Who has a new 500 EXC and is it as good as they say?

[vidarapido]

The reviews are good. Does anyone have any impressions, problems yet?

[Mikek671]

For a street legal dual sport it is that good and better! I have about 15 hours and close to 400 miles on mine with zero issues, you can do a search on here and read the posts about modifications depending on where you plan on riding it. Dirtrider just gave the 350/500 bike of the year and the test rider comments all praised how well rounded the package is for something with a plate.

They are expensive - but worth it IMO.

[vidarapido]

For a street legal dual sport it is that good and better! I have about 15 hours and close to 400 miles on mine with zero issues, you can do a search on here and read the posts about modifications depending on where you plan on riding it. Dirtrider just gave the 350/500 bike of the year and the test rider comments all praised how well rounded the package is for something with a plate.

They are expensive - but worth it IMO.

Way Cool! Thanks for your response. Magazines are biased and I value actual owner's input more. Yes they're expensive but isn't everything that good?

Please keep us updated on how it performs and what updates / issues you may have done to it or have with it.

Enjoy!

S.

[MrShred]

Yes it is as good as they say, but I needed to have my California bike desmogged & fuel injection remapped to make it run as advertised and hyped by some magazines. Backfiring under decel was obnoxious until I plugged air intake, after bike was dropped engine would flood and die at idle due to fuel in cannister, it had random flameouts at idle due to lean mixture.

After remapping FI and removing/disabling vapor recovery and exhaust air injection systems, it is simply an awesome bike. It is very easy to ride, and deceptively fast because of the smooth power. It will lug down very low and pull hard and very smoothly despite low flywheel effect. This is REALLY nice in technical terrain and climbs, and slippery conditions I thought it was slower than my Honda 450X until I rode both back to back, now the Honda feels slow and a bit crude. Since desmog I have had NO stalling, flameouts, or other powerplant issues. I am sure that there is more power available with simple mods but I like the fact that it is so easy to ride and doesn't beat me up.

Suspension is undersprung for my considerable heft (220) but works superbly in technical conditions and very well overall dead stock. I will respring for my weight and leave damping alone for now as I live for tight woods. Steering is very light and accurate, it seems like magic to me. Overall handling and feel just feels right to this old guy. All around, the bike is very refined, forgiving, and smooth; it feels like it will do me no wrong and just might save my a** on occasion.

I've replaced the stock blinkers, taillight and fender dropdown with Sicass products as my goal is to have a woods racer with a plate, not a dualsport oriented bike. It will do both without breaking a sweat though as with recommended 14-48 gearing it works great in the trees (superb clutch), cruises comfortably at 70, and is still pulling HARD at 85 on the street. I don't want to go any faster on knobbies!

The KTM guys seem offended when I call it "Hondalike" since it seems so refined and has no detectible rough edges, once desmogged. It's a keeper for me. Did I say it is SMOOTH?

[TM530]

Yeah Baby

They are good. I have 67 hours, 2375km for an average of 35kmh so I like the tighter stuff, on mine now and the only problem I have had is the fuel filter at around 55hrs. Pulled it out & now have the new 20micron one to put back in. I came from my 08 530exc ( with 300hrs ) and it is a large step forward from that.

I am running 13/50 gearing and its a bit low I have taken of in high gears & then thought gee I wonder what gear that was, it was 6th. Will maybe goto a 14/52. I have a FMF Q Muffler, JD 6x Tuner, Tall seat ( Genuine are cheap at the moment ), re-valved/sprung suspension for my fat a@%*$&

Pete

[vidarapido]

Yeah Baby

They are good. I have 67 hours, 2375km for an average of 35kmh so I like the tighter stuff, on mine now and the only problem I have had is the fuel filter at around 55hrs. Pulled it out & now have the new 20micron one to put back in. I came from my 08 530exc ( with 300hrs ) and it is a large step forward from that.

I am running 13/50 gearing and its a bit low I have taken of in high gears & then thought gee I wonder what gear that was, it was 6th. Will maybe goto a 14/52. I have a FMF Q Muffler, JD 6x Tuner, Tall seat ( Genuine are cheap at the moment ), re-valved/sprung suspension for my fat a@%*$&

Pete

Thanks for the input! I'm going to get the xcw as I never really liked riding my exc on the road for any distance. It's the same bike minus the emissions and street stuff. I rode my 2007 stock except for clamps, bars and a damper. The stock suspension is good for me. I hope the new one is as good. Now I ride a 2007 xcw stock except for the aforemention mods and wouldn't get off of it except for the new one. Please keep us updated on your impressions, mods, etc. Enjoy! Edited April 28, 2012 by vidarapido

[vidarapido]

Yes it is as good as they say, but I needed to have my California bike desmogged & fuel injection remapped to make it run as advertised and hyped by some magazines. Backfiring under decel was obnoxious until I plugged air intake, after bike was dropped engine would flood and die at idle due to fuel in cannister, it had random flameouts at idle due to lean mixture.

After remapping FI and removing/disabling vapor recovery and exhaust air injection systems, it is simply an awesome bike. It is very easy to ride, and deceptively fast because of the smooth power. It will lug down very low and pull hard and very smoothly despite low flywheel effect. This is REALLY nice in technical terrain and climbs, and slippery conditions I thought it was slower than my Honda 450X until I rode both back to back, now the Honda feels slow and a bit crude. Since desmog I have had NO stalling, flameouts, or other powerplant issues. I am sure that there is more power available with simple mods but I like the fact that it is so easy to ride and doesn't beat me up.

Suspension is undersprung for my considerable heft (220) but works superbly in technical conditions and very well overall dead stock. I will respring for my weight and leave damping alone for now as I live for tight woods. Steering is very light and accurate, it seems like magic to me. Overall handling and feel just feels right to this old guy. All around, the bike is very refined, forgiving, and smooth; it feels like it will do me no wrong and just might save my a** on occasion.

I've replaced the stock blinkers, taillight and fender dropdown with Sicass products as my goal is to have a woods racer with a plate, not a dualsport oriented bike. It will do both without breaking a sweat though as with recommended 14-48 gearing it works great in the trees (superb clutch), cruises comfortably at 70, and is still pulling HARD at 85 on the street. I don't want to go any faster on knobbies!

The KTM guys seem offended when I call it "Hondalike" since it seems so refined and has no detectible rough edges, once desmogged. It's a keeper for me. Did I say it is SMOOTH?

Thanks for your input! Wow, you did a lot of mods to it! I lunched the the plate holder on mine and went to the smaller inner fender. I'm going to get the xcw as I never liked riding mine on the road for any distance. I rode mine stock except for bars, clamps and damper. I didn't need any suspension work other than setup and I'm glad to hear the new one is in the ballpark.. I hope the xcw doesn't have all the emissions crap and doesn't require all of the delimiting stuff. I'll modify the power when I can hold it wide open everywhere and run out of power which I don't think is going to happen in my lifetime. That freaking catch can caused my 2007 to hydraulic when I dropped it the first time. I had to pull the plug and change the oil afterwards. That was the first thing that I took off. Saying "hondalike" defines your point of reference which is a impression of the past. Honda's are a confused one bike for the masses mistake these days. After riding the KTM for this long, I don't like riding any bike from Japan anymore or with pull rod linkage. Funny how I can go 180 from what I and you thought was good. It is good that there is a paradigm shift going on and that the KTM is as good as it is stock and leading the way. Please keep us updated on your impressions, mods, etc.

Enjoy!

Edited April 28, 2012 by vidarapido

[FORMA MOTO]

Thanks for the input! I'm going to get the xcw as I never really liked riding my exc on the road for any distance. It's the same bike minus the emissions and street stuff. I rode my 2007 stock except for clamps, bars and a damper. The stock suspension is good for me. I hope the new one is as good. Now I ride a 2007 xcw stock except for the aforemention mods and wouldn't get off of it except for the new one. Please keep us updated on your impressions, mods, etc. Enjoy!

I bought the 500 XC-W, coming off a full-dez prepped KX450. No where near as fast, or as thrashable, but way, way easier to ride.

Power is very revy, even for a 500. There is NOTHING on the bottom in the way of HP or torque. It runs extremely clean at all rpms, and will short shift just fine, but it just won't accelerate if you do. You ride it like a 250 MX bike that has a perfectly flat powerband.

[vidarapido]

I bought the 500 XC-W, coming off a full-dez prepped KX450. No where near as fast, or as thrashable, but way, way easier to ride.

Power is very revy, even for a 500. There is NOTHING on the bottom in the way of HP or torque. It runs extremely clean at all rpms, and will short shift just fine, but it just won't accelerate if you do. You ride it like a 250 MX bike that has a perfectly flat powerband.

Wow! You're the first one that has said it lacks power. I'll have to get a ride on one before I buy it now..... Thanks for your input!

S.

[Ud_Luz]

Wow! You're the first one that has said it lacks power. I'll have to get a ride on one before I buy it now..... Thanks for your input!

S.

I don't understand this either. Mine is a monster on the bottom end, much more so than the old 525 I had or the 530. It's actually been a bit of an issue for Rekluse unlike the earlier bikes due to the low end torque. Mine is an instant wheelie machine right off idle and it's an exc, not the xcw. Heck, I weigh 210 without gear and 4th gear roll on wheelies are easy. Any more power and I'd have a problem.

[FORMA MOTO]

Wow! You're the first one that has said it lacks power. I'll have to get a ride on one before I buy it now..... Thanks for your input!

S.

It is not slow, it is just not torquey.

My WR450's ('03, '06, '07) are the bench mark for smooth off-idle power.

Next is the CRF450X, then the XR650R (but it's not smooth or linear).

I don't expect this low-moving-mass motor to feel like a grunt-master.

I just know there is more in there waiting to be found, and I will find it.

[FORMA MOTO]

I don't understand this either. Mine is a monster on the bottom end, much more so than the old 525 I had or the 530. It's actually been a bit of an issue for Rekluse unlike the earlier bikes due to the low end torque. Mine is an instant wheelie machine right off idle and it's an exc, not the xcw. Heck, I weigh 210 without gear and 4th gear roll on wheelies are easy. Any more power and I'd have a problem.

Yeah, there's no way, in the dirt, I can do that.

[Ud_Luz]

Yeah, there's no way, in the dirt, I can do that.

I can't either in the dirt. Of course nobody wants to be behind the 500 either in the dirt. Something about flying boulders and such.

[FORMA MOTO]

I can't either in the dirt. Of course nobody wants to be behind the 500 either in the dirt. Something about flying boulders and such.

'

Yeah, but seriously, it is just not there. I had to wring the crap out of it to get it to keep up.

It does NOT spin the tire until you are way up there in RPMs.

[Ud_Luz]

'

Yeah, but seriously, it is just not there. I had to wring the crap out of it to get it to keep up.

It does NOT spin the tire until you are way up there in RPMs.

I would take your bike in to the dealer and have them check it. I'm being very straight forward when I say this isn't normal. The 500 is a torque monster immediately off idle and will spin the tire in any gear off road, even stock. Like I mentioned, it's been a problem with some riders with an autoclutch because it slips.

It's entirely possible the timing is retarded for some reason, the ECU may have a fault or the TPS might not be adjusted correctly. I don't think it's a fueling issue since you've not mentioned any backfiring or overheating. Usually if one of the filters is plugged the bike tends to starve at higher RPMs. Maybe the best way to tell is try to get a ride on another bike so you have a baseline to compare to. Even the 450 can easily spin the tire in upper gears in the dirt. The xcw will push around 53 hp after the JD is properly set up. It's a touch weak without, maybe 47 or so. Careful tweaking of the ecu and a map plug can yield 57 or more horsepower, fairly substantial for a 510cc bike that's designed for enduro use.

For the first time ever I put the G2 throttle cam on a bike due to a real fear of whiskey throttle and looping the stupid thing by accident.

Check your TPS and if it's correct have the dealer look over the bike. It doesn't sound right to me.

[vidarapido]

It is not slow, it is just not torquey.

My WR450's ('03, '06, '07) are the bench mark for smooth off-idle power.

Next is the CRF450X, then the XR650R (but it's not smooth or linear).

I don't expect this low-moving-mass motor to feel like a grunt-master.

I just know there is more in there waiting to be found, and I will find it.

I've spent alot of time on the xr650 and it is a torque monger but has a lot of mass to accelerate. If it were 20 lbs lighter and sold in a street legal form, especially a super moto version, it would be the only jap bike I would consider and honda would have waiting lists for them. I had an lc4 and it made my hands and feet go numb on the street even with rubber in the pegs and bar mounts.

[MrBlahh]

I came from my 08 530exc ( with 300hrs ) and it is a large step forward from that.

specifically what do you notice that's different? I have an 08 450, the 500 felt lighter to me

[FORMA MOTO]

I would take your bike in to the dealer and have them check it. I'm being very straight forward when I say this isn't normal. The 500 is a torque monster immediately off idle and will spin the tire in any gear off road, even stock. Like I mentioned, it's been a problem with some riders with an autoclutch because it slips.

It's entirely possible the timing is retarded for some reason, the ECU may have a fault or the TPS might not be adjusted correctly. I don't think it's a fueling issue since you've not mentioned any backfiring or overheating. Usually if one of the filters is plugged the bike tends to starve at higher RPMs. Maybe the best way to tell is try to get a ride on another bike so you have a baseline to compare to. Even the 450 can easily spin the tire in upper gears in the dirt. The xcw will push around 53 hp after the JD is properly set up. It's a touch weak without, maybe 47 or so. Careful tweaking of the ecu and a map plug can yield 57 or more horsepower, fairly substantial for a 510cc bike that's designed for enduro use.

For the first time ever I put the G2 throttle cam on a bike due to a real fear of whiskey throttle and looping the stupid thing by accident.

Check your TPS and if it's correct have the dealer look over the bike. It doesn't sound right to me.

Well, I've never taken my bikes to a dealer without terrible consequences. Granted, that was a while back, but .....

I imagine TO Powersports KTM dealer has their sh*t together a bit more than the average 'mega' dealer.

When the suspension comes back, and the JD tuner gets applied, I will report back.

[Mikek671]

Krannie, the bike is NEVER going to have response like the KX450 or any full blown MX bike for that matter - my 12 Kawi motor still impresses me with 45+ hours of MX riding on it. They are much harder hitting and considering the application they have to be, what the KTM does is put out plenty of power and get it to the ground for offroad work. My EXC in harescramble type woods riding is a rocket, it builds power so smoothly and quickly it is hard to realize your actual speed until you need to slow down. Obviously running sand washes is going to impact your impression of the bike and you are correct about top end/overrev work on the KTM - it does not rev as far as any of the big MX bikes. Instead of spending tons of money on performance mods straight away perhaps tweaking your riding style a bit for the KTM might be a better answer, shift a bit sooner and allow the monster midrange to pull the bike along. For me the smoother power is a big plus, the KTM is so much easier to ride when conditions are bad or my body is fatigued.

Either way let us know what mods you settle on and how they turn out, I am sure there are other members that want substantially more HP - personally I am not one of them.

[FORMA MOTO]

Krannie, the bike is NEVER going to have response like the KX450 or any full blown MX bike for that matter - my 12 Kawi motor still impresses me with 45+ hours of MX riding on it. They are much harder hitting and considering the application they have to be, what the KTM does is put out plenty of power and get it to the ground for offroad work. My EXC in harescramble type woods riding is a rocket, it builds power so smoothly and quickly it is hard to realize your actual speed until you need to slow down. Obviously running sand washes is going to impact your impression of the bike and you are correct about top end/overrev work on the KTM - it does not rev as far as any of the big MX bikes. Instead of spending tons of money on performance mods straight away perhaps tweaking your riding style a bit for the KTM might be a better answer, shift a bit sooner and allow the monster midrange to pull the bike along. For me the smoother power is a big plus, the KTM is so much easier to ride when conditions are bad or my body is fatigued.

Either way let us know what mods you settle on and how they turn out, I am sure there are other members that want substantially more HP - personally I am not one of them.

I agree with everything you said. I miss my KX, but it was beating me up too much.

The XC-W is a creampuff to ride, and is just enough power.

I tried several riding styles at Gorman, while traveling the main road through the middle of the park, which is mostly flat, sandy, and rocky. It's wide open enough to allow you to go WOT for at least a few minutes at a time.

It's possible I bought the wrong bike (SXF-450?) but that's OK. I will tweak the crap out of it, like I do every bike I own, to get it to be 'amazing'!

Bottom line is, it's just too tame for me right now. I will do the JD tuner and see what happens.