Thank you so much for taking the time to put these videos together. I have watched a few since I'm interested in this bike and I really appreciate your candid, real-life reviews of this bike. Keep them coming, they are very helpful.
@TACOMOTOCO Thank you for the comment, and for the work your company+channel is doing for the motorcycle community. I suspect there is more content to come on this subject.
Ktm made a statement about the tank. They said the extra fuel in the tank when the engine stops receiving fuel is not an issue in rough off-road conditions like it was designed for. The fuel splashes up into the middle of the tank. This is only an issue for flat road stuff.
@@Redwood414 true saw a video where where the tank was ran almost dry off road. I don't understand why not just run a pick up hose down to the lowest spot? Also gas boils on the 500 from heat...i need to try heat shielding.
I have 24 KTM 250 XCW with the same tank design and I need to do a range test on mine after break in. Thanks for the video. I have seen other people do a range test on a 300 and the right side of the tank was empty. I'm sure that depends on the terrain you are in.
The terrain is a big factor. Depending on the terrain and rider input I am confident you can use all of the fuel. If your riding smooth flat roads and without assistance, your bike will stop picking up fuel well before the tank is empty.
Love your brake down on the new bike. I subscribed and thumbs up ya. My whole problem with the bike is having to worry about how you ride to make the bike work and if I new that you couldn't flat ride at the end of your fuel is just tragic. My 2012 goes 100 miles on the stock tank then 8-12 more miles after that Not bad.
Thank you. I am thinking about taking the plunge and getting the big money dirt bike.All the real word info I can get is great. You have a sub and a thumbs up. Cheers from Canada.
I recently got the GASGAS 2024 ES500. I was going to pick up the 350 but went with the 500 instead. It’s 3 lbs heavier than the 350. I spent a good amount of time laying both the 350 and 500 over and they felt identical picking up. It’s not as light at my 250 2stroke was but it’s far lighter than the DRZ400.(which I owned one from 01-09). The mapping is super lean. Hands down. My buddy works for factory KTM as a mechanic and he said it will flame out. And it does. I ride in the New England area where it is much tighter than out west. He said he can put the Euro Tune into the ecu and that should fix the issue. EJK piggyback tuners work well also according to other guys I know who have 22’s. Be aware of the reed peddles in the air box falling out. I guess they used bad clue and they’ve been having issues. And if one falls out your bike will run like dog shit because it’s not mapped for all that extra air. Great vid. You answered my question about the fuel light and it definitely runs out of fuel long before it should. My mechanic friend told me to “pop a wheelie” also to fix the fuel light and I thought he was joking. He wasn’t. Mods I suggest. Change end cap on pipe. Way cheaper and it uncorks a lot of power BUT you will need the mapping change to deal with the more free flowing exhaust. .oh and the seat SUCKS. Any recommendations would be appreciated
How much does your buddy charge for the retune of the ecu? I went ahead and installed the Athena Get SX1. Yeah I am familiar with the reeds. I have found that the terrain has a big impact on when the bike stops picking up fuel. Like you mentioned, it is possible to use it all but you will have to get the last bit up to the pump one way or another.
@@dustinhoover3157 he’s not going to charge me anything. I bring bike to him. He reprograms the ecu with his laptop. As for a shop? I don’t think the dealers have access to the same equipment he has as a factory mechanic. Basically he travels the country repairing bikes that dealers can’t.
I noticed a huge difference in my Husky when I tuned it. Especially the red hot exhaust that melted straps on my fender bag. The stuff your riding you probably would not notice much of a difference. You get into the woods with single track and technical, you will definitely notice a difference. Do what works for you.
@chazman4461 I hear ya. I wasn't trying to come off as saying the bike cannot be improved upon. Though I did want to provide and unbiased and fair assessment. I have had the bike in much tighter terrain than in this video. I still think it is accurate to say the stock machine is more capable than most people. Even with the known issues. I think that says alot about KTM's ability to work with regulations.
@dustinhoover3157 yesss keep em comin. Naybe in the backround of your next vid. Im sooo tired of these rippn moto vids with the lamest music on the planet. 🤘
About half a tank is the pattern for the fuel light on my bike as well. Mileage can vary depending on the terrain. I have been getting around another 20 miles after the fuel light comes on, then the pump starts to have issues with pickup. If the terrain is rough or I make an effort, I can use most or all of the fuel in the tank. Definetely an annoyance.
Thank you for putting that out there. Even though that mod was released recently, I decided that these results with the stock machine were still worth posting. Something worth mentioning is that there is a bit of a silver lining to the fuel pickup issue. It can act as a reserve function. In the event that a rider gets carried away and runs the bike down past the pickup, you get that "uh oh" moment. At that point you can tip the bike over, get some fuel to the pump and re-evaluate your route. Additionally, if you get carried away with the modified pump and run the tank down, you have much less reserve fuel. Possibly none at all. If you run the pump totally dry when modded, you will have to re prime it as well. Some things to consider.
I have a 2024 excf 350. I could have gotten the 500 for only $200 more, but I was told the 350 had plenty of power and would be less in insurance. It has plenty of power and I just added the Acerbis 4 gallon tank. I also took the white side plastics off and exchanged them with black ones. It looks mean.
@@DD-bx3gm Nice. It would be great to have an opportunity to ride the 350 and 500 back to back. I considered the 350 for a while. There are alot of variables that can affect insurance. Your age and where you live can have a big impact.
@@ridemfast7625 Absolutely. It comes down to terrain and rider input. If you are on a flat smooth road riding in a strait line, it will stop picking up a bit less than half tank. If you are log hoppin', rock jumping, enduro riding you might use most or all of the fuel.
This bike just doesn't run well stock. I lasted half a year before I had to start modding. The flame outs were numerous and frequent. Also they were happening in dangerous places. I had lots of starting issues as well. The dealership literally said " oh ya, this bike isn't designed to run properly stock. The emissions system is an after-thought and causes huge problems." After a vortex and an FMF (I definitely didn't want to buy) the bike does preform as intended and all the problems magically went away. It's an animal now tho. You've been warned.
Nice! It definetely does run a little funny stock. Though I have not experienced the stalling or flameout issue. Even with it being held back I still found the machine to be capable. Which makes the thought of opening it up quite interesting.
I had my Husky flameout on a tight hill in the woods and slipped and fell breaking my knee. First thing I did when I recovered was get rid of the stuff causing the flameouts. My knee never fully recovered. So I may be a little biased with the emmissions system but I absolutely hate how they run with these systems.
@dustinhoover3157 Ya it's very capable stock don't get me wrong. I just happened to have a few odd issues. The mods are worth it though for sure th-cam.com/video/sUFVTD-mchk/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
The history with smog equipment on bikes in the USA finds it origins with the State of California and their special requirements. I really wish manufactures would offer "49 state" bikes and make a de-tuned "California model". I've got a 2009 WR450 and it has a AIS system that needs to be removed then plug engine holes - about $50. Never once have I owned a bike that flames out, but that really doesn't sound good. I paid $4500 for that WR4500 in very good used shape. Thinking about buying a 500 EXC but an extra bill large to make an expensive bike run right is a tough pill to swallow.
The speedometers on the 500RXC-F and other KTM’s reads significantly fast. I have owned 2 and they were both off by 4 mph (fast, verified by GPS and roadside traffic speed machine. As such, the fuel mileage you’re recording are off
Perhaps that is true. It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing was said about a motorcycle. However, I have double checked the distance with maps and it is quite accurate. Something to keep in mind is that just because the speedometer is off, does not automatically mean trip meter and odometer are inaccurate. There is a difference in the way speed and distance are calibrated.
Want to hear about awful mileage? Last year I was on a dual sport ride on a borrowed XR650L. On the 2.8 gallon stock tank, it got all of 104 miles before dying. Works out to 37mpg. My car does better than that on the highway 😅
That is a big carbureted single cylinder! I suppose we need to know how much you were getting into the throttle. My results were definetely on the upper end of what the 500 is capable of. Light rider, minimal cargo, and mostly easy on the throttle that day.
Great video but jeasus, why oh why design a measurement system so convoluted you use a measure of weight to describe a unit of volume. Ounce/gallon. I did my apprenticeship here in Australia before it went metric and the imperial system still gives me aids.
@stephenjacob9316 Thanks for your feedback on that. I will be making some changes on how I present such information in the future. Most likely a chart instead of verbal. Concerning the ounces, my mistake was not stating fluid ounces as it is printed on the MSR bottle itself. I could have used mL, and I considered omitting any mention of the fuel bottles as it would not have affected the results much. I ended up recounting events as they happened for authenticity. With respect to imperial and metric, I am US based so I was going to post results in gallons and miles no matter what. I included some metric values in anticipation of viewers elsewhere. It was also my mistake not to do a complete breakdown of the results in metric. I did not include distance traveled in kilometers, or fuel consumption in kilometers per liter. I will update the video description to include that information.
Thank you so much for taking the time to put these videos together. I have watched a few since I'm interested in this bike and I really appreciate your candid, real-life reviews of this bike. Keep them coming, they are very helpful.
@@kevincollins9466 Right on! I am glad you find value in these videos.
Great review and we pretty much feel the same on all points. Raise idle to 1900 verified w a tach to cure most low throttle angle issues
@TACOMOTOCO Thank you for the comment, and for the work your company+channel is doing for the motorcycle community. I suspect there is more content to come on this subject.
Would you recommend me going with a 2015 cheapest at 7500$ or a 2018 900$ at 8400 more or a brand new one for 11500$
Ktm made a statement about the tank. They said the extra fuel in the tank when the engine stops receiving fuel is not an issue in rough off-road conditions like it was designed for. The fuel splashes up into the middle of the tank. This is only an issue for flat road stuff.
@@Redwood414 at least they know about the issue
@@Redwood414 true saw a video where where the tank was ran almost dry off road. I don't understand why not just run a pick up hose down to the lowest spot? Also gas boils on the 500 from heat...i need to try heat shielding.
I have 24 KTM 250 XCW with the same tank design and I need to do a range test on mine after break in. Thanks for the video. I have seen other people do a range test on a 300 and the right side of the tank was empty. I'm sure that depends on the terrain you are in.
The terrain is a big factor. Depending on the terrain and rider input I am confident you can use all of the fuel. If your riding smooth flat roads and without assistance, your bike will stop picking up fuel well before the tank is empty.
Love your brake down on the new bike. I subscribed and thumbs up ya. My whole problem with the bike is having to worry about how you ride to make the bike work and if I new that you couldn't flat ride at the end of your fuel is just tragic. My 2012 goes 100 miles on the stock tank then 8-12 more miles after that Not bad.
Thank you. I am thinking about taking the plunge and getting the big money dirt bike.All the real word info I can get is great.
You have a sub and a thumbs up.
Cheers from Canada.
Thank you for your support! There will be more information coming out about the 500 in the near future.
Do yourself a favor and buy a 2014-2016. These bike will go down in history as some of the best work KTM has done.
I recently got the GASGAS 2024 ES500. I was going to pick up the 350 but went with the 500 instead. It’s 3 lbs heavier than the 350. I spent a good amount of time laying both the 350 and 500 over and they felt identical picking up. It’s not as light at my 250 2stroke was but it’s far lighter than the DRZ400.(which I owned one from 01-09).
The mapping is super lean. Hands down. My buddy works for factory KTM as a mechanic and he said it will flame out. And it does. I ride in the New England area where it is much tighter than out west.
He said he can put the Euro Tune into the ecu and that should fix the issue. EJK piggyback tuners work well also according to other guys I know who have 22’s.
Be aware of the reed peddles in the air box falling out. I guess they used bad clue and they’ve been having issues. And if one falls out your bike will run like dog shit because it’s not mapped for all that extra air. Great vid. You answered my question about the fuel light and it definitely runs out of fuel long before it should.
My mechanic friend told me to “pop a wheelie” also to fix the fuel light and I thought he was joking. He wasn’t.
Mods I suggest. Change end cap on pipe. Way cheaper and it uncorks a lot of power BUT you will need the mapping change to deal with the more free flowing exhaust. .oh and the seat SUCKS. Any recommendations would be appreciated
How much does your buddy charge for the retune of the ecu? I went ahead and installed the Athena Get SX1. Yeah I am familiar with the reeds. I have found that the terrain has a big impact on when the bike stops picking up fuel. Like you mentioned, it is possible to use it all but you will have to get the last bit up to the pump one way or another.
@@dustinhoover3157 he’s not going to charge me anything. I bring bike to him. He reprograms the ecu with his laptop. As for a shop? I don’t think the dealers have access to the same equipment he has as a factory mechanic. Basically he travels the country repairing bikes that dealers can’t.
@@Grezza420 Right on. That will be a welcome adjustment for you. I am enjoying my 500.
good stuff
I noticed a huge difference in my Husky when I tuned it. Especially the red hot exhaust that melted straps on my fender bag. The stuff your riding you probably would not notice much of a difference. You get into the woods with single track and technical, you will definitely notice a difference. Do what works for you.
@chazman4461 I hear ya. I wasn't trying to come off as saying the bike cannot be improved upon. Though I did want to provide and unbiased and fair assessment. I have had the bike in much tighter terrain than in this video. I still think it is accurate to say the stock machine is more capable than most people. Even with the known issues. I think that says alot about KTM's ability to work with regulations.
Subbed! Because of the Death shirt....oh and the Exc info! 🤘
It was just a matter of time until the Human tee got its recognition. I might have a couple of DEATH covers in the gnarchives a ways back.
@dustinhoover3157 yesss keep em comin. Naybe in the backround of your next vid. Im sooo tired of these rippn moto vids with the lamest music on the planet. 🤘
My fuel light comes on at 41 miles on my 2024 gasgas ec300. Not happy about that. It appears to be at the half tank mark on a 2.3 ish gallon tank.
About half a tank is the pattern for the fuel light on my bike as well. Mileage can vary depending on the terrain. I have been getting around another 20 miles after the fuel light comes on, then the pump starts to have issues with pickup. If the terrain is rough or I make an effort, I can use most or all of the fuel in the tank. Definetely an annoyance.
It’s funny because my Husky Vitpilen 401 does the same thing. Gas light come on at half a tank
Taco Moto Co makes a mod that will extend to the base of the tank.
Thank you for putting that out there. Even though that mod was released recently, I decided that these results with the stock machine were still worth posting.
Something worth mentioning is that there is a bit of a silver lining to the fuel pickup issue. It can act as a reserve function. In the event that a rider gets carried away and runs the bike down past the pickup, you get that "uh oh" moment. At that point you can tip the bike over, get some fuel to the pump and re-evaluate your route.
Additionally, if you get carried away with the modified pump and run the tank down, you have much less reserve fuel. Possibly none at all. If you run the pump totally dry when modded, you will have to re prime it as well. Some things to consider.
I have a 2024 excf 350. I could have gotten the 500 for only $200 more, but I was told the 350 had plenty of power and would be less in insurance. It has plenty of power and I just added the Acerbis 4 gallon tank. I also took the white side plastics off and exchanged them with black ones. It looks mean.
@@DD-bx3gm Nice. It would be great to have an opportunity to ride the 350 and 500 back to back. I considered the 350 for a while. There are alot of variables that can affect insurance. Your age and where you live can have a big impact.
Wondering if riding pavement but in the foothills or sierras, riding the twisties and some sweepers, if that would slosh more fuel for the pump?
@@ridemfast7625 Absolutely. It comes down to terrain and rider input. If you are on a flat smooth road riding in a strait line, it will stop picking up a bit less than half tank. If you are log hoppin', rock jumping, enduro riding you might use most or all of the fuel.
This bike just doesn't run well stock. I lasted half a year before I had to start modding. The flame outs were numerous and frequent. Also they were happening in dangerous places. I had lots of starting issues as well. The dealership literally said " oh ya, this bike isn't designed to run properly stock. The emissions system is an after-thought and causes huge problems."
After a vortex and an FMF (I definitely didn't want to buy) the bike does preform as intended and all the problems magically went away. It's an animal now tho. You've been warned.
Nice! It definetely does run a little funny stock. Though I have not experienced the stalling or flameout issue. Even with it being held back I still found the machine to be capable. Which makes the thought of opening it up quite interesting.
I had my Husky flameout on a tight hill in the woods and slipped and fell breaking my knee. First thing I did when I recovered was get rid of the stuff causing the flameouts. My knee never fully recovered. So I may be a little biased with the emmissions system but I absolutely hate how they run with these systems.
Yeah I absolutely understand. Mine flamed out while I was crossing a road and almost got hit by a truck so I am also bias.
@dustinhoover3157
Ya it's very capable stock don't get me wrong. I just happened to have a few odd issues.
The mods are worth it though for sure
th-cam.com/video/sUFVTD-mchk/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
The history with smog equipment on bikes in the USA finds it origins with the State of California and their special requirements. I really wish manufactures would offer "49 state" bikes and make a de-tuned "California model". I've got a 2009 WR450 and it has a AIS system that needs to be removed then plug engine holes - about $50. Never once have I owned a bike that flames out, but that really doesn't sound good. I paid $4500 for that WR4500 in very good used shape. Thinking about buying a 500 EXC but an extra bill large to make an expensive bike run right is a tough pill to swallow.
Great video
The speedometers on the 500RXC-F and other KTM’s reads significantly fast. I have owned 2 and they were both off by 4 mph (fast, verified by GPS and roadside traffic speed machine. As such, the fuel mileage you’re recording are off
Perhaps that is true. It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing was said about a motorcycle. However, I have double checked the distance with maps and it is quite accurate. Something to keep in mind is that just because the speedometer is off, does not automatically mean trip meter and odometer are inaccurate. There is a difference in the way speed and distance are calibrated.
Want to hear about awful mileage? Last year I was on a dual sport ride on a borrowed XR650L. On the 2.8 gallon stock tank, it got all of 104 miles before dying. Works out to 37mpg. My car does better than that on the highway 😅
That is a big carbureted single cylinder! I suppose we need to know how much you were getting into the throttle. My results were definetely on the upper end of what the 500 is capable of. Light rider, minimal cargo, and mostly easy on the throttle that day.
@@dustinhoover3157 I was not going easy on the throttle that day. Lots of highway speed drifting on gravel. A borrowed bike.
I wonder why IMS made a 4.5 gallon tank for the Husqvarna and not the KTM.
Not sure. It could be in development. I believe Acerbis offer a 4 gallon tank for the KTM.
Buy a beta
Great video but jeasus, why oh why design a measurement system so convoluted you use a measure of weight to describe a unit of volume. Ounce/gallon.
I did my apprenticeship here in Australia before it went metric and the imperial system still gives me aids.
@stephenjacob9316 Thanks for your feedback on that. I will be making some changes on how I present such information in the future. Most likely a chart instead of verbal.
Concerning the ounces, my mistake was not stating fluid ounces as it is printed on the MSR bottle itself. I could have used mL, and I considered omitting any mention of the fuel bottles as it would not have affected the results much. I ended up recounting events as they happened for authenticity.
With respect to imperial and metric, I am US based so I was going to post results in gallons and miles no matter what. I included some metric values in anticipation of viewers elsewhere. It was also my mistake not to do a complete breakdown of the results in metric. I did not include distance traveled in kilometers, or fuel consumption in kilometers per liter. I will update the video description to include that information.
Dooo it