Quick backstory. A couple weeks after I posted the intro to my Jeep, my mom was in town and we took the XJ out on an easy trail. We cracked the block. The motor mount sheared right off the block side. I wasn’t about to pay someone to weld a cast iron block, so the Jeep went on hold while I saved for a reman motor. So me being me, I made another questionable life choice and bought a dirt bike.
It’s a brand new 2024 GasGas ES 500, zero miles when I picked it up from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. It’s street legal, and I put about 100 miles on it in the first couple of days. Here’s where I landed.
What makes the ES 500 street legal
From the factory it comes with a headlight, blinkers front and rear, a brake light, a plate holder and mirrors. The mirrors were the first thing I took off because they look goofy as hell. Under the skin, the emissions stuff is what keeps it legal: O2 sensors, an airbox restrictor and a milder tune.
The pros
- It’s fun. That’s the whole review if you want the short version.
- Great on gas. The tank is only about 2 gallons, but I’ve barely put anything into it for my first 100 miles.
- Six-speed. One down, five up, and it pulls on the street and the trail.
- Brakes work really good.
- LED headlight with high and low beam.
- Electric start. This is what makes it a real daily. It’s honestly my daily driver right now.
Quick tip because I didn’t know it either: to cancel the blinkers, you just push the switch in.
The cons
Really just one so far: the seat sucks. It’s hard. Very hard. A new seat is going on the list. I also had to stiffen the suspension all the way up (thanks Arthur). I’m a big dude, and even maxed out it still has some travel left, so it’s workable.
Mods I’m planning
- Pull the airbox restrictor
- Swap the big blinkers for small pods
- Cut off the whole rear tail and run a tail tidy
- Maybe supermoto tires
- Black wheels, a bigger enduro tank and a better seat down the road
- A GoPro chin mount for POV rides
Spoiler: a bunch of these happened. Check out the True North Motos tail tidy install, the Pirelli MT90 street tire swap and the 1,500 mile review.
The gear I’m riding in
Rocky Mountain carries MSR, so I picked up the MSR SC helmet, plus Fasthouse gloves and 100% goggles.
Bottom line
It’s been an absolute blast. Street legal, electric start, sips gas and rips on the trail. Fix the seat and it’s close to perfect for what I do. Got a mod you think I should do first? Drop it in the YouTube comments.
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