieces already on this bike, it doesn't really need um you know, we don't need to be adding protection, you know? Who knew knows, we might decide to add if we do a bit of hard enduro, add some radiator protection, but the intention is not to throw parts at the bike, but just to kind of use it. It's only done or just on an hour's run time at this stage. I think only one of the other uh media outlets has had a chance to had a chance to test the thing. Oh, one thing I did forget, the gearing. The uh Supersprox, it gets the the dual alloy um and steel tooth uh rear sprocket, which in itself is is worth, you know, several hundred bucks.

[00:04:23]45 gearing, 1345, which is interesting, too.

[00:04:26]We will talk to the uh the technical guys in the KDM group about the the changes in the in the gearing on these these bikes. So, >> [snorts] >> yeah, we just really intend to have a crack at these things. Um you know, also obviously with the KDM group across their three brands, they you know, they support our events, have been the title sponsor for Transmoto events for for the well, this is the 10th year, actually, incredibly. Um so, great to be able to use these one one to sort of set up and and and test the course to create hot laps, um to actually test and ride the things out at those events, but you know, we're going to put it in the hands of several different uh test riders, get some feedback about this thing. Um the really interesting thing for me, and I guess the big question mark is uh for a lot of people is the uh the Braktec or Braktec, however you want to pronounce it, brake and clutch. I've always thought the hydraulic Braktec clutch is is the ants pants, and it has been on Gas Gas's um trials bikes.

[00:05:16]Uh the brakes, some people suggest maybe a little bit lacking in the power compared to say Brembo. Um that and the fact that with the new stiff chassis or the the stiff frame concept that they introduced with the new generation bikes in 2024 onwards, but that uh the Gas Gas was the only of the only one of the three brands that retain the open cartridge explore fork.

[00:05:37]So, I know that they've done a lot of work on that in the meantime, you know, that's it's in the adventure models and in the um in the 701 690 platforms. So, the explore fork has advanced, and you know, it was a very, very good open cartridge fork, just not for sort of bigger, faster guys who were slamming stuff and really, you know, really testing and pushing that that front end. So, pretty exciting. Um you know, nice to have It's been a while since we've had a a two-stroke on fleet. Um you know, but uh and it's sometimes for me sometimes an acquired taste to get just used to it how to how to ride it properly, but you know, it never ceases, you know, when when I go back-to-back some bike tests, it never ceases to amaze me how 300 two-stroke just has this something about the pulse in the engine just makes it an absolute mountain goat in terms of being able to clamber up stuff and and and yet at the same time, you know, you can really get on it and go hard and and treat the thing like a, you know, like a crazy 250 uh two-stroke motocross bike when it comes to grass tracks. So, really versatile, good all-rounder, really specific uh really a special limited edition model and I don't think I've ever had a limited edition model, actually. So, I'm sure it's going to be a bit of a head turner, but sort of stay tuned. We'll um we'll bring you a bit of updates throughout the process of um of hanging out, living with this bike, maintaining it, and obviously riding it.

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