GasGas Sticks With Two-Strokes For 2023 Trials Bikes

[advrider]

GasGas might be under new Austrian ownership, but its 2023 TXT trials bike lineup will still be made in Spain, and they’ll still be two-strokes.

Since Pierer AG bought a majority stake in GasGas in 2019 and brought it into the KTM fold, the formerly Spanish-owned brand has started selling made-in-Austria bikes with a thick coating of red paint. But, the trials bike series is still going to be made at the factory in Terrassa, Spain next year, and they haven’t gone with fuel-injected four-strokes, as everyone expected.

Instead, the two-stroke engines continue onward in the TXT Racing and TXT GP series. Instead of highly complicated electronics, these engines come with interchangeable inserts that can be swapped out to change the bike’s power delivery. Your throttle hand is the traction control and power mode selector, just like it should be on a trials bike! As far as the fueling system, GasGas uses a 28mm Keihin PWK carburetor for 2023, paired with a Hidria ECU.

The updated 2023 models have a new chromoly steel frame, powder-coated in that bright red finish that GasGas hoses down all its machines with. The headstock actually attaches to the motor, and GasGas uses aluminum hangers all over the bike, and also bolted on a larger aluminum skid plate. There’s new bodywork, including a rear fender/seat assembly that’s made to be super-bendy, for when your trials riding gets a bit too adventurous. There’s new Neken handlebars on the whole lineup, with Renthal grips. There’s even a new kickstarter. The TXT Racing models also get new, shorter forks, just like the GP models.

However, at their core, the bikes seem to remain very much the same as before—it’s more of an evolution of the lineup, instead of a complete overhaul like the rest of the dirt bikes under the GasGas badge. Consider that the Spanish factory is resistant to change (a previous KTM offer failed when employees hung an effigy of the buyer from a factory window). Looks like KTM is taking things very slowly, and that’s probably best for all.

For 2023, GasGas will sell the TXT Racing 125, TXT Racing 250, TXT Racing 280 and TXT Racing 300, as well as the TXT GP300 and TXT GP250. At this point, the entire GasGas trials lineup is not coming to North America. The US and Canada get the TXT Racing 250 and TXT Racing 300, and the TXT GP300 and TXT GP250. Maybe we’ll see the 125 and 280 models when supply chains get sorted out?

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