The GasGas brand, which was acquired by parent company KTM Pierer Mobility in 2020, has so far been known primarily for its own trials, motocross and enduro models. But soon after the complete purchase of the shares, CEO Stefan Perrier announced in an interview that he wanted to expand the Catalan brand to street models. It should mainly be located in the entry-level range from 125 to 390 cc. Now we’ve been able to capture early prototypes of the first independent Model on a test drive in Spain and Austria.

This appears to be a small travel Enduro based on the new single-cylinder engine, which will also hardly be used in any other form of Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, the next KTM 390 Duke and other group models.

However, what catches the eye the most is the concept of the model. For example, while the BMW G310 GS or its sister company KTM 390 Adventure is powerful but clearly on-road, GasGas are unabashedly suitable for off-road use, even if their drivers are likely to be used primarily on paved roads.

The GasGas 400 Adventure also has to be transported seriously on off-road terrain: This is aided by the 21-inch front wheel, which is rarely found in this class, deep-tread Metzeler tires, a US dollar fork, and an extremely powerful rear wheel swing arm.

The design, primitively recognizable on this early prototype, is likely to be a reminder of the motorcycle with which GasGas competes in the Dakar Rally. The larger Yamaha Ténéré 700 also follows a similar recipe Visually, GasGas translates this into a smaller class. The modern rally design implies, above all, a sharply raised front end with a fairly high windshield, which provides good wind protection for this class.

The GasGas 400 Adventure is likely to be the blueprint for the new GasGas design line, with other future models based on it. The seat appears to have been taken over from the ES 700 in both models and could give way to a more comfortable build by the time it’s ready for serial production.

Driving is provided by the new single-cylinder engine from the modular group system, which again has a displacement of just under 400 cc and should be very powerful for this class with more than 40 hp. This will also later be installed in the Husqvarna Norden 401, which, however, will offer a bit more travel comfort than GasGas, which is designed to suit off-road, in order to appeal to different customers.

At the moment, the GasGas name is as secret as the exact naming. ES 400 is a possible name. Depending on the development status of the prototype, it appears that the start of production within 2024 is feasible. At the same time, a small Supermoto and Enduro, which were also seen during a test drive, should be expected.

The only question is the place of production. Since the newly built GasGas plant near Barcelona is solely dedicated to producing demo machines, the 400 Series along with its sister models Husqvarna and KTM will likely roll off the assembly line at collaboration partner Bajaj in Pune, India. Not bad conditions for a cheap entry-level bike.