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If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's why
the GasGas finds itself on the box,
in third, for this year's shootout. This bike
has placed last, mid-pack, and now on
the podium since it came on the scene a
few years ago. While it hasn't changed,
the competition has. And safe to say this
influences the MC 450F's rank. As we said,
third through fifth were almost too close to
call, so keep that in mind, as the GasGas,
the Yamaha, and the Husqvarna all ranked
in neighboring territory.
As with the competition, the GasGas
ranked as high as first for our novices and
farther back at times for our picky experts.
Most votes averaged out to be 3.4 points
compared to the Yamaha's 3.5 and the
Husqvarna's 3.6 average scores. We told
you it was close.
We like the GasGas for its easy-going
personality. It's not a firebreather like the
Yamaha and is not as sporty as the KTM.
The GasGas is just a strong, solid dirt bike
that does everything it's supposed to do.
It rides on the previous-generation KTM
frame, which was well-liked for its supple
nature and good bump absorption. Like
the other steel-framed bikes, the GasGas
aces flat turns and transitions nicely from
side to side. The WP air forks have softer
settings than those on the KTM, and they
aren't the shorter spec like those on the
Husky. This makes it feel less harsh, espe
-
cially as the track wears out, and it allows
our riders to hit bumps or chop without
feeling like the bike was going too far into
the stroke. One of our novice riders said
this was the "most forgiving" bike, while
SHOOTOUT I 2023 450cc MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P104
>>THIRD PLACE
GASGAS
MC 450F
