KTM 500 XCW vs EXC

[thejean]

I'm in Canada. I'll have to look into it but I don't think it can if its original info doesn't indicate that it wasn't set up for street use.

 

[Frostbite]

I'm in Washington and I would sure like to learn some more info on this topic. 500 EXC or 500 XC-W?

The thought of buying a bike that is considered "street legal" out of the box is appealing. I was thinking I could use the bike as a short trip adventure tourer as well. If indeed the ECU can be unlocked and full power achieved, this is the easy answer.

However, having a 500 XC-W "uncorked" version from the factory sounds appealing as well. Now, can you buy a new 500 XC-W and add Baja Designs or Sicass Racing lights and DOT tires at the time of purchase and register the bike as street legal?

 

[paddle247]

500 xcw plated

I have a '13 500 xcw, picked up a sic *** racing setup to make it street legal in Idaho. Install was easy, also easy to plate a bike here.

 

[KTMDigger]

KTM 500 and street legal in Canada

I am not sure about the rules and regs in the US ... But here in Alberta the DOT has found a rock solid loop hole that STOPS the conversion of a non-registered street legal bike (re- off road) into a street legal/plated bike .... The bike must have a "neutral indicator" ... WTF!!! If your bike doesn't come from the factory with a neutral light you cannot make it street legal ( unless you choose to do some major internal mods). I also ran into another snag ... I run my Alberta registered 500KTM with a TS 121" from my house in Whitefish ... I tried to bring it back into Canada to do a ride with my brothers and sons, but the CDN Boarder would not allow the bike back into Canada until I removed the TS (entirely) and returned the bike to the exact form that it was registered as!!! Not going to happen. (my two sons also have 121" Timbersled in Whitefish and we would have had to dismantle and reassemble 3 TS's in order to ride back in Canada ... Soooooo ... We made the decision to move our annual BOYS trip to the Flathead Valley ... Sooo much easier.

Next post will have me asking the members for favorite rides in the flathead ...

 

[WASnowBiker]

Change of Opinion

Allow me to recall my opinion from November, when i said my Berg 570 would be the ticket. It's vastly superior to the 300 XCW I ran, but here are a few tidbits I've learned over this winter.

Close ratio tranny -not wide ratio - is better on a snow bike. Because you're not rolling wheels and it's easier to stay in the power and not bog when upshifting. The track just robs too much power for wide ratio trannies, even only torque happy 570.

Motocross bikes and 2 strokes make quicker power, the enduro bikes power band is not actually ideal for snow bike. Think about how you're almost always wide open on the snow because gear ratio is already cut in about half. Grabbing max power quickly and comfortably staying there is easier with MX motor.

Motocross bikes - like SXF and KXF come stock with stiffer front suspension, probably saving you the money of upgrading an enduro bike - which you absolutely must do to keep ride height up and prevent nosing into everything.

Motocross bikes are cheaper and I couldn't care less about the plate. If you care about a plate, then this question answers itself and maybe you'll want an enduro.

Weight does matter on a snow bike. The lighter and lower you can get the weight, the better off you are. Motocross bikes have an advantage here too. If you haven't ridden the new KTM 450 design you won't believe the magic they worked. My '08 450 XCW was pig that wouldn't turn no matter the setup - KTM knew it too. That's what drove me back to 2 stroke 300 for tight woods riding.

Basically…it's not just the displacement and torque…how/where the power is made is more important imho and multi-bike experience. I miss how fast my 300 made power, but that bike clearly needed more of it. I'm probably selling my Berg 570 and getting a '13 or '14 KTM 450 SX-F for my aggressive riding style.

Good luck.