SHOOTOUT I 2023 300 cc 2-STROKE OFF-ROAD SHOOTOUT
P88
and its mapping switch is conve-
nient when the terrain changes.
You can feel the difference from
one map to the other, more so
than the other bikes (Husky and
Beta) with map switches.
It's also reassuring when
aboard the Sherco that it has
such a sturdy skid plate under
it and isn't about to turn into Ol'
Faithful, thanks to its radiator
cooling fan. These two things
are absolute musts for hardcore
extreme-type riding, even if they
do add a little weight. The Sher-
co is hard to fault when it comes
to the gnarly stuff. Makes sense
because Sherco's roots run deep
in trials.
The KTM also ranks high on
almost everyone's list when it
comes to extreme riding. The
KTM feels light and maneuver-
able, and not having rear sus-
pension linkage hanging down
and acting like a tailhook on
logs, rocks and especially K-rails
is especially nice.
The GasGas gets high marks
in the technical stuff, as well.
Unfortunately for the GasGas,
no one had good things to say
about its brakes, which doesn't
inspire as much confidence as
the KTM or Sherco's Brembos or
the Beta's Nissins. The GasGas
and Husky are fitted with the
same BrakeTech components,
though, for whatever reason, the
Husky's has better bite.
WEEKEND WARRIOR
If racing is low on your list of
things to do but hitting the trails
for fun on the weekends is way up
there, this one is simple: all these
bikes are outstanding for casual
and spirited off-road riding. You
can't go wrong with any of them.
Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Moe will work
just fine if it gets down to it. But
there are things to consider,
of course, like price, your local
dealerships, parts availability, and
which bike you think will look best
and inspire you the most sitting
in your garage. These are all real
factors to consider and require
your own investigation.
The "headlight" bikes in this
comparison are tuned for slow-
speed technical riding, so they
tend to have softer suspensions
than their higher-speed-tuned
(GNCC) race cousins, which are
often dubbed "X" bikes
(without headlights).
