GASGAS hits the road for first-time with street legal ES 700, SM 700

GASGAS has pulled wraps off the all-new ES 700 and SM 700, two street legal models that herald the firm’s first foray into the on-road market.

The off-road specialists have developed an enviable reputation for its Supermoto, Enduro and Trail motorcycles over the years but a shift in philosophy for the brand - a move spearheaded by owners Pierer Mobility (KTM) - sees it tearing up the Tarmac for the first time in its 37-year history.

Named ES 700 and SM 700, the new duo are spin-offs from the existing KTM 690 SMC R platform that also includes the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto/Enduro twins. To set them apart, the SM 700 and ES 700 are offered up in a striking ‘fire engine’ red livery with white decals.

Look beyond the paint job and the underpinnings are otherwise very familiar with the GASGAS ES 700 and SM 700 featuring KTM’s venerable big-bore single-cylinder 692cc engine. 

Kicking out 74bhp, GASGAS boasts ‘state of the art’ electronics for ‘precise throttle response on tap’ and a six-speed quickshift gearbox, plus a 13.5 litre fuel tank. They can also be tweaked for riders holding an A2 licence.

Of the two, it is the SM 700 that leans more towards daily street use with a more on-road biased 48mm WP suspension setting with fully-adjustable rear shock.

What can we expect from GASGAS in future?

While GASGAS wouldn’t necessarily be familiar with highway motorcyclists, the brand is greatly revered in off-road circles.

However, the ES 700 and SM 700 represent a tentative first step towards a bold new direction for the Spanish firm that is expected to lead to more road-going models down the line.

Bought out by Pierer in 2019, at the time the Austrian firm declared its intention to expand both GASGAS’ model range and global exposure. Its efforts with the latter has already proven a success with Sam Sunderland giving the firm a famous victory in the 2022 Dakar Rally, while the brand has received plenty of publicity via its own dedicated and successful Moto3 and Moto2 teams.

There is even talk that KTM is considering entering a third team in MotoGP under the GASGAS moniker in future.

Moreover, leaked documents from 2019 suggest KTM has big plans for GASGAS, including expanding the range with its own version of the KTM 390/890 Adventure that will be tuned to offer more ‘hardcore’ off-road ability than its Austrian cousins.