Ktm 530 Exc-R
KTM 530 EXC-R
Quick Ride
Minimal street, maximum dirt
KTM's EXC LINE HAS been the off-road benchmark for the past couple of years. First a 450 won Best Enduro in our 2006 Ten Best balloting. Then, when KTM added the components necessary to make the EXCs street legal in 2007, the 525 version easily took Best Dual-Sport honors. This year, KTM kept the EXCs street-legal while completely redesigning the engine and chassis with a focus on outright performance in competition enduros.
Power now comes from KTM’s latest XC4 engine, a 510cc, liquid-cooled, fourvalve, four-stoke Single.
This new powerplant (fired by electric or kick-starting) is said to be lighter in weight, have improved reliability and simplified maintenance (one oil filter instead
of two; easier oil drain). The sohc cylinder head is totally revamped and fitted with new rocker arms and easierto-adjust valves.
From stoplight to stoplight, the 530 leaves traffic well behind. On the freeway, the orange machine can blaze an indicated 75 mph at relatively low rpm with little vibration. For the latter point, thank the overdrive sixth gear. The full-on knobby tires do wander in rain
grooves and traction is limited on asphalt, but they do allow for perfect crossed-up powerslides around turns! Such is the price of running truly dirt-ready rubber. If the seat weren’t so stiff, the bike would make a decent commuter.
But if you are commuting on this bike, you are missing the point. Serious off-road-
ing is what the EXC is all about. Gentle bottom-end power does allow for excellent traction in hard-pack or slippery conditions, but when the going gets soft and loamy, the engine does feel a little weak down low. Meeting emissions requirements with this carbureted bike has taken its toll on grunt. Once into the midrange, output picks up quickly and the bike feels more like a 530.
On the chassis side, a
new chrome-moly steel frame uses oversized oval lateral tubes introduced first on KTM’s motocross bikes. A new cast-aluminum swingarm repositions the WP shock to allow more progressive suspension action. The WP fork is updated, too, and the changes help the bike offer a better all-around ride, especially in terms of offroad stability. The EXC excels in tight terrain, having a nimble feel and precise steering. It charges over rocks and ruts as well as any enduro bike and way better than any other dualpurpose machine. In the wide-open desert, suspension proved to be on the soft side when hammering through big whoops.
A large 2.5-gallon gas tank is covered by new bodywork that gives the EXC a modern appearance. As always with KTMs, fit and finish is nice, especially the black Excel rims with machined-aluminum hubs.
The EXC is no doubt best suited to off-road competition and serious trail riding, but the addition of a license plate-something you need more and more often these days-is a major bonus. The fact that the EXC can actually keep up with freeway traffic is extra sweet. While the $8748 price is a little high compared to other dual-sport bikes, it all seems worth it when you ride a full-on race machine right out of your garage.
Ryan Dudek
