The back is a nice
upgrade from what
I’m used to, it has
really nice feel
in the lever and
the actuation is
responsive
The brakes are very handy little Brembo
numbers. They are paired with 260mm and
220mm Galfer discs front and rear respectively.
These do an awesome job of pulling the
bike up whenever needed. The front is really
responsive yet the lever has a soft, yet not at all
spongy, feel. What I’ve really enjoyed is that one
finger is enough even for stoppies and pulling
up when coming in a bit hot. The lever itself is
easy to reach and very useable. The back is
a nice upgrade from what I’m used to, it has
really nice feel in the lever and the actuation is
responsive. Gentle pressure from the right foot
is immediately noticeable but they won’t lock
up too easily, although, apply just a tad more
pressure and they are more than obliging.
Suspension is courtesy of WP units front and
back. Up front is the Xplor 48, the coil spring
fork used across the Enduro/XC range. Straight
out of the box the forks have worked really
well, all I have done is put the clickers on stock
positions for my puny weight (clicker settings
are thanks to the very comprehensive KTM
manual, which has everything you need to
know... and more). The fork has what has been
described to me as having the “soft little KTM
bit at the start of the travel”. The soft bit at the
top means smaller roots and corrugations go
virtually unnoticed. The forks have gone really
well in fast sand, dry farmland and soaked
Riverhead clay showing how versatile they
can be. They’re soft enough that I can bounce
the front around using my own weight yet
offer solid bottoming-out resistance. This
has encouraged me to push harder while still
allowing me to stay in control. KTM says the
bottoming resistance is due to the “sealed
hydro-stop”. The back is PDS, leaving no linkage
to hook up logs, which coming off a linkage-
type bike is a bonus.
As well as up and down, the round and round
aspects of the bike were a pleasant surprise. I
was expecting hard as nails Six Day tyres which
we would have swapped out. Instead the 150
comes fitted with Dunlop Geomax hoops,
which have hooked up everywhere.
The 2019 150XC-W handles well, feels
balanced and that extra displacement makes
it even more choice than a 125. This bike could
suit anyone who is looking for a 125 enduro
and wants a light bike, or who likes a 125
but wants a bit more oomph. Apart from not
washing itself, the 150 is a choice bike that goes
like a cut cat and is just plain fun to ride.