Factory bikes have always had a certain mystique about them. They’re the bikes we stand around staring at in the pits, trying to work out what trick bits have been fitted and what separates them from the bike sitting in our own garage. But every now and then you throw a leg over one and realise the biggest difference isn’t the shiny parts at all, it’s how effortlessly the thing works.
That’s exactly what I found when I got the chance to ride Jye Dickson’s KTM DM31 Racing KTM 350 EXC-F. Jye has only been with Daniel Milner’s factory-backed KTM outfit for a short time, but he’s already mixing it with one of the world’s best enduro riders in Will Ruprecht. That says plenty about both the rider and the motorcycle underneath him. After spending time on the bike, it became pretty obvious why. This isn’t a bike built to impress people in the pits. It’s built to make riding fast feel easy.
MILNER’S DNA
Every time I’ve ridden one of these KTM factory bikes, they’ve just been super easy to ride. That’s a pretty cool sentence in itself because you’d expect a factory race bike to be intimidating. Instead, they’re always incredibly manageable, and you can immediately tell the guys have done a lot of work with the suspension.
Back when I first rode them it was KTM Australia Direct, but now it’s Daniel Milner’s DM31 Racing Team. Dan and the boys have developed this bike for this year, and Jye is new to the team. Honestly, I can definitely feel Milner’s influence on the bike because it feels very similar to how Daniel’s own bike felt when I rode it all those years ago.
They’ve just made the switch to Krooztune suspension, and Dan was telling me that it was a big part of getting Jye comfortable on the bike. In all honesty, the standard KTM 350 EXC-F is already a very easy motorcycle to ride, but this takes it another step again. Everything you’d expect from a factory race bike is exactly what this delivers.
SUSPENSION THAT DOES THE HARD WORK
For me, the suspension is definitely the standout. The factory forks and the WP Trax shock are incredible. I’ve been a huge Trax shock fan for a long time, but this latest setup is seriously impressive, and I believe they made a pretty significant change before QMP to help get Jye comfortable. Judging by the results, it obviously worked.
Jye is a little lighter than me, but I was still super impressed with how planted the bike felt. The suspension is easily the biggest highlight of the whole package because it gives you confidence everywhere. You can attack the track knowing the bike is going to stay underneath you instead of dancing around.
What surprised me most was how soft it actually felt. That’s exactly how I’d want a race bike to feel. You don’t want it to feel rigid when you first sit on it because that’s when you start getting vibration, fatigue and eventually arm pump.
This bike has a really nice amount of initial plushness. It absorbs all the little chatter beautifully, the wheels stay glued to the ground and everything feels incredibly supple through your hands. Then, once you start riding harder, the suspension firms up exactly when it needs to and gives you excellent bottoming resistance without ever feeling harsh.
THE LITTLE DETAILS
They’re also running the Mako 360 bar mount system with ODI Flex handlebars. I don’t think it’s something you see used a lot in Australia, but it’s a really comfortable setup. Having that little bit of extra movement through the handlebars makes a noticeable difference, particularly over square edges and braking bumps.
When you’re comfortable on the bike and everything feels supple through your hands and arms, it’s much easier to relax. That’s when you naturally start riding your best because you’re not hanging on trying to fight the motorcycle.
These guys are riding right on the absolute limit every weekend. If they’re comfortable while they’re riding at that level, they’re only going to keep getting faster. I honestly think that probably explains why Jye managed to bridge the gap to Will Ruprecht so much between Dungog and QMP. From everything I’ve heard, the conditions at both rounds were pretty similar, yet Jye looked noticeably more comfortable.
AN ENGINE THAT MAKES RIDING EASY
We rode the standard KTM 350 EXC-F a couple of months ago and all agreed it was a very mellow motorcycle. KTM has done a fantastic job making these engines incredibly rideable straight out of the crate, and the DM31 bike simply builds on that foundation.
With the Akrapovič exhaust, Vortex ECU and 14/52 gearing, this thing is an absolute weapon. Third gear is where it really comes alive because you can ride in third almost everywhere. It just tractors along with beautifully clean, responsive power and never feels intimidating.
If you’ve ever watched Jye ride, you’ll know he’s got an awesome style. He’s always standing up, he’s incredibly smooth and everything just looks effortless. After riding this bike, I completely understand why because the engine is so manageable that it allows you to ride exactly like that.
Honestly, I think almost anyone could ride this bike. From a beginner right through to a Pro rider, it’s incredibly broad in the way it delivers its power. Then, when you really start pushing, it still produces excellent performance. One of the biggest things I noticed was just how well the bike hooks up. It honestly feels glued to the ground.
You can definitely feel Daniel Milner’s influence throughout the bike. He’s won world titles, ISDE titles, Australian championships and pretty much everything there is to win in off-road racing. He knows exactly what an enduro bike needs to do, and this feels like a textbook Milner setup.
SMART MODIFICATIONS, NOT FLASHY ONES
One thing that really stood out was how many standard KTM parts are still on the bike. It’s running stock footpegs, stock levers, a stock gear lever and a stock rear brake lever. Years ago, factory bikes were dripping with anodised billet parts everywhere you looked, but nowadays the standard KTM components are already so good they simply don’t need replacing.
The off-road racing this year has been much tighter and a lot more technical. You don’t want a bike that’s an absolute animal to ride. You want something that’s easy to ride fast, and that’s exactly what this KTM is.
Having Milner leading the program is a huge advantage. Anyone who knows Dan knows how passionate he is about his projects. He wants to win, and I reckon it’s probably killing him that Will has taken the opening rounds. But the boys are definitely getting closer, and I think they’re going to make a real push over the next few rounds, especially once they get into the sand.
What you need to do
What Milner, Jye, Korey and the whole DM31 Racing crew have put together is a seriously impressive package. They’ve got some fantastic partners behind them and the move to Krooztune suspension has clearly been a positive one. The Vortex ECU has cleaned the engine up beautifully as well, with absolutely no hesitation or bogging off the bottom.
Another thing I hadn’t used before was the Mako 360 bar mount system. I’ve always run PHDS rubber-mounted bar clamps, but this setup really impressed me. It adds just that little bit of extra suspension through your hands. You can hear it moving slightly over really big hits, but I didn’t have any issues with it at all.
Jye still runs old-school non-lock-on grips, which actually surprised me. Milner reckons he’s got soft hands, I don’t know how that works for a chippy, but anyway! Apart from that, it’s running stock radiators, a standard fuel tank and the standard seat. They’ve removed the speedo, which makes perfect sense on a race bike, and fitted an oversized front brake disc, which is a really worthwhile upgrade because this thing carries so much speed out of corners.
Overall, I absolutely loved riding it. Every time I get off one of these factory bikes, it makes me want to go out and buy factory suspension for my own motorcycle. It’s an incredibly impressive package, beautifully balanced from front to rear and, without question, one of the best KTM enduro bikes I’ve ever ridden.
Impressed
What Jye is doing at the moment is seriously impressive. He’s come from a motocross background, only has a couple of years of off-road experience, has stepped into this team and is already battling one of the best riders in the world in Will Ruprecht. Will has raced EnduroGP, won world championships, won just about everything there is to win and is an unbelievable rider. For Jye to already be battling him, and even beating him in individual tests after only a few months on the KTM, is pretty special
