That's great. I've ridden a 1981 kdx 175 since around 2010, although I haven't ridden for a couple years. It's fun to keep up with some riders on brand new bikes, depending on the trail of course.
ETX MX I've had one of these for about. 4 years mine was $400 I up dated mine to take 2000 year model plastic with red bull graphics this was a major improvement on looks painted frame ktm orange also things very fast but a pain to jet the magazine reports also said this play with your float level to fix this with some jetting changing, Now the bad 1995 pistons are almost impossible to they tried a different bore for 95 but if you want to pay ktm 320.00 for one go ahead. The tip is to drop a 1994 cylinder and head on it and live a happy life hope this helps
I've got a mint and highly modded 2003 ktm 250sx, thing is a freaking beast. Last monday I bought a 1994 ktm 250 exc for 450 bucks, and it runs. Really looking forward to building that bike up to what it should be.
It's just so cool to have a rarer, older bike in such mint condition. And restoring one, I found, was very enjoyable, educational and incredibly satisfying! But yeah, I guess 15 years of dialing in their design should make a noticable difference in handling.
@@etaunknown4024 Nice! :) Right now I have a '99 300exc sitting on a stand, in my kitchen. Also completely sand-grainless and fresh everything! For it's 20th birthday.
I like these comparisons. Reading the reviews every year you'd think every year's bike makes the previous year totally obsolete. Yet the fact is, you can ride side by side with a buddy on a 15 year old bike just fine and have a good time. That said e-start is worth the money in my book.
The kind of bike and year, dosen't matter nearly as much as the skill of the rider. Put a highly skilled rider on a 1997 model and an average rider on a 2019.... the 1997 model will win every time.
Ok but put an average rider on a 1997 and an average rider on a 2019, the average rider on a 97 (unless its got a ton of money put into it) will probably be wondering 1 what hes doing wrong compared to the other guy, and 2 start sinking way to much money that he will never get back into his 97 in order to get some of the luxuries that the 2019 has, ill bet you the 97 rider will be way more fatigued way quicker then the 19 rider as well
I have a 2015 300 XC, a 2018 300 XCW, and also a 2002 EXC 380. The 380 gets way more seat time than the other two combined. I can't get enough of the 380. Even with its inferior suspension etc. It's just a beast and blast to ride. Even after owning her since new.....
All I know is my 06’ YZ250F still rips. Not sure how much innovation is left to do to these things. If something breaks it’s a piece of cake to replace. Bikes are so easy compared to Jeeps and trucks to work on.
@@markreiber4457 that’s a good price, If it’s in decent condition I would definitely Snapit up. If it’s in rough condition I would probably stay clear being a four stroke might be a bit harder to rebuild / work on. They are good bikes but.. wheelie machines
I bought a 06 couple years back for about 3200.00 it came with trail tech weighted flywheel, trail tech gps, rewound stator 200watt, lectron carb, 3 different seats (enduro engineering notch back, regular profile and super thick for long rides), front and rear enduro engineering billet rotor guards, enduro engineering brush guards, eline carbon fiber pipe guard, etc etc almost any and all accessories you would ever want and then I spent another $3000 to rebuild the frame (bearings and bushings), suspension and the engine's top and bottom end. I priced a new 300, and they where right around 10,500.00 plus another 5000.00 to outfit it and re valve and re spring. Before this I was riding a 92 Yamaha WR500, the last open class 2 stroke Yamaha ever made, that thing had too much power, it was air cooled, and it would always wear me out because I was always fighting to stay in control of it even though I did everything I could to dial it in.....my 06 ktm 300 is literally light years beyond it, I could ride all day no problem. I won't argue ergonomics of the newer bike because that is a no brainer, the newer bikes are going to handle better, but they don't handle 9,500.00 better, they are in a lot of cases marginally better and realistically for someone who might put maybe 100 hours a year on the bike it is just not worth the extra investment, my 06 can do everything fundamentally as well as the newest model
A good life long KTM and Honda dealer friend of mine once told me that over the past 8 years, you don't buy a new bike because its better, you buy it because its different.
I miss my 08 450x so much. Kept up with my mates 500ktm no problems. Yeah I could ride his pimped out bike faster than mine. Steering damper and all that. But dammit I miss her
The 2001 was a different bike. I loved my 2002 and hated my 05. KTM abandoned off roaders in 2003 and went for supercross. The 02 and prior was a much better woods bike than a freaking 2018.
@@drewpknutz1410 2002 is a better woods bike than a 2018. But you are right. The 2008-11 was about the worst handling bike KTM built. They were horrible.
Never too late, I bought my first one at 37 y.o....always wanted one and just suddenly realized I could afford one lol. Finding a screaming deal on a 2012 250xc certainly helped.
My mate was depressed and I mean really depressed, so I told him to buy a dirt bike. He said I have a bad back and I don't know if I can even ride one. I said well, if you can't ride it ,at least you can look at it! He's no longer depressed,yaw.
Just got me an 04 yz250 and modded it to make it for more enduro style riding, love it and don't regret it at all. Was inspired by your build. Will be doing an update on my channel about it soon. Only have about 2 hours riding on it so far. Stay blessed my brother.
guys you talk about handling and ergos, yet the 04 has an extended IMS, the 19 has a stock tank, not saying the 04 should be equal, but that is gonna have a big effect. still fun video and good vid mate.
Tyler Nicholson yeah but the size of the tank width and height would affect actual body position control, comfort etc in a direct comparison like that if you are comparing, sure its not bad the bigger tank, otherwise people wouldnt buy them as aftermarket item, but direct to direct re preference like this I would have re-installed the stock tank back on the 04, I am anal about comparisons for me otherwise its just not relative. To me esp on youtiube or as a dealer or mag, you have to be accurate as possible. Still Rado and his bud did a great job and a good vid and I know his heart is in the right place and does an awesome job.
@@dirtniron As far as I know, the MXC would be like the XC. Similar to how EXC turned into "XCW" for the USA market. If you noticed, other countries still have "EXC" :)
Bang on with the suspension, to your mate, I mentioned this in your XC vs TPI thread and have been saying it for years, properly setup, most would not know the difference, less cost, lower weight and easier to maintain and less likely to be damaged in extreme conditions or caught out in unknown trails, Ill say this what is used in Dakar, Desert racing like Finke and Hattah, KTM PDS has dominated these are very high speed races, most less experienced riders initially like linkage in feel, but this is more due to poor setup between the too, for MX definitely still prefer linkage, for trail riding, enduro, setup right lower cost easier maintence and less damage outweighs the the placebo effect in the brain about linkage.
yes, I dont feel much difference too. Probably the riders on my level cant even tell which is which.. properly set up PDS feels great and there is less chance to stay hanging somewhere ;)
Dirt N Iron I have a theory on this, I have owned both, but back in the day my first bikes were all non linkage, ITs, YZs, even twin shockers mate, so for me, it doesn't take any adaption, for pure MX, Id take linkage, but for off road I love the PDS for its simplicity, but setup properly. i have done back to back loops on XCs and EXCs and often have felt faster on XCs! this loop is like 15km of various open land, track and single track, I compare the times and usually faster on EXCs, which every time surprised me. some very fast sections on this loop. But my theory is this, many dont understand what a linkage actually does to the shock! it has benefits and those benefits often when badly setup on both KTM models will shine on the linkage version. A linkage was what was known or termed a pull shock back in the day, early 70s, by a Italian MX company, now just a bicycle coy called Ancoliitti, all designs back then even the mono shock, was is termed a push shock (aka PDS type non linkage to swingarm) the basics are the linkage pulls the shock as the wheel or swingarm moves in repsonses to impacts, on the downstroke and then controls the push stroke back to its normal extension on the upstroke, (eg bumps, rocks roots jumps etc, ) this stabilises the shock movement! its easy to compare. The non linkage shock is pushed on compression and then pulled on extension back then in a fairly uncontrolled manor which affected many other parts of the bike and rider. It is comparable to pulling a trailer on a car, when you pull a trailer behind your car in fwds direction its easy right, when you back a trailer its comparable in basic terms to a push shock or PDS type, so the trailer (shock) is more unstable when you push it, right its harder to do! Now they're is more to it than that, another negative of the push shock back then is overheating, the push negative was that the coil on the shock binds on compression causing twist to the bike shock etc increasing or decreasing heat dissipation of the shock itself. Also making the bike and rider body position less stable, so to the untrained eye linkage seems a no brainer but there is way more to it than that, like all things bikes this is where people can limit there progression and learning on a bike. it like newbies are always attracted to more power big bore bikes esp 4t riders, het experienced and good very good rider understand and know less is more and prefer smaller capacity bikes eg 250 vs 300, this is actually more beneficial to the newbie, but they never get it until they have taken there own trail to the understanding. Most never make it, its like the Pick of Destiny, only a few get to strum to that tune. anyway I digress and might start chanting soon haha. aback on shock or link v no link, understand this was the 70s and even early 80s shock technology was very different or basic, PDS why the two same looking shocks on a KTM maybe WP, but they are very different, not valving or Spring rate, PDS on the EXC or XC-W for you yanks, was designed to overcome this while utilising the simplicity benefits for off road riding. inside the shock is where the magic is supposed to work, setup right it does, but stock for basic trail riding its ok, still imo not well setup by KTM at the factory, ( not when there mantra is race ready) again this could be for safety reasons, I dunno they're reasons, maybe Europe the average consumer is riding in much slower terrain, like you here we have a huge variation of terrain at our back door. Again 19 Yamaha's WRs are very race ready valved and sprung imo if RR is your catch phrase as KTMs has been for over a decade then deliver them race ready. jmo. But the linkage for beginners even badly setup from the factory because of the pull factor and better balance front to rear fork/shock balance from factory it makes it seem more confidence inspiring. imo air sprung forks are a crutch, again it suits the newbie, because no cost to change spring rate, but really you miss out on what a real quality coil can provide spring and valved right and this will actually have a bigger affect on the overall handling characteristics of the bike than a linkage alone will. The linkage like pulling the trailer vs pushing the trailer, how many people can back a boat into a boat ramp or trailer at the local refuse center, stuff all I tell ya, if you want entertainment of muppets go to a popular boat ramp and watch idiots of all backgrounds try to put their boats in the water. Im not saying beginners or less experienced rider should get the XC for that reason, but generally in my experience less experienced riders feel better on a linkage bike for that reason. (trailer ex) for my gen we had no choice we rode what we had and frankly had more fun that way and we didn't care about suspension setups, bling and other shit we all crave today. they were seriously good times, we could ride anywhere without PC do gooders screaming at us, be hoons without re course, yet unlike today we didn't wreck or spoil things we still respected our enviroment, no not nature, we just didn't piss in our own pond like people do today and Im glad as a kid in the 80s got to experience that before the flood of elitism we have now in dirtbiking, your area reminds me a little of what we did back then, why I enjoy watching your riding vids too. Don't get me wrong I put Fox Shox, Bars, Grips etc back in those days too, but usually after we had flogged out the stock components. on my twin shock 80 MX RM125 to improve the rear over stock, Full Floater was imo one of the best rear ends I have ever been on, came out in 81 my Fox RM was suddenly obsolete, ya know what though as an aside, I loved the 80 RM 125engine over the 81/82 even 83 not because it was faster but it had a real power band. I laugh at people today when they talk of lower bands on 2t seriously they have no idea, that 80 hit so hard, go have a ride on a late 70s PE 250 or IT 465 before even the 490 or any euro bike of that era and find out what the term power band actually meant, my 80 125, was so short, hit do hard, but man it could haul as and was so much fun. we need to bring the fun back to dirt biking at every level, the real magic has been lost by over complicated and over priced bikes like everything today,. Maybe it can never happen like that again, just two different a world and attitudes today and land access or over crowding today it could never be the same, but imo we don't need to add 5k imo to 10k bikes, thats why I love your 04 that I understand and most don't even need to go to that level of build, thats different and its build had a purpose for the channel which was bloody awesome btw. I do see the benefits of a Lectron and am not anti Lectron either but its a massive investment to a 10k bike, maybe Im too ole-shcool to think at that price point I still need to spend that much on a carb even though tis sexy as. its actually not the carb cost its the added cost to said new bike, NEW! Anyway re the linkage vs non linkage, (PDS is actually a KTM technology, other non linkage bikes I dunno how their shock kinematics work or what they have inside, but PDS is KTMs tech), like SSS is Yamahas propriety technology, not KYBs, KYB only manufacture it for Yamaha, hence why its not OEM for any other brand, KYBs tech is AOSS twin chamber tech. Anyway war and peace response but cheers bro, the vid was well filmed as someone else said, I often miss mentioning that, and really awesome you had your mate on this one for some feedback too, he knows his stuff. 🤘👍😜 Just a thought maybe you could do a vid with Jay and explain the history better than me of linkage and non linkage development that'd be cool and something I don't think I have seen anyone else do from the tubers anyway.
30$ linkage guard and the damage factor gone on big steps, logs, etc. but comes through when we hit a moto style section with bigger hits, whoops, braking bumps etc.
That was a great vid Rado, loved the honest opinions and really enjoyed the comparison. Another point to bring up is skill level, a newer to mid level rider won't be able to gain much on either. It's not until you get into top skill level that a 19' will tip the scale. Thanks Rado!
You can pick that 04 up on craigslist any day of the week here in Tennessee for 3k or less so the last question seems obvious to me. I'll still stick with my yz tho hands down.
@@dirtniron that's a good question for real. Umm, off the top of my head I like a yz better because they seem to just be more dependable overall. The cost to replace parts is astronomically cheaper than ktm and far more available. Quality v quality tho, well they are all good bikes but I'm noticing a trend of ktm breaking frames at the triple and catching on fire pretty often. Not just in videos on TH-cam but in forums like thumper talk its talked about all the time where you literally never hear of it with any of the big 4 Japanese companies. I think ktm is a decent bike, but theres nothing at all special about them other than a few parts like good brakes and that sort of thing that comes factory. It's not a race ready bike like the yz kx cr or rm is right out of the box. With that said, the main reason I dont like a ktm has nothing to do with the machine. It has to do with the people that buy them, 9 out of 10 is a complete asshole elitist scumbag that acts more like a cult follower than a person on a dirt bike just trying to have fun. Ppl on a yz cr kx rm and so on never acts like the typical ktm owner. They have fun, they don't act like obnoxious assholes. It's like the difference between AR guys and AK guys. AR guys are just not fun and suck to go shooting with, AK guys tho, they are awesome and comical and are a blast to go to the range with. If I'm riding I'm out to have fun, not get buried in technical jargon about how much better their brembo factory brakes are than mine when I dont even hardly use brakes anyway so who cares about that shit anyway. I dont care about the superior ktm vagina lever, ummm, I mean break lever 😜 edit* and yes, I strictly ride single track in the mountains and love my Yamaha yz400f to do it with, it's a deadly woods weapon without any doubt!!! ;)
I have a 2004 RM125 with engine upgrades and I rode a stock 2017 YZ125. And oh boy was my bike a lot faster It’s a much better investment to buy a bike for £1000 and spend £5000 on performance parts than to spend £6000 on a bike that’s completely stock
Was that big foot @5:12? The seat time shows the improvement in the squishy bit on top, especially on the back yard track, I love my 04 300, but the counterbalance motor and the years of evolution will make the old girl show her age, smiles per $$$ it's the difference between 87% or 92% fun. Love the videos keep them coming
Come to the Pacific Northwest we have all kinds of different terrain here mountains hills riverbeds powerlines switchbacks river crossing lots and lots of woods and all their obstacles
Great video! It is always a big question on everyones mind. I think the 19 looks better than the 04 but both are great looking bikes. I will say that i have a 2012 250xc so i do have eStart(although it was a bad year for them), linkage suspension and the upgraded DDS clutch which has great feel. I got the bike used for about $3k but ended up being pretty rough sadly. After fixing a lot of leaks, wiring issues and a few other problems I am into the bike about $4000. Some stuff i could have skipped and i have a few bikes of this generation so i already had bodywork and other parts laying around that fit it. But the point is that in the middle of these two bikes when the SX and XC bikes got linkage and estart(not for the 2stroke SX bikes) there are some good options as well. I have had PDS and linkage KTMs and where it really is noticeable is fast rough stuff like 4th gear plus. Slower speeds or faster smooth stuff you will likely never tell the difference.
Any mx guys that also mtb? Just wondering how fast the technology changes in the dirt bike world vs mountain bikes. The mountain bikes gone through crazy amounts of change in a similar time frame.
MX bikes went through the MTB rate of change in the 80's. Liquid cooling, single shock rear suspensions, inverted forks, disc brakes, removable subframes, etc. All in the 80's.
Great video I like this comparison. I got a 2004 exc model in Australia, that I got at a good price and built it the way I want it. I am stoked with it keeps up with the new bikes.
I bought a 54 plate 300 exc on Friday and on Saturday it threw me off after hitting a treestump that was hidden I'm now in hospital with a broken back luckily I can still walk and for the short time I was on the ktm I loved it. Luckily the bike is fine and once I'm all fixed up I'll be back out on it again
Id take the 04, leave it stock and the outlay is more like 3K. Then i can do about ten full engine rebuilds before ive spent 2019 KTM money. Id actually be riding it in vintage enduro before i spent 2019 KTM money.
Ive dropped 10k+ on bikes in the past and it just takes the fun out of motorcycling. I now ride XRs and pre 2000 2 strokes, spending very little money on bikes and am enjoying myself a lot more than i was when i was young and stupid.
Fun video! As usual, the fast guy is pretty quiet and the slower guy does all the talking :P Power should be pretty similar, the cylinder porting has not changed much over the years. Power valve setting and pipe have a lot to do with that. The chassis is better on the new bike, hands down. A buddy has an '04, I have an '18, the 18 is a much sharper scalpel, while the '04 is friendly and comfy, but more of a butter knife in comparison.
Nice to have a camera along for the great scenery. Most I remember from 3 decades of racing Mx, Enduro, Desert is a patch of earth 6 inches wide by X number of miles! Seriously, Idaho has some of the best trail riding in the entire Country if you ever get the chance.
Hello thank you for the video I love it I have a 2008 300 XCW that I absolutely love it was my dream bike and I finally after 3 years got 1. I have but a lot of work into it And absolutely love it. I have rice the 1st 2 races of the season After 22 years of no racing finishing 7th and 5th place Totally surprising myself so you are absolutely right you can take an older bike and make a competitive bike out Of it thank you for the videos and keep up the great work. O by the way I am the one that ask about your flex bars I found a good used set and bought them and man what a game changer they were 2 races 0 arm pump thanks again buddy
Save the money, buy a Beta 300 RR race edition and use the money you save over the KTM to do the suspension and still have plenty left over for some Motul 800 2t
I’ve got a 2016 300 RR race edition, with race tech suspension, compared to my buddies 2018 KTM 300 I’ll take the Beta. Great power down low with a very smooth torque curve/power band and seems to be more balanced. The mapping switch on the race editions is awesome and the standard RR has oil injection if you are needing to tank up at gas stations and don’t want to pack oil. Ive has a couple buddies ditch their KTM 300s and 1 sold his 2017 husky 300 and they went Beta. For the price point you can afford to completely do the suspension and other upgrades for the entry cost of the KTM
Dirt N Iron I got a 250 standard, and put a ton into suspension, and a few other mods, and still came out even with a bone stock ktm. Personally I like the way they handle more than a ktm. Also seems to run cooler, just did a muddy race, tons of people boiled, and I never did.
I just had Eric gorr do a yz265 for me with the more better porting and it is a monster so I bet your 300 is a beast. I ride alot of technical hard enduro type single track so I am considering the g2 throttle tamer to tame the off idle response a little
Did u get the telescopic needle in your PDS Racetech upgrade and what spring are you running ? Linear or progressive?, I have a 18 TX 300 and 12 TE 300 and I like the 12 as much as the 18 ,the vibration is not a dealbreaker for me,a properly set up PDS for enduro is as good as the linkage ,the tuning window on the PDS is much narrower ,once u find it you don’t want for a linkage ,cheersd
I am not quite sure if I had that, I gave my suspension to Racetech and told them what I want.. didnt really dig in to the details once I got it back..
haha, yea,, looks are important for sure :) I gave one point to everything, but of course there are more important and less important categories on the list
@@dirtniron i was racing the 450f in hare scrambles in the NE of USA and it was a bull in a china shop. The tx300 is like night and day, i can pick any line through mud, roots, rocks and just rail turns while the kx450 was a 2 hour wrestling match, holding on for dear life. The kx is getting converted back for the MX track where it belongs.
I have a 1998 Husqvarna 360 2-stroke , bored to a 380 in a 2001 Husqvarna chassis , many other mods done to it .I prefer it over my late model 450 4-stroke bikes any time.. Much more fun to ride..
fastestone2 I owned one for 1 week, I thought it would be a great bike at the time I owned the wr250 husky as well, the 360 was a bucket of shit I sold it a week later, was slow as shit it boiled over on me was a complete joke of a bike, my mate would beat me in a straight line on a 250 wtf, and I leave him for dead on my 250 all most every time, 360 husky great for a old man not looking to ride fast etc I find it hard to believe you prefer it over a 450, it’s the worst bike I have owned was the biggest let down ever, I ended up buying a ktm380 and it was exactly what I was looking for hard hitting power, pity the husky didn’t have it as I was a big fan of husky not anymore sold both off and went the ktm380
@Kevin Mcdonnell Yeah I got you bro, I think the same, obviously in the years many things are improved but if you aren't someone who races every week end and don't do like 5 trainings per week you don't even have to look for the best but just to get better
Yea Ben, I need to work on that. I tried couple times but could not pull the clutch and tap the brake at the same time while focusing on jump and landing, I need more time to get it in my blood.
My old ktm 300 1994 enduro is on the sand long and straight still one of the fastest on my “crew” sometimes I lose from my mates 2012 450 kawa out of the corners because of the torque of his four stroke ,but the ktm holds up fine and the 2 stroke sound is always better than the 🚜 sound of the four strokes the new bikes are better because they have better brakes and especially the new suspension is the big difference I fly of the seat and the new ones just make a little bump
there is still the Yamaha YZ250x but its overpriced new compared to Euro technology and 2t development engine wise, if you got a good second hand one cheap enough be a good bike, great suspension and chassis is still good enough for most people frankly, but new its behind a fair bit, still a fun bike, fun is what it is still about, so second hand be good option imo.
In the power category are you both running the same power valve springs and what about carb/jet settings. Are they different enough to make the big difference in power and power delivery?
i am pretty sure we both run stock springs, at least for 2004 for sure. I did not touch powervalve settings. For the carburetors we are running exactly the same settings, as these are Lectron carburetors with no jets.
If you dont mind me asking, what was the total amount of money you put in it? looking to do one myself. Do you have the cost for all the necessary part (not plastics bling etc.)
The best thing any rider can do is seat time. Get the bike properly set up for you. Any bike 1990 or newer is going to be better than you or I will ever be.
i like the tire, I got around 25h on it, still worked good. I just wanted to try something new and also wanted to have identical tires on these bikes for the test. I plan to do review video on that trials tire -- something like "25h of riding review"
Just wondering about the flex bars I’m considering getting some for my 08 wr450 I have only heard good things about them just interested in any opinions out there?
They’re both going to be about the same with the 2019 being a little bit lighter and handling a bit better and maybe power delivery is a bit smoother. However dirt bike technology peaked years ago. We aren’t making leaps and bounds in technology like in the past. The difference between a 250 two stroke made in 1984 and one in 1999 is night and day. You apply that to an 04’ versus a ‘19 and that gap is way closer than an 84’ versus ‘99. I had an 05’ KTM 250 sx and that bike stock was a rocket! It’s still a competitive bike if you can work the bugs out of the suspension. I also had a 2000 KTM 380sx and in my opinion was one of the best dirt bike ever made and still can keep up with modern bikes. An 04’ KTM 300 MxC is going to be a usable/relevant bike for a long time. Unless your a factory racer and you need every little edge you can get, I’ll stick with my cheap used bikes that I can keep alive.
I think this ”test” say noting. If you compare two bikes you must have them in stock. Who will put in 5000 dollar on a 2004? Here in Sweden you get a good 2016 for 5000 dollar. The interesting thing a think is to compare stockbikes from different years.
yes Daniel that would be interesting, too bad I dont have stock mint 2004, but I have build mint 2004, so I compared it. i am not a magazine or media company, just an enthusiast having fun ;)
The leatt x frames have saved my knees in multiple situations and with a proper mx boot on it will brace your whole leg. Worth the investment and is cheaper than knee surgery. At first they feel funky but you will get used to them. And they will boost your confidence. I also recommended full length knee brace socks.
I feel like KTMs are overrated. Almost everytime im on a big trail ride with a bunch of people either a KTM or Husquvarna or some other boutique bike breaks down and we all end up wasting half the day trying to get them home. I drive a 2007 KX250f shes old but shes trusty, gets her regular maintance and shes never let me down!
when it come to offroad 2 strokes, KTM is pretty good. I am not brand loyal, I like them all, but KTM really feels great on technical stuff.. personally I could always make it back home on KTM
They're both light years ahead of the 1977 Husqvarna I go trail riding on. Dual shocks, drum brakes, it's a wonder I'm still alive.
wow, thats pretty cool ;)
That's great. I've ridden a 1981 kdx 175 since around 2010, although I haven't ridden for a couple years. It's fun to keep up with some riders on brand new bikes, depending on the trail of course.
@Rick Robinson no, it's because you sucked.
I ride a 1984 ds80 (I am much faster and can use the clutch now so I make the bike and me look bad in the video lol
I rode an 86/IT 200 forever, pretty much trouble free. I had YZ 250 suspension on it, I could move pretty good especially in the tight stuff
I have a 1995 KTM 300mxc I just picked up for $200. Will be doing a restoration on my channel soon.
ETX MX I've had one of these for about. 4 years mine was $400 I up dated mine to take 2000 year model plastic with red bull graphics this was a major improvement on looks painted frame ktm orange also things very fast but a pain to jet the magazine reports also said this play with your float level to fix this with some jetting changing, Now the bad 1995 pistons are almost impossible to they tried a different bore for 95 but if you want to pay ktm 320.00 for one go ahead. The tip is to drop a 1994 cylinder and head on it and live a happy life hope this helps
Well I’m counting on you, I will subscribe and look forward to it, ETX MX.
I've got a mint and highly modded 2003 ktm 250sx, thing is a freaking beast. Last monday I bought a 1994 ktm 250 exc for 450 bucks, and it runs. Really looking forward to building that bike up to what it should be.
It's just so cool to have a rarer, older bike in such mint condition. And restoring one, I found, was very enjoyable, educational and incredibly satisfying! But yeah, I guess 15 years of dialing in their design should make a noticable difference in handling.
I know the feeling. Iv got a 99 yz400f that looks like it just came out of shipping crate that I spun every last bolt on. ;)
@@etaunknown4024 Nice! :) Right now I have a '99 300exc sitting on a stand, in my kitchen. Also completely sand-grainless and fresh everything! For it's 20th birthday.
@@Sn0w1981 sweet! I'm not a big fan of ktm but I'll ride with pretty much anyone on anything ;)
I like these comparisons. Reading the reviews every year you'd think every year's bike makes the previous year totally obsolete. Yet the fact is, you can ride side by side with a buddy on a 15 year old bike just fine and have a good time. That said e-start is worth the money in my book.
exactly, e-start helps when you stall in some challenging places
The kind of bike and year, dosen't matter nearly as much as the skill of the rider. Put a highly skilled rider on a 1997 model and an average rider on a 2019.... the 1997 model will win every time.
absolutely
Michael Martin that’s a very specific year 🤔
Ok but put an average rider on a 1997 and an average rider on a 2019, the average rider on a 97 (unless its got a ton of money put into it) will probably be wondering 1 what hes doing wrong compared to the other guy, and 2 start sinking way to much money that he will never get back into his 97 in order to get some of the luxuries that the 2019 has, ill bet you the 97 rider will be way more fatigued way quicker then the 19 rider as well
For what you got in the 04 for the money it wins easily,slick shots Rado,camera work was great:)
thanks brother, glad you like it!
Great video, it remained me of my off-road riding times many, many years ago in my native Venezuela on my 1994 KTM 300 EXC.
I have a 2015 300 XC, a 2018 300 XCW, and also a 2002 EXC 380. The 380 gets way more seat time than the other two combined. I can't get enough of the 380. Even with its inferior suspension etc. It's just a beast and blast to ride. Even after owning her since new.....
thanks for sharing Brendon!
@@dirtniron No man. Thank you for actually reading your viewers comments and responding. That speaks volumes buddy. Be safe, and twist a grip!
I would love to ride 380 one day, do you live in California by any chance ;)
@@dirtniron Colorado. If you're ever out here you're more than welcome to ride her for a day. She's a blast!
Ah man, i miss my 380!
All I know is my 06’ YZ250F still rips. Not sure how much innovation is left to do to these things. If something breaks it’s a piece of cake to replace. Bikes are so easy compared to Jeeps and trucks to work on.
I want to build YZ250 next :)
I ride a 04 KTM 300 and love it, never skipped a beat.. my mate bought a new one and has been in the shop 4 times already with electronic issues..
those older engines are bulletproof... Eric Gorr told me that those engines were build really well and last forever.. great years
Dirt N Iron also more than enough power for me 👍🏽👍🏽
@@dirtniron Eric Gorr is awesome. He did the big bore kit on my YZ 250 and also Kawasaki KX 500. He knows his shit. Big time.
I'm looking to buy a 05 450 exc it's in great condition $2300 should I?
@@markreiber4457 that’s a good price, If it’s in decent condition I would definitely Snapit up. If it’s in rough condition I would probably stay clear being a four stroke might be a bit harder to rebuild / work on.
They are good bikes but.. wheelie machines
great weather,great trails,great bikes and friends.who cares which is best:)
I bought a 06 couple years back for about 3200.00 it came with trail tech weighted flywheel, trail tech gps, rewound stator 200watt, lectron carb, 3 different seats (enduro engineering notch back, regular profile and super thick for long rides), front and rear enduro engineering billet rotor guards, enduro engineering brush guards, eline carbon fiber pipe guard, etc etc almost any and all accessories you would ever want and then I spent another $3000 to rebuild the frame (bearings and bushings), suspension and the engine's top and bottom end. I priced a new 300, and they where right around 10,500.00 plus another 5000.00 to outfit it and re valve and re spring. Before this I was riding a 92 Yamaha WR500, the last open class 2 stroke Yamaha ever made, that thing had too much power, it was air cooled, and it would always wear me out because I was always fighting to stay in control of it even though I did everything I could to dial it in.....my 06 ktm 300 is literally light years beyond it, I could ride all day no problem.
I won't argue ergonomics of the newer bike because that is a no brainer, the newer bikes are going to handle better, but they don't handle 9,500.00 better, they are in a lot of cases marginally better and realistically for someone who might put maybe 100 hours a year on the bike it is just not worth the extra investment, my 06 can do everything fundamentally as well as the newest model
A good life long KTM and Honda dealer friend of mine once told me that over the past 8 years, you don't buy a new bike because its better, you buy it because its different.
I'm looking to buy a 2005 for $2300 should I ? It is in great shape but a guy i know says i shouldn't cuz its hard to find parts
2005 450X. Still rips with the new bikes. Its been maintained very well and still rides as good as when I bought is over a decade ago.
Motomadman43 honestly my bike is like 18 years old and I still can hang with all my friend 🤪 I love my bike
Motomadman43 I still trail ride with a 98 yz125 does fine. Would like a 250 2t or 300 but I’ve used the yz for 3 years and it does what I ask it.
I miss my 08 450x so much. Kept up with my mates 500ktm no problems. Yeah I could ride his pimped out bike faster than mine. Steering damper and all that. But dammit I miss her
I'm looking to buy the same bike ,,should I,,it is in great condition
Love my 2001 exc. It does everything I need
I felt the same way about my 09 xcw, until I rode and the immediately bought a 2018
The 2001 was a different bike. I loved my 2002 and hated my 05. KTM abandoned off roaders in 2003 and went for supercross. The 02 and prior was a much better woods bike than a freaking 2018.
@@drewpknutz1410 2002 is a better woods bike than a 2018. But you are right. The 2008-11 was about the worst handling bike KTM built. They were horrible.
@@Bryan-Hensley So Brian/others, for those who want a KTM 300, but don't have a ton of cash, what year is the sweet spot for woods/non-track bike?
@@Bryan-Hensley I have a 1987 KTM 350 2-stroke, BTW
Uggggg I am so obsessed with dirt bikes it not even funny and I don’t even have one
Never too late, I bought my first one at 37 y.o....always wanted one and just suddenly realized I could afford one lol. Finding a screaming deal on a 2012 250xc certainly helped.
It's never too late, like he said, just make a decision and do it!
My mate was depressed and I mean really depressed, so I told him to buy a dirt bike.
He said I have a bad back and I don't know if I can even ride one.
I said well, if you can't ride it ,at least you can look at it!
He's no longer depressed,yaw.
Buy one! Used or new. Heck a new KTM 300 from a dealer is only $100/month if you go that route!
@@brokentimes7177 You guys should go and ride it. Doesnt mean you have to do anything crazy on it either ;) depression is a bitch
Just got me an 04 yz250 and modded it to make it for more enduro style riding, love it and don't regret it at all. Was inspired by your build. Will be doing an update on my channel about it soon. Only have about 2 hours riding on it so far. Stay blessed my brother.
Cool bro, i will check it out. What kind of work/mods did you do so far?
guys you talk about handling and ergos, yet the 04 has an extended IMS, the 19 has a stock tank, not saying the 04 should be equal, but that is gonna have a big effect. still fun video and good vid mate.
Good catch... maybe they filled them up with the same amount of gas? This would probably reduce the effect of the larger tank
Tyler Nicholson yeah but the size of the tank width and height would affect actual body position control, comfort etc in a direct comparison like that if you are comparing, sure its not bad the bigger tank, otherwise people wouldnt buy them as aftermarket item, but direct to direct re preference like this I would have re-installed the stock tank back on the 04, I am anal about comparisons for me otherwise its just not relative. To me esp on youtiube or as a dealer or mag, you have to be accurate as possible. Still Rado and his bud did a great job and a good vid and I know his heart is in the right place and does an awesome job.
I have a 2004 ktm 300 mxc and it's an amazing bike! So far the best bike I've ever owned.
How is mxc different from sx?
@@dirtniron As far as I know, the MXC would be like the XC. Similar to how EXC turned into "XCW" for the USA market. If you noticed, other countries still have "EXC" :)
Bang on with the suspension, to your mate, I mentioned this in your XC vs TPI thread and have been saying it for years, properly setup, most would not know the difference, less cost, lower weight and easier to maintain and less likely to be damaged in extreme conditions or caught out in unknown trails, Ill say this what is used in Dakar, Desert racing like Finke and Hattah, KTM PDS has dominated these are very high speed races, most less experienced riders initially like linkage in feel, but this is more due to poor setup between the too, for MX definitely still prefer linkage, for trail riding, enduro, setup right lower cost easier maintence and less damage outweighs the the placebo effect in the brain about linkage.
yes, I dont feel much difference too. Probably the riders on my level cant even tell which is which.. properly set up PDS feels great and there is less chance to stay hanging somewhere ;)
Dirt N Iron I have a theory on this, I have owned both, but back in the day my first bikes were all non linkage, ITs, YZs, even twin shockers mate, so for me, it doesn't take any adaption, for pure MX, Id take linkage, but for off road I love the PDS for its simplicity, but setup properly.
i have done back to back loops on XCs and EXCs and often have felt faster on XCs! this loop is like 15km of various open land, track and single track, I compare the times and usually faster on EXCs, which every time surprised me. some very fast sections on this loop.
But my theory is this, many dont understand what a linkage actually does to the shock! it has benefits and those benefits often when badly setup on both KTM models will shine on the linkage version.
A linkage was what was known or termed a pull shock back in the day, early 70s, by a Italian MX company, now just a bicycle coy called Ancoliitti, all designs back then even the mono shock, was is termed a push shock (aka PDS type non linkage to swingarm) the basics are the linkage pulls the shock as the wheel or swingarm moves in repsonses to impacts, on the downstroke and then controls the push stroke back to its normal extension on the upstroke, (eg bumps, rocks roots jumps etc, ) this stabilises the shock movement! its easy to compare.
The non linkage shock is pushed on compression and then pulled on extension back then in a fairly uncontrolled manor which affected many other parts of the bike and rider.
It is comparable to pulling a trailer on a car, when you pull a trailer behind your car in fwds direction its easy right, when you back a trailer its comparable in basic terms to a push shock or PDS type, so the trailer (shock) is more unstable when you push it, right its harder to do!
Now they're is more to it than that, another negative of the push shock back then is overheating, the push negative was that the coil on the shock binds on compression causing twist to the bike shock etc increasing or decreasing heat dissipation of the shock itself. Also making the bike and rider body position less stable, so to the untrained eye linkage seems a no brainer but there is way more to it than that, like all things bikes this is where people can limit there progression and learning on a bike. it like newbies are always attracted to more power big bore bikes esp 4t riders, het experienced and good very good rider understand and know less is more and prefer smaller capacity bikes eg 250 vs 300, this is actually more beneficial to the newbie, but they never get it until they have taken there own trail to the understanding. Most never make it, its like the Pick of Destiny, only a few get to strum to that tune. anyway I digress and might start chanting soon haha.
aback on shock or link v no link, understand this was the 70s and even early 80s shock technology was very different or basic, PDS why the two same looking shocks on a KTM maybe WP, but they are very different, not valving or Spring rate, PDS on the EXC or XC-W for you yanks, was designed to overcome this while utilising the simplicity benefits for off road riding. inside the shock is where the magic is supposed to work, setup right it does, but stock for basic trail riding its ok, still imo not well setup by KTM at the factory, ( not when there mantra is race ready) again this could be for safety reasons, I dunno they're reasons, maybe Europe the average consumer is riding in much slower terrain, like you here we have a huge variation of terrain at our back door. Again 19 Yamaha's WRs are very race ready valved and sprung imo if RR is your catch phrase as KTMs has been for over a decade then deliver them race ready. jmo.
But the linkage for beginners even badly setup from the factory because of the pull factor and better balance front to rear fork/shock balance from factory it makes it seem more confidence inspiring. imo air sprung forks are a crutch, again it suits the newbie, because no cost to change spring rate, but really you miss out on what a real quality coil can provide spring and valved right and this will actually have a bigger affect on the overall handling characteristics of the bike than a linkage alone will.
The linkage like pulling the trailer vs pushing the trailer, how many people can back a boat into a boat ramp or trailer at the local refuse center, stuff all I tell ya, if you want entertainment of muppets go to a popular boat ramp and watch idiots of all backgrounds try to put their boats in the water.
Im not saying beginners or less experienced rider should get the XC for that reason, but generally in my experience less experienced riders feel better on a linkage bike for that reason. (trailer ex) for my gen we had no choice we rode what we had and frankly had more fun that way and we didn't care about suspension setups, bling and other shit we all crave today. they were seriously good times, we could ride anywhere without PC do gooders screaming at us, be hoons without re course, yet unlike today we didn't wreck or spoil things we still respected our enviroment, no not nature, we just didn't piss in our own pond like people do today and Im glad as a kid in the 80s got to experience that before the flood of elitism we have now in dirtbiking, your area reminds me a little of what we did back then, why I enjoy watching your riding
vids too.
Don't get me wrong I put Fox Shox, Bars, Grips etc back in those days too, but usually after we had flogged out the stock components. on my twin shock 80 MX RM125 to improve the rear over stock, Full Floater was imo one of the best rear ends I have ever been on, came out in 81 my Fox RM was suddenly obsolete, ya know what though as an aside, I loved the 80 RM 125engine over the 81/82 even 83 not because it was faster but it had a real power band.
I laugh at people today when they talk of lower bands on 2t seriously they have no idea, that 80 hit so hard, go have a ride on a late 70s PE 250 or IT 465 before even the 490 or any euro bike of that era and find out what the term power band actually meant, my 80 125, was so short, hit do hard, but man it could haul as and was so much fun. we need to bring the fun back to dirt biking at every level, the real magic has been lost by over complicated and over priced bikes like everything today,.
Maybe it can never happen like that again, just two different a world and attitudes today and land access or over crowding today it could never be the same, but imo we don't need to add 5k imo to 10k bikes, thats why I love your 04 that I understand and most don't even need to go to that level of build, thats different and its build had a purpose for the channel which was bloody awesome btw. I do see the benefits of a Lectron and am not anti Lectron either but its a massive investment to a 10k bike, maybe Im too ole-shcool to think at that price point I still need to spend that much on a carb even though tis sexy as. its actually not the carb cost its the added cost to said new bike, NEW!
Anyway re the linkage vs non linkage, (PDS is actually a KTM technology, other non linkage bikes I dunno how their shock kinematics work or what they have inside, but PDS is KTMs tech), like SSS is Yamahas propriety technology, not KYBs, KYB only manufacture it for Yamaha, hence why its not OEM for any other brand, KYBs tech is AOSS twin chamber tech.
Anyway war and peace response but cheers bro, the vid was well filmed as someone else said, I often miss mentioning that, and really awesome you had your mate on this one for some feedback too, he knows his stuff. 🤘👍😜
Just a thought maybe you could do a vid with Jay and explain the history better than me of linkage and non linkage development that'd be cool and something I don't think I have seen anyone else do from the tubers anyway.
30$ linkage guard and the damage factor gone on big steps, logs, etc. but comes through when we hit a moto style section with bigger hits, whoops, braking bumps etc.
That was a great vid Rado, loved the honest opinions and really enjoyed the comparison. Another point to bring up is skill level, a newer to mid level rider won't be able to gain much on either. It's not until you get into top skill level that a 19' will tip the scale. Thanks Rado!
thanks, glad you like it!
You can pick that 04 up on craigslist any day of the week here in Tennessee for 3k or less so the last question seems obvious to me. I'll still stick with my yz tho hands down.
what do you love on YZ when comparing to KTM? is it woods bike?
@@dirtniron that's a good question for real. Umm, off the top of my head I like a yz better because they seem to just be more dependable overall. The cost to replace parts is astronomically cheaper than ktm and far more available. Quality v quality tho, well they are all good bikes but I'm noticing a trend of ktm breaking frames at the triple and catching on fire pretty often. Not just in videos on TH-cam but in forums like thumper talk its talked about all the time where you literally never hear of it with any of the big 4 Japanese companies. I think ktm is a decent bike, but theres nothing at all special about them other than a few parts like good brakes and that sort of thing that comes factory. It's not a race ready bike like the yz kx cr or rm is right out of the box. With that said, the main reason I dont like a ktm has nothing to do with the machine. It has to do with the people that buy them, 9 out of 10 is a complete asshole elitist scumbag that acts more like a cult follower than a person on a dirt bike just trying to have fun. Ppl on a yz cr kx rm and so on never acts like the typical ktm owner. They have fun, they don't act like obnoxious assholes. It's like the difference between AR guys and AK guys. AR guys are just not fun and suck to go shooting with, AK guys tho, they are awesome and comical and are a blast to go to the range with. If I'm riding I'm out to have fun, not get buried in technical jargon about how much better their brembo factory brakes are than mine when I dont even hardly use brakes anyway so who cares about that shit anyway. I dont care about the superior ktm vagina lever, ummm, I mean break lever 😜 edit* and yes, I strictly ride single track in the mountains and love my Yamaha yz400f to do it with, it's a deadly woods weapon without any doubt!!! ;)
I'll take my 1997 KtM 300 MXC back any day. I'm always looking for a clean low hours one. Best bike I had in over 30 years of racing
sounds good man!
Once they changed to a different frame and different engine gyro in 2003, they screwed up. I loved my 2002 and hated my 2005.
Whats the point of comparing new vs old if you are updating parts on the older bike?
still has the 2004 frame/subframe and the 2004 engine. those are just a few but those make a huge difference
Both bikes should be standard
Because if your buying and older bike, who's keeping it stock? That's for the people buying new
@@amberlowenstein6731 well, the title should be old frame and plastics vs new ones
Great video! I really appreciate all your videos. I’m getting my first bike this summer and your videos have helped me learn so much.
Thanks Preston, I am glad the vids are helping!
I have a 2004 RM125 with engine upgrades and I rode a stock 2017 YZ125. And oh boy was my bike a lot faster It’s a much better investment to buy a bike for £1000 and spend £5000 on performance parts than to spend £6000 on a bike that’s completely stock
Was that big foot @5:12? The seat time shows the improvement in the squishy bit on top, especially on the back yard track, I love my 04 300, but the counterbalance motor and the years of evolution will make the old girl show her age, smiles per $$$ it's the difference between 87% or 92% fun. Love the videos keep them coming
thanks Alex, sounds good!
Come to the Pacific Northwest we have all kinds of different terrain here mountains hills riverbeds powerlines switchbacks river crossing lots and lots of woods and all their obstacles
I would love to ride there one day. So many places in US where I would love to ride
Great video! It is always a big question on everyones mind. I think the 19 looks better than the 04 but both are great looking bikes. I will say that i have a 2012 250xc so i do have eStart(although it was a bad year for them), linkage suspension and the upgraded DDS clutch which has great feel. I got the bike used for about $3k but ended up being pretty rough sadly. After fixing a lot of leaks, wiring issues and a few other problems I am into the bike about $4000. Some stuff i could have skipped and i have a few bikes of this generation so i already had bodywork and other parts laying around that fit it. But the point is that in the middle of these two bikes when the SX and XC bikes got linkage and estart(not for the 2stroke SX bikes) there are some good options as well. I have had PDS and linkage KTMs and where it really is noticeable is fast rough stuff like 4th gear plus. Slower speeds or faster smooth stuff you will likely never tell the difference.
great info, thanks for sharing Matt!
Any mx guys that also mtb? Just wondering how fast the technology changes in the dirt bike world vs mountain bikes. The mountain bikes gone through crazy amounts of change in a similar time frame.
That s true
MX bikes went through the MTB rate of change in the 80's. Liquid cooling, single shock rear suspensions, inverted forks, disc brakes, removable subframes, etc. All in the 80's.
No you don't need a new bike, but youtube and social media make you think you do. 1989 KDX200 here. Good vid.
Great video I like this comparison. I got a 2004 exc model in Australia, that I got at a good price and built it the way I want it. I am stoked with it keeps up with the new bikes.
sounds good, thanks for sharing!
more like oranges with oranges!!! great vid i was searching for so long an old vs new enduro comparison, keep it up and hf!
haha, thats right ;)
Was hoping to see some stock bikes or at least something stock other then the frame lol! Sick bikes though
in the stock 2019 would be way better, all the aftermarket mods, suspension and engine work made the gap (2019-2004) smaller
I bought a 54 plate 300 exc on Friday and on Saturday it threw me off after hitting a treestump that was hidden I'm now in hospital with a broken back luckily I can still walk and for the short time I was on the ktm I loved it.
Luckily the bike is fine and once I'm all fixed up I'll be back out on it again
Id take the 04, leave it stock and the outlay is more like 3K. Then i can do about ten full engine rebuilds before ive spent 2019 KTM money. Id actually be riding it in vintage enduro before i spent 2019 KTM money.
interesting thought, thanks for sharing
Ive dropped 10k+ on bikes in the past and it just takes the fun out of motorcycling. I now ride XRs and pre 2000 2 strokes, spending very little money on bikes and am enjoying myself a lot more than i was when i was young and stupid.
Fun video! As usual, the fast guy is pretty quiet and the slower guy does all the talking :P
Power should be pretty similar, the cylinder porting has not changed much over the years. Power valve setting and pipe have a lot to do with that. The chassis is better on the new bike, hands down. A buddy has an '04, I have an '18, the 18 is a much sharper scalpel, while the '04 is friendly and comfy, but more of a butter knife in comparison.
haha exactly, the fast guy is not much of a talker
good example about the handling ;)
Should have compared stock to stock really, i know you used the bikes you have so still interesting
Thanks
you are inventing the wheel dude! new tech will always beat old tech Do you have a job at KTM ? the whole video looks like an infomertial
Sure, i am co-owner, didnt you catch my Austrian accent? 😉
😂
I'm addicted to the power of my 2002 380, curious to how it compares to a new 300 -- need to find someone near me and do something like this
I would like to ride 380 one day :)
i miss my ktm 125 (144) 2003, i did crash hard and sold it because i could not drive it.. but now im back 3 years later and im going to buy a new one.
get new one for sure ;)
Can you comment on the auxilary spring color and setting? Which FMF pipe? Fork height, sag premix ratio and gearing?
Nice to have a camera along for the great scenery. Most I remember from 3 decades of racing Mx, Enduro, Desert is a patch of earth 6 inches wide by X number of miles! Seriously, Idaho has some of the best trail riding in the entire Country if you ever get the chance.
I wish to ride there one day
Hello thank you for the video I love it I have a 2008 300 XCW that I absolutely love it was my dream bike and I finally after 3 years got 1. I have but a lot of work into it And absolutely love it. I have rice the 1st 2 races of the season After 22 years of no racing finishing 7th and 5th place Totally surprising myself so you are absolutely right you can take an older bike and make a competitive bike out Of it thank you for the videos and keep up the great work. O by the way I am the one that ask about your flex bars I found a good used set and bought them and man what a game changer they were 2 races 0 arm pump thanks again buddy
Griffith Racing Team thanks brother, glad to hear that flexx bars are helping with arm pump. Wish you all the best in those races, take it easy!
I like the radiator shroud on the older model
Would have been interesting if you rated each category on a scale from 1-100 then done a total score. Great video though!
yea, that would be interested. Thanks
Save the money, buy a Beta 300 RR race edition and use the money you save over the KTM to do the suspension and still have plenty left over for some Motul 800 2t
is that what you ride? how does it compare to ktm?
I’ve got a 2016 300 RR race edition, with race tech suspension, compared to my buddies 2018 KTM 300 I’ll take the Beta. Great power down low with a very smooth torque curve/power band and seems to be more balanced. The mapping switch on the race editions is awesome and the standard RR has oil injection if you are needing to tank up at gas stations and don’t want to pack oil. Ive has a couple buddies ditch their KTM 300s and 1 sold his 2017 husky 300 and they went Beta. For the price point you can afford to completely do the suspension and other upgrades for the entry cost of the KTM
Dirt N Iron I got a 250 standard, and put a ton into suspension, and a few other mods, and still came out even with a bone stock ktm. Personally I like the way they handle more than a ktm. Also seems to run cooler, just did a muddy race, tons of people boiled, and I never did.
I suppose its cos of the trials experience of beta it transfers well to enduro
Betas are overpriced
This is totally relevant to me. I just finished my 2003 WR450.
cool man! I used to have 2004 WR450, it was a great bike
@@dirtniron I've watched ALL of your WR videos. Like 10x each!
I'm looking to buy a 05 exc in great shape ,a guy I know says I shouldn't cuz hard to find parts, what say you ?
I wouldnt mind having either tbh
I just had Eric gorr do a yz265 for me with the more better porting and it is a monster so I bet your 300 is a beast. I ride alot of technical hard enduro type single track so I am considering the g2 throttle tamer to tame the off idle response a little
sounds good man, he knows his stuff!
Did u get the telescopic needle in your PDS Racetech upgrade and what spring are you running ? Linear or progressive?, I have a 18 TX 300 and 12 TE 300 and I like the 12 as much as the 18 ,the vibration is not a dealbreaker for me,a properly set up PDS for enduro is as good as the linkage ,the tuning window on the PDS is much narrower ,once u find it you don’t want for a linkage ,cheersd
I am not quite sure if I had that, I gave my suspension to Racetech and told them what I want.. didnt really dig in to the details once I got it back..
Looking at a 2000 300 would this be fine for super cross or motocross tracks
So handling and ergonomics is of equal point value to looks.....no wonder some brands just release BNG year after year lol
haha, yea,, looks are important for sure :)
I gave one point to everything, but of course there are more important and less important categories on the list
I got the 19 in the white version. Amazing machine. Like a dream compared to my old kx450f.
300 2 stroke destroy 450 4 stroke
More powerful in high... More light! I love the 300!
its a very different bike, specially if you like to ride trails. I took my rmz450 on trails few times, but its so different.. love 300 on the trails
@@dirtniron i was racing the 450f in hare scrambles in the NE of USA and it was a bull in a china shop. The tx300 is like night and day, i can pick any line through mud, roots, rocks and just rail turns while the kx450 was a 2 hour wrestling match, holding on for dear life. The kx is getting converted back for the MX track where it belongs.
Started a channel with my 05 ktm 250exc that I will convert to a 300. Trails, hare scrambles, enduro, some mtb🤙🤙🤙
i realized my 2006 ktm is almost as nice as my 18 ktm but what makes the 06 better is its paid for lol
haha, exactly :)
I have a 1998 Husqvarna 360 2-stroke , bored to a 380 in a 2001 Husqvarna chassis , many other mods done to it .I prefer it over my late model 450 4-stroke bikes any time.. Much more fun to ride..
sounds good man, thanks for sharing!
fastestone2
I owned one for 1 week, I thought it would be a great bike at the time I owned the wr250 husky as well, the 360 was a bucket of shit I sold it a week later, was slow as shit it boiled over on me was a complete joke of a bike, my mate would beat me in a straight line on a 250 wtf, and I leave him for dead on my 250 all most every time, 360 husky great for a old man not looking to ride fast etc I find it hard to believe you prefer it over a 450, it’s the worst bike I have owned was the biggest let down ever, I ended up buying a ktm380 and it was exactly what I was looking for hard hitting power, pity the husky didn’t have it as I was a big fan of husky not anymore sold both off and went the ktm380
Well yes of course they're 2 good bikes but you have to think about the money you spent on it!
yes of course, I talked about it in the video
Sitting on my couch watching d/I is much cheaper than any bike out there🏍
@Kevin Mcdonnell Yeah I got you bro, I think the same, obviously in the years many things are improved but if you aren't someone who races every week end and don't do like 5 trainings per week you don't even have to look for the best but just to get better
very good comparisation!
Rado man you’ve got to tap that rear brake when you Larry loopout in the air!
Yea Ben, I need to work on that. I tried couple times but could not pull the clutch and tap the brake at the same time while focusing on jump and landing, I need more time to get it in my blood.
My old ktm 300 1994 enduro is on the sand long and straight still one of the fastest on my “crew” sometimes I lose from my mates 2012 450 kawa out of the corners because of the torque of his four stroke ,but the ktm holds up fine and the 2 stroke sound is always better than the 🚜 sound of the four strokes
the new bikes are better because they have better brakes and especially the new suspension is the big difference I fly of the seat and the new ones just make a little bump
sounds good Nick, thanks for sharing ;)
Where did you film your riding? Some parts of it looked like Coral Canyon, but I haven’t been there in over 20 years.
not sure where that is, I was filming in Hemet area
It looks amazing
Thanks
Omg thank u so much for responding I love ur channel ur my favourite TH-cam
I don’t know where you’re riding but I wish I could ride somewhere like that .
My favorite trails around my house
Come to West Virginia find rocky stuff like that in your back yard lol
*KTM/Husky or EURO bike 2 strokes - big 4 abandoned the market and don't supports them no more*
yea, EU guys are ahead in 2 stroke offroad market
there is still the Yamaha YZ250x but its overpriced new compared to Euro technology and 2t development engine wise, if you got a good second hand one cheap enough be a good bike, great suspension and chassis is still good enough for most people frankly, but new its behind a fair bit, still a fun bike, fun is what it is still about, so second hand be good option imo.
Can you blame them? They make and sell so much other stuff that they can't be bothered with the niche enduro market
In the power category are you both running the same power valve springs and what about carb/jet settings. Are they different enough to make the big difference in power and power delivery?
i am pretty sure we both run stock springs, at least for 2004 for sure. I did not touch powervalve settings. For the carburetors we are running exactly the same settings, as these are Lectron carburetors with no jets.
@@dirtniron Copy, thanks
If you dont mind me asking, what was the total amount of money you put in it? looking to do one myself. Do you have the cost for all the necessary part (not plastics bling etc.)
Hey Noah, I think you need around $2-3k to do decent build.. engine, suspension, protection, pipe$silencer, etc..
Epic content, perhaps full uncut riding videos could be next ??
thanks Henry! yes, I can post that, there might be some guys interested in raw riding
The best thing any rider can do is seat time. Get the bike properly set up for you. Any bike 1990 or newer is going to be better than you or I will ever be.
I absolutely agree with your conclusion. :)
I knew you would ;)
Looks like you ditched the trials tire on the 04 was that just for this video or did you not like the tire?
i like the tire, I got around 25h on it, still worked good. I just wanted to try something new and also wanted to have identical tires on these bikes for the test. I plan to do review video on that trials tire -- something like "25h of riding review"
That sounds like a good idea. I know they last a long time , and they are super sticky. I’ll look forward to see the review
You always make grate vids 👍
thanks :)
$10,000 difference when similarly trimmed....hmmmm. I'll buy two 04's and bring a buddy along and still have cash left over for other toys!
Where is that in SoCal? Nice video.
in hemet area. glad you like it
Sweet video rado! I’ve heard good things about the new at81 ex. But imo the standard at81 front and rear are trash.
I like them both, I have standard at81 on Sherco right now and had it before on Husaberg as well, they hold up well for my riding
Lots of rocks where i ride so that could be why.
Where is this spot? it looks close to me...
Just wondering about the flex bars I’m considering getting some for my 08 wr450 I have only heard good things about them just interested in any opinions out there?
I like mine, the only bit negative thing I can say after 2 years of riding with them is that they look a bit awkward ;)
Wow the bike that's 15 years newer handles better, has more usable power and better suspension. I am in shock! 😭
I was surprised too :)
seriously, two guys having fun on a bikes.. its not a scientific review.. we just wanted to see how close they are..
Haha definitely. I ride a 2003 CRF450. I would love to see a comparison with a 2019
Both of the bikes are rad
thanks Max!
When are you gonna start the RMZ build?
i did, bike is fully apart, this week I should work on engine..
Nice comparison!
thanks Mark
of course they were tight on the looks department ! is there an ugly off road bike ??? :-)
Hey brother . Do you think 3k is a good price for a 02 300exc with new seals bearings and gaskets ?
I think its bit expensive.. but these days the prices are really unreasonable..
@@dirtniron thanks for answering 🙏
I agree
Are you saying I should upgrade from my 1987 KTM 350 Enduro? :) BTW, what's a power valve? :)
haha, you should have joined us for the shootout ;)
A little sliding giutine thing that changes how gas's travel in the cylinder porting....
@@billallen4793 It was satire Bill. Yes, I know that it changes the exhaust port height...
Of couse i need the brand new bike..
Where is that area? I live in California and would love to ride there.
its around hemet
They’re both going to be about the same with the 2019 being a little bit lighter and handling a bit better and maybe power delivery is a bit smoother. However dirt bike technology peaked years ago. We aren’t making leaps and bounds in technology like in the past. The difference between a 250 two stroke made in 1984 and one in 1999 is night and day. You apply that to an 04’ versus a ‘19 and that gap is way closer than an 84’ versus ‘99. I had an 05’ KTM 250 sx and that bike stock was a rocket! It’s still a competitive bike if you can work the bugs out of the suspension. I also had a 2000 KTM 380sx and in my opinion was one of the best dirt bike ever made and still can keep up with modern bikes. An 04’ KTM 300 MxC is going to be a usable/relevant bike for a long time. Unless your a factory racer and you need every little edge you can get, I’ll stick with my cheap used bikes that I can keep alive.
sounds good Christian, thanks for sharing!
I think this ”test” say noting. If you compare two bikes you must have them in stock. Who will put in 5000 dollar on a 2004? Here in Sweden you get a good 2016 for 5000 dollar. The interesting thing a think is to compare stockbikes from different years.
yes Daniel that would be interesting, too bad I dont have stock mint 2004, but I have build mint 2004, so I compared it. i am not a magazine or media company, just an enthusiast having fun ;)
Dirt N Iron keep up the good work. Nice videos 👍
Fair play to you mate great video.
thanks Rich
Awesome vid! :-D
thanks Rodney!
Want to get knee braces but people says it cause fermur damage is it true ? Or should I just get them
The leatt x frames have saved my knees in multiple situations and with a proper mx boot on it will brace your whole leg. Worth the investment and is cheaper than knee surgery. At first they feel funky but you will get used to them. And they will boost your confidence. I also recommended full length knee brace socks.
so... how many bumps until the frame snaps?
its not that bad :)
What year front fender and plate is that on the 2004 and does it fit right on?
2013 and I had to get the bracket for it, Cycra has one
I thought the 19 xc had a black frame. That looks like an 18.
It is 19 and it has black frame, orange are the frame protectors only
Anyone know where I can find new plastics for my 2004 KTM 300 EXC?
UFO plastics should have some
Put a heavier flywheel on your bike and it will be a lot more user friendly.
I might test one on the video, never rode with FWW
It will certainly tame the beast 👍
Meh. It just delays everything. The hit, throttle response, but also stalls. I don't care for them.
what part of California was this shot in?
Socal, Riverside county
I feel like KTMs are overrated. Almost everytime im on a big trail ride with a bunch of people either a KTM or Husquvarna or some other boutique bike breaks down and we all end up wasting half the day trying to get them home. I drive a 2007 KX250f shes old but shes trusty, gets her regular maintance and shes never let me down!
when it come to offroad 2 strokes, KTM is pretty good. I am not brand loyal, I like them all, but KTM really feels great on technical stuff.. personally I could always make it back home on KTM
80% Rider, 20% Machine.
Great video
thanks Robin