2013 race 300 Aussie/Euro spec first impressions

[Simmo737]

Do not go to your gasser shop jake or you will end up living alone. You've been warned.

[Simmo737]

Just weighed it with half a tank, 53 front 57 rear. 110kg is 242.5 lb, 250 lb fully fuelled... No extras..as delivered. I've adjusted the weight due to the jd red needle by . 01 grams.

[Jakobi]

No new bike for me this year. Investing in tooling instead. My old girls got another few years in her yet! Luckily I dont think my dealer is going to stock any 2013s. The next big push from him will be when he lands the new Sherco 2Ts. Gets himself a 250 to demo and comes out riding for a day. That will be a dangerous ride for the bank account!

[Simmo737]

Hah, if it weighs what they claim it will be a nice bike, I'd be happier with a kick starter.

[wence]

Originally Posted by Simmo737

G'day

Picked up my 2013 300r yesterday, greased well from factory (as good as they ever do) haven't checked the swing arm pivot yet.

The Aussie/Europe model has the alloy subframe and still has giant air slots in the air box that need to be closed up. The engine has a lot more induction noise due to this.

The fit and finish compared to my 2011 estart is better, general commonality of fasteners, stronger side stand, better chain rollers, better cabling routing and plastic fitment. The 2011 wasn't bad but this is a step up, apart from the air box, jetting and glueing and wiring grips and cables, nothing to do.

Nothing was rubbing as far as I can see after 1hr of engine time.

The front fender is much more solidly mounted and looks ktm ish from the saddle, the 997 renthals are stiff as a priest and not as nice a bend as the hebo bars on the 2011 which were exceptional, but the renthals are good enough. Stock hand guards are great, but a lot of guys like bark busters depending on their tree count, ill go stock.

Switch gear is the same, but you get a non ADR light switch in the goodies pack, I'll keep the blinkers at the mo to stave off the fuzz.

Seat is firmer but nicely sculptured and more rigidly attached. Fuel cap the same but breather goes through the head stem. Rear fender much the same style with easier removal of the ADR compliant rear bit, but you then loose mounting points for the rear blinkers. Side stand safety strap finally. Side plate bolts are rounded aliens, you need to remove the front two under the seat, the bolts into the rads and the tank bolt to get the tank off.

The motor... Mmmm. Delivered with n1ef middle clip 42/175 with 3 turns out on a s. did ten minutes then threw that cross the yard, in went jd red clip 4 40/180 1.5 turns float st at 8mm. WOW, feels a touch more grunty than my 2011 (2011 fitted with S3 high high insert and 36 mm carb with jd blue)... And this is stock. I don't need to do anything to the motor to make me happy. Jakobi sent me some (heaps) of needles so ill try the Yamaha "jakobi" setup to see if I get the sh$t eating grin everyone talks about. This motor has the new cylinder and head arrangement with no front engine mount on the head and a larger pv cover. No idea about ports but the importer said he thinks they lowered them like the Katos did in 2012. I switched out the cable choke ( standard choke in goodies pack)

Suspension... Mmmmm. The bike has the hrg valving with corresponding sticker on the fork guards. With stock springs it was nice straight away, the front felt just like ttx with a little bit more of a trail trash edit going on, the transition to mid stroke is linear, and bottoming resistance off drop offs (couldn't g it out) was good and will get better with springs from steveb at after hrs cycles ( they are here already, thanks Steve!) the shock has the...um what shock? Feeling which is just fantastic. Can't be happier, longer ride will give better feedback.

Wheels the same, brakes, rear the same front better with wave rotor. Annoying rear brake cable that eats into swing arm and motor casing the same. 50t rear sprocket stock which is the way to go.

Handling....very gasgas, the motor is so familiar that its easy to get trapped into thinking its your old bike....but it's not, this thing turns ALMOST as good in the slow, and MUCH better in the fast as the 2011. The frame had that nice late model Japanese insulated feeling without the tip weight and poor slow speed handling...very impressive. I think an rmx450 or the like will still feel more stable in the rough super fast open stuff but the gg will be a better compromise for varied terrain. I think the suspension benefits from the generational engineering put into the frame, it's stiff where it needs to be and compliant where it needs to be.

Ergos... Very close to the same, rear brake pedal perfect from factory.

I'm very happy.

Good work mate, good to hear you are happy.
The 12 and obviously the 13 are much pokier than previous models aren't they?
How is the seat fastened?( any photos?)
Cheers Mark

[Simmo737]

Yep, happy, ill take some photos tomoz. Cheers.

It's quite a step up, I'm very surprised. You've being enjoying it for 12 months lucky bugger.

[Jakobi]

Pshhh

Get some video crackin too! I wonder if there is any difference between your Cylinders, apart from the obvious external differences, and how they compare to the S3 stamped one I'm running.

[Simmo737]

Im tempted to pull it off and have a look, but I think I'll wait a few months.

[n_green]

Originally Posted by Simmo737

Track and trail Belmont, I got the one they had in January, took a long time to get it, due to insurance etc. You need one mr green!!!

Dean said he's hoping for more next month, being airfreighted again, apparently solo is/ has sold the business so next own may have more interest.

P.s. I only just worked out how freakin easy using phtobucket is.

Ok I'm showing this post to the wife, that should convince her right?

I love the look of the new ones and I found a smoking deal on almost brand new '12 model today but I've owned my '11 for only a year and only put 60 hrs on her, she'll do me for another 12 months and then I'll look to upgrade. Glad to hear the suspension is so good stock, imagine if these babies do come from the factory in the next few years with smartcarb, what will people play with on them?

[Simmo737]

Update 2

Did 2.5 hrs engine time at currabubula on Friday/ Saturday. In between we kept lion nathan afloat. A lot of grass (dust) track and some doozie technical trails. No one had a gopro.

The bike is a rippier, with lots of torque even below idle somewhere below the low sub idle that 300s are famous for the motor is a big step up with way more top end and way more bottom end, stalled it on a very technical hill that was covered in football sized rocks and once down a very slippery hill and that was it (rider error both times).. These were hills that my mate who is quite a talent struggled up and down on a rekluse fitted 500exc. That thing is a real surprise.

Currabubula is the rockiest place in the world and the suspension handled it fine. The bike needed a bit of rebound added front and rear, ( 3 and 2 clicks) it was climbing ruts on the track and getting out of shape in braking bumps. But felt great with just clickers. Bottomed it once nose landing a lippy jump on the grass track that I hit way too fast, I'd have bottomed an mx bike as well, the bike is amazing in its bottoming resistance, if I'd done that on my 11 I'd be writing this from hospital.

I'm going to drop the pegs to the lower setting to make standing up not so back braking, I'm missing the higher hebos. The jd red needle was good but deiseled a bit more than I expected, I clip up will fix it I reckon, and I suspect an NGk plug might be better the denso ( it was on my 11). I'll try the yamaha needle this week too.

I've never used a Dunlop mx51 and am very impressed by it in dry conditions.

It's a good bike no doubt.