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To continue our GPX dirt bike review series out at Radersburg, Montana, we had the opportunity to ride the small but mighty GPX FSE 190R. While we have referred to the power of many of the other GPX bikes as “tame”, this little 190R is anything but that. This is a fast, fun pit bike for someone with the need for speed. This will be the fastest pitter at the races for an adult, or truthfully a really fun, fast and reliable bike for a kid of the appropriate size.

The FSE 190R is offered in 3 different wheel sizes: 12″/14″, 14″/17″ and a fat tire combo. We rode the 14″/17″ combo for our test day and loved pretty much everything about it. This 190cc 4-valve 4 stroke motor packs a lot of punch into a little package. The bike is a 5 speed manual and it barks like a modern 450. Seriously, this bike sounds mean. The suspension is adjustable, brakes are strong, and overall componentry is top-notch. While some seem to be skeptical of Chinese dirt bikes, this bike oozes a level of quality that might surprise you. It isn’t the cheapest pit bike on the market, and rightfully so – it’s too good to be cheap.

We really only experienced one issue with the bike during our action packed day of testing, and that was the kick starter accidentally getting pushed backwards and engaging while riding. It becomes obvious when that happens, as you can hear the starter motor whirring about next to your foot. The kick starter is just in a less-than-ideal location and is easily hit by accident. The bike does have electric start as well, so truthfully we would recommend just removing the kick starter all together. Problem solved. With a 1 gallon fuel tank you’re not going to get too far from the truck anyway, so getting stranded in the middle of nowhere without a kick starter is a concern you probably don’t need to worry too much about.

The clutch is smooth and the bike is torquey. It is incredible easy to clutch the front wheel up on this bike in pretty much any gear; its power to weight ratio is truly impressive. We’ve strived to keep these GPX reviews open and honest, and we’re honest when we say this 190 might be our favorite GPX yet. If you have an open slot in your shop, this might just be the bike to fill it.

Oh – did we mention that we’re raffling off one of the fat tire versions of this bike? We’re hosting a customer appreciation day on June 11th. Full details can be found here!

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Our test of the GPX FSE 450R concludes our review series of GPX’s full size enduro bikes until we can get our hands on a TSE 300R later this year. After riding the FSE 250E and FSE 300R, I was very curious to see how much power GPX’s beefy 450 had. It became apparent very quickly that this bike is not a fire breathing motocross bike. When most people think of a 450, they think of incredible torque and explosive power. This GPX 450 is not that. The power is incredibly tame, and I struggled to get the front wheel off the ground even when using the clutch. It feels a bit like a DRZ400S. With this said, it is clear that the EFI mapping needs work. The bike runs very hot and lean, and it struggles to create good, smooth power everywhere but the very bottom.

Throughout all of our GPX reviews we have been very happy with the chassis and suspension, and that is no different for the 450. The bike handles and steers well. The suspension does a good job at absorbing big impacts while eating up small bumps, and manages to stay high in the stroke. The brakes are strong, but we did have a complaint regarding the rear brake on this bike. The rear brake pedal has an enormous foot. We aren’t sure if GPX did this since the case is so wide to ensure you can reach the pedal, but it sticks out pretty far and we actually caught it on a shrub when turning right. This could be worth a modification.

The shifter was also a major issue for us. The case is so wide that the shifter comes stock pointed way down to clear the case when upshifting. We moved it up one tooth and ground the top of the shifter off a little bit to help with clearance, but had a lot of missed shifts throughout our day of testing. With this said, we have read from multiple sources that the IMS Shift Lever for a 2000 Honda XR650L will fit this bike and alleviate the problem.

Alright, I had to get the cons out of the way. Let’s move onto where the bike shines. It feels smooth and planted. It carries itself well at very high speeds. I ran it 80 MPH down a dirt road with no signs of wobble of headshake. This would be a nice dual sport bike and definitely has the motor to run highway speeds comfortably. With the EFI tuned, I believe the bike has so much more to offer. The componentry is nice and the bike has quality finishes. It’s a really good looking dirt bike.

Compared to the other bikes in GPX’s enduro line, the 450 was our least favorite for the reasons stated above. With attention to those 3 items, this could be a very good bike at a very good price point. It has a lot of potential that we know can be unlocked. We are currently working to get one of them tuned so we can give our opinions on a properly fueled GPX FSE 450R. Until then, we will be honest in saying the bike is good but not great and has a couple issues that should be resolved to ride the bike aggressively. For dual sport use, the bike is good out of the box.

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How does the GPX TSE 250R with a price tag of $6,295 compare to the KTM 250 XC TPI with a price tag of $10,599? Can the KTM really be that much better? A beautiful day out at Radersburg, Montana helped us answer that question. In short, as you might expect, the KTM is a better bike. But depending on what type of rider you are and what your goals on a dirt bike are, that might be totally irrelevant. The GPX is a phenomenal bike in its own right, and is worth every penny of the modest $6,295 price tag.

The KTM is my own personal bike that I’ve put 100+ hours on, so I’m very comfortable with everything about it at this point. I rode the GPX first during our day of testing. Initially, my thought was “wow, this thing is every bit as good as my KTM.” The suspension is smooth with a consistent stroke, good bottoming resistance and a solid ability to deflect small bumps. The chassis feels much like that of my KTM, which is not surprising due to the fact that it almost an exact copy. The motor revs out quickly and demands to be shifted. The power is smooth and strong, but I quickly noticed there is almost no overrev and the bike must be shifted to continue acceleration. The bike does not feel all that heavy, but it isn’t as flickable as the KTM.

Once I hopped back on my KTM, my brain then went “oh, I forgot how good this thing is.” While the GPX truly feels comparable, the KTM is just smoother and faster. Each component is simply a little stronger. The suspension is even smoother, the brakes are stronger, and the bike is fast. Keep in mind the KTM is a fire breathing race bike. The power is strong all the way from the bottom to top and it’s an aggressive machine. It will lug in low RPMs through just about anything, but as soon as you twist the throttle it goes.

Where the KTM will lug, the GPX will continue to pull but demands the throttle to be twisted harder in order to keep going. The GPX shines in its mid to top end. While it does not like to be lugged, it is impressive that it has the torque to pull itself into the powerband instead of bogging out. The engine characteristics of these two bikes are very different in this way. While the GPX has much more overall power than a 125, I compare it to a 125 in the way it likes to be ridden. It likes to be shifted often and spend most of its time in the powerband.

As a whole, if I were looking for a fast, fun casual trail bike that could take me anywhere at a reasonable price point, the GPX TSE 250R would be high on my radar. If I were in the market for a competitive race bike, I’d have to choose the KTM.

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As we continue our ride and review series for the GPX line of dirtbikes, we finally had the opportunity to bring the 2022 GPX TSE 250R 2 stroke out to Radersburg for some riding and testing. This engine on this bike is based on an older Yamaha engine design and is actually 224ccc, not 249cc. The chassis, as with the other full sized GPX bikes, closely resembles that of a KTM and shares similar components.

This is a beautiful bike with quality components: billet hubs and footpegs, fully adjustable suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, full instrumentation, a street legal kit, handguards and more. GPX certainly packs a big package into a small price tag. From our testing, this bike is every bit as reliable as a big name brand and the price just can’t be beat. It has electric start with a backup kickstarter as well.

Overall, we love the chassis. The bike feels great and handles smoothly. Vibration is minimal, suspension is fluid and brakes are strong. The engine on this bike demands to be ridden aggressively. It makes great power in the top end but must be shifted to maintain acceleration; it has little to no overrev and you’ll find yourself going through gears quickly. The shift lever is low and close to the case in the stock position. Raising the shifter would help significantly, but the closeness to the case might be a difficult fix.

The bottom end is relatively strong but the bike does not necessarily “lug”; it has an impressive ability to keep pulling into the top end, but if you don’t keep the throttle twisted hard you might not get very far up anything technical. The bike performs its best when the RPMs are high. I felt like I had to ride it a bit like a 125, but the hit into the powerband isn’t quite so hard and the bottom end is stronger. Like I said, it demands to be shifted a lot which is very 125-esque.

While the bike may not be quite as fast as a YZ250 or a KTM 250 XC, it is fun, smooth and consistent. It is arguably easier to ride and more friendly to a newer rider as the power is not quite so aggressive but still available when you need it. I wouldn’t hesitate to take this bike on any of the single track I’ve ridden around Montana, some of which is very technical and demanding. This is a great trail bike at a great price. While it may not be the fastest bike in a race, it is reliable, fun and affordable.

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In October of 2021, I stumbled upon an up-and-coming line of import bikes: GPX Moto imported by USA Motortoys out of Utah. We were instantly hooked and began building an order. We were most excited to see the full size bikes (FSE 250E, TSE 250R, FSE 300R, FSE 450R). Little did we know that the entry level FSE 250S would be such a hit. With the weather warming up and riding season about to begin, we decided to get a few bikes out for testing and review purposes including an FSE 250S.

The 250S is a midsize bike set up with the 16×19 wheel set. It has a very manageable 34” seat height and weighs in around 240lbs. Perfect for the vertically challenged or new riders who are more apt to dab a foot when needed. The air cooled 4 stroke is the same engine that is in the full size 250E. The six speed transmission gives plenty of options on the trail and enough gearing to comfortably cruise on road. Did I mention it comes set up for the street complete with a horn, blinkers, mirrors, and headlight?

While riding around Radersburg OHV, I found the 250S to be plenty capable of anything I pointed it at. The low seat height allowed for a relaxed approach when cruising around the lot and on the easy trails. On bigger hills 1st and 2nd gear had plenty of grunt to pull the bike at crawling speed. When pushed a little harder it maintains stability well. Given this is not a motocross bike, we didn’t send it around the track at full speed. This is a trail bike, crossing into the dual sport and enduro category. The suspension might be the most impressive part of the bike with good feel over rollers and choppy sections deflecting hits from rocks and roots well. All this positive feedback is with no set up after assembly; the front fork has compression adjustment and there is preload on the rear shock. I feel there is room for improvement with some set up. Compared to other bikes in the category of “starter trail bikes”, the FSE 250s wins hands down. It has more power, better suspension, and more features than the 140-150 class bikes (KLX140, CRF150F). When compared to the other 230-250cc trail bikes (CRF230F, TTR230) it has better suspension, equal power, more features and a lower price.

We had no issues with the bike while testing. The electric start fires the bike effortlessly. I did struggle with the shifter a bit as it’s tucked fairly close to the side cover. I think this could be easily fixed either by bending the lever or replacing it with a different one. We did notice that it’s wider than the more race oriented bikes, although this is not too much of an issue and would be easy to get used to.

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A warm day in Montana in mid-March gave us the perfect opportunity to take our brand new fleet of 2022 GPX dirtbikes out for a day of testing. We loaded up and drove out to Radersburg, Montana to do some riding and filming and develop opinions on these Chinese machines. One of our bikes of focus was the 2022 GPX FSE 250E.

This bike is an air cooled, carbureted 250cc 4 stroke dirtbike. It comes fully street legal with blinkers, brake lights, mirrors and a headlight. It also includes a motocross style number plate and all of these additions can be easily removed to make it more of an off-road oriented machine. The bike isn’t the lightest there is but carries it weight well, tipping the scales at 247 pounds full of fuel and ready to ride.

I was immediately impressed with the chassis. The bike feels and handles much like a KTM and I felt right at home. After only a couple of laps on the bike I was feeling comfortable and flicking it around with ease. The suspension is surprisingly good; I didn’t expect it to be bad, but it exceeded all of my expectations. The forks have amazing bottoming resistance and eat up small bumps well. The suspension truly feels competitive with the setups on modern Japanese or Austrian bikes. I might not have been able to tell the difference if the forks were unbranded and you told me to compare them to modern Showas, KYBs, or WP.

The brakes are strong but not as good as Brembos. Brembos are the gold standard in braking so that might be expected. They did not leave much to be desired, but could have a bit more bite if I’m being picky. Now that I’ve established how impressed I was with the chassis, let’s talk about the engine.

The power is surprisingly good. The bottom end throttle response is very smooth and responsive. It is not too difficult to lift the front wheel with a little help of the clutch and the correct RPMs. The bike does run through its gears very quickly and demands to be shifted to be ridden fast. It does not have good over rev and will stop accelerating if you do not shift up. The power is very smooth and controllable. An experienced rider can ride this bike very hard and rev it to the moon with complete control. A new rider would feel comfortable on this bike as the power is incredibly manageable and does not feel overwhelming or like the bike can get away from you. The fact that this bike is as good as it is with a simple air cooled engine design and minimal maintenance is quite impressive. The low end torque is fairly strong and this bike would have no issue taking you up some fairly difficult terrain without complaining.

The only real issue we experienced with this bike was the handlebar mounts coming loose. We added Loctite to the mounting bolts of a TSE 250R before testing it after we experienced this issue and did not experience any problems. As of now, that is our recommendation to avoid this problem.

For the price, this bike is pretty much impossible to beat. If I was in the market for a new race bike, this would not be it. If I was looking for a fun and smooth trail bike with the added bonus of being street legal, I would have my eyes on this GPX.

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A warm day in Montana in mid-March gave us the perfect opportunity to take our brand new fleet of 2022 GPX dirtbikes out for a day of testing. We loaded up and drove out to Radersburg, Montana to do some riding and filming and develop opinions on these Chinese machines. One of our bikes of focus was the 2022 GPX FSE 300R.

This bike is a liquid cooled, electronic fuel injected 300cc 4 stroke dirtbike. It comes fully street legal with blinkers, brake lights, mirrors and a headlight. It also includes a motocross style number plate and all of these additions can be easily removed to make it more of an off-road oriented machine. The bike isn’t the lightest there is but carries it weight well, tipping the scales at 254 pounds full of fuel and ready to ride.

I was immediately impressed with the chassis. The bike feels and handles much like a KTM and I felt right at home. After only a couple of laps on the bike I was feeling comfortable and flicking it around with ease. The suspension is surprisingly good; I didn’t expect it to be bad, but it exceeded all of my expectations. The forks have amazing bottoming resistance and eat up small bumps well. The suspension truly feels competitive with the setups on modern Japanese or Austrian bikes. I might not have been able to tell the difference if the forks were unbranded and you told me to compare them to modern Showas, KYBs, or WP.

The brakes are strong but not as good as Brembos. Brembos are the gold standard in braking so that might be expected. They did not leave much to be desired, but could have a bit more bite if I’m being picky. Now that I’ve established how impressed I was with the chassis, let’s talk about the engine.

The EFI feels like it could use some tuning at the low end. The bike does not have a very crisp throttle response right off the bottom and requires a little clutching to ride well. As soon as you hit the mid to top end of the power, the bike is happy and runs flawlessly. The power is far from aggressive; it is very smooth and manageable. Compared to a 250F race bike from a Japanese or Austrian manufacturer, this bike is not as fast and not nearly as aggressive. That said, it can be ridden quite hard and is still a ton of fun. I think this could be a perfect dirtbike for somebody getting into riding or someone who doesn’t enjoy the abrupt and strong power of all of the modern race bikes.

The only real issue we experienced with this bike was the handlebar mounts coming loose. We aren’t sure if this is a result of inferior rubber bushings being used. When we got back to the shop we used Loctite on the bolts and will follow up if we experience this issue in the future. If this issue is persistent, the clamps can be swapped out with OEM KTM or aftermarket alternatives.

For the price, this bike is hard to beat. That being said, depending what you are looking for I might recommend the GPX FSE 250E, which is an even cheaper option that performs pretty similarly. We did a comparison of these 2 bikes, and you can click here to give that a read and watch our YouTube video. If I was in the market for a new race bike, this would not be it. If I was looking for a fun and smooth trail bike with the added bonus of being street legal, I would have my eyes on this GPX.

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Our unusually warm Montana winters are starting to become the usual, so when the opportunity came about in the middle of March to finally do some testing on our new fleet of GPX motorcycles I was not hugely surprised. While snowfall is needed and makes for a much less smoky summer, being able to test these bikes so early in the year was indeed a treat. A lot of skepticism comes with anything Chinese in the powersports industry, but GPX has done an incredible job of creating reliable dirtbikes at affordable price points. They are not the fire breathing race bikes you’ll find of a Japanese or Austrian manufacturer, but they are fun, smooth and handle well. These are the perfect bikes for the casual trail rider.

I had never been on a GPX bike prior to this day of testing. Coming from a KTM, I felt immediately at home on the chassis. The chassis closely resembles that of a KTM and you can tell. Body positioning and handling felt natural right away. The biggest surprise was how good the suspension is. The forks have incredible bottoming resistance and soak up small bumps quite well. With regards to the chassis and components, the 250E and 300R are identical. They feel nearly exactly the same and share all the same components. From a chassis point of view, both bikes are great.

This leaves the one thing about these bikes that is actually different: the engine. The 250 is air cooled and carbureted. The 300 is liquid cooled and fuel injected. Going into the day I fully expected the 300 to blow the 250 out of the water. From my experience EFI is superior to carburetion and I also expected the air cooled 250 engine to be much more tame than that of the liquid cooled 300. In reality, both engines produce similar power. Let’s start with the 250.

The 250 has great throttle response, particularly at the bottom end. Our testing was at 5,000 feet and the stock jetting is crisp and responsive. While I would not describe the power as “snappy”, the low end response was much more crisp than I expected. The bike produces great power off the bottom, but reaches the top of each gear quickly. This engine needs to be shifted often and attentively to pull hard enough out of corners and accelerate on straights. I would almost compare it to a two stroke in its desire to be shifted constantly. The top end is where this engine lacks, as you’ll often find yourself holding it wide open and feathering the clutch to try to get as much out of this motor as possible. Overall, it isn’t a bike I’d find myself on at a race, but it’s got enough kick behind it to have a great time regardless of skill level.

The 300 surprised me in that the EFI needs some work off the bottom. Unlike the 250, the bottom end throttle response is where the 300 suffers the most. It has the slightest bog as you initially open the throttle, but as you open it further and get into the meat of the power it becomes smooth and hearty. The power is still very smooth and it’s not that abundant; a Japanese or Austrian 250F is still quite a bit faster than this 300R. That said, this 300R shines in the mid and top compared to the 250E and is noticeable faster. It likes to be shifted as well but is not nearly as picky as the 250E and can pull each gear a little longer. As a whole I wouldn’t find myself racing this bike either, but this is certainly the more competitive of the two.

Overall both of these bikes are truthfully amazing entry level bikes for a new trail rider, or great low budget options for the casual weekend warrior looking to have a good time. These bikes will require far less maintenance than a performance race bike and the mellow engine characteristics will ensure minimal valve adjustments and top end replacements. Truthfully the differences are minimal enough that if I were in the market I would probably go with the 250E. With a $1,500 difference in price, I didn’t think the fun factor on the 300R was that much higher to warrant that difference in price. With some adjustments to the EFI, my opinion on that could be a little different. Have questions? Feel free to contact us!