The Wrong Bike for the Right Weekends
I was always a street rider. I grew up a GSX-R punk raising hell on the streets—sorry, Mom—and eventually found my way to the track. Then the track took over. The bike became less and less street legal, and before I knew it, I was road racing.
As a broke kid who could barely afford safety wire, that wasn’t going particularly well. A good friend introduced me to supermoto, which eventually introduced me to dirt bikes.
I remember being at Croom Motorcycle Park in Brooksville, Florida one morning and thinking, What the hell took me so long?
By the time we got back to the trucks for a break, I felt like I’d run a marathon. Riding dirt was a whole different workout, and I was having too much fun to notice until we stopped.
I’ve since traded Florida’s deep sand for the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The scenery alone is enough to make you want to pull over constantly. Add the trails, and it’s a pretty good place to own a dirt bike.
Which brings me to how I ended up buying a motocross bike for weekends in the mountains.
After some time away from off-road riding, I started looking again. “Looking” might be giving myself too much credit. I was doomscrolling motorcycles during a work call when I found a brand-new GasGas MC450F for $7,499 out the door.
About fifteen minutes later, I was buying it.
With an MSRP somewhere around $10,499, the price got my attention quickly. Shout out to Teddy Morse Powersports in Grand Junction for making the process almost suspiciously easy. The whole thing took about twenty minutes, including a three-minute phone call congratulating me and asking when I wanted to pick it up.
Everything should be that easy.
Jase Macalpine of the very good Gypsy Tales podcast said of the GasGas “it would be my idiot’s 450”. That gave me a laugh, particularly as the guy who bought one during a work call.
A 450 still deserves some respect. My old YZ450F could make a liter bike feel civilized, and I wasn’t expecting the GasGas to be a beginner bike. But it’s been a fun way to get back into the dirt, and at that price, I’m pretty happy with my decision.
Of course, buying the bike was only the beginning.
At 6’3”, I wanted a little more room. I installed Fastway footpegs that move the pegs down and back 6 mm. That doesn’t sound like much until you’re standing on them. The position is noticeably more comfortable, and my size 12 TCX boots have an easier time getting under the shifter.
It’s the sort of change you appreciate every time you ride.
I also added a kickstand.
Yes, to a motocross bike.
Most of my riding involves trails and mountains, and sometimes I want to stop and look around. Maybe take a picture. Having somewhere to put the bike makes that considerably easier, especially when there isn’t a convenient tree nearby.
If I decide to spend more time on a motocross track, I can take it off. Until then, I’m enjoying being able to park the damn thing.
The other addition was a set of GasGas accessory handguards. They match, they’re made for the bike, and they seemed like a sensible addition for the riding I’m doing.
None of this changes what the MC450F is. I’ve added a few things that make it more comfortable and convenient for me, but it’s still the motocross bike I bought in Grand Junction.
Should I have bought an enduro instead? Probably worth considering before I handed over the money. But the deal was good, I’m enjoying the bike, and I don’t mind making a few changes along the way.
Next weekend, it gets another outing.
I’ve rented a cabin out in the mountains for a weekend of riding and getting out of the city. A little time away, some Colorado scenery, and another chance to put the GasGas and my choice of accessories to work before winter settles in.
I’ll take some pictures and report back. We’ll see how good that kickstand purchase looks after a few stops along the trail.
Got an old-guy motocross story, or a favorite Colorado trail worth checking out? Leave it in the comments or send it to thegarage@blackflag-moto.com. I’d love to hear it.