Woodsblaster KTM 300 XC-W - Dirt Rider Magazine

You can easily do just about any kind of riding on only one bike. But you'll likely suffer once out of the bike's element. For instance, taking a track bike on the trail or a trailbike on a track. And though the appearance of the Woodsblaster KTM may shout out, "Trail!" don't let looks fool you. Or parts, for that matter.A close inspection shows enough protective goodies to make the Trojan Man take a step back. There's aluminum on the pipe, covering the disc brakes and every place in between. Between the Woodsblaster, Flatland Racing and Enduro Engineering accoutrements, just about everything is covered. Typically when this happens, a bike grows heavy and awkward. This one didn't; in fact, I didn't notice any of the bolt-on protection in a bad way, which is how this stuff is supposed to work! I did notice it when I went out and checked on its function, dragging the bike across logs, getting stuck in mud and making new lines through bottlenecks at the Unadilla round of the GNCC series. Nothing got twisted, tweaked or turned the wrong way, even though there was plenty of opportunity.It was forced into showing it could perform in a racing environment, too. A podium spot confirmed how well the WER suspension worked, even in the muddy mess the race turned out to be. It seems engineers have figured out how to make the suspenders be more active without getting that springy feeling, which was great for traction. And you could still jump this bike like an MXer, something I'm not as confident about with any of the stock two-stroke XCs, especially the Ws. Other standouts were the Trelleborg tires, which clawed in the slick stuff and had an amazing consistency everywhere. The Scotts steering damper is my favorite, and the sub-mount BRP clamps made it even more sano. I wouldn't hesitate to take the Woodsblaster on any trail ride; just hook up some lights 'cause I'm not coming back before dark!