2023 Gas Gas 700ES Dirt Bike Initial Review Interesting Hybrid between Enduro & Adventure Motorcycle 

I own one since last summer and the rear tire is really just good enough to drive to the next tire dealer. On wet pavement it is really dangerous and off road you can put only half of the power to the ground. I mounted a Motoz Adventure. What a grip. In 3rd gear you open the throttle and it flies and wheelies. Wish you fun with your bike and your buddies. regards by the way I have the same old thor gloves from the 90th- cool

Beautiful GasGas. I dig it! Actually, the KTM 690 platform totally fits a long existing mold - the DR/XR/KLR 650 dual sport. It just does it sportier and better than the ancient Japanese offerings. Being a big dual sport, one can argue that the 690 platform bikes are too heavy to be a dirt bike and not comfortable enough to be an ADV bike. That is true - dual sports being 50/50 bikes suck equally at everything 😆 Another way to look at it is your GasGas can run rings around a massive ADV bike off road, and it can run rings around a dirtier dual sport like a 500 EX-C on the street. I have a '23 Husky 701 with a Yosh exhaust and PC6 with Rottweiler's map. The free flowing exhaust and fueling really solidified the low end and midrange, which are hurt by overly lean /Euro 5 fueling, and the cantankerously heavy muffler has a CAT in it, making it hot as Hell. The exhaust and fueling mods get rid of all that and provide a solid dose of power. I shot this little video of me fooling around on my 701, it is quite a wheelie machine, even here in thin air land Denver. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--jFsxomJMsg.html A few things I have found after riding my 701. First off, the suspension. The shock is fantastic, and with a .72 spring rate, it is sprung for the weight of the bike and actual American males, and it is valved well. I set the laden sag to 3 1/4" and the clickers to "sport" and called it a day. In contrast, the forks at .59 are way undersprung compared to the shock. Was out on a spirited off road ride and the forks felt like pogo sticks as I aggressively hit some bumps. Cranking the compression to full stiff helped a lot, which told me the springs are way too soft. I put two step stiffer .65 fork springs in it, backed off the compression to 20 clicks out, but had to crank rebound to full stiff to control the heavier springs. Be all that as it may, the tweaked forks work great at speed in rocks now. I live in Colorado, we have lotsa rocks. My bike, and I assume the GG as well, comes with 15/46 gearing. This is way too low, which leaves the engine buzzing over 5K RPM at 70 on the highway. I went 16/45 and what a difference on the road, the bike has legs now! Years ago I had a Honda XL600 dual sport which I loved as it would cruise highway and could do offroad - that old XL was geared really well. Per the "Gearing Commander" website, the revised 16/45 gearing on my 701 matches the old 5 speed Honda's 1st and 5th. Ah, much better. I cruised at 70-75 on the highway for 2 hours today and it felt relaxed. What really shocked me is it actually worked better for me off road with the taller gearing. 1st is tall either way at a walking pace, but once ya hit 10 MPH it is all the same really - these engines have so much torque and just want to pull a load. Stock gearing it felt weird - tall taking off in tight stuff, then running out quickly and 2nd a big gap up. I was shifting from 1st to 2nd a lot. With the taller sprockets 1st is easily good to about 20 MPH, and then 2nd digs in and it effortlessly goes hard. Was going about 25 on a Jeep trail, hanging the back out in power slides at causal RPM in 2nd, the Yosh can barking heartily away in a low tone. Passed a couple of guys on real dirt bikes, they couldn't believe it. I so love this motorcycle... The one item left to mod on my bike is the seat. It is fine off road, but a weapon of ass destruction on the street. Sending it off to Renazco Racing saddles next month. It is too bad these expensive bikes aren't perfect from the factory, but if you invest some time and money in this platform, it is the closest thing to a high performance "do it all" bike you can buy, but they can be made a lot better with some garage time.

I rode my 2022 Lifan 250 KPX to St Joe from Union and back in one pieces, you guys need to man up and no trailer the bikes!!! Haha just kidding!!! Both my son trailer there bikes on way there while I follow them on my bike, they were jealous but glad they brought on trailer because they fell hard and damaged their bikes plus sore bodies haha!!! They still rookies and 21 years old. I’m 54

Great review, I’m getting one of those bikes for adv riding. What make are the glasses and the helmet? Thanks

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great trails - the bike could rip the back end out of them and many more that are way harder, i know from experience - tools and carpenter

Why don't they make a seat us old guys could buy . My DRZ -SM was so uncomfortable to ride any longer than an hour on the pavement .

And Doc you could have had a Beta!!!

I’d call a Dual Sport like the four’s street legal 4 stroke thumpers only better. Head & shoulders better.