Love this bike. Been off a dirt bike for 15 years and been riding my harleys. But now I’m ready to get back on dirt and dodge trees and not cars. Great video man.
Put an fmf muffler and a vortex ecu on it and you will love it. Tires are a must change. I also changed 1 tooth on the front sproket. LOVE mine now. Im also in Florida. Where in Florida are you?
I’m 100% selling my 2018 250 SXF and getting the 350 version of this. Thanks for the reviews! Please made a video about mods, or respond to my comment with what your plans are. YES!
Good video and commentary. Thinking of this bike as a stable mate for my K1600GT. Got rid of my RMZ450 4 years ago and really missing it. Not racing any more and really like the idea of riding to trails and local tracks just to play. Liking that you are former moto x and wanting to lean a little more towards dirt but be able to ride on road.Looking forward to seeing what mods and tires you plan on using to making it a little more aggressive for dirt. Keep us posted on what you do and if possible some tutorials on installation of the mods. 👍👍
Good first impression video. I currently own a 2006 525 exc and it's my first dual sport. I'm pretty new to the whole off-roading world (riding for 5 months) and I just wanted to ask what bike should be next on my list? The reason I went with a larger displacement was for better speed on the road when reaching the trails (tall gearing for smoother 50 mph cruising). I love the idea of riding from my house to the trails and doing a nice round trip. Aggressive technical single tracks aren't really my thing. I like the idea of having a very light 250cc and just ripping it on the trails, but my only concern is that you need to transport these bikes with a truck almost everywhere you go. Something like the 690 enduro r caught my attention because it does well on the highway and great on moderate open trails. The 500 exc-f is also a good option because you can ride it on any terrain and it's a very light machine. The only problem is that the highway won't be that enjoyable. Sorry for the long comment, just want some small feedback. Take care!
That 525 was a great bike in those years from what I hear! Personally I think the 500 would be your best bet as a good all around bike to ride to the trails, rip it up, & ride home if you wanted something newer. I bought mine for pretty much the same reason. I hear the 350 is a little bit lighter & more fun for trail riding but the 500 is still plenty light with the benefit that it can do highway speeds with ease. I take my 500 to work once every couple weeks and cruise at 75-80mph no problem, it gets a little bit shaky at those speeds if you're not gripping the bike with your legs but it's not bad at all if your highway ride is less than an hour or so
Its not a moto cross bike its a woods bike Hit some technical trails.. Mine eats rock gardens for breakfast.. But it does have that moto cross feel on the top end but pivot turns are controlable once you figre the bike out... I picked mine up in Feb just got it back from suspension work 2 weeks ago....
Slavens also has stuff for it, as well as taco as you mentioned. I did not go with there ecus, got mine direct from vortex and its great. I would go with taco if you want the GET ecu. I don't know much about dyno tuning though, so was concerned about the possibility of over dyno reducing engine longevity. Not sure if thats something to worry about or not, so i played it safe and stuck with the dyno work vortex decided was best.
Where are you located in Florida? I just picked up a 500exc but I have a street/track bike background. Always looking for new trails / places to dual sport.
I'm loving it, no regrets so far! It's still completely stock but pretty soon I'm planning to change up the rear fender and turn signals to tidy things up a bit, then I will most likely change the tires & I'm also considering adding 2 teeth to the rear sprocket.
Not bad at all around town but on the highway it vibrates pretty bad. It doesn't bother me until I've been at one steady speed for 25-30 minutes straight
@@chrisporter8829 in stock form they put out about 43whp which is about what a 250f mx bike makes but these have a lot more torque, they also gain 10-12hp with a few mods. If you're referring to speed they will do 100mph+ but not much more than that
@@terrybeckman3351 no problem! I've ridden the wr250x more than the R version but yeah they are on the heavy side considering the power output. If you're thinking about upgrading I would not hesitate to try out the 500exc or even the 350, KTM really has these dual sports figured out
Absolutely, I honestly think the stock suspension would be fine for a beginner and maybe even a C class rider on the track. I think the biggest thing holding this bike back in stock form is the tires. I'm considering taking it to a motocross track to find out for sure though!
Great vidio and review. Good points coming from your riding background too. Looking forward to you working with Taco and the mods you choose!
Love this bike. Been off a dirt bike for 15 years and been riding my harleys. But now I’m ready to get back on dirt and dodge trees and not cars. Great video man.
Put an fmf muffler and a vortex ecu on it and you will love it. Tires are a must change. I also changed 1 tooth on the front sproket. LOVE mine now. Im also in Florida. Where in Florida are you?
Got a xcw. Fantastic ride!
Great review! Subscribed and look forward to more content in the future! Your a very clear and concise reviewer.
Instablaster...
I’m 100% selling my 2018 250 SXF and getting the 350 version of this. Thanks for the reviews! Please made a video about mods, or respond to my comment with what your plans are. YES!
Good video and commentary. Thinking of this bike as a stable mate for my K1600GT. Got rid of my RMZ450 4 years ago and really missing it. Not racing any more and really like the idea of riding to trails and local tracks just to play. Liking that you are former moto x and wanting to lean a little more towards dirt but be able to ride on road.Looking forward to seeing what mods and tires you plan on using to making it a little more aggressive for dirt. Keep us posted on what you do and if possible some tutorials on installation of the mods. 👍👍
With our KTM 500 exc-f we get different tires for it because they slack on off road especially on off road stair steps.
Good first impression video. I currently own a 2006 525 exc and it's my first dual sport. I'm pretty new to the whole off-roading world (riding for 5 months) and I just wanted to ask what bike should be next on my list? The reason I went with a larger displacement was for better speed on the road when reaching the trails (tall gearing for smoother 50 mph cruising). I love the idea of riding from my house to the trails and doing a nice round trip. Aggressive technical single tracks aren't really my thing. I like the idea of having a very light 250cc and just ripping it on the trails, but my only concern is that you need to transport these bikes with a truck almost everywhere you go. Something like the 690 enduro r caught my attention because it does well on the highway and great on moderate open trails. The 500 exc-f is also a good option because you can ride it on any terrain and it's a very light machine. The only problem is that the highway won't be that enjoyable. Sorry for the long comment, just want some small feedback. Take care!
That 525 was a great bike in those years from what I hear! Personally I think the 500 would be your best bet as a good all around bike to ride to the trails, rip it up, & ride home if you wanted something newer. I bought mine for pretty much the same reason. I hear the 350 is a little bit lighter & more fun for trail riding but the 500 is still plenty light with the benefit that it can do highway speeds with ease. I take my 500 to work once every couple weeks and cruise at 75-80mph no problem, it gets a little bit shaky at those speeds if you're not gripping the bike with your legs but it's not bad at all if your highway ride is less than an hour or so
I'd try a Vortex ecu on that sweet Katoom 500 exc-f. map #2. Most definitely go up 2 teeth on the rear sprocket.
Its not a moto cross bike its a woods bike Hit some technical trails.. Mine eats rock gardens for breakfast.. But it does have that moto cross feel on the top end but pivot turns are controlable once you figre the bike out... I picked mine up in Feb just got it back from suspension work 2 weeks ago....
I was going to say the PDS rocks for off-road! As in you don't have to worry about rocks or roots getting snagged from a linkage!
I love how mine does not hang I have the Molecule skid plate also so once it hits its like someone throws you over the log...
Slavens also has stuff for it, as well as taco as you mentioned. I did not go with there ecus, got mine direct from vortex and its great. I would go with taco if you want the GET ecu. I don't know much about dyno tuning though, so was concerned about the possibility of over dyno reducing engine longevity. Not sure if thats something to worry about or not, so i played it safe and stuck with the dyno work vortex decided was best.
Where are you located in Florida? I just picked up a 500exc but I have a street/track bike background. Always looking for new trails / places to dual sport.
Central FL area, I'm always looking for new spots to ride too!
it is down on power. It nrrds to be de-restricted then it hits around 55-60 hp.
So how you liking the bike so far ? I sold my street bike and I'm considering buying one of these . Do you got any mods done to it yet ?
I'm loving it, no regrets so far! It's still completely stock but pretty soon I'm planning to change up the rear fender and turn signals to tidy things up a bit, then I will most likely change the tires & I'm also considering adding 2 teeth to the rear sprocket.
The biggest things on these is to get ride off all the emission stuff on them. It’s a night and day difference.
What the service intervals on these bikes.
Does it wheelie off throttle stock from the dealer?
Thoughts on this bike vs a 690?
690 is lot heavier, go w this one
@@armandhammer98 hows its highway legs? Considered getting one but i dont like that itd be wailing on it to ride 65/75 regularly
@@NativeOfTheLand97 i dont have, I'm going to buy the ktm 500 xcf -w and convert it into a supermoto.
How is the vibration on the street/hiway?
Not bad at all around town but on the highway it vibrates pretty bad. It doesn't bother me until I've been at one steady speed for 25-30 minutes straight
@@JGreenwood238 how fast is that bike
@@chrisporter8829 in stock form they put out about 43whp which is about what a 250f mx bike makes but these have a lot more torque, they also gain 10-12hp with a few mods. If you're referring to speed they will do 100mph+ but not much more than that
@@JGreenwood238 Thanks for the fast and honest reply. I ride a wr250r great bike but to heavy. Please keep up the vids.
@@terrybeckman3351 no problem! I've ridden the wr250x more than the R version but yeah they are on the heavy side considering the power output. If you're thinking about upgrading I would not hesitate to try out the 500exc or even the 350, KTM really has these dual sports figured out
Just watched that bald dude with his power kit he dyno’ed at 70 hp. Gain of 17 for $650. Ktm/husky Chanel
Do some more research before you buy from there. Just sayin'.
Do you think with a suspension upgrade you could hit mx jumps?
Absolutely, I honestly think the stock suspension would be fine for a beginner and maybe even a C class rider on the track. I think the biggest thing holding this bike back in stock form is the tires. I'm considering taking it to a motocross track to find out for sure though!
Just watched that bald dude with his power kit he dyno’ed at 70 hp. Gain of 17 for $650. Ktm/husky Chanel
His site. Sorry about that. I don’t understand. If you Google bestdualsportbikes dot com it’s good
@@jon98tj nice scam site
@@kef1kef2kef3kef4kef5 sorry.