#dirtbike #offroad #racing #sports
We just got our first chance to ride the 2024 KTM 300SX. We knew what we were getting into; we had a fair amount of time on our 2023 version and it never stopped impressing us. Prior to last year, KTM had never produced the 300SX for the U.S. It was up to the buyer to build it up from a kit or a modified off-road bike. There were a bunch of riders who attempted to race the 300XC in motocross, but it wasn’t a good fit, particularly with the Transfer Port Fuel Injection that came along in 2018. That made for a smooth off-road power delivery, but it wasn’t barky enough for MX. Now KTM has a whole new two-stroke engine platform. It has electric start, an electronic power valve and throttle body fuel injection. All that stuff has been seen before individually, but with the 300SX KTM integrated it all in a way that we haven’t seen before. The bike’s CPU controls everything including how far and when the powervalve opens. That’s never been done before on a production bike. Last year, the chassis was also updated to the same general specs as the four-strokes, meaning it’s a little more stiff and has more anti-squat tendencies than the older frames. The suspension still features a WP Xact air fork in front and an Xact shock in the rear. The brakes and hydraulics are still Brembo and Premix is accomplished the old-fashion way; you mix the oil and gas yourself.In case you haven’t heard, this bike is insanely fast. Technically, the fastest of 450s might make more peak power on a dyno, but that’s just a number. On the track, the 300SX feels faster than any of them. It has more to do with the way the power is delivered. Down low, the 300 is smooth and runs super-clean. If you have good throttle control, you can actually ride it in the zone below the powerband and turn in respectable lap times. But the real power starts in the middle and hits pretty hard. Modern four-stroke riders might not be ready for this. Most have grown up in the era where smooth power deliveries have accomplished miracles in disguising and making power easy to use. The 300SX has an element of that–it certainly is easier to ride than a ported and polished 250 two-stroke from the old days. But it’s still harder to control than a 450. On the other hand, it opens up options for different riding techniques. Almost all 450 riders have learned to do all their hard braking with the clutch in for fear of stalling. With the 300SX, you can brake hard without touching the clutch, and then roll-on the throttle old-school.
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