What year KTM 300 XCW should I get?

I have decided that I need a lighter bike to race. My current ride is a XR650R, it's a great bike but very top heavy. I came to this conclusion around 1a.m. during the 24 hour's of Starvation Ridge. I must have hoisted the bike out of the mud 20 times that night. While resting and watching the few remaining bikes going by I pondered what bike would be easier to pick up, restart and maybe keep upright. The KTM 300 xcw is what I came up with. I have never owned a KTM so I know very little about them. I don't have a ton of money to invest in a dirt bike so that rules out the 6 speed 2011 and newer xcw's. So what year or year's should I be looking for? Is the E-start worth the money and weight on the 08 and newer bikes? XC vs XCW pro's and con's? Any advise/comments would be much appreciated.

2008 and up should have a superior chassis and suspension.
Although e-start is not as important on a 2 stroke, most guys really like it.

This


After a 300, you will never go back. Dependable as a rock.

If you don't have much $$ might look at a used Gasgas EC300. They go for a lot less than KTM's, and are quite similar in power and handling. I'm not so sure they make a wide ratio transmission. Mine had a 6-speed but not a huge spread.

www.gasgasrider.org for all the info

09+ suspension is the way to go.

Thanks for the input. Sounds like I should buy the newest 300 I can afford. I will look into the GasGas 300 too. Seem's like the KTM is the most supported between all the 2smoke 300's. I will be selling my road racing bike to fund the new bike, should have 3-4k to work with. I have seen a few 06 and 07's in my price range but so far the 08 and up bike's seem to be pretty pricey.

What do you guys think about this bike? It has the trans ratio's I'm looking for, it's listed 13 lbs lighter then the XCW, should have closed chamber forks, the stroke is the same as the 300 so when it's time for a top end I could install a 72mm piston and cylinder. Any thoughts? Both XCW and sx trail/rake are listed as the same.


http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/mcy/3366161577.html

all the 07/08-10 250cc+ bikes have the same frame (with different cradles) but the sx/f dont have the kickstand boss on the frame.

the sx 1st seems strange as it's normally considered high for trail work. price seems high to me, but i'm on the other coast.

A newer 300 is always nice,I ride an 04 and I dont think it holds me back a bit,never use all the power it makes in the woods,its not heavy at all. With proper suspension settup/jetting it goes real fast real easy,Ive been woods riding since I was a small child so that may make a difference.

Ive tried an Ohlin's shock on mine but Im back to the stock shock currently,forks have been done by a local tuner,I need stiffer springs in them still. Even with settup work Im not in it over 3 grand,it hauls ass and is reliable as a rock.
The 04's got the redesign on bore/stroke and a few other things,very smooth torquey engine.

Rider makes more difference by far then the bike.

Installing that 300 top end is not even moderately cheap,buying a 300 to start with might make more sense.
Lotta fast guys prefer the 250 though.

Oddly I can go faster on a KTM 200 in almost all trail riding conditions,and they wear a person out less. Brute power only goes so far on tight trails. 300 is fun cause it has so much extra power.

IMO a properly setup 250 SX is the cat's ass for hare scramble type racing, especially if you are a more aggressive rider. If you stand up most of the time and hammer whoops, etc, the factory suspension is pretty much perfect, it rides high in the stroke and is very controlled feeling. If you sit down a lot and ride super rocky/rooted trails you might want to remove a few shims from the base valve and run thinner fluid.

I ran one with a flywheel weight, power valve set to open as soon as possible, slightly fat jetting on the bottom and slightly lean on top, and a Gnarly pipe. You could lug it up steep hills at below idle rpm, or get it up on the pipe and really let it rip. The power band was incredibly smooth and not tiring at all, it was never a handfull or wore you out.

Only drawbacks for some might be the 5 speed trans and the lack of e-start. I don't remember what gearing I was running but mine would top out at around 60. It could have easily pulled taller gearing though and still been manageable on tight trails. Most of the time I would run in 2 or 3, and hit 4 on longer straits.

Great info guy's. Thank you. I'm mostly looking for a lighter weight, better balanced bike to race. I rode a YZ 250 for years growing up, I don't remember ever thinking "I just need more power". Since I will be keeping the XRR I don't need massive power in the new bike. I am not dead set on the cc size but the gear ratio and weight/balance is what I'm sold on. Still on the hunt for the new bike

So, I have been researching light weight, wide ratio 2smoke's. At first I felt the 250/300 XCW would be right up my ally but finding a 08' and up in my price bracket seems to be a pipe dream. Also I feel I don't need that much power. so I have lowered the bar a bit. It seems the 200 XCW/EXC can be picked up much cheaper then it's larger bore(and stroke) brothers. What are the thoughts on the 200? Should I settle or just keep saving my pennies for the bike I lust for?

The bike I am looking for does not need to be street plated. I ride in a mix of mostly wet terrain. Woods, single track, mud, not so open desert(Pacific north west). There is a 05' 300 EXC that is in my price range but looks rough. Given the choice between a 09' 200 XCW or a 05' 300 EXC or a 08' 250 SX/XCW mongrel, all similar in price. What bike do you think would be best(given all the bikes are mechanically sound)? Seems like I am splitting hairs.

The 200 has a smaller frame than the 250/300. Depending on your size this could be good or bad. It didn't work for me at all, which was too bad because otherwise it was a really nice bike, especially for tight woods.


But no matter what you get, it's going to be hard to lift in Starvation Ridge mud.

I think the 09 200 has the same frame as 250/300 bikes. Test ride them and see what you like. The terrain you describe doesn't really demand a wide tranny so include the modern 2t yz250 on your list.

Don't think you could go wrong with any of the bikes you are looking at. I own an 05 300EXC. Bought it brand new in 05. FMF Gnarly, and had it resprung and revalved by Stillwell. It is a great all around dirt bike. I ride the desert, mtns, and even some mx stuff. Can't see how the newer bikes would make me that much better, other than riding
more. Very happy with my 05. Again I am always lusting for those new KTM's.

Ive had a 2001 200MXC,then a 2004 200EXC,then a 2008 200EXC. All worked fine and once Im used to the bike they in no way hold me back,they turn quicker,make enough bottom end power to where I never rev them high in the woods.
Guys are conditioned to think they need at least a 300 just to hang with their buddies.

Ive smoked 300's on long tricky climbs just by not shutting off and letting the bike work. 200's are fun! Shane Watts once won every cross country race he entered one year on a 200,against every size of bike entered,and he dusted em,won by a long ways sometimes.

Like any KTM,the newer the better/lighter but any 200 will be a grin in the woods,top speed on a 200 is equal to a 300/250.Both being stock.

Great info guys. Very helpful. I thought about reviving my old YZ250 but the cost to get it dirt ready would be 3x it's value. And it still won't be orange. I have been thinking about the trans ratio also, when riding the XR I want a lower 1st and a taller 5th. But I ride that bike on the street and very slow single track. So I compromise on sprockets to reach a happy medium. The anticipated new bike will be ridden offroad only so it can be geared just the way I like(hopefully).

I am 6ft 160 lbs(recently dropped 60 lbs, hope to level off around 170ish). I am not a fast rider, mid pack average rider. The search goes on for exc/xc/xcw. cc's to be determined.

I'm in next to you in Mountlake Terrace with a 02 200exc. You can stop by and run it up and down the street a few times if you'd like, I need to warm it up for a oil change.
You could also hook up with us for a Walker ride on Sat.
PM if interested

JA

" The search goes on for exc/xc/xcw. cc's to be determined."

A month ago, there were at least ten 200's & 300's of various years for sale on Seattle craigslist. That bunch seems to have sold off, but frequent checking might pay off.

I bought one of them, a 2003 200, so I can attest to the juice of the 200 exc, don't imagine it can't hold it's own in most cases. I'm having to learn all over again how to hang on!