2018 KTM 300xcw Blingathon

[Sycamore]

My 2016 250w is set up PERFECTLY and I LOVE the friggin thing but it was only meant to be a stop gap until the 18's came out.  They're out and I have my deposit out as well.

Unfortunately about nothing transfers over, seat, fan, rekluse are the items off the bat.  I believe my fox shock will though.

First is the seat.  The 17/18's look horrid, feel the same.  I LOVE the Seat concepts on my 16 and would like to hear from those that have them or other seat that works well for them.

I hear there is a newer style rekluse, need to check into this one.  Also thinking of getting a Clake with it as well. ? 

Trailtech fan goes on.  This will likely be the first upgrade I put on..  

I have a TMD plastic skid on the 16.  Hate the thing, and going back to alum unless someone thinks there is a better plastic one out there.

Edited June 30, 2017 by Sycamore

[KTMfinrider]

3 hours ago, Sycamore said:

My 2016 250w is set up PERFECTLY and I LOVE the friggin thing but it was only meant to be a stop gap until the 18's came out.  They're out and I have my deposit out as well.

Unfortunately about nothing transfers over, seat, fan, rekluse are the items off the bat.  I believe my fox shock will though.

First is the seat.  The 17/18's look horrid, feel the same.  I LOVE the Seat concepts on my 16 and would like to hear from those that have them or other seat that works well for them.

I hear there is a newer style rekluse, need to check into this one.  Also thinking of getting a Clake with it as well.

Trailtech fan goes on.  This will likely be the first upgrade I put on.  

I have a TMD plastic skid on the 16.  Hate the thing, and going back to alum unless someone thinks there is a better plastic one out there.

I hope you go with efi.

^Oneday you have to face your worst nightmare, you have to confront the evil. 

Bring on fuel pumps, bring  on them inside fueltanks!

[npm]

 

4 hours ago, Sycamore said:

First is the seat.  The 17/18's look horrid, feel the same.  I LOVE the Seat concepts on my 16 and would like to hear from those that have them or other seat that works well for them.

I like the Seat Concepts low seat I have on my 17 TE150, of course after that "2x4 on edge covered with sandpaper" stock seat, anything is an improvement.

[Sycamore]

2 hours ago, KTMfinrider said:

I hope you go with efi.

^Oneday you have to face your worst nightmare, you have to confront the evil. 

Bring on fuel pumps, bring  on them inside fueltanks!

lol,  some day or more likely some year  ? 

[Sycamore]

2 hours ago, npm said:

 

I like the Seat Concepts low seat I have on my 17 TE150, of course after that "2x4 on edge covered with sandpaper" stock seat, anything is an improvement.

No kidding.  Especially the rear of the seat.  I'm routinely on it for more traction or a front wheel pop to change direction.  I think they lowered the pds so I could get away with a tall seat.

Edited June 29, 2017 by Sycamore

[boegey]

My 2016 250w is set up PERFECTLY and I LOVE the friggin thing but it was only meant to be a stop gap until the 18's came out.  They're out and I have my deposit out as well.
Unfortunately about nothing transfers over, seat, fan, rekluse are the items off the bat.  I believe my fox shock will though.
First is the seat.  The 17/18's look horrid, feel the same.  I LOVE the Seat concepts on my 16 and would like to hear from those that have them or other seat that works well for them.
I hear there is a newer style rekluse, need to check into this one.  Also thinking of getting a Clake with it as well.
Trailtech fan goes on.  This will likely be the first upgrade I put on.  
I have a TMD plastic skid on the 16.  Hate the thing, and going back to alum unless someone thinks there is a better plastic one out there.

So you are going with the carb'd 18 I was thinking about doing the same thing or try find a left over 17

[pat22043]

I have a Seat Concepts on my 17 300XCW, it much better than the KTM one. I've been told that the 18 is exactly like my 17, except for color of some plastic and the graphics. The 17 is an all new bike, very little from the prior bikes fit.

I've got EE bark busters, Bullet Proof rad guards, P3 pipe guard, fins and disk guard, Pro Billet footpegs and an FMF muffler to get a USFS approved sparker. Also a Midwest Engineering clutch lever.

 

[mattwhidden]

I just bought the new recluse. Going to try it out on Saturday

[Southernend]

They changed the jetting and put updated cases on the 18's besides the different graphics. Maybe it's just me but I don't mind the oem seat on my xcw. After I bought some padded bicycling shorts to wear under my riding pants lol.

[Sycamore]

15 hours ago, boegey said:

So you are going with the carb'd 18 I was thinking about doing the same thing or try find a left over 17

They fixed some stuff on the 18's that make it worth the extra 1k I'm paying, for ME.  You can get a 250w for 8300 OTD.  That one had me thinking hard but still doing an 18 and being REAL happy.

And yeah, carb all the way.  Everything I read about the FI so far is it really isnt much better (and the same performance-wise) then a carb, weighs more, more failure points, more stuff to replace maintenance-wise.  I like the simplicity of the 2s.  They allegedly fixed the carb, changed the angle, better mpg, wider latitude in temps and elevation.  We'll see.  haha.  In a few years down the road I will revisit the FI thing once they dial it better and have some REAL bennys over the disadvantages.

Plus there is no way to get an FI model in the states.  I think dealers get one a piece and those all have deposits on them. 

[Sycamore]

15 hours ago, pat22043 said:

I have a Seat Concepts on my 17 300XCW, it much better than the KTM one. I've been told that the 18 is exactly like my 17, except for color of some plastic and the graphics. The 17 is an all new bike, very little from the prior bikes fit.

I've got EE bark busters, Bullet Proof rad guards, P3 pipe guard, fins and disk guard, Pro Billet footpegs and an FMF muffler to get a USFS approved sparker. Also a Midwest Engineering clutch lever.

 

Good to know about the seat concepts.  did you go with a tall or did they just build up the standard height seat?

Yeah the 18 is pretty much the same but some refinements.  The biggy for ME is the kicker has been breaking so they put in the newer case on the later 17's and all the 18's have them. For most this isnt that big a deal since they use the estart exclusively. The carb has some changes along with and angle change that I recall helps with downhills.  Suspension has been tweaked on both ends and supposedly the clickers actually do something now.

[Sycamore]

15 hours ago, Southernend said:

They changed the jetting and put updated cases on the 18's besides the different graphics. Maybe it's just me but I don't mind the oem seat on my xcw. After I bought some padded bicycling shorts to wear under my riding pants lol.

lol, that's a smarter cheaper route!

[Sycamore]

15 hours ago, mattwhidden said:

I just bought the new recluse. Going to try it out on Saturday

Which one?  The latest and greatest?   I'm calling them today and find out what's so good about it.

[mattwhidden]

Which one?  The latest and greatest?   I'm calling them today and find out what's so good about it.

Radius X

[Sycamore]

4 minutes ago, mattwhidden said:

Radius X

sweet!  Post up a review once you get it dialed.  I HEAR they made the clutch lever feel totally normal now.  My core exp 3.0 is close but under high rpm I can feel a difference.  Very anxious to hear reviews on it.

[KTMfinrider]

Seriously speaken, you propablly want head from the sx for that bike. brings wider power imo. im sure new gen. motors still share most partsn engines between carbed enduros and mx bikes, am I right? 

[mattwhidden]

Seriously speaken, you propablly want head from the sx for that bike. brings wider power imo. im sure new gen. motors still share most partsn engines between carbed enduros and mx bikes, am I right? 

Mine is a 17 not an 18 but I will be putting a S3 Billet head on it this weekend.

[pat22043]

10 hours ago, Sycamore said:

Good to know about the seat concepts.  did you go with a tall or did they just build up the standard height seat?

 The biggy for ME is the kicker has been breaking so they put in the newer case on the later 17's and all the 18's have them. For most this isnt that big a deal since they use the estart exclusively. 

I went with the "standard" height. My 300 is tall enough already. First time in the morning, I can't get my leg over it. After I ride a bit, I limber up and can throw a leg over. Still, if the bike is uphill from where I'm standing, I can't get on it.

I use eStart exclusively in warm weather. When the temps are down near freezing, the eStart will not start the bike from cold. Once the bike is running, even in cold weather it will restart it fine.

[Sycamore]

10 hours ago, Sycamore said:

sweet!  Post up a review once you get it dialed.  I HEAR they made the clutch lever feel totally normal now.  My core exp 3.0 is close but under high rpm I can feel a difference.  Very anxious to hear reviews on it.

I just got off the phone with Rekluse and asked about the new CX, 

The clutch lever feel is the same as the CORE 3.0 EXP which is pretty good already.  Feels normal normally but at high rpm there is a subtle difference.  What is different is the clutch pack and steels.  There are more of them.  Basically its the same set up as the Rekluse manual but now in a auto.  Hook up is extreme vs the already damn good conventional 3.0 EXP CORE.

So what does this mean.  To get the kind of hook up I want I use a 300 bellville with the CORE EXP 3.0 and the clutch lever pull is harder as a result.  With this new setup it wont need the 300 bellville and the pull will be stock which = butter.

So it sounds great but with a 999 price tag.   ouch!

[Sycamore]

Got the bike a week ago and got all or most of my bling.  My break in ride is tomorrow with mostly forest roads up in elevation.  It's duel/cruel sport season and a quick jaunt around the hood tells me I made the right choice.  That counter balanced motor is unreal sweet.  Cranked it up to just above 50 and just wow, I could do more on this and still not be buzzing like I've riding a dentist drill.  There is no need at all for a 4s now with this bike available, at least for what I'm doing.

I also found what many complain about, the off idle roughness.  I'll check out the jetting forum to see what the fix is.  I think many are saying JD kit.  

My fox shock fits and SEEMS ok, more to follow.

Seat concepts tall soft needs to be broke in a bit but still MANY times better then the stocker, it ought to be for the price 275.  Speaking of seat the two bolt affair kinda sucks.  So far I've probably dropped them once every time I've had to install the seat.

Stock carbon fiber pipe guard- normally I take the stock pipe off so I can sell it later with the bike but keeping this one.  The Gnarly takes a different guard so beware if you plan going that route.  My theory is it's a 300 and already has major low end so no need for the gnarly.

I went with the extreme AXO skid.  The 18 comes with bolt holes in the frame for a remarkably easy install.  Nothing more stout and easy on the market as far as I know.  They sent me orange by mistake and I hated it but once on the bike I kind of like it.

Went with my standard tubine core 2.1 and nothing special other then WAY shorter then the stock one and same quietness I expected.

I put on after market radiator scoops since I put on a tank bag and it tends to scar up the scoops but it makes the bike look ugly as hell.  Also the new scoops are weirdly long and tuff to get used to.

Nice big spot to stash stuff in the air box which is great for Crueling.  Also looking at putting something where the oil injection tank goes.  

That's all I can think of for now.  Working on this bike shows they put some thought in how things are put together.  Very easy to work on except for the two seat bolts.