Since showing my ADB GASGAS EC 250F long term test bike some love last month, it has received a shiny fresh new piston after 100 hours of use. I have been flat out all over the place. First up I jetted off to Italy for the 2024 GASGAS launch, then jumped on a Husqvarna Norden 901 in Alice Springs to venture back through the desert with Motology films. Somehow in between all of this travel I managed to squeeze in a few trips to Free Flight MX Park with the family to spin some laps.
Jumping back on the little GASGAS EC 250F long term test bike after giving it a fresh piston was a bit of an eye opener. Generally when you log over 50-60 hours on a small-bore dirt bike then fit a new piston, you notice a decent power improvement. Well, this did not happen on this little GASGAS EC 250F long term test bike as it basically felt the exact same as before. This is not a bad thing as all it means is the piston that clocked over 100 hours did not even wear to the point of any performance loss. I am certainly impressed by this!
The other good comparison that generally doesn’t get talked about much is how it felt to jump back on the 2023 EC 250F after spending a few days on the 2024 EC range in Italy. First up, even though the 24 models are coming with all new chassis, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this current generation frame. It definitely helps that I have spent countless hours riding and racing this generation of chassis. Either way it still is one of my all-time favourite chassis, it never does anything nasty or out of character and rails all kinds of corners with ease.
Ergonomics on both bikes are totally fine, the 23 does feel a lot smaller but only because the standard handlebar bend is 12mm lower than the 24 model. Performance wise, the 24 is definitely more powerful and race ready out of the box. I don’t believe horsepower is everything considering I cannot even use all of the power on this current model 80% of the time.
The braking department has definitely been upgraded on the 24s, but performance wise the ones on my 23 model are on par with the 24s as I have switched out the standard brake pads for up spec Braking brand pads and Motorex Racing Brake fluid.
So, what I am saying is if you are in the position to be looking at a new ride the and the 2024 is going to blow the budget, don’t get afraid to go get yourself a deal on one of these 2023 weapons as I am not in a hurry to hand back this one.
For the full feature, check out issue #530 of ADB.
Ben Grabham
