Demanding hard enduro riders have been modifying their dirt bikes for this brutal two-wheel off-road competition since its inception in the 1990s. Now, KTM is catering to the sport, which attained the highest status when the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship was inaugurated in 2021, with the new 2024 KTM 300 XC-W HardEnduro. Based on the 2024 KTM 300 XC-W off-road racer we profiled last month, the HardEnduro variant has many features to help the motorcycle survive a relentless pounding. Let’s get started on what makes the HardEnduro ready for Hard Enduro.
- A radiator fan keeps the all-new engine cool at the low speeds common at hard enduro races. The 293cc two-stroke is fuel- and oil-injected, with a 39mm Keihin throttle body delivering the air/fuel mixture. The motor also has an electronic power valve for more precise control of the exhaust porting. A composite skid plate protects the powerplant.
- KTM factory wheels are ready for the pounding. The hubs are CNC-machined and then orange-anodized. They’re laced with black spokes and orange-anodized spoke nipples to black D.I.D DirtStar aluminum rims shod with Dunlop Geomax tires—an MX33 in the front and an AT81 rear. The floating front disc brake gets a composite guard, while the rear disc is protected by a billet aluminum shark fin.
- Additional durability is addressed by a variety of parts. The HardEnduro gets Supersprox two-piece rear sprocket, bar-end-mounted handguards, frame protectors, safety wire on the rear brake pedal, and an orange-anodized guard for the clutch slave cylinder. Like the standard 300 XC-W, the rear suspension is a linkage-less design to improve ground clearance. A new WP Xplor shock with progressive damping is used.
- Hard enduro riders often find themselves lifting their motorcycles over obstacles, so the 2024 KTM 300 XC-W HardEnduro has pull straps at both ends of the bike.
- The triple clamps are CNC-milled and anodized orange. The frame is also orange.
- The ribbed Selle Dalla Valle factory seat, bar pad, and graphics are exclusive to the 300 XC-W HardEnduro.
- The additional protective and heavy-duty parts add 12 pounds to the weight of the standard 300 XC-W. With the 2.37-gallon fuel tank topped off, the HardEnduro tips the scales at 248 pounds.
- The 2024 KTM 300 XC-W HardEnduro hits showroom floors in July. The MSRP is $13,049.
Photography by Philip Platzer and
2024 KTM 300 XC-W HardEnduro Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Single-cylinder 2-stroke
- Displacement: 293cc
- Bore x stroke: 72mm x 72mm
- Fueling: Keihin EMS w/ 39mm throttle body
- Exhaust: Electronically controlled power valve
- Cooling: Liquid
- Starting: Electric
- Lubrication: Electronically controlled oil injection
- Transmission: 6-speed
- Clutch: Wet-multiplate Damped Diaphragm Steel w/ Brembo hydraulics
- Final drive: 520 X-ring chain
CHASSIS
- Frame: Double-cradle chromoly steel
- Subframe: Polyamide reinforced w/ aluminum
- Handlebar: Neken tapered aluminum
- Front suspension; travel: Fully adjustable 48mm inverted WP Xact fork; 11.8 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Linkage-less, fully adjustable WP Xplor piggyback-reservoir shock w/ progressive damping; 12.2 inches
- Wheels: D.I.D DirtStar
- Front wheel: 21 x 1.60
- Rear wheel: 18 x 2.15
- Front tire: 80/100 x 21; Dunlop Geomax MX33
- Rear tire: 110/100 x 18; Dunlop Geomax AT81
- Front brake: 260mm disc w/ Brembo caliper
- Rear brake: 220mm disc w/ Brembo caliper
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 58.6 inches
- Rake: 26.1 degrees
- Triple clamp offset: 22mm
- Seat height: 37.9 inches
- Ground clearance: 14.7 inches
- Fuel tank capacity: 2.4 gallons
- Wet weight: 248 pounds
2024 KTM 300 XC-W HardEnduro Price: $13,049 MSRP
2024 KTM 300 XC-W HardEnduro Photo Gallery
