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Grab the Ring
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KTM 300 XC-W
Don Williams
07/01/2006
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Photography by Don Williams
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Off-road riders who cut their teeth on dirt bikes in the
mid-1960s have borne witness to the rise and fall from favor of the two-stroke.
From Joel Robert’s first FIM motocross championship in 1964 on a CZ to
Suzuki-mounted Ricky Carmichael’s AMA Supercross title in 2005, two-strokes
ruled the premium series, earning their dominance the hard way—going
head-to-head with the reignin thumpers of the era until they developed enough
sophistication to be superior performers.
 RIDING STYLE
Helmet: Moose Racing 10X2
Goggles: Scott USA No Sweat
IV
Jersey: Moose Racing XCR
Gloves: Moose Racing XCR
Riding Pack: Moose
Racing XCR Enduro
Pants: Moose Racing XCR
Boots: Sidi Crossfire SRS. (Click image to enlarge)
The decline of the two-stroke has
been as a result of stricter EPA emissions restrictions that favored the cleaner
four-stroke motor, which doesn’t spew oil from its combustion chamber into the atmosphere. Additionally, at the racetrack, 450cc four-stroke machines have been
allowed to compete against two-strokes with a 250cc limit, giving the
valve-and-cam engines the displacement edge they needed to produce competitive
horsepower.
 The Japanese manufacturers have all but given up on the
two-stroke, as they aspire to sell wide-audience four-stroke-powered dirt bikes
that meet EPA and state standards for use on public lands, most notably in the
large off-road market of California, which requires “Green Sticker”
certification for year-around riding. Austrian manufacturer KTM has not
surrendered the two-stroke flag yet, continuing to produce a full line with a
displacement range from 50cc to 300cc. KTM, of course, also offers modern
four-strokes for service ranging from street to supercross. (Click image to enlarge)
In years past,
the KTM 300 XC-W (cross-country, wide-ratio gearbox) would have been considered
an enduro bike, sporting a head and taillight, which is de rigeur for
competition. To avoid EPA oversight, KTM two-strokes are sold without lights, as
competition-only closed-course vehicles, leaving it to the buyer to sort out
registration (in California, the KTM two-strokes are considered “Red Sticker” machines that can only be ridden in specific areas on restricted dates).
Frustratingly, these rules are based on unsound science using flawed data, but
the anti-motorized recreation forces were nevertheless able to successfully
implement their agenda through brute-force politics.
 While two-strokes
may have an uncertain future, the latest KTM 300 XC-W shows the technology to be
healthier than ever. The kickstarter is the only nod to the past, as the
power-valved motor is fed by a 36mm Keihin carb and the plug is sparked by a
digital Kokusan ignition. The 293cc engine’s perfectly square bore-to-stroke
ratio promises a balanced power delivery, though there is no denying the 300’s
abundance of torque that is more than capable of satisfying the demands of the
wide-ratio five-speed transmission. (Click image to enlarge)
The chassis is equal to the motor. The
main frame is chromoly steel and the subframe aluminum, affording the XC-W a
wet, unfueled weight of 225 pounds, less than the Honda CRF250X or Yamaha WR250F
thumpers. Foot-long travel WP suspension features a full range of damping and
spring adjustment. In the rear, the WP shock is bolted directly to a
linkage-free aluminum swingarm, for reduced weight, reliability and ease of
maintenance.
Quality bits are abundant on the XC-W: wide chromoly footpegs,
Brembo hydraulics, bulged Magura X-line aluminum bars with dual-compound Renthal
grips, lightweight magnesium covers for the ignition and clutch. An FMF Turbine
Core 2 spark arrester was installed to establish legality in the National
Forests without power reduction.
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