KTM Factory Enduro Test

By Team TMX on 30th Nov 16

Enduro

IT isnt often that you get the chance to test a full-on factory bike, set-up exactly for an individual works rider.But KTM recently put up for grabs not one but FOUR awesome enduro bikes fresh from their top contenders.Nathan Watsons 250F, the 350Fs of Taylor Robert and Laia Sanz and the fire-breathing 300EXC two-stroke of Jonny Walker.

Tester, MARTIN CRAVEN, had to up his fitness regime in order to do all four machines justice before packing his size tens and heading to Marseille, France, where none other than four-times World Champion Antoine Meo played host. 

"It's not an easy job but someone has to do it...” said Martin.

Nathan Watson – 250 EXC-F

WITH Nathan coming straight off the back of a successful motocross career I wasn't really expecting a dedicated enduro set-up. 

And after about five minutes on his Factory 250F my suspicions were proving to be correct.

The motocross bend bars were just a tad behind vertical, levers lower down than I like and a quick-action throttle body all headed towards qualifying on a quick motocross track. 

But who am I to argue with this. Nathan's just finished second in the World Championship in his very first year, which in itself is a quite remarkable feat.

The power delivery, on the other hand, was anything but motocross-like. It was probably the torquiest 250 four-stroke I've ever ridden. It stayed on the power curve pretty much all the way through the rev range, perfect for special tests held on grassy banks and greasy climbs.

It was totally not the power bomb I was expecting and pulled its way through the slippery wooded section, allowing me to be very playful with the throttle.

The factory Cone and Trax suspension worked perfectly even though I would have liked them softer and with less high-speed, just to give me a bit more confidence over the slippery tree roots. 

To be fair this is Nathan's set-up and at his speed he probably doesn't even touch the roots.

Stopping the factory 250F was a breeze thanks to a little mod in the master cylinder and only Nathan and Taylor Robert use this mod – it's a 9mm piston instead of a 10mm.

I know it's only 1mm differnce but it was definitely a show stopper. Nathan also uses a solid rear disc to compliment the stopping power.

All in all this 250F is a real solid performing enduro bike which stays on line and in the right power curve for every occasion.

Taylor Robert Factory 350 EXC-F

TAYLOR Robert's approach and style makes his 350F a touch softer all round then Nathan's 250F. 

This feeling is most apparent down low, as the mid-range torque and top end pulling power are only slightly up on the two bikes.

Taylor's Factory 350F is actually easier to ride in the slippery sections where the mellower delivery helps put power to the ground with greater traction and control. 

He uses an incredibly low first gear, which is useful for really nasty rock sections but I found that I spent the most time at the test in second and third gear.

The clutch and brake action on this bike is outstanding, as you would expect.

Smooth and torque-filled engine delivery is complemented by what is a really good suspension set-up. 

However, Taylor has a really fast rebound on his rear Trax shock which enables him to bounce from camber to camber more easily. 

It isn't something I would choose for myself but suspension set-up is so personal and if it works for you it works for you. 

This is the point of testing these bikes – to see the individual set-up.

The cornering manners of the 350F are outstanding, the softer Cone valve WP forks allows the front of the bike to settle on corner entry and the entire machine stays planted through mid-corner. 

Taylor's low handlebar bend allowed the bike to remain balanced and didn't fight you in any turns.

Overall this was a super stable bike with the right amount of power in the correct place.

Laia Sanz 350 EXC-F

THE engine character on Laia's 350F can best be described as ‘controlled excitement' – the responsive, snappy bottom-end power makes it easy to pop over obstacles littered on the trails and keeps fast-following trails entertaining with its fun power curve.

Although it has a great bottom-end snap – a legacy of Laia's trials background – traction was still easily found.

Although mid-range pulled further than a stocker, I found myself in third gear quite a lot. First was super short and maybe dropping a tooth or two could have helped that important gear. 

Top-end on the other hand ripped through the open sections and over-rev on Laia's Factory 350F was exceptional.

The factory WP Cone valve forks worked perfectly but were softer than stock and rode high in the stroke and they deflected off small choppy rocks. However the bike and suspension is set up for someone who is probably half my weight.

The rear Trax shock stayed straight and left me with maximum traction under acceleration – which is what Laia's bike is all about.

The shock really was superb. It has great hold-up, kept its forward bite and soaked up chop, roots, and rocks surprisingly well.

Laia's 350F was impressive on several fronts, not least of which was the power delivery. It was so responsive, after riding it for a while I found it never did anything out of the ordinary. 

By that I mean it tackled every obstacle without scaring me and always reacted the way I wanted it to.

A lot of the factory bikes I've tested over the years are difficult to turn at times but this bike seemed to go anywhere I wanted it to. 

Again a great overall bike that anyone could go and race on.

Jonny Walker Factory 300 EXC

ON familiar ground now with Jonny's 300 EXC and I've got to say the new 300EXC KTM is a pretty awesome tool, even in stock trim. 

The bottom line is that this is a great bike for what it is –  a lightweight two-stroke with more punch than any 250 or 350 four-stroke but with more friendliness compared to a 450F.

As expected the modified engine boosted a much harder hit than a stocker, but in a somewhat muted manner. 

On Jonnys' bike, when the power hit it really got going on slick sections and rocks. This resulted in a lot of wheelspin and reminded me to be careful about how hard to get on the throttle. 

The motor is incredibly ‘pipey' with an ever so slightly soft mid-range and a tendency to get into the power much sooner.

As a result I could still lug the bike but in a higher gear – first is pretty much just to get away from the car park. 

The overall feel of this engine is that it's fast and enjoys getting wrung-out, making for a fun ride on the high speed sections.

The sound of the exhaust alone is musical, with a very crisp and strong tone. Jonny runs slightly shorter gearing on his Factory 300EXC and to be honest I like it. Pulling second and third though most of the extreme bits wasn't a problem.

Again the suspension was set up for Jonny's weight and height and this created a very squat feel for me, although the suspension on both ends had great initial feel and performance.

Probably the highlight of this bike for me was how it handled. It felt incredibly light, changed direction extremely easily – especially on the tight special test section – and the centred balance and lightweight feel made this a joy to ride.

Truth be told the soft set-up made the bike feel low to the ground, which definitely aided in cornering ability.

The verdict – what an awesome bike! 

Along with the factory mods it is revised in a way that certainly increases performance but also allows you to ride in the most extreme places you would care to go.

Nathan Watson 250 EXC-F & Taylor Robert 350 EXC-F

Kickstarter added

Akrapovic factory exhaust

Factory camshaft

Hinson clutch

Factory gearbox with five gears (based on SX model)

WATSON – SX ignition with smaller regulator

Factory valves and connecting rods

Carbon protection on cable on the ignition cover

Carbon protection on lower part of big clutch cover

WP Factory 52mm Fork and Trax shock

Clutch master cylinder 9mm

Full rear disc (no holes) depending on races/ terrain

ROBERT – Raptor footpegs, standard position

WATSON – Standard SX footpegs

996 Renthal handlebar

Neken triple clamps with 22mm offset

Akrapovic skidplate

Small transparent tank

Fan on left side (standard is on the right)

Reduced electrical wiring harness

TM chain guide, Neken protection on the fixing point of the chain guide

Further chain guide upper on chain slide

WATSON – 13/49 Supersprox sprockets

ROBERT – 13/51 Supersprox sprockets

Regina chain

Factory graphics

Excel rims, standard hubs with steel spokes and nipples

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