Rieju MR300 Ranger first impressions (the old Gas Gas Ranger!)︱Cross Training Enduro

http://www.crosstrainingenduro.com http://tractionerag.com The 2020 Gas Gas Ranger, (now the Rieju MR300 Ranger), a bike we have been super keen to ride as several of us think this could be our next bike. It falls into what many call the hybrid class - it s not quite a full enduro bike due to a slight trials influence. The two stroke pipe is up nice and high and tucked in nicely. If you are into hard enduro you may want a carbon fibre guard for the Rieju MR300 Ranger. Softer suspension for the Gas Gas Ranger, a detuned engine for less top end power but more grunt, tight turning circle, a lower seat height and slightly lighter than it s enduro cousin. The good news? We had five riders test the Ranger over two days and we agree it certainly meets those expectations, and the Rieju MR300 Ranger should too. A few things we didn t like. But overall plenty to like about this neat package and it s certainly going to challenge its main competitor, the Beta Xtrainer. The theory? It makes the bike suitable for anyone into slower hard terrain, short riders with short legs, or inexperienced riders. It can also suit anyone wanting to transition from four strokes to two strokes but avoid the aggressive nature of the two stroke enduro bikes, as the Rieju MR300 Ranger does. The clutch is incredibly light and perfect for all the slipping required in slow terrain. All clutches should be this good. Takasago rims from Japan have a great reputation. We were advised though to keep an eye on spoke tension more than normal just for the first few rides, they can loosen off easily before bedding in. First up with the Rieju MR300 Ranger? Kayaba suspension. It s not the famously brilliant SSS setup of its big brother. It s slightly softer and works great for the Gas Gas Ranger s intended use. I upped the speed a few times and it still worked fine, but get too aggressive and you ll find its limits quickly though. I ve had my Beta Xtrainer suspension completely revalved and resprung and it still can t match the Ranger s stock setup, or the Rieju MR300 Ranger. I suspect this is why the Ranger still feels quite stable at speed, whereas the Xtrainer does become quite skittish once you are in third gear. Overall the handling was impressive. A low seat height, great suspension and tight turning circle make it a joy to ride on harder slower tracks. But it was quite at home in the faster flowing stuff too. Ergonomics? We had five different riders from short to tall, everyone was comfortable. Our shortest rider did notice that the Ranger is 2cm higher than his Beta Xtrainer, but pointed out the Gas Gas seat is quite thick and there s plenty of scope for cutting the seat down if needed. At the other end of the scale, I m ridiculously tall but felt comfortable on the Ranger, especially as the rear panels flair out a lot so it s easy to grip the bike with your legs and feel quite stable. The Gas Gas Ranger power delivery is very user-friendly and it s smoother than the Beta Xtrainer. It has less punch at low revs, something I missed due to our style of riding but It think most riders would actually find this better if they are less experienced or not aiming to ride snotty terrain all the time. Some claim that rejetting and changing the base gasket can increase the low end grunt substantially, I ll chase this up possibly do an update vid later. What else is there to like? The price. In Australia it s $11500 plus on roads making it one of the cheapest European dirt bikes on the market. And in addition to the usual six month warranty there s also a two year manufacturer s parts defect warranty. What else? A very very slick gearbox. the Nissen brakes were fine. the clear tank is a big plus over the Xtrainer as you can see your fuel level. The bike feels light, even though it packs a few more kg than the Beta Xtrainer. Also for some reason Gas Gas are claiming the Ranger weighs three kg more than it s full enduro cousin the EC300. We compared the two on our industrial scales and found it was 2kg lighter. For some reason Gas Gas are claiming a dry weight of 108kg so it s good to know it s not that porky. So what don t we like? As mentioned, the Ranger is slightly heavier than the Beta Xtrainer although you only notice it when picking the bike up. I think most Gas Gas Ranger owners would happily pay a bit extra for a lithium battery which knock another 1.5kg off the the weight. The Gas Gas Ranger starter motor is the old KTM-style that caused so much grief for KTM owners in the past. So far it seems to be more reliable than the Austrian design, but nonetheless there are more moving parts involved so there s more to go wrong. #rieju #riejumr300rangerreview #riejumr300 #gasgasranger