The handling and suspension could best be described as a "butter cutter," meaning plush on stuff that would kick a motocross setup silly. The EXC tracks on the choppiest terrain and is smooth on the loose stuff, always keeping the chassis level while the wheels do all the work. On bigger hits, the progressiveness of the suspension is just about enough, but bottoming resistance is one area in which it could be stiffer for aggressive riders-just as long as WP doesn't lose the initial plushness! And the real sweetness is its turning and flickability. As opposed to four-strokes, and even the 400 EXC, this 300 plants the front end, tells you what is going on and rewards with precise turning that we've never before had with KTMs. The new chassis really helps the two-stroke enduro bikes, maybe more than it did the orange MXers or even the four-strokes. And its light weight is evident as the turns become tighter or quicker, especially if the rpm are up, a common occurrence when racing. The riding position and especially the seated position of the 300 is a lot more comfortable for smaller riders than on the four-stroke EXCs, as the front end isn't as tall and the rear of the bike feels a bit lower, yet you can still easily get forward in the turns. The 2.3-gallon gas tank tucks in tightly, even if it is a bit short on range for our tastes.
Another reason the 300 appeals to me is it is pretty quiet; and, as most will attest, a two-stroke's sound isn't as offensive and doesn't carry as far as a four-stroke's. The brakes (strong and requiring a very light touch) are the same as on the four-stroke, but the bike slows much more quickly and harder. And there isn't the "love it or hate it" compression braking to deal with either, though whether that is an advantage or a disadvantage depends on rider preference. And the one thing that really is a serious trade-off for me is the five-speed transmission of the two-stroke having to go up against the super-versatile six-speeder on the four-stroke. Although it feels as if the KTM received a bit more spacing without having serious gaps, I'm a big fan of the 400's overdrivelike sixth speed. And you can't ignore the price difference. The $700 left in my wallet will buy a lot of premix and race entries! When I line up at a race on this KTM 300, I know I'm not giving up anything in the power and performance equation to any bike out there. From converted motocrossers to huge horsepower four-strokes, there isn't anything with quite the power and weight combination of the 300cc two-stroke. The 400 is close. But when racing's the game and weight is an issue, I'm kicking it with the 300! -Jimmy Lewis
Where We TestedWe first headed for a new single-track trail-ride series in Nevada called Trac-On (702/641-6401, 702/232-6680; the dates are in the race calendar on www.dirtrider.com). Trac-On is organizing a series of five single-track trail rides a year. Each is laid out and marked like a race, so you don't need maps, trail guides or route charts. Just head off and ride at your own pace. We attended the Nelson Hills event, just south of Las Vegas, and found it a good test of both bikes. With a variety of trails, elevation changes and terrain from soft sand to solid rock, it was like a race without the go-fast pressure. Next, we hit our favorite local trails to see where the bikes scaled compared with all the others we ride. Racing was needed, so we headed south to Mexico and entered both bikes in the Los Ancianos Tecate Hare Scrambles (www.losancianos.com). The San Diego-based club is renowned for putting on the tightest events on the western side of the continent, and this year was no exception. Finally, we flogged the bikes locally, because, well, wouldn't you?