- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
As some of you know, I sold my '04 WR450 in an effort to get a lighter, more maneuverable bike for the kind of riding I like to do. I heard Caleb's '08 KTM 300 XC was back on the market and decided it was a great bike for my needs. Caleb outfitted the bike very well and did several mods that I would have done, along with other mods that are model-specific I didn't know about. Here's a list of the mods as I got it;
Rekluse EXP 2.0
Highway Dirtbikes Handguards
3.7 Gal IMS Desert tank
Trail Tech X2 Torch Offroad Halogen headlight
JD Jetting kit
Pro Taper KX High bend bars
ODI removable grips
MSR Extended throttle cable
Acerbis plastic skid plate
Trail Tech exhaust flange protector
I have some changes of my own to make, mostly minor. I plan to update this thread with those changes.
I was able to get out and ride the bike for the first time (other than the test ride) today and decided to head out to Rabbit Valley, about 15 min West of Fruita. It's been years since I rode a 2 stroke... my last 2T was a 1990 KTM 250 MX... and it was only a few years old when I had it! That should tell you how long it's been. I decided to stick with some of the easier trails at first, rode the Rim Trail and it didn't take me long to be VERY impressed with the bike. The suspension works so well, it makes you look like you know what you're doing! The weight is ideal, seat height is good, power is very manageable... but it will RUN when you get on the pipe! After riding the Rim Trail, I hit up another flowing, fun singletrack trail with some steep climbs and drops. I thought that would be enough to get to know the KTM 300, but I was feeling good and had plenty of fuel left... so I headed over to Trail #8. Trail 8 is very technical, I've ridden it twice before... never alone. The 300 XC had me feeling pretty good, so I worked my way to the trailhead and rode the complete trail with only one break!
Riding the KTM 300 XC is like cheating... especially with the Rekluse clutch. Technical sections become easy, you can literally crawl the bike up nasty, rocky ledges. The power with the Rekluse is silly, it just tractors up most anything... as long as you have enough momentum to keep the bike upright. You can be a gear high and get the same results, it's simply amazing. I'm still getting used to it, but I love it. I think the Rekluse is going to make me lazy at clutch work, I was getting pretty good with my WR.
Pics -
I noticed my wrists were sore about an hour into the ride, not sure if that's the '2 stroke' vibes or the height of the bars. Even with the High Bend bars, I think I'm going to put on some bar risers, different grips and possibly some anti-vibe inserts.
Caleb mentioned that the front tire wasn't the best and after my ride, I agree... I nearly dropped the bike several times after it washed out on me. I purchased a Scorpion Pro F.I.M. to replace the current Bridgestone. I plan to toss in a Bib Mousse so I won't have to worry about front flats. I also picked up another Pirelli MT43 Trails tire for the rear and will run that with an Ultra HD tube... but after today's ride, I don't know that it's going on right away. With the Rekluse, the knobbie hooks up pretty good!
I have some video, need to work on editing & uploading them... later tonight, perhaps?
Rekluse EXP 2.0
Highway Dirtbikes Handguards
3.7 Gal IMS Desert tank
Trail Tech X2 Torch Offroad Halogen headlight
JD Jetting kit
Pro Taper KX High bend bars
ODI removable grips
MSR Extended throttle cable
Acerbis plastic skid plate
Trail Tech exhaust flange protector
I have some changes of my own to make, mostly minor. I plan to update this thread with those changes.
I was able to get out and ride the bike for the first time (other than the test ride) today and decided to head out to Rabbit Valley, about 15 min West of Fruita. It's been years since I rode a 2 stroke... my last 2T was a 1990 KTM 250 MX... and it was only a few years old when I had it! That should tell you how long it's been. I decided to stick with some of the easier trails at first, rode the Rim Trail and it didn't take me long to be VERY impressed with the bike. The suspension works so well, it makes you look like you know what you're doing! The weight is ideal, seat height is good, power is very manageable... but it will RUN when you get on the pipe! After riding the Rim Trail, I hit up another flowing, fun singletrack trail with some steep climbs and drops. I thought that would be enough to get to know the KTM 300, but I was feeling good and had plenty of fuel left... so I headed over to Trail #8. Trail 8 is very technical, I've ridden it twice before... never alone. The 300 XC had me feeling pretty good, so I worked my way to the trailhead and rode the complete trail with only one break!
Riding the KTM 300 XC is like cheating... especially with the Rekluse clutch. Technical sections become easy, you can literally crawl the bike up nasty, rocky ledges. The power with the Rekluse is silly, it just tractors up most anything... as long as you have enough momentum to keep the bike upright. You can be a gear high and get the same results, it's simply amazing. I'm still getting used to it, but I love it. I think the Rekluse is going to make me lazy at clutch work, I was getting pretty good with my WR.
Pics -
I noticed my wrists were sore about an hour into the ride, not sure if that's the '2 stroke' vibes or the height of the bars. Even with the High Bend bars, I think I'm going to put on some bar risers, different grips and possibly some anti-vibe inserts.
Caleb mentioned that the front tire wasn't the best and after my ride, I agree... I nearly dropped the bike several times after it washed out on me. I purchased a Scorpion Pro F.I.M. to replace the current Bridgestone. I plan to toss in a Bib Mousse so I won't have to worry about front flats. I also picked up another Pirelli MT43 Trails tire for the rear and will run that with an Ultra HD tube... but after today's ride, I don't know that it's going on right away. With the Rekluse, the knobbie hooks up pretty good!
I have some video, need to work on editing & uploading them... later tonight, perhaps?
