The 300cc two-stroke has become the favoured capacity amongst the hard enduro community. The low-down torque gives the 300 the ability to crawl along at the slowest speeds without stalling, even while climbing up steep embankments or hills. The power paired with the light weight makes the 300 very hard to beat on snotty trails, including the 2020-2023 KTM 300 EXC, and it’s easy to pick the bike up and drag it around. Being a 300, the two stroke still has plenty of legs down any fast trails or road sections.
The only real downside to the two stroke for hard enduro is the expansion chamber that sticks out from the front of the cylinder and wraps around the right-hand side of the engine. The exhaust is quite soft and delicate when it is hot and sticking out means it is often prone to damage. It’s not uncommon to see the expansion chamber on a hard enduro bike looking like it’s been thrown from a car at 100km/h and then run over by a truck. We recommend protecting the expansion chamber with some form of guard before you head into the trails on your two stroke because it is only a matter of time before the pipe takes a hit.
When looking at secondhand 2020-2023 KTM 300 EXC, check around the exhaust port on the cylinder – if the pipe has taken a hard enough hit, this can cause the exhaust port to crack. Also check to make sure the bike fires up off the electric start and runs and idles. An engine with worn rings, reeds or crank seals will often be hard to start when cold and starter motors, batteries etc. can be costly to replace. Make sure the bike selects all gears and the clutch doesn’t slip. Broken gears in the 2020-2023 KTM 300 EXC are unlikely but possible and the 300’s clutch plates are not the cheapest to replace.
Other things that can go wrong with the 300 two stroke include the crank pressure sensor or throttle position sensor, which can make the bike hard to start and even bog when the throttle is revved, or prevent the engine from revving out correctly.
The most common issue is with the fuel pump, or fuel pressure relief valve in the fuel tank, which prevents intended fuel pressure from being reached which in turn means the engine will start but it will bog and not rev out. In extreme cases the engine will not start at all.
New
2020 $16,670
2021 $17,400
2022 $17,879
2023 $17,879
Second Hand
2020 $8500 – $10,500
2021 $9500 – $11,300
2022 $11,500 – $13,950
2023 $12,350 – $14,650
MARKET EQUIVALENT
2020-2023 Husqvarna TE 300
$6850 – $11,300
2020-2023 Sherco 300 SE-R
$6900 – $10,000
2020-2023 Beta RR 300
$6550 – $10,300
2020-2023 GASGAS EC 300
$5850 – $9750
