FIRST RIDE: 2024 GASGAS EX450F

GasGas revealed its entire 2024 line of motorcycles at a public event near San Moreno, Italy this week. Dirt Bike was there, and while we did get a chance to ride all the various motocross and off-road bikes, the bike that impressed us most was the EX450F cross-country model. This is a U.S.-only model. If you look at the overall specs of this bike, it seems very motocross oriented. It has most of the same parts as the MC450F MX  bike, right down to the five-speed gearbox. There are only a few concessions to off-road like the 18-inch rear wheel and the kickstand. Overall, the GasGas is more suited to cross-country racing than its counterparts in the KTM and Husky line. The power delivery is smoother and less fearsome. It’s still crazy fast, but it doesn’t wear you down quite as much. Without the map switch, it’s fixed in the mildest of the two maps that are preprogrammed into the ECU. Gary Sutherlin was there and helped us out with some testing, so check him out as he rides the EX on the motocross, cross-country and grass track test loops that GasGas set up for testing.