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KTM 300 E/XC How the best got better

FILLING A WINNER'S SHOES IS no easy task, just ask KTM. The Austrian firm's new 300 E/XC was designed to be a direct replacement for that company's popular, but aging, 350 E/XC enduro mount. The 350 has been an immensely successful machine, but no one's going to miss it in the least after riding the 300.

Identical to KiM's 250 EIXC with the exception of the engine's larger bore and increased stroke, the 300 possesses handling that is much quicker than the 500-based 350 it supersedes. Additionally, the 300 is narrower, has a lower seat height. stronger disc brakes and its White Power suspension has been revalved for American riding conditions-it's now more compliant at slow speeds yet doesn't bottom at racing speeds.

In the woods, the 300 EI~X'i's precise steering, small size and ex cellent straight-line stability give a rider the confidence to go extremely fast with little effort. Mid-sized en duro bikes aren't supposed to be as easy to pitch around trees as a 125, but, evidently, someone forgot to tell KTM's engineers that fact.

7rh~ great n~ew chassis is cornplimented by an equally impressive, right-side-kickstart engine that sets new standards for response, flexibil ity and smoothness. A mile-wide powerband that starts off idle and extends to a robust top-end will make friends of Novice and Inter mediate enduro/play riders. But, un like past KTM enduro engines, the broad powerband doesn't mean that the engine revs slowly. The 300's light flywheels and crisp carburetion let the engine instantly react to a rider's demands, and this brings praise from Expert riders, too. With such a pliable spread of power, the 300 can be trail-ridden or enduro raced with equal ease. Adding to this bike's friendly na ture is a redesigned, smooth-shift ing, five-speed transmission and an easier-to-operate clutch that'll take lots of abuse before it starts mis behaving. The transmission's ratios are nicely spaced from first through fourth gears, but there's a slight jump from fourth to fifth, which can be an annoyance in faster off road sections. but proves worthwhile when there's a road section between trailheads.

With the exception of the fourthto-fifth gear-ratio jump, KTM has done a masterful job of designing a replacement for the outmoded but likable 350. The 300 E/XC is a very competitive enduro racer, and it's a great playbike that's as much fun to ride as any dirtbike we've ridden recently. Bravo KTM! -Ron Griewe