Race Tech Gas Gas MC 65 Build! | Mod Squad

 
Presented by Leatt

A few weeks ago, we put the 2024 Gas Gas MC 65 through its paces with the help of the Wampler brothers, Graham and Benjamin. They both gave the bike a great review, but we wanted to see how easy it’d be to coax more performance from the little red rocket. 

Race Tech is best known as a suspension specialist, but the Corona, California-based company also has a very impressive engine-building department. We phoned up our Race Tech connect Chris “Checkers” Reisenberg and asked if they had any experience working on Austrian 65s. Needless to say, it was a silly question and they invited us to bring not only the fork and shock in, but the cylinder and cylinder head, too! Race Tech tore into the fork and shock of the MX 65, reworked the valving on both ends and installed its famous Gold Valve system in the fork and shock. On the other side of the building, the engine experts decked the cylinder for higher compression, then honed the cylinder to make sure the bore was perfectly round before porting the intake and exhaust ports for more power throughout the powerband.

While Race Tech was working its magic on the suspension and engine, we procured a new set of Maxxis ST tires for the Gas Gas to replace the well-worn stock set, then sat down at our computer to design a set of graphics for the bike on the Backyard Designs graphic configurator. In our initial test, both Wampler brothers said the bike would benefit from a T-Rex throttle, so we researched and got in touch with Dan Daniels at T-Rex Moto-X. Daniels was glad to help with our build and sent the highly regarded T-Rex Race Throttle and Teflon-coated throttle cable. The throttle is built from billet aluminum and is much stronger than stock, and features a clear top cover for easy inspection of the delicate moving parts inside. Paired with the T-Rex throttle cable, the entire throttle has a much smoother actuation and greater durability. T-Rex also threw in a T-Rex Billet Top Triple Clamp and a cool 7075 Aluminum rear sprocket. The triple clamps are AMA stock class legal, prevent fork twisting that the stock clamps are prone to, and allow the forks to be moved down in the clamp for greater high-speed stability. The stock Gas Gas MC 65 handlebar is strange. It starts out as a 1 1/8″ oversized bar, then tapers down to 7/8″ before going down to microbar size at the throttle and grip side. The T-Rex clamp allowed us to use a set of Pro Taper SE bars that remain 7/8″ throughout for good vibration damping and a precise ride. Finally, we capped the bike off with the most visually stimulating add-on: a Bill’s Pipes Cone-Look Pipe and MX2 Silencer. Bill’s Pipes is highly regarded in the two-stroke arena, and its pipes are built to last and deliver notable performance gains!