S
hopping for a high-performance off-road motor-
cycle can be scary. There are so many bikes to
choose from, and they're all so good! Where do
you start? And more importantly, where do you end?
For this comparison, we'll assume you've nar-
rowed your search down to a two-stroke. A 300cc
two-stroke. In our opinion, you're off to an excellent
start. And if you're looking for a stellar-performing
all-round two-stroke off-roader that you can enjoy
both trail riding and racing, then you've come to the
right place. That's because we've gathered some
of the most popular and best 300cc two-stroke
off-road bikes that money can buy. We then loaded
them up and headed to the hills and spent a good
two full days riding them back-to-back-to-back
while utilizing a wide range of riders—from vets to
hardcore hard-enduro racers (nine riders in all)—
to find out what each bike has to offer.
Most manufacturers offer two main styles of
off-road bikes—full-on race bikes (we often call
these "X" bikes) and more trail-friendly bikes (aka
headlight bikes), like the ones we chose for this
comparison. Both styles are performance-minded.
The X bikes are set up from the factory for ultra-
fast, hardcore racing (think GNCC, WORCS and
Grand Prix) with stiffer suspension and hard-hitting
SHOOTOUT I 2023 300 cc 2-STROKE OFF-ROAD SHOOTOUT
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