2005 KTM reviews

This bike does exactly what I wanted it to do. It has all the power I need and is usable from bottom to top. I previously rode a KX250 but found arm pump to be a constant problem. With the 400 it is now history! I ride a lot of steep technical single track and had to constantly fan the clutch on my KX. The 400 will lug down to almost nothing and with a roll of the throttle pull right on up into the strong mid-range. This is the best backcountry exploring bike I have ever ridden. It can crawl like an old XR and scream like a racer. The only shortcoming is deep sand. The 400 will struggle a bit but is still very rideable and still fast, just takes a bit more aggressiveness and clutch work. All in all, a great bike for anyone from a casual trail rider to a pro racer. The only bike I would choose over the 400 for all around use is a 300 EXC. Show less

What an awesome bike! Power, power, power. that's right, it makes all the power a guy needs and then some! Say good bye to that overweight thumper and say hello to the thumper jumper! This bike will climb any hill that a 4-stroke will and it'll jump ditches like they weren't even there! The suspension is something the Jap guys only dream about and reliability has always been great with KTM's. I have owned KTM 250's in the past and the 300 would've walked all over them. I currently have a 2001 400 EXC and the new 300 EXC. The biggest difference is power delivery and vibration. The 400's power is smooth with little or no vibration through the bars. The 300's power delivery is explosive (can be smooth w/throttle control) but it does have (what I call annoying) handle bar vibration. Although the 300 is only 10-15 lbs lighter than the 400, it makes the 400 feel like a buffalo. They're both great bikes, the 300 just makes you feel like racing every time you're on it!!! Still the same hard seat. Common KTM?! Show less

Just got back from big sand hills in Mexico. NOT ONE OTHER BIKE, QUAD OR ANYTHING, beat me up the big hill. I didn't even have a paddle and was racing YFZ450 quads with paddles. No end to the power. After coming off an XR600, this bike is 30 pounds lighter, faster and has the button!! I am going to replace the seat with a taller and softer one, then comfort will be 5 star also. Fat bars, hydraulic clutch, top rate components, wide ratio trans, what else can you ask for? (I'll keep my 300 E/XC for the racing and the tight stuff.) Show less

This bike is awesome! The way it jumps off the starts and its high horsepower of 36 makes it very fast. Its smooth ride and quality of the bike makes it one of the best stock bikes out there. It already comes race ready. The suspension is at race standards, and the stock pipe is aftermarket. I recommend the 125sx for all riders who want to race, agressive trail riding and for anyone who just wants to have fun at the local riding area!! Show less

The finsh on this bike is 2nd to none. If you're looking for an open class bike this is the one! The power this bike puts out is unreal. The WP suspension handled everything with lots to spare. The brakes work like nothing I've ever felt before & electric start is awesome. This is the one. Show less

Purchased this bike back in 11/04. Previous bikes were CR250's (1988, 1998), CR125 (2001), YZ125 (1999), CRF450 (2004), XR400 (1998). Having had such a variety of bikes and power deliveries, I can say that this is the closest I've come to 4-stroke power and the 2-smoke hit is very, very controllable and pleasing! The ergonomics are like any other mx'er... for serious riding styles (mainly). However, this bike CAN BE LUGGED in the woods without fouling a plug or fanning the clutch. I'll never have another Japanese 2-stroke after this experience and will only own a KTM dirtbike from this day forward. I'm told the maintenance is very low on these bikes and the extra cost is easily justified by the top-shelf componentry.

I love my XR400 and have sworn by it as the "perfect" woods bike with some modification prior to this bike. I found after some research that it would easily cost more than it was worth to install the same level of componentry onto this bike! The manufacturer buys this stuff at very discounted cost. don't expect to be able to slap some Brembo brakes, Excel rims and such on your Japanese bike and not spend as much bling as you would on the KTM... you just can't do it. In closing, yes I highly recommend this bike as a serious woods bike, race bike (Hare Scrambles) or even a play bike. Again, this is not a highly strung 2-stroke that requires constant maintenance to the forks/shock and top end like the traditional Japanese bikes! Read around. I'll post another review after some more seat-time and let you know how it's holding up to the Georgia woods abuse.

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I rode one of these at a demo in October and was blown away at the bike. I went ahead and purchased one hoping the demo was not just a "one off special" for the demo. The bike did not disappoint. First off, the forks are incredible. Better than any of the revalves I've owned, just set them up for the type of riding you are going to be doing and leave them alone. We ride a couple of really rocky, rooty areas with long ascents & descents and these forks are incredible. The rear suspension is good, the bike stays hooked up well, although it will blow through the travel pretty quick on bigger hits. Possibly sprung slightly soft on the rear too... although it doesn't do anything bad at all. Again, in Arkansas where we do quite a bit of our winter riding, the trails are very nasty, rocky, offcamber with lots of ascents & descents and many logs thrown in for good measure... the suspension soaks it all up. The new frame delivered what I believe to be the finest handling woods bike I have owned to date. Extremely precise, turns great, stable at speed with great ground clearance. The engine...wow! It rips, but can be lugged down to like 2 rpm and chug right up a hill, four stroke style. I prefer this engine over the 300 actually. With the light weight of the bike and zingy power, the bike feels like a beefy 200 on the trail. After spending a couple of years trying to warm up to the 4T's but not really liking them that much, I'm glad to be back on the 2 strokes... this is a great engine. As usual, the controls/componentry/details are great. Great juice clutch, great bars & grips. This bike is money well spent whether trail riding or racing. Show less

I've been riding 4-strokes since 1985, I've ridden pretty much every enduro bike out there... but the KTM300 would have to be the BEST!!! I will never again ride a Briggs & Stratton valve bouncing tractor ever again. Riding the 300EXC in the woods is like driving a formula 1 car on the street, the quickest and most fun ride ever!!! Why tractor around on a 4-stroke elephant, when you can rail, roost and fly like a cheetah catching its 4-stroke prey? This bike pulls more than a 16 year old kid, weighing (with water & oil) 226lb x 53hp = rip-your-arms-off. Another handy feature is 'bag-up-on-demand' simply activated by twisting the throttle, this feature proves efficient for digging aqua ducts, mining for gold and burying other bikes on your hit-list. How about traction? No worries! This bike has got so much torque and traction-hunting power you can short-shift right off idle, so you can climb up those slippery hills. New 4-strokes are built to last about as long as a Chinese pocket bike... People who say '4-strokes are better' leave out two vital words 'amateur' and/or 'lazy' because it's those types of people who enjoy them. 2-strokes are the RACING WEAPON, are you man enough to own one? Premix = the breakfast of champions and the smell of Victory! Show less

The bike feels like it will be awseome. I haven't put it to the test yet because I haven't gotten it broken in yet. The limited amount of time I have in the saddle I know that I will have to go to the hot power valve spring. I also believe the gearing will have to be bumped from a 50 tooth rear to a 52 tooth rear. Second gear seems to lug coming off the bottom. I will have to work on the jetting to clean it up. The bike turns well and the brakes are great. The front tire needs to be upgraded, but the rear tire is okay. More to come next week after further testing. Show less

I love my 250SX. In my opinion the only competition is the RM250. I ride in the woods and you can set the bike up to your liking with minimum tools and time. If you want to take it out on a motorcross track you can do that also, this bike is versitile. The power band is one of the best... you have low end and plenty of top end. I recommend to everyone the KTM 250SX. Show less