[mattmax]

Hello Wise Old Man
I'm in the u.s. and I find myself in the same boat as yourself, with the same two bikes, except I had a very unpleasant experience that might make me a wee bit wiser than I was.I'll do my best to explain what I know about the two bikes. I just want to warn you, it's as long as a book. If you want just facts, I'll give them first, and you can read my horror story if you get bored. It's about a crooked dealer. It would be nice if the whole world would harass this guy after I get my money. I've never seen the Gas Gas, but I've done a lot of research. I actually own a 06 KTM 300xcw and I'm supposed to get my money back and am thinking of getting the Gas Gas, or possibly an 07 KTM xcw. I'm 41, and I, like yourself, had taken a very long break from motorcycle riding. I started at 13 and got very good at rebuilding, modifying, and riding until I went away to school at 18, and had a couple of bikes some dirt and some street until i got serious again when I was 37.

OK, here's what i know about the US versions. Your ec300's could be very different. There used to be different versions in the us before they changed the laws. I called dozens of dealers and most of them don't know anything, but a couple of guys did know something.This is what I could gather and I could be wrong too. Used to be that there was a regular(dc version) that had limited wiring, no ignition mapping switch(although it had the same dual ignition, you just had to do the switch yourself), had ohlins in the back and marzochis in the front, light flywheel, no cat conv. Then there was the dealer version, that had the dual ignition mapping switch on the handlebars(must have been the 05-it's on all 06's), cat conv, missing a serial number digit that prohibits competition bikes from being registered in the us in some states, ohlins forks, tight little out of the way plastic blinkers, heavy flywheel. 05 in the u.s. has a headlight,light flywheel-I think different weights are available starting with 14oz as lightest. 06 has no headlight, no spark arrestor, although it comes with it in a box. It has the mapping switch on the handlebar-just in case you don't know, the mapping switch is a dual ignition map, one for all out horsepower, the other for being in mud or slick situations. As far as i know, the 07's come with ohlins on the front.They're wired for headlight and have brakelight switch. Not sure about brakelight

OK, that's what I can put together on the Gas Gas, but I'm sure your's is probably different. Your 07 will probably have the headlight,tailight. The KTM exc I can't answer much about except it's got the non linkage rear wp shock with the extra long chain that never wears even and the shock puts lots of stress on the frame. Is the 300xc offered in Australia? The xc has the mapping just like the Gas Gas. Same unit. The 07 is like the 05 GG in that you have to add your own switch. From what I understand, the GG is just using the slow mapping for limiting wheelspin in mud, people on KTMtalk are saying that the fast map is the sx, which is motocross, and the slow ignition is exc for enduro. Who knows what the actual truth is. I didn't like the KTM at all. The soil in this part of texas is like deep soft windblown beach sand and the front end of the KTM is so squirrely. I think it's because they have that stupid frame configuation to accomadate that stupid long linkageless swingarm. I've been trying to figure out why they can't put the swingarm bolt closer to the sprocket so the chain wouldn't be so loose, but I think it would put too much stress on the frame. The bike is 2/3 swingarm. On the other hand, they are real easy to work on. I could do a top end in 30 min with just the tool kit.

First, I want to tell you why I'm getting my money back. I'm not sure if it reflects on the KTM or the scum that shouldn't be allowed to breath our air. Last Oct., I was told i had an illness, so I moved to Houston Texas where they have a famous treatment center. I have a 95 CR500 and missed riding. My dad offered to buy me any new bike. I went to a KTM dealer. One of his first questions was if i was from Texas, and I told him no and I was just there for cancer treatment, so I guess he or his boss assumed the bike would be leaving or I was too sick or stupid to figure anything out. I was 30 lbs underweight and really messed up on painkillers.
I get the bike and notice it has a couple miles on it,sprockets have wear, and the rear wheel looks crooked and the chain is wearing crooked, and it won't adjust out. I took it back to have them look at it. They treated me like I was stupid and didn't really look at it. Finally, after I put it back on the trailor,the salesman that sold it to me looked at it and agreed the chain wear was uneven and bring it back the next day. I put it back in storage, and when i got home, I looked at the title where they had whited out a previous name and had a notorized sheet saying it was a clerical error. I held it to the light and got an address and did a reverse search and called the guy and said i had his name on some of my paper work and wanted to make sure I didn't make some kind of mistake. He said,"boy do I feel silly, I bought that bike and brought it home and adjusted everything and drained the tank and the gas was clear and I took the bike back screaming and yelling and Frank Reeves said,'There's nothing wrong with it. Take the other bike', and it had clear gas to, and I called down there and asked them if they used clear premix oil. I took the pipe off and the piston had no scuffs on it, like brand new." That was the kicker for me. We made plans to ride the next day, and I went straight to where my bike ws stored and took off the pipe, saw a brand new piston, and some scratches in the cylinder wall on the other side. I looked at the head bolts and saw tool marks, so the head came off, and i saw scratches and scuffs on the cylinder and some hone marks that didn't line up with the rest, and there were no marks on the piston to correspond with the marks on the wall. The base gasket was new because it stuck outside the cylinder like it wasn't original like other bikes I'd seen.

On my way home, the original owner called me back with a new tone of voice, and told me this story about how all these plans had changed, and said I was now univited in a rude tone and was about to hang up when I said "I was going to call and tell you I couldn't go because the bike was apart right now." his tone changed real quick. I couln't get him off the phone. he kept asking what i was doing to it, and I just made stuff up. I should have told him the truth and got answers abot the piston because he did it. I called KTM, and the owner(or manager) called me and screamed and yelled and called me all these names. I told him about all the scratches and tool marks, he talked down to me. i told him I split the cases on my first bike when i was 13 and new more about bikes than anyone in his whole dealership.
He wanted me to bring it in so he could look at it. we called a news reporter and I guess he doesn't like TV and he says he'll give the money back. He said to my mother"I guess he can't ride by now". I really fooled them, but it worked against me. My cancer is stable and looking good and i'm 190 and muscle and straight instead of 160 and wasted on pain drugs. I was so buzzed on cancer drugs I don't remember him or how big he is. I'm not a strong 190 right now, but I can stomp some ass, and I know that's what he needs.
Matt