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2023 KTM 300 XC-W

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tex68w

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I picked this smoker up a few weeks back, it's a 2023 KTM 300 XC-W. I was almost tempted into a left over 2022 GasGas EC300 in order to save nearly $2K but I am a sucker for PDS and an orange frame. I really like the Beta 200RR Race Edition as well and I'll likely nab one of those in the future as a backup/loaner bike. I have been bolting on farkles/mods as they roll in, I am still waiting on a few important bits but for now this is how she sits.

  • Bullet Proof Designs Rear Disc Guard
  • Bullet Proof Designs Rear Brake Caliper Guard
  • Bullet Proof Designs TPS Sensor Guard
  • Bullet Proof Designs Swing Arm Guard
  • Polisport Swingarm Protectors
  • AXP Xtreme HDPE Skid Plate
  • KTM Digital Radiator Fan Kit
  • SBMP Radiator Hose Guards
  • Enduro Engineering Oversize Rear Brake Tip

Had I known about SxS prior to purchasing I would have gone with their skid plate, while I have run AXP skid plates in the past and been very happy with them I must admit that the SxS skid plate is an improvement upon that design. I have the TPI Idle Adjustment Screw as well but I want to run the bike for a few hours to see if it'll be beneficial. Handguards and exhuast flange guard are next on the list and after I burn the rubber down I'll replace them with my favorite Goldentyre duo.

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Irishcoffee said:
Ride in rocky areas a lot? Have never seen fork guards like those.
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They've been making them for years, they have one for the front that protects the disc as well. Acerbis and a few others make similar guards out of plastic. I do/will ride at Hidden Falls, Emma Long/City Park and CTOR all of which have a lot of rock. Cheaper to protect than to repair and risk ending a ride.
 
Nice looking ride. I'm about 20 or so hours into my first PDS bike and for the type of riding I do I think I'm sold. I've ridden nothing but linkage bikes before this one and I can 100% tell a huge difference and I like it.
 
DFW_Warrior said:
Nice looking ride. I'm about 20 or so hours into my first PDS bike and for the type of riding I do I think I'm sold. I've ridden nothing but linkage bikes before this one and I can 100% tell a huge difference and I like it.
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I've long been a fan of PDS for trail riding dating back to my first 300 which was a 2003. I like linkage on a bike that jumps or goes fast in the wide open, so they both have their place, but if I am doing under 20 on varied terrain single track then I prefer the PDS.
 
tex68w said:
I've long been a fan of PDS for trail riding dating back to my first 300 which was a 2003. I like linkage on a bike that jumps or goes fast in the wide open, so they both have their place, but if I am doing under 20 on varied terrain single track then I prefer the PDS.
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Well, you basically described what I like to ride perfectly so no wonder I like it so much. But I completely agree that for fast riding or anything with jumps, I can already see the PDS is not in its element. There is a local place up here that has some trails but also a little small MX track and I am by no means a fast MX guy but even at my speed I can tell that MX is NOT where that suspension is meant to be.

Now, going through a tight trail littered with rocks and tree roots, it couldn't be better.
 
tex68w said:
They've been making them for years, they have one for the front that protects the disc as well. Acerbis and a few others make similar guards out of plastic. I do/will ride at Hidden Falls, Emma Long/City Park and CTOR all of which have a lot of rock. Cheaper to protect than to repair and risk ending a ride.
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If you ride Hidden Falls/Emma, hit me up I live smack dab between them! I need some rock bashing practice, been riding too much moto lately.
 
i have dirtbikes w/ linkage and w/ PDS.
THey do have their + & -... but not enough to walk away from one or the other really. I do agree that the linkage shines in the faster stuff, and pds in slower stuff.
THe linkage does require yearly bearings maintenance whereas the pds hardly ever needs maintenance.

Emma is 5-10 minutes from my house, so that's where I spend the most time getting my dirt fix.
I can't tell you how much I ache for a brand new dirtbike, but there's no way I'm going to bring another mint bike to ride out there.
Same goes for Hidden Hazard.
 
Congrats on the new KTM. I bought a Husky TE300 last Sept. It's amazing how similarly our bikes are set up. All the bullet proof guards, the axp skid plate, brake lever tip, and the KTM fan. I don't have the radiator hose guards but now I'm thinking about them. I would strongly recommend an exhaust flange guard. I have the bullet proof designs exhaust flange guard but I think I would by the slavens if I were to do it again. The slavens looks much beefier but the BP seems very sturdy.
 
fastraveller said:
Congrats on the new KTM. I bought a Husky TE300 last Sept. It's amazing how similarly our bikes are set up. All the bullet proof guards, the axp skid plate, brake lever tip, and the KTM fan. I don't have the radiator hose guards but now I'm thinking about them. I would strongly recommend an exhaust flange guard. I have the bullet proof designs exhaust flange guard but I think I would by the slavens if I were to do it again. The slavens looks much beefier but the BP seems very sturdy.
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Thanks, I am super pumped about this bike, I hope it ends up being everything I want in a two-stroke trail bike and sticks around for many years to come. I recommend the hose guards, some use split fuel hose to achieve the same protection, but the design begs for it and it's better to be safe than sorry. I have been meaning to order the exhaust flange guard, good to know that the Slavens version is beefier, I'll have to take a look. I have long been a BPD fan and I try to use their products if they offer them.
 
Irishcoffee said:
Ride in rocky areas a lot? Have never seen fork guards like those.
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I spent 8 years riding rock gardens and bashing through rocky courses at race speed in SoCal while I was stationed there. IMHO the only stuff you really need is a good skid plate, radiator braces, a rear disc guard, pipe guard, and something to protect your levers. The swing arm guards and fork guards are nice to have for preventing scratches if you’re worried about resell value. The rest is unnecessary if you ask me. The TPS guard really has me scratching my head since that’s in arguably the least vulnerable area of the bike, not sure how you could ever damage that. The exhaust flange brace I can understand because I’ve heard it can crack and it would require a whole new cylinder as those exhaust flanges are matched to the cylinders. Although I’ve never met anyone whose broken one and I’ve had some good hits on my pipe but never broken the flange. I’ve never managed to do any damage to my brake calipers.

However, I do totally understand the joy people get from tinkering on their bikes and adding farkles. Congrats on the new bike, it’s a beauty.
 
Texasdualler said:
I spent 8 years riding rock gardens and bashing through rocky courses at race speed in SoCal while I was stationed there. IMHO the only stuff you really need is a good skid plate, radiator braces, a rear disc guard, pipe guard, and something to protect your levers. The swing arm guards and fork guards are nice to have for preventing scratches if you’re worried about resell value. The rest is unnecessary if you ask me. The TPS guard really has me scratching my head since that’s in arguably the least vulnerable area of the bike, not sure how you could ever damage that. The exhaust flange brace I can understand because I’ve heard it can crack and it would require a whole new cylinder as those exhaust flanges are matched to the cylinders. Although I’ve never met anyone whose broken one and I’ve had some good hits on my pipe but never broken the flange. I’ve never managed to do any damage to my brake calipers.

However, I do totally understand the joy people get from tinkering on their bikes and adding farkles. Congrats on the new bike, it’s a beauty.
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Some areas are indeed less likely to get damaged than others but they do happen. It's cheaper and easier to cover them now than it is to replace them later on. The TPS guard has apparently gotten damaged quite a few times hence its existence and I have friend here in Texas who has done it himself. It's a $300+ part so if the $45 I spent to reinforce it saves it from even a few spills I win. I've run the pipe guards in the past, not sure I am going to run one this time, we shall see. And yes, I do enjoy farkling a new bike, it's almost a hobby in itself. Thanks for the kind words.
 
Got out this weekend for a proper single track break-in for the new whip. Color me impressed with the bike, I had a **** eating grin on my stupid face the entire time even with this insane heat.

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That new KTM does look great, best that I don't have a dealer close by. Where did you get the Aluma, very nice setup? What Bay? And tell your buddy to fix that front brake line on the D/S. :thumb:
 
Irishcoffee said:
That new KTM does look great, best that I don't have a dealer close by. Where did you get the Aluma, very nice setup? What Bay? And tell your buddy to fix that front brake line on the D/S. :thumb:
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I got the trailer at UVC Powersports in Alvin, a joy to purchase from. I still have some more mods I plan to do to it in the coming weeks. We have been in Bay City, aka Bay ****** for the past four years now but hopefully that will change by years end.
 
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