Rode a 17 KTM 300, my thoughts...

[Hans Schmid]

Actually I rode two. I've ridden one before around a parking lot at idle, but I had the chance of riding these two on stuff I ride everyday. Both bikes were virtually identical suspension and cassis setup, one owned by a Pro and the other by a top Expert. The Experts 300 had a Rekluse, Lectron carb and Scotts. The Pros had the stock clutch and with the stock Mikuni... Both ran same levers, same suspension settings (stock), slightly different bars, same springs and sag and same front tires with mousses, but different rears tires. For the most part they were the same and had no radical changes...

I think it was my expectations were set so high, that I was somewhat disappointed.

-The weight, the bikes didn't feel particularly light. Granted they felt lighter then compared to my 250FX, but while in motion not mind blowing light. While riding, they felt like almost every other 300 I've owned or ridden. They don't transfer side to side any better then the old 250FX either...

-Suspension was pretty dam good. One had a harsh midstroke but it also had 75hrs on the forks. The forks follow the ground awesome. Combined with a big 90/100 front and the bikes were so nice. They gripped amazingly well on the front end. With a revalved, I could have these forks equal to my Yamaha, maybe better because I could try different spring rates near instantly. The shock felt great, no better or worse then anything I've ridden.

-The frame felt so much more forgiving then the Yamaha. Seemed better on big sharp hits

-The bike feels raked out, long and low. My 250FX feels short and steep, which is probably why it doesn't feel any heavier in motion. I would expect the bikes to feel more stable too but I didn't feel that was the case

-The motors, the Lectron was the ticket... The Lectron made the motor so dam crispy. It was impossible to know, but believe me when I say it, there is NO vibration!!! I could believe how much my Yamaha vibrated until I jumped on it after the KTMs. And no, my Yamaha is not known to vibrate. Those 300s, if you had ear plugs in, you would never know it was running, it was that smooth.... The motors themselves felt a little doggish off idle, a product of me being on EFI makes it that way, not the bike, just technology. I couldn't stall the Pros bike. I could ride a gear high and never touched the clutch and never stall. When I did get the bikes going, the power was strong, more then I've been used to in years since owning the 450...

Fit, feel, finish? All KTM, all quality. Brakes, clutch, etc etc have all felt the same and the 17 is no different.

Would I buy one, no. I really had extremely high expectations that I didn't feel the 17 met...

Chayse's 3rd attempt at this hill (and this guy is Pro?). I went 2/2 on the 250FX and razzed him about it since then...

 

[JOSTEZ]

I jumped in headfirst with this bike. There was just so much hype around it. It seems like a really great bike but I just can't get the jetting straight. It runs so horribly. Can you find out if these guys have cut open their airbox to let it breathe? I'm getting ready to do that with my bike, in an attempt to get it to run well. Once I do that though, I'm definitely in the wilderness and terms of dealership support or anything else like that.

[KennyMc]

JDJetting kit works better than trying to get it to run with OEM needles and jets.

[JOSTEZ]

Thanks man, I'm considering the lectron or the JD kit. There are just so many opinions on what is or isn't going on with this bike it's unbelievable. My big question really is with the air box. I actually just saw a brand new video from Rocky Mountain ATV , and they showed a brand new tx300 with its air box completely drilled out and blown open, and slide/jetting mods. They said this is what they had learned from the new KTM 300 xc they have. I think it's a pretty bold thing for them to do, considering they're high visibility retail store, and the new sponsor of a KTM pro team as well.

[HondaH8r904]

Pro? Like over 40 pro?

[JOSTEZ]

Haha! Yeah, maybe if they're all on 300's. It's just rare to see a company not totally Towing the line like that especially with sponsorship and such. You know I got rid of my Honda for this bike!

[Hans Schmid]

I jumped in headfirst with this bike. There was just so much hype around it. It seems like a really great bike but I just can't get the jetting straight. It runs so horribly. Can you find out if these guys have cut open their airbox to let it breathe? I'm getting ready to do that with my bike, in an attempt to get it to run well. Once I do that though, I'm definitely in the wilderness and terms of dealership support or anything else like that.

No, one swapped to the Lectron right away after a couple rides, the other is swapping to the Lectron now after this ride...

[JOSTEZ]

Thank you

[Hans Schmid]

Pro? Like over 40 pro?

Well he won his Pro debut race right out of Expert this year. He was posting lap times faster then the Pros in most races. They wouldn't let him go Pro this year when he applied because he had never put in a full season. The guy is a beast...

[HondaH8r904]

Well he won his Pro debut race right out of Expert this year. He was posting lap times faster then the Pros in most races. They wouldn't let him go Pro this year when he applied because he had never put in a full season. The guy is a beast...

damn im sure the camera does zero justice for the hill

[Hans Schmid]

damn im sure the camera does zero justice for the hill

Lol, no...That was part of the Pro course a few years ago, lots of stuck motorcycles that day... Here is a rock earlier, same results... These guys are good too!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNDfySwju7t/

[HondaH8r904]

Lol, no...That was part of the Pro course a few years ago, lots of stuck motorcycles that day... Here is a rock earlier, same results... These guys are good too!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNDfySwju7t/

damn snow. I dont see that where i live. I might have to take the back roads to big bear sometime this season and see what its all about lol

[M A T R]

AER or Explor?

[ac717]

I came from an 05 rm250 and an rmz250 to the 17 250xc. The 17 250xc is much better for me than any of my previous bikes. Setting the 250xc has been simple. All I did was put a 36mm lectron on it and test/tweak the suspension and a heavier rear spring. I wasn't a fan of the prior generation ktm's. I liked the 08-10 ktm's. Everyone is different. I really dislike riding 4 strokes although the 17 ktm's have a lot more 4 stroke feel than any other 2 stroke I have ridden. My gripes are the horrible mikuni,the low hanging linkage and the bulbous expansion chamber. I also wish the peg mounts or manufactures made better adjustment for pets. I like how kawi has the adjustable peg mounts. I wish they still had the adjustable offset triples and bar mounts. Now-only adjustment for bar mount is rotating the mounts.

[wilspin]

Did you feel the rekluse a great advantage.

[Sycamore]

Actually I rode two. I've ridden one before around a parking lot at idle, but I had the chance of riding these two on stuff I ride everyday. Both bikes were virtually identical suspension and cassis setup, one owned by a Pro and the other by a top Expert. The Experts 300 had a Rekluse, Lectron carb and Scotts. The Pros had the stock clutch and with the stock Mikuni... Both ran same levers, same suspension settings (stock), slightly different bars, same springs and sag and same front tires with mousses, but different rears tires. For the most part they were the same and had no radical changes...

I think it was my expectations were set so high, that I was somewhat disappointed.

-The weight, the bikes didn't feel particularly light. Granted they felt lighter then compared to my 250FX, but while in motion not mind blowing light. While riding, they felt like almost every other 300 I've owned or ridden. They don't transfer side to side any better then the old 250FX either...

-Suspension was pretty dam good. One had a harsh midstroke but it also had 75hrs on the forks. The forks follow the ground awesome. Combined with a big 90/100 front and the bikes were so nice. They gripped amazingly well on the front end. With a revalved, I could have these forks equal to my Yamaha, maybe better because I could try different spring rates near instantly. The shock felt great, no better or worse then anything I've ridden.

-The frame felt so much more forgiving then the Yamaha. Seemed better on big sharp hits

-The bike feels raked out, long and low. My 250FX feels short and steep, which is probably why it doesn't feel any heavier in motion. I would expect the bikes to feel more stable too but I didn't feel that was the case

-The motors, the Lectron was the ticket... The Lectron made the motor so dam crispy. It was impossible to know, but believe me when I say it, there is NO vibration!!! I could believe how much my Yamaha vibrated until I jumped on it after the KTMs. And no, my Yamaha is not known to vibrate. Those 300s, if you had ear plugs in, you would never know it was running, it was that smooth.... The motors themselves felt a little doggish off idle, a product of me being on EFI makes it that way, not the bike, just technology. I couldn't stall the Pros bike. I could ride a gear high and never touched the clutch and never stall. When I did get the bikes going, the power was strong, more then I've been used to in years since owning the 450...

Fit, feel, finish? All KTM, all quality. Brakes, clutch, etc etc have all felt the same and the 17 is no different.

Would I buy one, no. I really had extremely high expectations that I didn't feel the 17 met...

Chayse's 3rd attempt at this hill (and this guy is Pro?). I went 2/2 on the 250FX and razzed him about it since then...

Nice write up.  Yeah, they hype is big and its no wonder with "game changer" being thrown around.  

 

For a KTM the suspension might a game changer but not up against a yammie for example.

 

For a two stroke, having a counter balancer is a "game changer" for the quality of the ride, but other bennys, not so sure.  BUT this is THE reason I will be on one next year or so when this year bugs are worked out.  Ignition wires rubbing on the flywheel, warped reed block, jetting woes, probably more we dont know yet.

 

Question.  Your pro bud and expert buds-- was their suspension modded?  All the guys (all A riders) around here I know have taken theirs to Stillwells after complaining about them.  They REALLY like them now.

[Hans Schmid]

Nice write up. Yeah, they hype is big and its no wonder with "game changer" being thrown around.

For a KTM the suspension might a game changer but not up against a yammie for example.

For a two stroke, having a counter balancer is a "game changer" for the quality of the ride, but other bennys, not so sure. BUT this is THE reason I will be on one next year or so when this year bugs are worked out. Ignition wires rubbing on the flywheel, warped reed block, jetting woes, probably more we dont know yet.

Question. Your pro bud and expert buds-- was their suspension modded? All the guys (all A riders) around here I know have taken theirs to Stillwells after complaining about them. They REALLY like them now.

All stock suspension valving

AER or Explor?

AER

[Hans Schmid]

Did you feel the rekluse a great advantage.

Yes and no. On a 4t I feel a Rekluse really helps. On a 2t, it was a 50/50 deal. That day it probably helped due to how slippery it was out...

[JOSTEZ]

Sounds like the guy rips. I'd be busting on him too if I'd made the climb!!

[Hans Schmid]

Sounds like the guy rips. I'd be busting on him too if I'd made the climb!!