Hear, all of us wish to faux we have now heroic motorcycling expertise. That we, if given the possibility, might hold with one of the best of one of the best. I imply, we have been using bikes without end! We will wheelie! We will slide the again finish out! We will hit 100 mph!
At the least, that is what we inform ourselves. However should you truly put us in these conditions, we would crumble like stale biscuits. That is simply the sincere reality and it completely applies to me.
For instance, I might love to go over to the Erzbergrodeo or Romaniacs occasions. I might like to strive my hand at these laborious enduros utilizing one thing like KTM’s new 300 XC-W HARDENDURO dust bike as a result of it has all of the specs to win these occasions. However regardless of the whole lot that KTM threw on the bike, and its absolute actual potential to win these occasions outright, I could not do it.
The bike, and people occasions, are an excessive amount of for me. And so they’re doubtless an excessive amount of for you. Do not imagine me? Permit me as an example with simply the specs.
From the get-go, KTM states, “Having already clinched victories within the first two rounds of the 2024 FIM Arduous Enduro World Championship and achieved three consecutive wins on the Pink Bull Erzbergrodeo with Manuel Lettenbichler on the helm, the KTM 300 XC-W HARDENDURO stands as a formidable competitor. By way of Lettenbichler and different professional racer’s suggestions, the 2025 KTM 300 XC-W HARDENDURO is engineered to offer the last word READY TO RACE Enduro bundle.”
That is proper, it is the identical bundle that Manny Lettenbichler—essentially the most winningest rider within the historical past of Erzberg—used to attain that consequence. So that you and your schlubby ass are already at a detriment, trigger this factor is tuned for a correct racer.
The brand new hotness on the bike is spring preload changes on the bottom valve of the 48 mm WP XACT closed-cartridge springs, which permits for on-the-fly changes permitting the rider to tune as they hit the paths. Likewise, KTM made small updates to rear shock, chain slider, and gasoline tank mount to raised deal with no matter rigors you end up in, i.e. Dakar.
KTM’s 300 XC-W HARDENDURO additionally incorporates a manufacturing facility racing seat, engine mapping choose swap, body protectors, D.I.D. rims, hand guards, a radiator fan to maintain shit cool, anodized machine triples, a skid plate, floating entrance brake disc and disc guard, a stable rear brake disc and guard, a Supersprox rear sprocket, and clutch slave cylinder protector.
And that does not even cowl the engine, which is a 293cc single-cylinder 2-stroke making 49 horsepower. A 39mm Keihin throttle physique is alleged to maintain energy on the prepared all through the rev vary, whereas the 2-piece sprocket simply grips and rips the Dunlop tires entrance and rear. All of which is to say that there is loads of horsepower to jump over no matter terrain in entrance of you, i.e. rock gardens or full-size tree stumps.
Not that I might know the way to do this, although I might like to attempt to fail spectacularly.
As for worth, the 2025 KTM 300 XC-W HARDENDURO will set you again $13,299, which is not all that unhealthy for one thing you may, conceivably, hop onto and go run a hare scramble or laborious enduro. Certain, you’d in all probability crash it and be out $14,000, however come on, you’ve got been using without end.
How laborious might it’s?
