DIRTHAMMER SAYS

Staunton, VA.

Before KTM bought GasGas and turned the storied Spanish brand into a purveyor of Austrian bikes with red plastics, they built their bikes from scratch in Spain. They became a legendary name in trials and hard enduro circles for kicking out deft-handling, lightweight two-strokes. When KTM swooped in, Rieju, which mostly built teeny two-stroke commuter bikes, bought the factory, tooling, and IP and got to work.

Thus, Rieju started building world-class enduro bikes with parts and architecture that were very familiar to anyone who had ridden an old GasGas. They're far from a household name, but Rieju (Or Roo-roo, Ragu, Rye-joo, Ree-joo, or Ree-roo to the people who come up to you at gas stations) makes one hell of a dirt bike.

The MR Ranger 300 is Rieju's answer to the Beta X-Trainer. That means a softer setup than the full-fat MR 300s, and engine tuning to prioritize torque and low-end grunt over a top-end power hit. You still get a two-stroke "hit," but power comes on early and is much more linear than on motocross of full-on enduro race bikes. The Ranger also got an adjustable swingarm linkage, so you can adjust the rear suspension height without changing parts.

This 2023 Rieju MR Ranger 300 has just under 200 hours on it, and the first owner raced it in the Virginia Championship Hare Scramble Series C-class. The second owner bought it as a first enduro bike, and has used it as a recreational trail bike. It runs very well and the chassis is in good shape, but shows the cosmetic scars of hard use. The plastics are scratched, show boot rash and ingrained dirt, and the chassis shows scratches and scuffs. The clutch cover was cracked and repaired with JB Weld. The repair is holding and the engine does not leak.

The bike has an aftermarket FMF exhaust header, but comes with the stock header. Other spares include a plastic ignition cover guard, a new clutch cover and gasket, a number plate to replace the headlight, a plastic side panel, and a taller seat.

GoRace Suspension in Christiansburg, Virginia tuned the suspension for the previous owner. The current owner did not change the tune. The bike got new Dunlop D-606 DOT offroad tires in the spring, as well as a set of Michelin mousses. It has a clean title and is tagged for street use in Virginia.