Which is the best two stroke 300 enduro motorbike?
There is no best motorbike for everyone.
Some magazines will claim they have a winner.
But this will probably be the brand that gives them the most advertising revenue.
For the average enduro rider, all the available motorbikes are great.
The motorbikes are much better than we will ever be.
Especially me!
I have sold my Beta Xtrainer and I have four weeks to decide on my next motorbike.
I never give anyone personal recommendations about which motorbike to buy.
But here are my thoughts on the current offerings.
But first a warning.
This is just a personal opinion.
From a mostly clueless rider.
Don't trust him. Or anyone else.
Do your own research!
Two stroke 300 enduro models for 2022!
The TM EN 300.
TM is a boutique manufacturer in Italy making 1300 motorbikes a year by hand.
The price? Ouch.
Although it's not that expensive compared to the higher spec race models in other brands.
I recently rode a 2021 model and loved it.
Beautifully crafted.
Incredibly light.
Huge amounts of power.
And you can choose fuel injection or a carb.
Similar to KTM's TPI models, the fuel injected motor lacks a bit of grunt at low revs.
But it flies once you hit the midrange.
The kickstart comes standard too which is a nice touch.
And a one year warranty and KYB suspension!
I would definitely prefer the carb model for our riding.
The Sherco 300 SE.
An enduro motorbike from the land of berets, croissants and baguettes.
Ha ha.
Like all the European brands the Sherco has had it's known issues.
But the factory has slowly but steadily been fixing these.
I recently rode a 2021 model and loved it.
Very grunty engine.
Unlike most motorbikes, the mapping switch makes a huge difference
and is great for poor traction conditions.
Smooth KYB suspension.
Six month warranty.
In the past it's been a bit heavier than other brands.
Hopefully a lighter frame would bring it in line with the competition.
And an updated regulator as these have been problematic in the past.
See our Sherco known issues vid.
It's a strong contender.
I will just need to work on my French accent, no?
The Beta Xtrainer and RR300.
Our group has mostly ridden the 'faster pasta' machines for years now.
But we have become increasingly disillusioned with the brand.
The factory can take a ridiculously long time to address known issues.
Their handling of the main bearing failures over two years was very poor at their head office.
Thankfully Beta USA supported their customers very well.
Electrical problems are the main ongoing concern.
One of our team had his entire wiring harness replaced under warranty, as have others.
Overall they are still great bikes, but we think it's time for a change.
And if you want a very light motorbike as a beginner,
or for slow technical riding, the Beta Xtrainer is in a class of its own.
KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas.
I lump these all together as KTM's business strategy seems to
be buying up old brands and selling almost identical motorbikes in different colours.
I will upset the KTM fans, but these motorbike simply aren't on my radar.
There is no carb model on offer.
While the TPI system has worked for many riders, a significant number have faced
all sorts of issues with fouling plugs, hard starting, and seized engines at low hours.
Some accuse KTM of releasing innovations too soon and using us as guinea pigs.
The last three years of TPI issues could be evidence for this argument.
And the 30 day warranty on the two stroke models is ridiculous.
And the prices, in Australia at least, are getting crazy nowadays.
No thanks.
The Rieju MR300.
Rieju bought the rights to continue producing the old Gas Gas models.
Apart from some minor tweaks, these are essentially unchanged.
They still have the clunky unreliable starter motor
and are heavier than the more modern motorbikes.
Many of us were hoping they would be priced a lot cheaper than the competition
but this hasn't happened in Australia and some other countries.
See our review vid for more information.
Sadly the Japanese aren't in the ball game.
I did look into the cost of a 300 big bore kit and electric start for the Yamaha YZ250X.
But it's crazy expensive.
And you still have a motorbike that can't be registered in countries like Australia.
Come on Japan.
Get your crap together.
And wow us again like you did in the 1970s and 1980s.
So this is just my personal opinion and the thoughts going through my head.
What do you think of each motorbike?
Which 2022 model would you buy?
And why?
Keen to hear your thoughts.