MC-E 5

The verdict

The GasGas MC-E 5 earns a VoltRipper Score of 87/100 — the highest of the three bikes on this platform, and it earns that place for exactly one reason: it is the cheapest badge on hardware that is otherwise identical to its siblings.

That is the entire review in one line, and we would rather lead with it than bury it. The MC-E 5, the KTM SX-E 5 and the Husqvarna EE 5 are the same machine from the same factory, sold through three dealer networks at three prices. Our Score is class-relative and value-weighted, so when three bikes present identical power, identical chassis, and identical support, the cheapest one wins on the only axis left. At $5,449 the GasGas is $350 under the KTM and $400 under the Husqvarna for hardware you cannot tell apart with a spec sheet.

Who it's for — and who should skip it

Buy it if you want a dealer-supported, premium-quality youth motocross bike for a young racer, and you have no reason to prefer one of the three badges over another. This is the default choice on the platform.

Skip it if either of two things is true. If seat height is your binding constraint, the Husqvarna EE 5 drops lower than this bike does — 24.2 in unassisted against the GasGas's 24.9 in floor, and 21.6 in with the accessory lowering kit, which is the only published lowered figure among the three. On a youth bike, fit beats $400. And if your nearest dealer is a KTM store an hour away while the GasGas dealer is four hours away, buy the KTM: on a bike that will need warranty work, a chain, and eventually a battery, the dealer you can actually reach is worth more than the discount.

Also skip it if the price itself is the problem. This is roughly $5,900 delivered for a kids' bike. The Greenger CRF-E2 scores 83 at $1,799 and is a genuinely good youth MX bike for a third of the money. The MC-E 5 is better hardware; it is not three times better.

What you actually get

A real motocross motorcycle, scaled down and electrified.

The pack is a 48V, 21Ah, 907 Wh KTM PowerPack, swappable, charging to 80% in 45 minutes and 100% in 70 minutes. The motor is 2 kW rated at 3,200 rpm and 5 kW peak at 3,900 rpm — and for the 2027 model year it is water-cooled, which the group's own materials credit with extending running time by about 30% and holding power delivery consistent instead of fading as the bike heats up. That is the single most meaningful change to this platform in years, and it matters more than any badge question below.

The chassis is not cost-engineered: WP suspension with 205 mm of front travel and 193 mm at the rear, 160 mm hydraulic discs at both ends, 12-inch front and 10-inch rear wheels, a 1,028 mm wheelbase, and 259 mm (10.2 in) of ground clearance, all wrapped around a 40.5 kg (89 lb) machine. Six ride modes are selectable at the display between the steering head and the seat, and — the feature that actually matters to parents — the modes can be locked, so a child cannot promote themselves from beginner power to race power while you are not watching. A rollover sensor cuts power in a fall and a wrist lanyard key gives you a second kill path.

Seat height adjusts from 24.9 to 26.8 in (634–682 mm) by relocating the shock mount and dropping the forks through the clamps — two steps, no special parts, and it is what lets one bike follow a kid through a growth spurt. A Suspension Lowering Kit is offered as an accessory if you need to go under the 24.9 in floor, though GasGas publishes no resulting height for it.

What is not published: top speed, mileage range, and rear-wheel torque. GasGas quotes runtime as ride time per mode, and the 13.8 Nm figure in circulation is measured at the motor, not the rear wheel, so we leave `top_speed_mph`, `range_mi_claimed` and `torque_nm` null in our catalog rather than publish a guess. Any site quoting you a confident MC-E 5 top speed is inferring it.

Why the Score is 87

Our VoltRipper Score is fitness-for-purpose within a class, not an absolute ranking, so the MC-E 5 is measured against other youth bikes rather than against a Sur-Ron. It scores strongly on power for the class, chassis quality, and dealer-backed support, and it takes its only real hit on value — because $5,874 delivered is a great deal of money for a kids' bike in absolute terms, however good it is.

The one-point gap to its siblings (87 against 86) is entirely the price difference. It is not a judgement that GasGas builds a better bike than KTM; there is no mechanism by which it could be, because they are the same bike. Read the 87 as the Score doing its job: when hardware ties, cost decides.

The badge question, answered plainly

All three carry the same $425 freight charge, so the delivered gap between badges is exactly the MSRP gap. None of the three prices includes dealer setup or tax.

Buy the GasGas unless you have a specific reason not to. The two legitimate reasons are the ones above: a smaller rider who needs the Husqvarna's lower seat, or a much closer KTM dealer. "I prefer the orange one" is a fine reason too — it is your money and a $350 preference on a $5,900 purchase is not irrational — but you should make it knowing it buys you no hardware.

Buy the right generation

The 2027 bikes are water-cooled; earlier MC-E 5s were not. Because dealers sell remaining prior-year stock alongside current bikes, and because the model name did not change, it is entirely possible to pay near-current money for the older air-cooled bike. Before you buy, confirm the model year on the paperwork and ask the dealer directly whether the bike on the floor is the water-cooled version. This is the most expensive mistake available on this platform and it is invisible from the badge.

Safety and age

This is a competition-capable motorcycle sized for a child. Start in the lowest mode, use the mode lock, use the lanyard, and insist on a full safety-gear kit — helmet, goggles, gloves, boots, and body armor — on every single ride. Like every bike in our catalog it is not street-legal (why); ride it on private property, at OHV areas, or at sanctioned events.

How it compares

The Greenger is the honest value alternative and the comparison worth making before you spend $5,900: it is a competent youth MX bike at a third of the price. The KTM-group trio buys you WP suspension, water cooling, a mode-lock system, and a franchised dealer network — real things, at real cost.

Bottom line

The GasGas MC-E 5 is the one to buy on this platform. It is the same bike as the KTM SX-E 5 and Husqvarna EE 5 in every respect that a spec sheet can measure, and it is the cheapest of the three. Pay more only for a closer dealer or, if you are fitting a small rider, for the Husqvarna's lower seat. Confirm you are getting the water-cooled 2027 model and get an out-the-door price including freight and setup. Then compare it honestly against the Greenger CRF-E2, because this is a lot of money for a bike your child will outgrow. Our kids guide and the Find Your Ride configurator can help you size the decision.

Go deeper on the GasGas MC-E 5:

• 48V Electric Dirt Bikes

VoltRipper is spec-verified and data-driven. We do not claim hands-on testing of this bike. We earn nothing on this recommendation — the KTM-group brands sell through franchised dealers with no affiliate program, so telling you to buy the cheapest badge costs us nothing and earns us nothing. Specs and prices are cross-checked against the manufacturer's own 2027 model pages and re-verified regularly; where a figure is not published, we leave it blank rather than estimate. Prices exclude dealer setup and tax.