KTM took the market by storm with its TPI motorbike technologies back in 2018. They were the pride maker of two of the finest motocross bike in the business, the 250 XC TPI and the 300 XC TPI.
But not until last year, the 300 XC TPI made its market in the US territory. And after only a year, the Austrian bike makers are again in pursuit to win the enduro bike lovers of the world with its latest 2021 KTM 300 XC TPI.
Therefore, today, I will take it on and give you an insight into it with this KTM 300 XC TPI First Ride Review. So, don’t take your eyes off it.
KTM 300 XC TPI Sizing Chart:
- Transmission: 6-speed
- Starter: Electric
- Stroke: 72 mm
- Bore: 72 mm
- Clutch: DDS multi-disc, Brembo hydraulics
- Weight: 101.3kg (without fuel)
- Tank capacity: 8.5L
- Frame: Steel
- Suspension: WP XACT-USD (front) and WP XACT Monoshock with linkage (rear)
Key Features:
When thinking about bikes, the first thing that comes to mind is the speed. No doubt, it’s an important feature, but it’s not everything. So, let’s dig deep and look into some of the other key KTM 300 XC specs that you should know about for sure.
Available Colors:
The beautiful ready to race, KTM has kept the bright orange and white color combination going with the latest 2021 line also. With black color popping out in the graphics here and there, it creates a clean and attractive look. No one can walk past it without turning their head back again to get a second glimpse of it. It looks that good.
Are they good quality?
What makes a good quality bike? Obviously, it’s the engine and other aspects that makes the bike run well. So, let’s see if the KTM 300 XC TPI has the quality to pass the benchmark to get considered as a great bike or not.
Engine:
Starting with the engine. Unlike other motocross bikes, it isn’t heavy at all. The Austrian manufacturer managed to take the weight down by using a high pressure die-cast production method. You get the same kind of durability but with reduced weight. And that results in the bikes performance as it balances well and moves fast.
You will love the smart surface on the body of the engine that helps to reduce wear. Often you make scratches on it with your boots while riding the bike. But that won’t be an issue anymore.
And in terms of power, you get a 300 cc 2-stroke engine with the bike. You can easily climb the most extreme places with the help of the TPI fuel injection technology on the engine. It’s light but powerful.
Throttle:
With an electric starter, you expect to get power on demand. But it’s not often the case in bikes. But not with the KTM.
Here, you get a 39 mm throttle body that’s fitted with the TPI engine of the bike. The airflow inside it gets operated using the handlebar throttle assembly. It gives you more air to pump the oil to the cylinder in a control way to make the engine roar just with the press of a button.
Suspension:
For off-road riding, no doubt the KTM 300 xc horsepower provided by the engine is more than enough. But that power won’t be of no good if you don’t have proper suspension on the bike. With KTM however, you get those suspensions at both front and rear end.
Front:
At the front, you get a lightweight WP XACT front fork that uses AER technology. It is a split fork, so you get different functions on each of the legs. On the right of it is the damping function and at the left is the air spring.
The thing great about the air spring in the fork is that it uses a 2-chamber system. That means it uses two cartridges. So, if the outer one leaks for some reason, the inner one will still keep the bike in position. Plus, it’s easy to adjust.
On the other side, the damping cartridge gives you the luxury to take the bike anywhere. If you come in front of small bumps, it will keep stiff to let you not feel a bit. Same way when dealing with a more bumpy track, it will be softer. So, it meets your damping needs of all tracks. Just twist the dial and get the right setting.
Rear:
At the read end, you get a WP XACT shock absorber that has its linkage system in place. So, it matched the front-ends damping setup to give you a smooth ride all along.
Warranty:
Getting a bike without a warranty is not ideal at all. So, knowing whether it comes with a warranty or not is a must.
But to be honest, it depends on the dealer. Looking into some KTM 300 xc w reviews on the forums, I’ve found that some dealers offer only a month’s warranty. Now, from an authorized dealer, you can get at least 6 months. However, if the dealer offers any premium protection for the bike, you might get an even extended period.
Just clear it out with the seller first to be on the safe side.
How does it work?
If you’ve followed the size chart of KTM 300 XC TPI First Ride Review, then you already know it uses an electric starter. Without going to the fine details, you should know that when you press the button, the throttle positions sensor gives the control unit the data of the airflow.
Then with the intake tube from the oil gets pumped that mixes with the air to cylinder piston moving, and you’ve got the bike running. After that, you use the gear to move and clutch to brake just like you’ll do with any bike.
Pros:
You’ve got to know about the key features, but what about the features that work in the KTM’s favor. If you want to know about them, then take a look.
Lightweight:
Looking at the KTM 300 xc specs, you get a clear idea that it reduced the weight wherever it was possible. As you know, they build the crank and engine covers in a way that helps it to make lightweight.
Then comes the frame itself. It got one of the lightest steel frames in the form of chrome-moly. Compared to the rivals, it’s 2.2 pounds lighter. That’s a big achievement if you consider everyone trying their best to offer a lightweight ride.
Quality material:
You find quality stuff all over the bike. To start with, you get a solid but lightweight steel frame on the bike. And it gets attached to the engine which also gets made from aluminum. So, the structure of the bike is pretty rock solid.
But even in the other areas, the trend continues. The subframe of the bike also uses prime aluminum. Same goes for the swingarm.
And when you come down and look at the wheels, they aren’t just any regular bike wheel. You get XC-W wheels on the bike. With their CNC machined hubs and giant rims, you get a lightweight wheel that stables nicely. And on the wheel, you get Dunlop AT 81 tires, that’s one of the best options you can find for off-road use.
Comprehensive Protection:
Every part of the bike works together in harmony to offer you the safest of rides.
Starting from the frame. It is lightweight for a reason: gives you easy handling. Now, you can corner better than ever as you are in control.
Following that is the suspension on the bike. It absorbs all the shocks while riding on hilly tracks so that you don’t lose control. Then is the tire which grips all on all conditions. Doesn’t matter if you’re riding on a slippery road or an uneven rocky trail.
Forget about all that, just take the Brembo brakes of the bike. It gives you maximum braking force in an instance. Unlike others, there isn’t any heat-related issue with it. So, it works all the time.
Cons:
To be honest, the KTM doesn’t have that many flaws. But like everything, there is always room for improvement.
Acceleration:
The bike accelerates well. If you throttle all of a sudden grabbing a handful of gear, you won’t feel anything. The transition from zero to godspeed is smooth. But the problem is when you move up the gear one at a time. For some reason, you feel a hiccup moving up to the midrange. Except for that minor glitch, it’s all great with the bike.
Requires maintenance:
It’s a common problem with most enduro bikes. You need to clean the bike chain quite often. And that makes sense as it picks up a lot of things from the road. But what disappoints is the fact, it requires greasing quite often.
Where to buy?
You can go to any authorized KTM bike dealer and get the enduro bike. However, as I’ve mentioned earlier, make sure to talk with the seller beforehand to know about the warranty deal as it might vary from dealer to dealer.
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Additional Features:
There are a couple of other features about the KTM 300 XC that might interest you about the bike. Let’s check them out.
Comfort:
To provide great comfort, the XC comes with a state of the art seat. It has an improved ergonomic shape that helps you get adjusted with it more easily. Plus, the higher foam on it makes it perfect to ride it for longer distances.
Footpegs:
While riding off-road, one of the biggest problems you’ve to face is the dirt. The footpegs pick the majority of it, from the boot and the road. However, with KTM you won’t have any such issue. That’s because the bike offers a higher ground clearance pegs on the bike. Besides that, the pegs got designed in a way to not let the dirt stick.
Transmission:
The 6-speed bike gear comes with one of the best transmission systems. With most bikes, the part gets jammed with mud and sand. But its ‘No Dirt’ gear shift design, keeps those things out to offer you a trouble-free shifting.
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Conclusion:
Looking at the KTM 300 XC TPI First Ride Review, you can’t help but fall in love with it. They have kept all the good things from the previous model and improved on a lot of things.
The bike is lightweight, fast, and corners better than ever. No matter where you ride. You will feel home in it. And with its low-end torque, you can keep yourself in control even on those tricky roads.
It’s just another hit from KTM.
