Racing 20+ years, Hare Scrambles and Enduros, raised on XRs on the trails of the central Florida piney woods and swamps. Most recent (and fastest) racing years at 44 yrs old (now in Texas), went from YZF250s in 02 to a KTM 200 in the C class, then a CR250 (couldn't ride it well) to a KX250, an 08 KTM 250XCW, a Beta 450, one season on a 125SX and most recently another YZ250F, then a 2013 RMZ 250F (the best of them all)-all in search of the elusive "perfect enduro race machine". All of these bikes heavily modded, mostly suspension, trying to erase their shortcomings. I have many racing buddies with the latest orange machinery, have ridden them all. The new KTMs just felt weird to me, like riding a long ironing board through the trees.
After years of jealously (and skeptically) lurking this forum, along comes a super cheap deal on a 2011 EC300 at my local shop, I couldn't resist.
All I have to say is wow! All of the things the Gasser men say about "RM turning", " smooth power", "goes where you point it", "more Jap like" etc, are all true. I really love this bike. I was lucky in that the former owner raced the same class as me (40+ B) at the same weight and already had it revalved, sprung, and dialed. What a joy after so much experimentation in the past to ride this thing and find it spot-on in every department.
After coming accross a couple of young "A" riders on pumpkins lost along a remote, technical loop this weekend, I was asked to lead them back to camp. After dusting them soundly most of the way (riding my ass off), when we stopped and the helmets came off, I believe they were shocked to see the grey hair crowning my temples. This is what its about for me boys, maybe you can relate. I've never felt better or faster.
