KTM EXC 300

[Ama ride ride]

I am looking for a bike I can use in the sand dunes, goofing around in the veld and do the odd backyard gravel road trippie (max250km). Still have to get around swambo but I am working on it.

Will of course buy a second third hand and most of those bikes in my budget range have lots of hours on. For that reason I will rather go for a 2 smoke.

There are a few 200, 250, 300 and 450's on gumtree and OLX. Never owned one so I would love to have some feedback.

 

[Dux]

The KTM 300's are legendary , if you buy a mechanically good example you won't go wrong .

[aka.Goliath]

2-smokes don't like sustained high revs doing long distance stuff. For that reason I would really suggest good big 4 stroke for what you are describing, something like KTM 525 would probably do very well or a Yamaha WR 450. I have a 300 and yes they are very nice and have a legendary status for a reason but I think they are more well suited for tech riding. My first plastic was a 530 and a learned a lot with that bike mechanically speaking but no matter what bike you get in this category there is quite a bit more maintenance.

[Ama ride ride]

2-smokes don't like sustained high revs doing long distance stuff. For that reason I would really suggest good big 4 stroke for what you are describing, something like KTM 525 would probably do very well or a Yamaha WR 450. I have a 300 and yes they are very nice and have a legendary status for a reason but I think they are more well suited for tech riding. My first plastic was a 530 and a learned a lot with that bike mechanically speaking but no matter what bike you get in this category there is quite a bit more maintenance.

 

Ok so I will just remove the 280km from my brainfart.

The dunes here are not that like those of namibia. They are fairly technical. 

[2StrokeDan]

What does a technical dune look like?

[Sithe]

Yamaha WR 450 is what you are describing 
 

[Bill the Bong]

Lots of KTM 300s did the Desert 1000 2 weeks ago.  280km is nothing.  Carrying fuel for it is another matter altogether.

[2StrokeDan]

Lots of KTM 300s did the Desert 1000 2 weeks ago.  280km is nothing.  Carrying fuel for it is another matter altogether.

Even a 2stroke mugu like myself will say that the pre-mix can be messy and a schlep. But I also look at guys posting how a 2stroke will seize if just shown a bit of straight,
then you see them doing these type of events.

[Rossdog]

Lots of KTM 300s did the Desert 1000 2 weeks ago.  280km is nothing.  Carrying fuel for it is another matter altogether.

Even a 2stroke mugu like myself will say that the pre-mix can be messy and a schlep. But I also look at guys posting how a 2stroke will seize if just shown a bit of straight,
then you see them doing these type of events.

The new 2 strokes are nothing like the old air cooled 2 strokes from the 80's. Definitely not as suited to long distance riding/racing as a 4 stroke, but also not as bad as 4 stroke fans make them out to be. As a play bike for the odd dune and mountain ride or as an extreme enduro bike, I'd take a 300 anytime. There is a reason why the 300's sell so well.

[ETS]

2-smokes don't like sustained high revs doing long distance stuff. For that reason I would really suggest good big 4 stroke for what you are describing, something like KTM 525 would probably do very well or a Yamaha WR 450. I have a 300 and yes they are very nice and have a legendary status for a reason but I think they are more well suited for tech riding. My first plastic was a 530 and a learned a lot with that bike mechanically speaking but no matter what bike you get in this category there is quite a bit more maintenance.

 

Ok so I will just remove the 280km from my brainfart.

The dunes here are not that like those of namibia. They are fairly technical. 

Talking about Waterford near Groblershoop???Awesome place!!!

[weskus]

Lots of KTM 300s did the Desert 1000 2 weeks ago.  280km is nothing.  Carrying fuel for it is another matter altogether.

Even a 2stroke mugu like myself will say that the pre-mix can be messy and a schlep. But I also look at guys posting how a 2stroke will seize if just shown a bit of straight,
then you see them doing these type of events.

The new 2 strokes are nothing like the old air cooled 2 strokes from the 80's. Definitely not as suited to long distance riding/racing as a 4 stroke, but also not as bad as 4 stroke fans make them out to be. As a play bike for the odd dune and mountain ride or as an extreme enduro bike, I'd take a 300 anytime. There is a reason why the 300's sell so well.

Also thought the 300's have legend status and good "low hours" examples are hard to find at a reasonable price until I started looking for a 200 which seem near impossible

[BlueBull2007]

So whats it going to be Ama?

[Bill the Bong]

Lots of KTM 300s did the Desert 1000 2 weeks ago.  280km is nothing.  Carrying fuel for it is another matter altogether.

Even a 2stroke mugu like myself will say that the pre-mix can be messy and a schlep. But I also look at guys posting how a 2stroke will seize if just shown a bit of straight,
then you see them doing these type of events.

We had a couple of 10km kap lyne that could be ran flat taps.  I held mine at exactly 131 kph, as that's what it can do  .  Whenever there is a place where I would want to tap off, like a rocky drift or a depression, I would just push the kill switch to slow it down and cool down the cylinder.  Not sure if it helps, but it surely highlights my age.  Once had a IT200 that liked to seize.  Mainly because I likes crisp jetting...

[Ama ride ride]

2-smokes don't like sustained high revs doing long distance stuff. For that reason I would really suggest good big 4 stroke for what you are describing, something like KTM 525 would probably do very well or a Yamaha WR 450. I have a 300 and yes they are very nice and have a legendary status for a reason but I think they are more well suited for tech riding. My first plastic was a 530 and a learned a lot with that bike mechanically speaking but no matter what bike you get in this category there is quite a bit more maintenance.

 

Ok so I will just remove the 280km from my brainfart.

The dunes here are not that like those of namibia. They are fairly technical. 

Talking about Waterford near Groblershoop???Awesome place!!!

Yes correct. Bring your whatever you have.

[Ama ride ride]

So whats it going to be Ama?

Dont know BB. Am still looking for answers.

[Omninorm]

Dunno about the 300 but I had the 250 EXC and that thing was bulletproof. I didnt ride the kak out of it though, just lekker technical or sand and dunes etc didnt give issues. I re did the front forks and brake discs. Eventually sold it to Dwerg thats till riding it as is as far as i know.

They will go forever if treated well. I mixed the 2stroke 40-1 instead of 50-1.

The dirtbike I miss the most though is my Yamaha YZ250F...if you can get a WR250F or a YZ250F with a WR gearbox I reckon that will also be very suited to what you want to do depending on your weight etc. I found my old YZ a little pap in the sand but looking back, I could ride that bike more close to it's ability and mine than i did the 250 2T's or 450's. So imho it was more fun. But I only realize that now after I've sold all my dirtbikes

[BlueBull2007]

I would say if you are going to do dunes on a 4t, rather go for the 450 than the 250 because it has a lot of grunt. I recon you might hurt a little 250 unless you are a lightweight like Omninorm suggests.

While I am toying with the idea of a 2t myself I suspect a 4t might perform better in a dune situation; but these are the words of someone who is has rally blinkers on. My idea of a perfect environment for a 2t is in a rocky, step like, mountainous boulder field. In other words stuff the roof or extreme enduros.

Dunes, even small dunes (which I imagine is what you mean by technical dunes) can be managed if you ride smoothly, and a 4t is all about smooth. I love engine braking through a dune crest for example.

[Dwerg]

Dunno about the 300 but I had the 250 EXC and that thing was bulletproof. I didnt ride the kak out of it though, just lekker technical or sand and dunes etc didnt give issues. I re did the front forks and brake discs. Eventually sold it to Dwerg thats till riding it as is as far as i know.

Yip it's done a few races and still going well. I have to rev the piss out of it to stay with the bigger modern 4t bikes though. For dunes I'd much rather have a 450/500 for sure. For slower tech riding, the 2t for me every time

[ETS]

2-smokes don't like sustained high revs doing long distance stuff. For that reason I would really suggest good big 4 stroke for what you are describing, something like KTM 525 would probably do very well or a Yamaha WR 450. I have a 300 and yes they are very nice and have a legendary status for a reason but I think they are more well suited for tech riding. My first plastic was a 530 and a learned a lot with that bike mechanically speaking but no matter what bike you get in this category there is quite a bit more maintenance.

 

Ok so I will just remove the 280km from my brainfart.

The dunes here are not that like those of namibia. They are fairly technical. 

Talking about Waterford near Groblershoop???Awesome place!!!

Yes correct. Bring your whatever you have.

On my 300 there are a few i cannot get up...... 450 is the bike there

[Roxtar]

My 300 2t was a monster........ had some work done to it though! The only 2 stroke to buy imo.... any 250 just feels gutless after riding a 300....