RIDE REVIEW I 2022 RIEJU MR RANGER 200 & 300
P108
The suspension falls right into place.
It is also tuned (soft) for slower-speed
riding and feels just fine when ridden
that way. However, you'll quickly outride
the suspension if you try to go race
speeds, but, again, this bike isn't meant
to do that.
The Ranger 300 has similar man-
nerisms as the 200 but has a hint of
seriousness about it. Like the 200, it's
also all bottom-to-mid when it comes
to power delivery; however, the over-
all power in that range is nothing to
sneeze at. It responds when you open
the throttle anytime down low. It likes
to go when you do that, but you don't
have to worry about the handlebars rip-
ping out of your hands as you do with
some 300cc two-stroke race bikes. But
the fun instantly stops from midrange-
on-up; like the 200, this is when the
300 suddenly poops out. Still, the 300
is far superior than the 200 on open
terrain and climbing hills.
And, like the 200, the 300 runs
smoothly and just won't stall, making it
ideal for Tennessee Knockout-type ter-
rain. A great clutch and low seat height
help here, as well. We did miss the
counterbalancers, though. Since KTM
started putting counterbalancers in its
bigger-bore two-strokes, as do now
Beta and Sherco, we've become hyper-
sensitive to two-stroke vibration. It's not
bad with the Rieju, just noticeable.
Again, like the 200, it's when the
trails open and the whoops get bigger
that the 300's weaknesses begin to
show. But, again, this isn't what either
Ranger is designed for. Their suspen-
sions are very soft, not great for ag-
gressive riding but welcomed over the
rocks and roots at a slower pace.
Both bikes are very comfortable, and
their seats are simply outstanding. You'll
be doing a lot of sitting on these bikes,
so a comfy cushion is a major plus. Also,
you don't slide around on their grippy
Anyone can feel like a pro
on the Ranger 200.
