The new Ranger 300 is described by Gas Gas as “Light, docile and above all easy to handle, suitable for any type of rider.” It falls into the same category as the Beta Xtrainer and KTM Freeride, a sort of hybrid enduro/trials/trail bike designed to be user-friendly.

ADB Tech Editor, Mat Boyd, briefly rode the Ranger during its early stages of development at the world launch in 2018. Here is what he thought.

The Rangers sit 40mm lower than the ECs but come with the same KYB suspension front and rear, but it’s softer. They are electric-start only but 2kg heavier than the EC Racings, having lead-acid batteries instead of lithium-ion one and cheaper brake calipers to get the cost down.

As the crankcase is the same as the EC models, a kickstart can be fitted but the kit needs to be purchased and fitted. The top-end power and torque have been eased to make the bikes smoother and easier to handle. Gas Gas has done this by making the expansion chamber skinnier and restricting the muffler.

The ECRanger will be available in both 200cc and 300cc versions. Unfortunately, there was no 200 ECRanger at the launch for us to ride but we did get to take the 300 for a spin around the trees. Immediately you notice how much lower the ECRanger is than the ECs. At first it was quite confidence-inspiring but, after a few laps of bashing my knees under the handlebar, it started to become annoying.

I also noticed that it was harder to turn into tight corners. I’m not saying it wouldn’t turn but it took more effort to make the bike steer into a tight rut at speed. The power was very useable. It is nice and broad without coming on hard and sharp. You can really wind on the gas through corners and the power will come on smoothly without any big surge. This might not sound all that great to a racer but it is very handy for a trailrider.

Gas Gas made a big deal about dulling the power but, to my surprise, the Ranger 300 still got up and boogied when you opened it up down the straights. The power curve was much more linear but it still had plenty to go screaming down the open trails.

It is still a 299cc engine so there’s still miles of power to have fun with, it’s just much more manageable. The suspension is softer and much plusher so the Ranger isn’t going to like a motocross track or any big jumps but it soaks up anything the trail is going to throw at it.

While I wasn’t totally thrilled about the seat height I did very much like how smooth and useable the power was. I might not like the bike being 40mm lower but I can see it fitting well into the Australian trailbike scene. Not everyone is a racer and not everyone has long legs.

For this reason, I can see this being the perfect bike for someone who just wants to go for a ride through the mountains on the weekends, explore some trails or even ride to the pub for lunch. The power is beginner friendly and super useable and the suspension is comfortable on the trail without an intimidating seat height. I can’t see it being prized by racers but it will make a fantastic beginner-to-intermediate trailbike.

We’ve just taken delivery of an EC Ranger 300 test bike which we’ll be riding in the next few days so keep an eye out for a local review in an upcoming issue of ADB Magazine.

2020 Gas Gas EC Ranger 300 Specs

ENGINE Single-cylinder 2-stroke, liquid cooled
DISPLACEMENT 299,3 cc
BORE X STROKE 72,0 x 72,0 mm
STARTER Electric
IGNITION Electronic – Euro4
GEARBOX 6 speed gearbox with foot control
CLUTCH Multidisc in oil bath. Magura clutch pump
INTAKE SYSTEM Direct reed valve VForce 4
EXHAUST MUFFLER TECNIGAS 2.0 – GASGAS Powered by TECNIGAS

FRAME Center frame in chrome-moly-steelframe
SUBFRAME Aluminum
SWINGARM Aluminium swingarm y Linkage system
FRONT FORK KYB Ø46, open cartridge
SUSPENSIÓN TRAVEL 270 mm
SHOCK ABSORBER KYB
SUSPENSION TRAVEL 119 mm
RIM – TYRE Front: Excel 1.6 x21 – 90/90-21 VRM211F T.T.
RIM – TYRE Rear: Excel 2.15 x 18 – 120/90-18 VRM211B T.T
FRONT BRAKE Braktec Front brake caliper ; NG Disk Ø260 mm
REAR BRAKE Braktec Rear brake caliper ; NG Disk Ø220 mm
FUEL 9,8 L
DRY WEIGHT 108 kg
DIMENSIONS Lenght x width x height : 2145 x 810 X 1205 mm
WHEELBASE 1.480 mm
SEATHEIGHT 940 mm