KTM has gone ‘all-in’ as far as racing in America goes, with their latest trophy haul proving to the world that they have the recipe for success. This influence of being heavily involved in America seems to be rubbing off on the Austrian company... You see, in the United States of America excess and size matters. They openly preach from the good book of might is right, and hence there’s no replacement for displacement etc, etc… So when I got to throw a leg over the latest KTM 500 XC-W I was worried that this was going to be an overwhelming platter of supersized double cheese burgers with fries and a large shake. So what I wanted to find out is if the Americans are onto something or is this bike a by-product of brash excess?
Essentially KTM has one bike with three engines; the 350, 450 and the 500. They share the same, new for 2015, bright orange frame and the frame geometry is the same as are the wheels, top class controls, levers, handlebars, grips, footpegs, cooling systems, multi disc DDS hydraulic clutches, etc, so to tell them apart is very hard, unless the stickers are still on the bike as you walk into it.
OK, so let’s start with what the Americans call math. The KTM 350 XC-W weighs in at 107kg, while the KTM450 XC-W and KTM 500 XC-W weigh in at 111kg respectively. That isn’t a big difference with all things considered, is it? Last year, when I rode the KTM 350 XC-W I could feel the weight and you had to work the engine a little too hard to get around. I rode a friend’s KTM 450 XC-W and felt it was better at carrying its weight than the 350XC-W, but that too needed some frantic revving to get the job done. Then along comes the 500 XC-W, which actually feels lighter than both the other/same bikes, for some strange reason. I think it’s because of the gyroscopic effect of the engine or something, because the 500 option needs to be revved way less to get the same job done. You chug around rather than race around, which I sort of enjoyed in a Texas sort of way. To be honest the bike makes you really lazy, like eating a Big Mac or ten. I actually became a little bored, dare I say, testing the 500XC-W because hill climbs are a doddle, drag racing mates is a breeze and mud? What mud? I think you get the picture.
Now don’t get me wrong this bike can go fast, too fast in fact! The downside of all that speed is when you do want to spin the engine up higher in the rev range the whole bike vibrates so much that it becomes uncomfortable. If you do find yourself on the wrong side of speed be grateful that KTM have the best brakes money can buy, well, at least in the world of off-road. 
If I have another gripe and I do, it would be the WP suspension. Why is it set up so soft, especially if you eat take-aways three times a day? I know you can get these units to work perfectly and if you buy this bike I would suggest getting help from your dealer, because they are great when set up. But standard you will wallow like a soggy fish.
In a nutshell that’s basically it regarding my little mini shootout. I would rate the latest enduro model KTMs as follows;
The 350 3rd, the 450 2nd and the 500 1st. The 500 is not as intimidating as you would think, yes it’s as fast as an American fat bloke losing control around an ice-ring, but for everyday riding I would still take it over the other two. And the prices are so close as well, with the 350 at R95,000, the 450 at R97,000 and the burger stuffed 500 is R99,000. None of these are cheap bikes, but what the fuk is nowadays?
So the Americans have got it right, this time. Might is right, it just makes everything easier. So when you find yourself faced with a dilemma of which KTM XC-W 4-stroke to buy, pass a gander at the 500XC-W, it may just surprise you as well. But if you’re open more to cost effective 2-strokes and need the same kind of power, rather take a ride on the superb 102kg KTM300 XC-W, because that is still where my money would go.
Bike available from www.radmoto.co.za and all other KTM related stuff.
Also visit www.ktmsa.co.za to find your nearest KTM dealer in South Africa.
