KTM ’ s Six Day machines are fabulous bikes , upgraded and fine-tuned from the factory as a purpose built Six-day bike to suit the average fast guy . They come standard with all manner of bling , but also some cool parts that are a higher spec than standard . But ... what do you do when its very well used ... like 250 hours used ? The owner of this bike , Craig Loades , wondered if it could be rebuilt to be significantly better than a new , off-the-shelf Six Days - he was convinced he could . And while he was at it , he would adapt it for hard enduro . Now , where have I heard that before ? But you know what ...? Jumping ahead a little , he was right .
THE BASE BIKE Starting with a 2017 KTM 300 EXC Six Days that has over 250 hours on it , Craig had his work cut out . But , his rebuilt KTM is awesome , especially when you consider it was a worn out five-yearold bike . Craig has included all the detail of the rebuild below , so I ’ ll focus on the ride aspect and let him tell you about the metal side of things . First up , the bike looks very slick , there are few signs of its age . An excellent graphics kit and some new plastics work wonders .
ENGINE WITH JET-LESS CARB Next , I was very interested in the Lectron Billetron , jet-less carb . There ’ s nothing quite like a truly crisp two-stroke engine to enhance ride feel and enjoyment . And this thing delivers . Throttle response is initially very direct and sharp with a seamless transition throughout the rev range . There ’ s a strong delivery with excellent torque at all revs and great , early , midrange grunt . Top end power and over rev is well up on standard 300EXCs I have ridden , which tend to go a bit flat at high rpm . This is useable and tractable , and certainly very responsive , requiring an educated right wrist , something which might test younger four-stroke riders . Under trailing throttle , on the brakes , there was a hint of the engine running
50 KIWI RIDER