The 2008 – 2010 Gas Gas EC 450 was a Spanish beast. If you're buying one secondhand, here's what you need to know.
Gas Gas was a Spanish brand that made their bread and butter building trials bikes. With the popularity of enduro riding rising Gas Gas entered the enduro market. In the early days, the two-stroke Gas Gas enduro bikes were known for being unreliable but as the years progressed they ironed out the bugs and ended up with a competitive machine. After the market kept asking for four-strokes, Gas Gas decided to build a 450cc enduro machine so in this article we look at the things to be mindful of when buying a 2008 – 2010 Gas Gas EC 450 secondhand.
The Spanish designed chassis was paired with an Italian Marzocchi fork and a Swedish Ohlins rear monoshock. This was in fact the only 450 four-stroke model that GasGas produced as they discontinued the model and GasGas never manufactured another 450cc machine until the KTM Group purchased the company in 2019.
The 2008 – 2010 Gas Gas EC 450 engine is strong and quite reliable if serviced well. The chassis worked well but the suspension is a little undesirable compared to what we get in today’s market. The Marzocchi fork was often hard to tune and rather than getting a setting that would make the rider happy everywhere, you just had to settle for something that worked good in some areas and not so good in others. The Gas Gas 450 was fuel injected which was something pretty special in its time as most of the other manufactures didn’t release any enduro models with electronic fuel injection until 2012.
I have only ever seen a few of these bikes on the second hand market so they aren’t easy to find. I have seen a handful of wiring issues with broken wires in the lighting wiring harness as well as small engine problems. The biggest problem with these bikes is that the parts are almost unavailable so if you are in need of any major engine componentry then it’s likely you won’t find it.
When buying a secondhand 2008 – 2010 Gas Gas EC 450 take it for a ride and make sure it selects all the gears without jumping out and that the clutch doesn’t slip. Long periods of road use tend to wear out gears and cause them to slip and jump out of gear. Make sure the engine has no rattles and that the electric start works correctly. If the starter clutch begins to slip or the starter motor is fried then this can be costly and finding the parts could be a nightmare.
Check over all the suspension for leaks and check all the wheel and frame bearings for excessive play. Ask for a service history and if the owner has any receipts for past repairs.
New
2008 $12,950
2009 $13,650
2010 $13,650
Secondhand
2008 $4,200 – $5,000
2009 $4,350 – $5,150
2010 $4,950 – $5,900
Market Equivalents
08 – 10 Yamaha WR450F
$4,350 – $6,050
08 – 10 KTM 450 EXC-F
$4,250 – $5,600
08 – 10 Husqvarna TE 450
$3,100 – $6,000
