Hay what do you think I'm a fairly fast 170 pound offroader that loves the tight trails. I've had both 2 strokes and last 4 bikes have been 4 strokes. I'm thinking of going back to a 300 maybe a 250 2stroke KTM or do I hop up my CRF250X ie, 280 bigbore, muffler, R Cam, ect. I've already did the airbox, FMF power bomb header, pink wire mod, took out the exshaust baffle. I need more power!

IMO I ride smokers

Save the money and go with a pinger

Do you think I'll realy save money? It looks like you have the Gas Gas 300 how do you like it over a KTM?

Tough to respond to this since bikes choice is strictly personal preference.
I owned one thumper over the past 10 years (yz426f) and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. The weight, engine braking, sluggish power delivery and valvetrain worry were too much for me to handle.

I bleed premix, so my opinion is obviously going to be a smoker. The question is: do you bleed premix?

I love riding 4T's, but I sure dont want to own one. If you want power and trail prowess then look no further than a 300 enduro smoker. I haven't ridden the GG (I'm sure it's sweet), but I can tell you the Husky and KTM both deliver.

300 2t ftw

trade the X in for an R. They are so different in many ways. Hop on some ones 250R and see what it's like before jumping over to a pesky smoker and have to deal with kicking all the time and fouled plugs. Plus the smell of it is rancid.

I can make my 250x run close to the same as a crf250r and still have the magic butten to start. I don't want to have to kick start a 4 stroker if I don't have to!

Just come off a 07 250 x, great bike I did all the mods bar the big bore also revalved the suspension. Loved the bike and would of kept it bar two major reasons:

In tight single track and wet boggy sections I really felt the weight of this bike. I'm 6ft and 190lbs too. When your trying to follow good riders on two strokes you soon find this is a handicap. The Honda has a forgiving power delivery but the two strokes are lighter more agile and easier to ride faster for longer.

My other concern was as good as the Honda was for me I was always concerned that if this engine was to let go I would have a very expensive rebuild to cough up for.

If you want more power and want to step up a level go for a nimble 2 stroke.

I went for a 09 250 exc with a sx head fitted.I can still lug with this bike as well similar to the x. At 6kg lighter faster and easy to maintain, I'm happy with the bike. Just waiting for a revalve to suit my riding . I do need to fully adjust my riding style back to the 2 stroke way, but it will be worth the effort.

p.s. kicking the bike is easy on this 250, usually one kick.

I have a crf250r with a 280 big bore kit and pro-circuit complete pipe. I also just got a 09 300xc. The 280r runs much better with all extras,it is a great bike,but the 300xc is is the best off road bike have ever had. The power is smoother and after you get the jetting right it will pull from down low to the top.It has about 8 hp more then the 280r, so you will not need any more. You will not be sorry if you get the 300.

Hay FLT member Sounds like you have been where I am right now. I'm 5'11" 170 pounds. farly fast woods rider. will the 300 be sized right for me. I like tight tec. riding.

i've heard the bigbore 250f/x's are hard to beat in the woods.

The 280r is a very good bike but i just put it up for sale, what does that tell you about the 300xc .The button is nice but i start it with the kick starter, one kick is all the 300 takes. The 280 got to be a 280 because as a 250 it needed a complete valve job, and it did not have many hrs. on it. The first thing you will notice is it will be hard to start , on the 4t, mine was. I'm 5' 9" 168 and 53 yrs old, have been riding for about 38 yrs, the 300 will fit you just fine.

Too heck with a 300, if you really are a fast woods guy you'll love the 200.

The 300's are more of a lazy, short shift, ride in whatever gear, pretend you are on a fourstroke bike.

I too ride on WA and my riding buddy switched from a 280 kitted x to KTM 8 months ago and STILL raves anout the KTM and how much better they are. hands down the best bike for our extreme riding around here is the 300. i have had only KTM 300's and 250's for the last 24 years straight, all in WA.
joe

TommyB 754 said:

I have TWO 300's and a 200 and they are definitely different. the 200 is almost like an MX bike set up for woods riding and you have to be shifting a lot more and in the right rpm range, whereas the 300's are suited for absolutely anything you throw at them. just last week we were in bend, Oregon and i had the 300 absolutely screaming at a high rpm on 3 ft wide awesomely faaast trails ( hit 57 mph twice ...3 ft wide!). however, it can also chug up bishops ridge at gifford fairly easily too.

Joe

What is wrong with shifting? I'm sure you have to shift a 250X alot more then the 450X, I don't like being a lazy rider but I'm not active enough to go back to a 125...yet...

I live in Bend, whereas we don't ride china hat much but enough that I know the 200 will pull 65mph no problem but that doesn't mean much. The 200 will lug and handle low speed situations also but they require some more clutch imput which i'm sure the 250X does to compaired to the 450.

I just wanted to get the 200 on the plate since it seems everyone is so fixated on the 300 lately.

:ride:

bsgiese said:

Sorry for the late response.

Don't take my word for it, go price the parts & labor to do a complete top-end on a 2-stroke and the same for a 4-stroke. While you're at it, price parts & labor to rebuild the bottom end as well.

I love the GG - though they're probably not for everyone - and I'd say similarly set-up, at my level of riding, I'd have a hard time differentiating between the KTM and the GG. The winner with the GG (for me) is how the engine behaves in the tight stuff, it's real comfortable in the low(er) rpms.

DeadlyAP1 said:

What the hell are you talking about?!? :bonk:

All 3 of my smokers always start on the 1st kick (hot or cold) and have NEVER fouled a plug ever.

wall of tvs said:

some folks just don't understand 2 stroke setup....