SINCE 2018, THE EXC RANGE has been injected and that’s brought pros and cons. They started out as TPI, so injected via the ports, then TBI, injected via the throttle body. So this month we thought we’d take a look at the KTM 300EXC.
The two-stroke is often seen as the cheaper, lower-maintenance option, but that’s not entirely true. If you mistreat a two-stroke, it can end up costing just as much to repair as a four-stroke, sometimes even more.
Two-strokes actually require more maintenance, though the difference is that the work is simpler to do yourself. They need regular piston and ring changes, plus frequent power valve clean-outs. The good news is, if you’re mechanically minded and confident with the tools, these jobs can easily be handled at home in your own shed.
On the trail, the two-stroke’s lighter weight is a big advantage. Picking it up after a fall or dragging it out of a bog is far easier than wrestling a 500 four-stroke. The pre-fuel-injection KTMs came with carburettors that were generally very reliable. If you happened to get water or dirty fuel in them, a quick drain was usually all that was needed to get going again.
That said, many 300 two-strokes suffer because owners often thrash them and skip maintenance, assuming they’ll be cheap to rebuild. Plenty of riders also punish them in hard enduro conditions, throwing them up and down cliffs, and that kind of abuse adds up.
If you’re buying one second-hand, make sure it starts easily, has strong compression, and idles cleanly. Ask about service history, especially when the piston and rings were last replaced, and take a close look inside the airbox. That alone will tell you a lot about how well the bike’s been looked after.
Mud in the Airbox
If the air filter is filthy and the airbox full of mud, chances are the bike’s had a hard life. Check the cylinder carefully too, as these models often take hits to the expansion chamber that can crack the cylinder near the exhaust port. Pay attention to the starter motor, if it sounds like grinding metal, it’s probably on its way out.
The side-mounted starter motors on these bikes are prone to wearing out the starter gears, but there’s a known fix: seal the vent hole at the bottom of the case, fill the stator cover with around 100ml of oil, and change it regularly. That simple mod extends the life of both the starter and the gears significantly.
Check all the wheel and frame bearings, and when you ride it, make sure the clutch doesn’t slip and that it selects every gear cleanly. Lastly, inspect the bike thoroughly for missing bolts or cracked mounts. The 300EXC tends to rattle things loose, and the exhaust brackets welded to the frame are especially prone to cracking from vibration.
Technical Editor Mat Boyd
NEW
2014 $12,995
2015 $12,995
2016 $13,495
2017 $13,495
SECOND HAND
2014 $6700 – $8000
2015 $7050 – $8350
2016 $7900 – $9400
2017 $8900 – $10550
MARKET EQUIVALENTS
14 – 17 Husqvarna TE300
$6850 – $11,300
14 – 17 Sherco 300SE-R
$6900 – $10,000
14 – 17 Beta RR300
$6550 – $10,300
14 – 17 Gas Gas EC300
$5850 – $9750
