Here’s a question for everyone, if you had the opportunity to ride a whole fleet of new GASGAS enduro weapons, which one would you choose? It’s quite a tough choice when the new 2024 range is l freshly updated, upgraded and easily the best versions of themselves to date. For me, it would be the 2024 GASGAS EC 350F.
I still enjoy going to a track and cutting laps and trying to go fast although nowadays, my fitness is nowhere near as good as I want it to be. However, I still prefer forming a track up with some good ruts and berms, chasing the boys around and sometimes the stopwatch even comes out. I am dabbling in more trail riding but I’m still a “roundy roundy” track kind of guy. So what I’m chasing is a bike that is easy to ride with decent power and most importantly, won’t wear me out after 15 minutes.
With that in mind, during the recent launch, I set off on the quest to find that bike and the search ended with the new 2024 GASGAS EC 350F. There is something about a 350 that doesn’t matter how many times I ride one, they always make me happy. I think that the 300-350cc four-stroke range is really where the mid-life crisis smile comes in. A 250F requires a lot of rider input and the 450/500cc area can become a little much at times, mainly when the tracks become tighter and more technical and big bores can get away from you when you’re tired.
At the launch, the conditions were pretty wild. In Typical Vicco high country fashion we experienced what would have been prime time conditions turn into slippery slop with a side of zero front end feel. The front tucks and rear end overtakes were in high numbers out on the loop yet I was thankful that we were able to ride at all.
The GASGAS crew did an awesome job ensuring that the day wasn’t wasted, and we were able to ride the tracks and trails that they had in store for us. The main enduro loop was a mixture of super slick red clay and black sand. Kind of a weird combination and I was pretty tentative on my first few laps. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden something that slick.
Why was the 2024 GASGAS EC 350F so much fun to ride in these gnarly conditions? Well, it’s just easy to ride. If I compare it to the 450 and 500, the 350 is obviously slower, but it’s lighter and remains predictable even when the track conditions aren’t. All was not lost though because as the laps were ridden and lines started to form, the track became more and more fun.
Amazingly, a dry line even formed in some sections, and we could really start to get a feel for the bikes. I was really impressed with the 2024 GASGAS EC 350F right from the get-go and with the track being the way it was early in the morning, I found the EC 350F was a lot easier to ride than the 450 and 500. The 2024 GASGAS EC 350F feels so much lighter and I found that I was able to ride it pretty controlled around the lap quite easily whereas I found the bigger bikes to be controlling me. It’s fun as hell to grab a handful on the big 450 or 500 but the corners come up real quick and I overshot a lot of them.
It comes back to the EC 350F being an easy bike to ride and it only got easier as the day went on. The track became better, and more lines started to form but as the track evolved, the 2024 GASGAS EC 350F did too. The power of the 350 is awesome and it doesn’t seem to matter if I rode it in a taller gear or revved the crap out of it, it seemed to always have the right amount of traction.
I especially enjoyed riding it once the track dried out and I could be more aggressive. Tipping into ruts and really getting on the throttle hard was super easy and with the bike feeling as light as it does, the energy levels remained high throughout the entire session. I didn’t get anywhere near as pumped up or tired on the 350 as I did on the bigger bikes.
The WP suspension on the 350 seems to work better than the bigger bikes too. I put that down to the extra inertia that they carry going into corners. Don’t get me wrong, the WP open chamber forks are softer than I would like but it’s not as noticeable on the 2024 GASGAS EC 350F.
I had to be a little more careful of the front-end diving under brakes especially when compared to the twin chamber forks of the EX350 cross country bike. However, the EC350 didn’t dive under brakes like the 500 did. I also put it down to the fact that I always got so excited by the crazy power that the 500 produces and then I would shit myself and jam the brakes on when the corner came up so quick compared to the 350.
Another thing I noticed when riding the 350 back-to-back against the 450 and 500 was the line selection. On the 350 it’s so easy to pick lines on the track. If you want to get out of a rut halfway through a corner, a quick flick of the clutch and you can get up on top of it, whereas the bigger bikes seemed to remain planted and dig trenches.
I also discovered that coming into corners as well. If I was coming in a little hot, I could brake hard and switch lines compared to being a bit more of a passenger on the big bores. You need to be more precise with your braking on the 450 and 500 as a result because it’s tricky to change lines, however, once you’re locked in and have the ability to use all that epic bottom end grunt, the big bikes leave the 350 in their wake. Of course, if the track was super-fast and you had some room to move, then a 450 or 500 would be a lot more fun to ride, but at the launch, the EC350 was much easier to ride than its bigger brothers.
The WP rear shock on the 350 produces amazing traction even with the very average Maxxis FIM spec tyres. A little tip for all new GG owners, first mods should either be two new tyres or some red handguards. If I’m honest, I think that the tyres were also a contributing factor to how slick the track felt in the morning.
Anyway, back to the rear shock, it’s extremely plush and gets great traction and I had no dramas other than wanting it to be firmer for the bigger hits. Overall, despite being a softer platform, the bike is nicely balanced, and I think if you are buying the EC350 for mainly trail riding, the new WP suspension on the MY24 GASGAS machines should be more than what you need.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I really like the mid-size 350cc four-stroke machines and the GASGAS EC350 is no exception. I love how light they feel, how strong the power is and more importantly, how much they do not wear me out. I could ride and ride and ride this bike all day and I would not get sick of how it feels. The motor is strong and fun to use and the suspension will take care of your aches and pains rather than beat you up.
It’s no secret as to why the 350 platform is so popular in the enduro world and it’s awesome to see that people are out there buying and enjoying these mid-range marvels just as much as I do.
2024 GASGAS EC 350F
ENGINE
Type Single-cylinder four-stroke
Displacement 349.7cc
Bore & Stroke 88mm x 57.5mm
Cooling Liquid-cooled
Compression ratio 13.7:1
Fuel metering Keihin EFI, 42 mm throttle body
Tank capacity 9L
Transmission Six speed
Clutch DDS wet multi-disc clutch, Braktec hydraulics
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 1489mm
Seat height 956mm
Ground clearance 354mm
Claimed Weight 110.2kg (dry)
SUSPENSION
FRONT 48mm WP XPLOR-USD, Ø 48 mm, 300mm travel
REAR WP XACT Monoshock with linkage, 300mm travel
BRAKES
Front 260mm disc
Rear 220mm disc
RUNNING GEAR
Handlebar Neken, aluminium 28/22 mm dia
Front tyre Maxxis
Rear tyre Maxxis
PRICE & CONTACTS
RRP $17,235.00
BROWSER GasGas.com
BLOWER 1800 644 771
Warranty 1 month
WORDS | Geoff Braico
