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We got a little throttle happy with our 2023 KTM 300XC-W test bike. To our surprise, we managed to log almost 200 hours (191 to be exact) of trail time on the completely stock unit in about a seven-month timespan. We still can’t believe it, but all those missed deadlines make sense now. We teamed up with AEO Powersports, REP Suspension, Race Winning Brands, Bulletproof Designs and a host of other industry-leading companies to completely rebuild this 2023 KTM 300XC-W.

Ray Rodden from Kinetic Ride Company was the man behind the wrenches on this project. Usually, when we start a build, the bike is torn apart, assessed, and then the decisions are made on what stays and what goes. With this build, because of the sheer amount of time already on the bike, pretty much all the moving and wear parts were replaced except for the actual transmission gears.

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ENGINE

With 191 hours running time on the engine without any major maintenance, we were a little scared to see what everything looked like internally. The bike was running and working well when we decided to do this project, but that’s a lot of time on an engine regardless. Much to our surprise, everything inside was in working order, and a lot of items naturally were out of the manufacturer’s recommended wear specifications. But, it was all still working like it was designed to and could have probably lasted way longer.

With the engine completely taken apart by Brad at Parapros, the cases headed to Sano Metal Finishing to get cleaned up and some specialty coating applied. The seals and bearings were replaced internally using kits from ProX, we used a Pro-Lite piston kit from Wiseco, and Andrew Langston with Langston Performance rebuilt the crankshaft. We went with a full Rekluse Core Manual clutch that features their TorqDrive technology instead of the full-auto version, because we liked the OEM clutch action but wanted a little more adjustability and positive traction to the rear wheel. Parapros sealed up the engine using Cometic gaskets and an entirely new Nickel Wurks hardware kit from Specbolt that added some additional bling factor.

ktm 300xc w rebuild KTM-parts.jpgKickstands are a must on trail bikes, and the Fastway/Pro Moto Billet kickstand is one of the best on the market. ICW straightened and braced up our stock radiators, making them off-road-ready. Increased fuel storage with an IMS oversized tank means more trail riding, and that makes everyone happy.

 

We left all the ECU/electrical settings OEM KTM, but we did add a complete Scalvini exhaust system from the crew at Motoman Distributing for a little extra power just in case it was needed. We aren’t going to lie, the cool cone-pipe look was one of the deciding factors in choosing the Scalvini system. Jay Clark from “Dirt Bike TV” was a huge help putting all the puzzle pieces together during the parts sourcing of our engine rebuild process.

CHASSIS

Although an engine rebuild is a big undertaking, the chassis on this build is where most of our time was spent. The one thing unanimously agreed upon was that the orange frame color had to go, and our Instagram followers chose the new black color that we went with, thanks to the crew at San Diego Powder Coating. We kept the swingarm the natural raw aluminum color, but had to file down some deep scratches, sand out some smaller imperfections, and then send it off to be polished up to bring back that showroom shine. Our stock suspension was in need of some major TLC, so you could imagine with almost 200 hours of service how dirty the oil was.

Mark Johnson and his entire crew at Research Engineering Performance (REP) handled bringing our suspension back to life. Even with almost 200 hours, we again were surprised how the overall condition wasn’t too bad when everything was torn apart. Yes, it was worn out, but we expected way worse. REP makes the suspension process pretty simple, with most of the process being done on a computer or smartphone. Online appointment booking, rider sheets, cost estimators, and the best part is, if you don’t understand anything, their customer service consultant, Chelsey is available on the phone and will walk you through the entire process. On this project we stayed conservative and didn’t take the WP Pro Components leap, but did get the REP royal treatment with a complete internal rebuild, re-valve, and spring setup all designed specifically for the type of tight technical riding we planned on doing.

looking at it now you never would have guessed our 2023 ktm 300xc w had 191 the scalvini exhaust is easy on the eyes and provides noticeable performance gainsThe Scalvini exhaust is easy on the eyes and provides noticeable performance gains.

When building any off-road bike, protection is always a key factor, and this KTM 300XC-W is no exception. Bulletproof Designs offers a wide variety of items available in that department. We installed their billet-aluminum radiator guards, chain adjusters, rear chainguide swingarm mount guard and an upgraded set of wheels that replaced the used-up stock units. We wrapped the new wheels with Maxxis off-road tires featuring Nitromousse foam inserts to eliminate the possibility of getting a flat on the trail.

Another company big in the protection game is TM Designworks, using a full-coverage skid plate, front fork-lug protectors, rear brake-caliper protection, rear rotor protection, rear chainguide and chain sliders on this build, and they all work flawlessly! Other chassis bolt-on items included are the ProTaper handlebars and grips, Seat Concepts gripper seat cover, Fastway pegs, Pro Moto Billet kickstand, Luxon Gen 3 triple clamps, P3 Carbon frame guards, FCP engine mounts, and an IMS Products 3.1-gallon oversized tank and coolant recovery system.

 

the engine was freshened up by parapros using wiseco and prox parts with a rebuilt crank from langston performanceThe engine was freshened up by Parapros using Wiseco and ProX parts with a rebuilt crank from Langston Performance.

END RESULT

This 2023 KTM 300XC-W project has us scratching our heads now just like it did when we realized that somehow we had managed to put 191 hours on it without any major maintenance. Naturally, in the beginning, we figured it would be bad, but throughout the process we kept catching ourselves saying, “Well, it could have been way worse” or “It’s not that bad” over and over again. Once Ray at Kinetic finished the build, we quickly moved on to how it should look better than it did brand new.

Now, after being able to throw a leg over the finished product, the entire Dirt Bike Magazine staff is in awe that our 200-hour KTM 300XCW project outperforms the stock model (that we thought couldn’t get much better) in every aspect. It hands down looks better, thanks to a complete RTech plastics kit, Backyard Designs custom graphics kit and a matching Seat Concepts gripper seat. Every inch of the bike is covered in protection, the IMS tank increases ride time, Nitromousse eliminates the flat possibilities, REP Suspension specs have to be experienced to be appreciated, and the engine assembled by Brad at Parapros is like new again.

How did we make a bike with almost 200 hours on it better than brand new? We still aren’t exactly sure, but we are positive the next 200 hours will be more fun than the first 200 hours!

The post KTM 300 TPI PROJECT: BACK FROM THE DEAD! appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

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