Considering the 150 xc-w

[Black-swan]

Hi guys,

I've had a beta 300rr since November last year. I really like the bike but find it a tad heavy, I can pick the bike up on the flat but struggle in technical terrain. I'm thinking about getting a lighter, easier to manage bike. I am currently thinking about either a beta x trainer or 18 ktm 150 xc-w. 

I've had a chance to ride a 150 a few months ago, and came away impressed. I've got friends with both bikes I can ask to have a ride on. i just want to ask a few long term owners their opinions on the bike.

I'd like to be able to take my enduro bike through the same type of terrain i take my trials bike, I can do it on the 300rr, but find it hard work. I enjoy riding single track around 20mph, not too fussed on going flat out everywhere or going at warp speed. I would mostly be using the bike on trail rides, down the fields and the occasional local enduro.

I'm 70kg, 5 foot 7.

How often do you need to change the top end? Has anyone gone from a 300 to a 150? Enough power? What are ktms like for reliability, as I haven't had one before? Is it all top end power or does she have some power low to mid? Do you have to rag it everywhere to get anywhere?

Thanks in advance ?

[wwillf01]

Funny enough I have had a 13 300xcw, xtrainer, and now we have a 15 ktm150sx and a 14 Yamaha 144..

 

At times on super gnarly terrain i miss the grunt but I am almost 200 pounds.. as far as fun factor the 150s are awesome... I mean crazy fun... As far as an xtrainer I would not touch one with a 10 foot pole... The suspension ruins the whole bike.. I do top ends every 50 hours or so but I ride high in the rpms... The only downfall on the ones I have is top speed but that should be fixed on the xcw... As far as reliability my beta was horrible.... Not the norm I hear bit it is what it is... All the KTM I have had are rock solid changing some seals and gaskets every 120 hours or so... For your weight it should have enough grunt but you can not be lazy on the bikes... You have to be precise on gear changes and clutching ... But for me that is part of the fun.. downhills are way more enjoyable...

 

Down low the KTM had g more than the Yamaha... But the Yamaha will sing for ever... For a smaller person though I find the KTM is a much better fit frame wise...

 

 

 

 

 

[Black-swan]

3 hours ago, wwillf01 said:

Funny enough I have had a 13 300xcw, xtrainer, and now we have a 15 ktm150sx and a 14 Yamaha 144..

 

At times on super gnarly terrain i miss the grunt but I am almost 200 pounds.. as far as fun factor the 150s are awesome... I mean crazy fun... As far as an xtrainer I would not touch one with a 10 foot pole... The suspension ruins the whole bike.. I do top ends every 50 hours or so but I ride high in the rpms... The only downfall on the ones I have is top speed but that should be fixed on the xcw... As far as reliability my beta was horrible.... Not the norm I hear bit it is what it is... All the KTM I have had are rock solid changing some seals and gaskets every 120 hours or so... For your weight it should have enough grunt but you can not be lazy on the bikes... You have to be precise on gear changes and clutching ... But for me that is part of the fun.. downhills are way more enjoyable...

 

Down low the KTM had g more than the Yamaha... But the Yamaha will sing for ever... For a smaller person though I find the KTM is a much better fit frame wise...

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I know what you mean, the brief go I had on the 150 made me realise I couldn't lug it in 3rd gear like the beta. I really like the engine on the 300rr, but there is sharp power everywhere in comparison to the smaller bike. With road bikes I always enjoyed ragging my  xr125 and cbf500 more than being reserved with the fire blade I later bought. 

The KTM is £1000 more than the beta, which is something to consider. Can it do slow technical riding as well as fast, flowing single track?

[wwillf01]

I can do everything ... If it gets super gnarly and tech... No mistakes can be made normally ... The engine can't bail you out... That being said... It has not restricted me on what I can do unless there are long deep sand climbs .... But again I am 209 pounds

[Ernie Allen]

My last 3 bikes were a 520 4t, 250 2t, and 350 4t. Now riding the 150 XC-W. I find it much easier to ride 1st gear super technical rock gardens on the 150 than any of my previous bikes. It's also significantly easier than my son's '13 150 XC. Once you get the jetting dialed it has a fantastic buttery smooth low end that refuses to stall unless I just ride like a total goober.. that has been know to happen from time to time :-). And if you do stall, the magic button comes to the rescue! I didn't want electric start, but now I'm so glad I have it. Comes in very handy in tough spots out in the mountains. Clutch pull is light, bike feels super light and balanced with great ergos (I'm 5'9.5"), and the power hooks up beautifully with minimal wheelspin. I am using Tubliss and a Vee  Rubber Tackee tire with 7 psi, so that helps as well. In the mountains we ride a section of trail we call the waterfall. Call it that because when it rains it essentially becomes a gnarly 100 yard long downhill creek bed that channels run-off from the mountain sides. Very technical rocky climb (we go up not down) with a devious combination of large boulders, loose rocks, and even a few nasty tree roots thrown in for good measure. I've ridden the 150 through it twice so far and have been very impressed. It's no trials bike of course, but it does amazingly well for a bike that can then turn around and absolutely rip through fast rough trails. Overall I'm just amazed at how versatile the whole package is for a small bore 2t. But everybody is different, so I'd hate to steer you towards a 150 if you'd be happier on the X, you know? Any possibility you could ride your buddy's 150 for an extended period of time (hour or more!) on mixed terrain to get a better feel for it?

Edited May 26, 2017 by Ernie Allen

[Black-swan]

20 hours ago, wwillf01 said:

I can do everything ... If it gets super gnarly and tech... No mistakes can be made normally ... The engine can't bail you out... That being said... It has not restricted me on what I can do unless there are long deep sand climbs .... But again I am 209 pounds

We are a bit short on sand over here, where I live the terrain is mainly tight, muddy or rocky or a combination of both, add to that some roots, steep climbs and descents, and sometimes some faster flowing single track. I can't really see it being underpowered in this terrain.

1 hour ago, Ernie Allen said:

My last 3 bikes were a 520 4t, 250 2t, and 350 4t. Now riding the 150 XC-W. I find it much easier to ride 1st gear super technical rock gardens on the 150 than any of my previous bikes. It's also significantly easier than my son's '13 150 XC. Once you get the jetting dialed it has a fantastic buttery smooth low end that refuses to stall unless I just ride like a total goober.. that has been know to happen from time to time :-). And if you do stall, the magic button comes to the rescue! I didn't want electric start, but now I'm so glad I have it. Comes in very handy in tough spots out in the mountains. Clutch pull is light, bike feels super light and balanced with great ergos (I'm 5'9.5"), and the power hooks up beautifully with minimal wheelspin. I am using Tubliss and a Vee  Rubber Tackee tire with 7 psi, so that helps as well. In the mountains we ride a section of trail we call the waterfall. Call it that because when it rains it essentially becomes a gnarly 100 yard long downhill creek bed that channels run-off from the mountain sides. Very technical rocky climb (we go up not down) with a devious combination of large boulders, loose rocks, and even a few nasty tree roots thrown in for good measure. I've ridden the 150 through it twice so far and have been very impressed. It's no trials bike of course, but it does amazingly well for a bike that can then turn around and absolutely rip through fast rough trails. Overall I'm just amazed at how versatile the whole package is for a small bore 2t. But everybody is different, so I'd hate to steer you towards a 150 if you'd be happier on the X, you know? Any possibility you could ride your buddy's 150 for an extended period of time (hour or more!) on mixed terrain to get a better feel for it?

Hey Ernie, I'm really enjoying reading your thread, its the most info I can find on the 150 around, so thanks for posting. I've been riding trials for three years, I've had a 200 beta, a 4rt 250 4t and my latest bike is a 13 gasgas txt 125. The 125 is the best one out of the three for me, I can use all the power of the 125, whereas a 250/ 300 trials bike can really catch you out and are more tiring to ride. I hope the same is true of dirt bikes. I've had my 300 for about 6 months, 40 hours or so, and I think it is a bit overkill for my size and experience level. I imagine the suspension on the KTM is good both fast and slow, but the jetting may need work. It is £1000 more than the x though. The x would probably have the edge in slow technical terrain, but I haven't ridden one yet. The 300rr is a good bike, but she is heavy to me, and I find I'm riding a gear high most of the time and using the bottom end. Maybe a smaller bike would be more fun, that has been true for me with trials and road bikes. My local dealer will know in June when he will get the 2018s in, so we will have to see ? Yeah I will have to ask my friend for another go..

[wwillf01]

What is the avg top stopped on the 150xcw?

[Ernie Allen]

Hey Ernie, I'm really enjoying reading your thread, its the most info I can find on the 150 around, so thanks for posting. I've been riding trials for three years, I've had a 200 beta, a 4rt 250 4t and my latest bike is a 13 gasgas txt 125. The 125 is the best one out of the three for me, I can use all the power of the 125, whereas a 250/ 300 trials bike can really catch you out and are more tiring to ride. I hope the same is true of dirt bikes. I've had my 300 for about 6 months, 40 hours or so, and I think it is a bit overkill for my size and experience level. I imagine the suspension on the KTM is good both fast and slow, but the jetting may need work. It is £1000 more than the x though. The x would probably have the edge in slow technical terrain, but I haven't ridden one yet. The 300rr is a good bike, but she is heavy to me, and I find I'm riding a gear high most of the time and using the bottom end. Maybe a smaller bike would be more fun, that has been true for me with trials and road bikes. My local dealer will know in June when he will get the 2018s in, so we will have to see ? Yeah I will have to ask my friend for another go..

Glad to help Swan! Don't know how you feel about Sherco or if they're available to you, but the new for '18 175 2t sounds very interesting. And with their trials expertise it may be well suited to the type of riding you do.

[Black-swan]

4 minutes ago, Ernie Allen said:

Glad to help Swan! Don't know how you feel about Sherco or if they're available to you, but the new for '18 175 2t sounds very interesting. And with their trials expertise it may be well suited to the type of riding you do.

Sherco have released info on the 2018s? Shercos are tall, no option of a kicker, and have about 3 cdi units. I've got a friend who is a mechanic, bought a 2014 300 for £2000 non runner, couldnt get the bike to run, electrical problems and no way of kicking the bike over. Has since cut and welded the frame to get a yz250 engine in there. Its an interesting thought, but I have been rather put off them for these reasons. A 175 does sound sweet though

[Ernie Allen]

Sherco have released info on the 2018s? Shercos are tall, no option of a kicker, and have about 3 cdi units. I've got a friend who is a mechanic, bought a 2014 300 for £2000 non runner, couldnt get the bike to run, electrical problems and no way of kicking the bike over. Has since cut and welded the frame to get a yz250 engine in there. Its an interesting thought, but I have been rather put off them for these reasons. A 175 does sound sweet though

And I don't blame you a bit after hearing that! Yeah, I have no experience with them myself, but my KTM dealer says the 175 is in works and fully expects it to be released for '18. Thinking it may be a 150 killer if it's design and build quality is good. However, a buddy of mine asked the Sherco importer and here's the reply, so maybe not this year:

[Ernie Allen]

Oops! Looks like I may have messed up that attachment. On my phone and its giving me fits, not navigating the various TT screens very well.

[Hulley]

I only have a couple rides on my 17' 150xcw but I love it, it's fast, light and goes slow very well. I was able to lug it up some pretty good climbs in 2nd and 3rd gear. I let a couple very experienced guys take it for a spin and they were gone about 20-25 minutes! One guy came back and the look on his face said it all, "this bike is amazing!" Both guys loved it and these ares guys that ride Trials and one had a 350xcw. You could see the gears in his head moving on how he's gonna get one! ? 

[Black-swan]

4 hours ago, Hulley said:

I only have a couple rides on my 17' 150xcw but I love it, it's fast, light and goes slow very well. I was able to lug it up some pretty good climbs in 2nd and 3rd gear. I let a couple very experienced guys take it for a spin and they were gone about 20-25 minutes! One guy came back and the look on his face said it all, "this bike is amazing!" Both guys loved it and these ares guys that ride Trials and one had a 350xcw. You could see the gears in his head moving on how he's gonna get one! ? 

I've been out on my 125 trials bike today down the fields and in the valley where we practice. It rained overnight and conditions are a bit slick. I can shift as quick on my 125 as my 300rr, and its more fun. I can give it plenty of throttle, so light and quick turning, its been a lot of fun. Maybe a 150 would be a good fit, if its a quick turning bike and its not too crazy when you rev it out. After mucking round on the trials bike I realise how reserved I've been on the 300. 

[Hulley]

1 hour ago, Black-swan said:

I've been out on my 125 trials bike today down the fields and in the valley where we practice. It rained overnight and conditions are a bit slick. I can shift as quick on my 125 as my 300rr, and its more fun. I can give it plenty of throttle, so light and quick turning, its been a lot of fun. Maybe a 150 would be a good fit, if its a quick turning bike and its not too crazy when you rev it out. After mucking round on the trials bike I realise how reserved I've been on the 300. 

I'm planning on getting a Trials bike and am leaning towards a 125 myself. It's nice know the bike doesn't have so much power that it'll get away from you but has the power to do what you need it to do. Sometimes I still want a 250/300 but that's only because I want several bikes and I would set it up differently than my 150.....Trials bike will be nest though.