Ktm XC-W reviews

I give KTM a horrible review. My bike which is a 2014 ktm 350sxf only has 20 hours on it. It's like new. When I was riding it recently one of the nuts that attaches to the head stud had rattled loose and came off the stud and fell down into the timing chain and snapped the cam chain and also broke 2 valve levers in the process. I replaced the cam chain and I reached to ktm to see if they could help me out with a couple or valve levers since they are $100 each. They said there is nothing they could do for me and that was it. Horrible customer service and a head nut should not be rattling loose and falling off with 20 hours on a bike. Especially a ktm. I'm so disappointed in my bike and with ktm as a company. I will never buy another one. Show less

It has great power and can lug low to get through trails in the trees and when the trail opens up, instant power is available. It also starts easily no matter what the temperature is. Show less

Great all around bike. Like all Ktm's, performance, quality, and detail second to none. Decent suspension for lighter or slower riders, but faster or heavier riders could go for stiffer springs. Really a quick bike, but because of its wide ratio gearing, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear pull good but 4th and especially 5th gear need a good straight to pull. If you're a racer look into the xc version. It's faster revving because of its closer ratio gearing, and the suspension is stiffer for the racer in mind. Switching to a softer red power valve spring allows the bike to hit harder sooner. Overall really good bike. Show less

I owned a KTM 450 EXC previous to the 300. I liked it a lot, but everything about the 300 is better. It feels *much* lighter, has as much if not more power, lugs way down, even better than the 4-stroke. It has much more controllable power down low, great for making it up those steep, twisty, rutted, muddy hills. But snap it up and go as fast as you want. It is very configurable to your wants. A bit of jetting change, adjust the PowerValve and use a MAP switch and you can make it almost anything you want. Brakes are great, strong but with lots of feel. Handles really well- corners much better than the larger bike (for me). Suspension is working really well, with easy adjustments that make a substantial difference. I generally ride in the woods, but a recent trip to eastern Oregon and deep sand just requried a few extra clicks on the fork compression to make it work quite well. I think quick PV adjustment would have been good- getting harder hitting power down lower. In the woods it is nice to have a bit more mellow power down low. The bike starts super easy with the kick- and the e-start is very handy for those times being in an awkward position. Maintenance is quite easy- plus WAY less to do then on the 4-stroke. What don't I like? Stock the alternator/e-start cover comes with a drain hole on the bottom. That may be just find in dry places, but here it can get pretty darn wet and muddy. This allowed muck inside the cover. I sealed it and run about 2oz ATF. The stock muffler doesn't have a spark arrestor (it should). PV pin should be welded from the factory Pretty nit-picky stuff. Nothing a couple of hours in the garage can't fix. Anyone looking for an excellent off-road bike, with tons of low end power, still great top end, light with excellent suspension and handling will be very happy with this bike. Show less

On single track, this bike feels like a feather-weight compared to my 450 exc. This bike is a blast to ride. I was twice as fast through the woods on it. My riding buddies commented on how much faster I was...it was the bike! This thing makes you a better rider. I rode it in two enduros so far and greatly improved my finish positions. My only problem with it is that I had to replace the piston after only 70 hours. Maybe going under water twice had something to do with it. Best woods bike yet. KTM knows what the're doing. Try a trails tire on the back and ride some rocky trails sometime. They don't last long but you will be impressed. Show less

I was always turned off by the price of the KTM line. I knew the 300 XCW had great reviews, but thought I could make an MXer a good wood bike. I tried CRF450R, KZ250, and CRF250. All of which I poured hundreds into making them woods racers. My CRF250R was fairly successful, but those top ends where eating my wallet up (and I do most of my own mechanic work). I finally took the plunge into the KTM world. All I can say is WOW!! What the heck was I waiting for. My first ride on this thing had my going faster than my super nimble and torqy CRF250R. You can brake slide / power slide this bike just like 4 stokers. Great bike! Spend the money and get one. You won't regret it. Show less

I call it a 3-stroke because it's the best of both worlds. Light, crisp and responsive like a 2-stroke should be, yet it can lug down low and just cruise around if you want, too... like a 4-stroke. This is the best all around bike made. It handles the gnarliest single track there is, and the biggest hills in the Mojave. Show less

This bike is amazing. It's not the kind of bike that has a monstrous hit like a motocross 450, but has just the right power for the open and tight woods. I just got done riding with this bike. It has 120 miles on it and I hit 85 mph. The suspension on this is pretty good. Set the sag and dial in the clickers and it's even better. Depending on your weight you may need different springs or even a revalve. For stock it's the best woods 450 money can buy. Go KTM. Show less

This ride is second to none in the woods. Unstoppable torque, excellent handling and very well balanced. The exhaust valve can be adjusted from mild to wild with little effort. The optional ignition mapping switch allows you to tame it in the tight and wet stuff. The rear single link swingarm tracks wickedly well with no surprises. I am a 34 year vet with tons of war wounds and could not be happier with this ride. I can't wait for the 09 season to start. Show less

I just bought my 300XC-W (E) this past weekend. I can't really say I'm upgrading, so I'll just say I am switching directions from a SX525 so that I can play more in the woods, trails, and short hare-scrambles. So far I'm very impressed, it's typical KTM quality. The clutch is excellent and it doesn't wear out your forearm. Both the kick and the electric start work great. Throttle response is great with tons of power. I might experiment with one of the three different power valve springs. Red is definitely the 'hotter' spring making the bike behave like a SX. It has very light steering which makes the 300 feel 20+ lbs lighter than the 525. The bike is taller than the 525, but once you're moving you don't really notice it. More updates to come later. I'm very happy with the bike. Show less