300cc two-stroke enduro bikes have long been praised as the ultimate woods-racing weapons, but which model is the king of kings? MOTO put some of the big-hitting 300s head-to-head to find out
Words by Andy Boller
Photography by Sebastien Wolter
If you look at prevailing trends in off-road over the past few years, the resurgence of 300cc two-strokes in the enduro market is certainly one of the strongest and most compelling. Amid the seemingly relentless push to make the entire off-road world a four-stoke one, 300cc smokers haven’t simply just kept a foot hold in the game, but in fact pushed back the four-stroke tide and dominated its market sector over 300cc plus four-strokes.
Inspired by the incredible success of the likes of Samuli Aro, who rode a largely stock version of KTM’s redesigned 300EXC to E3 WEC glory over factory 450s in 2008, riders of all levels very quickly cottoned on that 300s are cheaper, simpler, considerably lighter and all round more useable and effective enduro bikes in almost every aspect than big four-strokes, and for the widest range of riders imaginable too, from Sunday afternoon green laners to club racers and extreme enduro pros. Subsequently 300 sales flew up, as did development of 300s by enduros big hitters.
Seeing KTM’s sales success with a redeveloped 300, Husaberg (now replaced by Husqvarna), TM, Gas Gas, Beta and now Sherco have got in on the act, all developing essentially all-new and very good 300s in the very recent past to make the 300 bracket one of the most hotly contested and most buoyant in the entire off-road market. But amongst the kings of enduro, which 300 is the choice pick for enduro riders? What is the king of kings?
MOTO assembled a cross section of the 300 market – KTM’s sales-dominating 300EXC, the new Husky TE300, TM’s artisan 300EN and the new kid on the block Sherco SE-R300 – and put them through their paces to find out what is in all probability the great enduro bike available on the market today.
Spec & Tech
Four bikes were on test, but two are based on the same basic design – KTM’s 300EXC and the “new” Husky TE300, by virtue of common ownership. KTM set the bar high with its 300EXC when it redeveloped it a number of years ago and it has been the benchmark by which all other 300s have been judged ever since, but development has slowed on the bike in recent seasons and this shows in the fact that the EXC300 is now the most basic 300 of our test group, with the least adjustability or optional features.
What were once leading features, such as electric-starting, WP PDS shock, open cartridge forks, decent wheels and Brembo brakes are no longer the benchmark. Even the Husky it has bequeathed its motor and basic chassis too has taken that package and upgraded it significantly.
So instead of using KTM’s traditional linkless PDS system, Husky has instead specced a linkage suspension system as used by KTM’s American model XC bikes, a higher-spec WP four-cartridge 4CS fork and a three-piece plastic composite unit that was developed for the now defunct Husaberg brand, complete with very handy grab-handles. A bash guard is also fitted to the Husky and the bodywork and styling is completely different to the KTM too. Tyre spec is different too, with Husky inking a deal to run Michelin rubber, whilst KTM now comes fitted with Maxxis product.
The motors of the two bikes are essentially the exact same proven and loved KTM 300 lump, save for different branded clutch covers, but both the weight and price differ between the two. Courtesy of the linkage assembly and up-secced forks, the Husky TE300 weighs in a full two kilos heavier than the KTM 104kg to 102kg and the RRP on the Husky too is slightly higher at £7,099 compared to the EXC’s £6,799.
Cheaper and certainly more individual than either of the Austrian-built bikes is TM’s stunning 300EN.
If KTM/ Husky represents the current pinnacle of platform-engineering mass-market bike selling, then TM represents the diametric opposite. Small-scale hand crafted provenance is the Pesaro outfit’s modus operandi, producing low number runs of serious race-oriented machines with impeccable materials and attention to detail. Factory-level materials and production techniques abound on TMs and it’s an incredibly impressive feat that TM is able to deliver their bikes to market at a price lower than the biggest sellers in enduro. Kudos to TM for that.
You get a lot of bike for your money with the 300EN as well, starting with an aluminium perimeter type frame, a unique design feature from a European manufacturer in the enduro market. This paired with an in-house designed and built TM shock and 48mm KYB forks held in trick machined billet triple clamps with rubber mounted bar clamp, with the option of ordering full Ohlins front and rear direct from TM too. TM also machines its own hobs from solid billet too, marrying them to Excel rims.
The 100% TM engine is no less well specced either. Featuring sand-cast cases, in-house machined crank, con-rod, piston and more, it is as close to a “factory” lump as the average club racer can buy. For 2014 it has undergone a serious overhaul too, boasting mods to the cylinder and cases to improve flow, new bearing design, a new clutch basket and plates, gearbox revisions to the only five-speed box in the 300 market, new ignition map and settings to the 38mm PWK carburettor (all the other bikes run 36mm). The full HGS exhaust system gets a new silencer too.
Further enhancing the TM’s race credentials is the fact the bike tips the scales at the lowest weight of all the bikes on test – courtesy of forgoing handy but heavy e-starting – and features a bar-mounted two-map ignition switch to alter the power delivery on the fly
Lastly there’s the newest bike on the block, Sherco’s 300 SE-R, which is the up-specced race version of the French manufacturer’s 300SE. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to KTM’s 300 engine, Sherco’s lump is however 100% designed and built in-house.
Like both the KTM/ Husky engine and the TM, the Sherco also has a 72mm x 72mm bore and stroke, and like the KTM it runs a six-speed gearbox. Where the Sherco does differ the rest however is that it relies solely on a electric-starter to fire the bike into life, not even fitting a back-up kick lever. One can be retro-fitted however for those who want the piece of mind a kickstart offers.
The bike still relies on a carburettor currently but Sherco has designed the motor with the future implementation of EFI. In fact, Sherco says that it already has working EFI versions of the motor but feel the power delivery is not on par with the carb yet and are mindful of the simplicity and ease of maintenance of carbs for the average rider. The message is clear though, EFI is coming to Sherco’s two-strokes.
Because it is the racing version, the SE-R also features a full custom designed FMF exhaust system and a bar-mounted two-way ignition switch, like the TM features too. It is in the chassis where the “Race” tag really shows however, where WP 4CS fork and linkage type WP shock replace the Sachs units fitted to the stock bike and machined billet clamps replace cast units. Brembo brakes – the world-class standard on Euro brands – are fitted front and rear and both an engine bash guard and hand guards are fitted too, like on the Husky.
Total weight is just a fraction heavier than the Husky at 105kg, making the Sherco the heaviest of the four bikes on test but is priced just below the Husky at a competitive £6950.
The Test: Motors
Although now the oldest engine in the class with the least development in recent years, KTM’s motor is still an exceptionally good all round performer and by virtue of being identical, the Husky TE300 is too.
They’re the all things to all men motors – a very well executed compromise that appeals to different levels of rider, offering a torque laden bottom end that is the dream of clubmen and extreme aces for very different reasons and blistering speed when wicked up that goes over extremely well with racers looking for every special test advantage.
It’s not a perfect power delivery however and on riding the two versions back-to-back there are some clear differences between the carburation of the KTM and Husky. Across the board the TE300 ran cleaner and crisper than the 300EXC, which off the bottom ran a little lean and aggressive for MOTO’s liking before turning a little flat through the mid rang upwards. In fact both bikes are too rich and run flat towards the top end, noticeably restricting the power output and pull on faster going.
Swopping the interchangeable power valve springs to the softer spring allowed the EXC and TE to rev out slightly faster and further, but it is an area that definitely needs work to really get right by some major re-jetting.
That both brands’ engines come set up identically but offered significantly different carburation is a timely reminder that no two motorcycles are ever really exactly the same and that it pays dividends for every two-stroke rider to pay close attention to the jetting on their new ride.
Aside from that however the EXC and TE are solid. The gear box is the smoothest of the lot, the ratios pretty good too and the clutch action is incredibly light and smooth, to the envy of the rest MOTO feels. They’re not laden with character or personality, but that’s they’re big strength as a mass-market bike. They’re a good compromise for all styles of riding and all styles of rider.
”There’s only one engine MOTO would want in our 300 enduro however – TM’s 300EN lump. No other engine could deliver such a powerful and well-rounded power curve as the Italian machined produces.
The 300EN is a thoroughbred race bike and this shows in the engine. It is strong, sharp and pulls crisp and hard from anywhere in the rev-range, with real mid-range punch and an scorching top end. It is a motor that craves to ridden hard in fast cross tests.
TM has clearly worked incredibly hard on the response of the EN because it is superbly sharp even if you are a gear too high exiting a turn, so much so it can be easy to get caught out by the instant snap of power in low-speed technical terrain. This does make it world class at popping up over logs, rocks and up steep climbs though. For Novice riders though might be too racy off the bottom through to the mid-range, especially when you factor in a clutch that snatches a bit too much for MOTO’s liking as well, making the action unpredictable.
The slightly wider spaced five-speed gearbox works perfectly with the stronger power curve and MOTO actually likes the added length in second and third gears the TM offers over rivals. They’re more useable in a wider range of situations. Fifth gear feels incredibly long by comparison but realistically in typical enduro terrain fifth gear is never seen and on fire-road or tarmac transfer sections it rides along fine.
The two-way mapping switch offered little noticeable difference between maps for MOTO and there is slightly more pronounced vibration produced by the 300EN compared to the other three bikes despite the addition of rubber-mounted bar clamps – part of which is due to the high-revving nature of the engine but mostly the properties of the aluminium frame compared to steel – but this isn’t a problem however and can’t detract from the fact the TM has really delivered the perfect 300cc race motor here.”
Courtesy of a two-way mapping switch that genuinely works, the surprising Sherco 300SE-R is able to offer to offer two worlds to riders – soft, tractable almost trials-like low end bias and full on rip-snorting race power, complete with the fastest top end performance of all.
The “soft” setting is a dream for technical terrain, offering soft, smooth and incredibly tractable power that will climb up and over virtually anything with the minimum of effort. In tight or extreme type going this makes the Sherco so much more manageable than it would be with full power. It also has the added bonus of being a dream for club level racers, especially a couple of hours into a gruelling three-hour hare & hounds race.
The “hard” map on the other hand boasts a similarly impressive and useable bottom end but from the mid-rang upwards explodes into life with incredible power that hits hard and pulls through a top tend that not even the TM can match. It really is quite frightening how fast the Sherco will go given the space to do so. This is the kind of power experts will kill for in a special test but for the average weekend warrior it is definitely a bit of handful when you turn up the aggression. The ideal setting for MOTO would be something in between the two, but that isn’t an option on the Sherco. The TM motor fits the bill almost perfectly however.
It isn’t quite as refined in other areas as rivals either. The gearbox we found to be slightly vague in its selection, the hydraulic clutch a touch snappy, and the carburation too lean all the way through, but especially off the bottom end, to the point where the motor pinged. This needs fixing.
With electric start button, lighting switches, mapping toggle and a killswitch all mounted on the bars it does all get a bit confusing too and the layout isn’t great, as evidence by tree branches twice hitting the killswitch and killing the bike when we were squeezing through tight gaps. One of the first things you’ll want to do is make some changes to avoid this issue.
The Test: Suspension and Handling
The KTM 300EXC is a perfectly good handling bike, but it isn’t a great one and it can be made significantly better. The way to really make it improve noticeably it seems from out test if to turn it into a Husky, with all the benefits of linkage style rear suspension and uprated WP 4CS fork.
KTM has been insistent over the years that PDS is the most effective rear suspension design for enduro riding, even after finally admitting that linkage was the future for its motocross bikes. However in MOTO’s opinion there is no area where the KTM out performs the Husky’s handling and suspension action and for us there is no arguing – the linkage-equipped TE300 is a better bike than the 300EXC.
The more progressive rising rate of the linkage shock compared to PDS gives the Husky a much more supple and tractable ride everywhere, but especially on extremely rough sections and also at slower speeds on extremely technical roots and rocks. The shock reacts faster and with more subtlety, translating into better grip, easier control and more confidence to ride faster. It is a similar story with the 4CS fork, which offers a more progressive and reactive ride than the open-cartridge fork on the KTM.
What this means is the Husky grips just that bit better, holds a line easier and with more assurance than the KTM, making it not only more nimble and confident but also more stable too. It’s a winner all round and given that the KTM base’s steel chassis is famously forgiving, great through turns and generally perfect for the mixed terrain world of enduro, this makes the Husky TE300 one of the best handling enduro bikes on the market, not just in the 300 class. It’s very good indeed.
This isn’t to say that the KTM 300EXC is a poor handling bike, it’s actually still very good and for most clubmen will be a safe, solid and reliable ride, it is just that its stable-mate now overshadows it.
By contrast to the forgiving steel favoured by KTM, Husky and Sherco, TM’s aluminium framed 300EN feels altogether a different prospect. Taut, stiff and sharp, it’s chassis is every bit as race orientated as its motor.
Incredibly sharp and precise, the TM treads a fine balancing act between feeling incredibly light of foot and stable enough to turn that into a fast but safe ride. Even compared to the other lightweight two-strokes, the tauntness of the TM frame gives it a feeling of incredible lightness and it skips and hops over the ground where the steel-framed bikes feel much more as if they are riding through the track often.
This does mean that although the 300EN carves turns with unrivalled ease and changes direction so easily, at low speed it does give a feeling of slight harshness, – which is further enhanced by heavily sprung suspension aimed very much at expert speed riders – and a slightly skittish feel with less grip than the steel-framed bikes, especially on the front end, which MOTO found to tuck in a bit too easily.
The chassis really comes into its own when you start to get heavy with your throttle hand though. It really is designed and built to be ridden hard and fast. The suspension starts to really work the faster you go, the combo of KYB fork and TM-built shock offering unrivalled balance and unbeatable stability and poise through rough chop or deep sand whoops.
If you’re fast enough to get the TM into that sweet spot consistently then it’s going to be chassis you love and will reward you with faster test times, if not then it can be made right for you, but it will require some investment to soften up the ride.
Sherco’s trials heritage shows through clearly in the 300 SE-R’s chassis and handling. Real emphasis has been put on developing a bike with a low seat height, compact cockpit and serious grip, and Sherco has delivered it too because the SE-R is unbeatable in slow, tight and technical going.
With a noticeably lower seat compared to the other three bikes – actually 1cm lower than the KTM/ Husky – with great stand over clearance and a incredibly well tuned frame and suspension combo, the SE-R is unbeatable when things start to get technical and grip is at a premium. Nothing will turn through a tighter gap, track over mud-coated rocks or offer more stability in deep ruts. For extreme fans this is the chassis to have – especially when teamed with the incredibly tractable “soft” ignition map – but equally clubmen are going to love it because of the ease with which it tackles the tricky stuff compared to rivals. Deep into a long, wet race riddled with deep ruts it will really come into its own.
Impressively the SE-R hasn’t given up high-speed capabilities for that low-speed prowess though, and MOTO was genuinely impressed with how good the Sherco’s all round chassis package is. The traction of the rear wheel continues to be very impressive all the way through the rev-range, easily a match for the Austrian offerings, and although there is a small amount of front end push in higher speed turns, it is nothing a slightly firmer setting on the WP 4CS forks won’t pretty much cure.
For clubman level riders the setting of both fork and shock will be pretty much on point but for heavier and faster riders they will feel too soft, too orientated to slow-speed technical riding and a swop to heavier springs of stiffer valving will deliver a better all round performance for racing. Overall however the Sherco SE-R surprised MOTO with just how well balanced and effective its chassis is.
Article published by Motomagazine.co.uk
Read more at http://motomagazine.co.uk/classics/ultimate-enduro.html/2#H8sFtZ7wtJtbwpWz.99
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