A
while back it seemed as though
manufacturers were trying to phase
out the venerable two-stroke,
despite the fact there was still
strong demand. It appeared as if
the unnaturally hairy, tree-hugger
types would get their way. However, history
and demand has proven otherwise. Of course,
for on-road work there has had to be some
appeasement with regard to emissions, hence
the fuel injection (TPI) models from KTM
and Husqvarna. But even the total cynic in
me has to admit the TPI system works very
well everywhere – and it’s clean burning.
This brings me nicely to Tommy Buxton’s
KTM 300EXC race bike, our test bike and the
very last of the carburettor models. Having
spent many hours on a TPI 250cc machine
over the Christmas break, I was keen to see if
the carb model felt “old school” already and
generally how it stacked up. It’s amazing how
quickly our perception moves on; out with the
old, in with the new etc, but, really, Tommy’s
bike is a thoroughly modern machine.
KTM is selling the carburetted model
alongside the TPI version. The carb’ model
comes in 3kg lighter and will save you $900
to boot. It gets the counter-balancer and
everything else is absolutely cutting edge.
But what are you losing out on, if anything?
GOOD JETTING, CRISP MOTOR
Tommy has tinkered with the jetting, so the
bike was crisp, with only the usual warm-up
procedure producing a few burbles and the
associated smoke. Once hot the engine ran
very well. The power delivery is livelier than
pre-counter-balanced engines with less
flywheel feel, although there’s still plenty
of torque and inertia. It is racy feeling and
reasonably abrupt if you swing on the throttle
carelessly, but will still tractor up a cliff
effortlessly on a sniff of gas when required.
The mid-range is wide and strong, well-
suited to big hills and flowing trails. For racers
I see the power delivery as more suitable for
achieving effortless trail times than outright
pace in special tests... mainly because the
huge mid-range torque struggles to get
KIWI RIDER 35