200 EXC suspension

[kmccune]

Well it is time to think about a new(er) bike, the one that seams to fit the bill is the 200EXC. I will be using it for trials and occasional enduro and vet MX. The only concern is the suspension, is it up to an occasional MX with a middle aged 150 lbs used to be fast guy?

Kevin

 

[Wild Hare]

I've got one of the 200 MXC's ( in addition to a 520 )and it's a great bike. My wife is about 140 and loves riding it! The suspension works suprisingly well off road. I've run it around our "test" track in the desert and it works well ( and I'm 220 ), better low end than my '00 CR-250! I haven't had it off any big jumps, but it flys fine off the small singles we have. I do think you'd like the MXC better than the EXC for any MX use.... The close ratio box keeps things humming in the meat of the power:cool:

We had a KDX before, one of the great "do it all" bikes...the KTM is light years better!!!! :)

 

[kmccune]

Thanks for the reply; do you know the specifics of the gear ratio changes?
I had thought of a KDX but I just can't get myself to plunk down lots of cash for an outdated design (though pretty good in it's own right)
Kevin

 

[OurMan Flint]

Hi,

I am a fellow 200 EXC rider who does much the same as you - Trails, Woods, Hare Scrambles and the odd MX. I ride my 200 pretty hard and love it. I am 6 foot and 155 Lbs (mid thirties).
My advice is to go for the EXC over the MXC, and this is why:

1. The wider ratio box is far better for general riding and not that bad for MX.
2. The close ratio box has a very low top gear (even the EXC is not all that fast). The MXC has a very slow top speed....horrible on trails !!
3. The MXC forks are slightly stiffer, thus better MXing, but makes for quite hard going anywhere else.
4. The EXC has truly excellent Trail/woods/Enduro forks. I had mine slightly stiffened in the mid stroke but kept the rest unchanged. I find it very good for everything.
5. The EXC has lights for getting home late and a much more powerfull ighting coil.

Try the KTM200 Yahoo site.......those guys will blow your mind with their knowledge and advice.

 

[angry jim]

Don't worry about the suspension. I'm 6' and 170lbs and the exc is a rocket. I rode cr250's for years, and I don't miss them a bit. I frequently ride on mx tracks with my 200. I did put in a set of 40 springs in the forks, but that's it. No work done to the shock at all. I beat the heck out of the bike for a year, took off the cylinder and it was perfect! I was worried it wouldn't be able to handle mx or steep hills, but I was totally wrong. I've actually made hills on my exc that I never came close to making before on any other bike. I will be buying an 02' model shortly. You are the perfect size for this bike.

 

[OurMan Flint]

Jim, I wholeheartedly agree.....
my 200 EXC is a rocket and I'm faster on that than my CR250.
The only thing I did was slightly stiffen the mid stroke on the forks and found that help hugely on MX's - otherwise it's perfect.
kmccune, Jim is right about our weight, 150 / 155 Lbs is spot on.
There are loads of people on the Yahoo KTM200 site who will give you further input.:cool:think

 

[kmccune]

Ok I'm stupid, I searched for Yahoo and KTM 200 and all I came up with is an enduro site. Could you please give me the URL?
Thanks :)

Kevin

 

[OurMan Flint]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ktm200

Here, try this:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ktm200

 

[Wild Hare]

kmccune,

I've got to strongly disagree with some of the statements about the MXC. I don't know if our friends up north get different spec's... :think

The MXC is PLENTY fast for trail riding. I race D-37 Desert and the MXC has enough top end to go to the line stock.

If you want to MX AND ride cross country... MX and XC .... MXC, KTM targeted this bike for this purpose. If you REALLY want to ride MX, the close ratio gearbox is the way to go. That's why all the MX bikes have close ration boxes. I prefer the CR gear box so I can keep the bike in the meat of the power band. To say the MXC gear box is "horrible on trails" is just ridiculous....

The forks on the US bikes MXC/EXC are IDENTICAL.

Light coil - the MXC produces enough juice to run the stock EXC lights. How much do you need?

Both Bike are fine, just depends on your needs.... :)

 

[kmccune]

I went to the KTM USA webpage and downloaded the PDF spec sheets. What I found is that the final gearing is identical @ 14:48, but the MXC has a close ratio gearbox and 6 speeds while the EXC has a wide ratio gearbox and is a 5 speed. The ignitions are different which may be the reason for the above lighting comments. What I want to know is will the MXC light coil provide enough wattage for night riding and what is the final overall gear ratio? I suspect that the final gear ratio is the same but with the MXC being closer together due to its 6 speeds?? Anyone know ????

Thanks again

Kevin

 

[OurMan Flint]

Kevin,

it seems as though some things have changed:
The 98 and 99 MXC and EXC had different fork rates, however, the new ones are now the same. The EXC has always had a 6 speed, so why they suddenly post 5 speed is a mystery (perhaps it's true, perhaps a misprint).
I know a number of people who ride EXCs and a couple on MXCs. The Canadian and US spec is the same. This is what I and my friends have actually experienced:
The EXC and MXC with good gearing is 14:48 and the EXCs 6th is higher geared - I find the EXC is a little slow occassionally but livable and the MXC is just too slow to stay with many of my friends when we get onto fast sections. The power is good and the bike revs out fully, but it just aint fast enough. This is not only my opinion but that of numerous riders/owners.
This still must be kept in context though, how fast do you want to go ?
As for lighting, the EXC has more Wattage output and yes the MXC coil will run the EXC lights. However, even the EXC has lousy lighting. Many people are looking for more Wattage. The standard EXC lighting will just about get you home at dusk if you are carefull (the MXC is anightmare). Anyone doing night time riding goes for aftermarket 200 Watt kits. In Europe people put the GS lighting coil on, which is just a little better than the EXC.
So it seems as though the only real questions would be:
Have they really changed the gearbox on the EXC ?
What kind of lighting do you need - But regardless you could easily modify that.
The MXC still has a slightly lighter flywheel and slightly more agressive ignition curve - Great for MX, harder work on the trails and in woods.
Deffinitely both great bikes !!

 

[angry jim]

Out west a 14/46 final drive is the hot setup. The exc200 and 125 are six speeds through 2001. I don't know about this year. The mxc is a great all around bike also, but I have heard rumors that KTM will discontinue this line possibly because they are so similar to the exc.

 

[OurMan Flint]

DISCONTINUE 200 MXC - Oh No !!

DISCONTINUE 200 MXC - Oh No !!
This is tragic news - perhaps they will intoduce a 200 SX, I'd like that !!
I was considering selling my 200 EXC and CR250 and buying a 200 MXC and 400 EXC.
At 155 Lbs and little muscle (bet plenty fit) I can ride the 200 as fast and often faster than the CR250.....but I do miss the power, so a well set up and tuned 200 MXC would make me a real weapon on MXs. I can't change my 200 EXC too much because of the tough trails and long rides I go on.

 

[OurMan Flint]

MISPRINT: EXC HAS 6 GEARS !!!!

I have double check....the EXC still maintains 6 gears.
The 6th gear his spaced quite a bit higher than the MXCs 6th Gear.

 

[kmccune]

Misprint... heads will roll... Maybe I should buy both! Anyone with ether of these bikes live close to Osceola WI.. I think I may need a test ride! ;)
Seriously my '90 WR 250 is a little undergeared for the trails around here but seams fine for MX work. I think I may have to make a choice ( I hate that) between the two as it sounds like they may be very different.

Kevin

 

[Mr. Jones]

The only diff. in the gear box is fifth and sixth gears. The ignition is now the same in both bikes for '02.

 

[OurMan Flint]

NOT VERY DIFFERENT

Actually the bikes really are not that different, especially the new ones.
The last comment was that only 5th and 6th gears are different. This is not so in the previous models......are you sure about this ? Certainly I would expect 1st to be lower on the Exc, it deffinitely was on earlier models of the 200s.
They are both fine machines,
a dealer should let you ride them back to back !!

 

[kmccune]

I've never been to a dealer that let you test ride, even in my home town when I dated the owners daughter! ( Well he did know me, so maybe he was right!) I'll have to ask I guess.

Thanks
Kevin

 

[*william*]

Aye, Flinty, I see you're already stirring the pot over here!

I can tell you Kevin, that 1st is lower, and 5th and 6th are taller on the E/XC vs. the M/XC.

And yes, you can test ride KTM's, although maybe not all the models. Find a KTM dealer near that does this and ask when the 02 demo bikes come 'round. My guess is that they're probably not going to have both M/ and E/ versions of the same size bike (cc's). Sometimes they just get what they get and you can ride 'em or not...

:)

 

[OurMan Flint]

William....stiring the pot ? ME ? What on earth do you mean !!!!!!
You really made me laugh when I read that. (I hope those 200 friends of ours aren't labelling me too heavily).

As for test riding, William is right. You deffinitely CAN test them.
Sometimes they have both but often only one of each similar model.
You could try two different dealers, thus perhaps getting to ride both.

 

[kmccune]

Thanks for all the help, I'll let you know what I find out.:cool:

BTW As for the misprint thing, the specs for the EXC 200 say 6 speed if you click on the pic of the bike, but the PDF says 5 speed. I'm glad it is a 6 speed thogh!

Thanks again

Kevin

 

[kmccune]

This was posted on the Yahoo KTM 200 site:


EXC MXC Gear
2.75 2.46 1
2.07 2.00 2
1.65 1.65 3
1.37 1.37 4
1.12 1.19 5
0.91 1.05 6


Not much difference in the mid gears but more top end speed.

Kevin

 

[OurMan Flint]

Also much lower first for when you get into sticky situations in the woods, hill climbs or deeeeep BOGS, rocky gullies too.:eek:

 

[kmccune]

Your right Flint, I saw that but it didn't register. It would seam that for moto work the two are about even, as you will not spend much time in 1st or 6th.
But the EXC DOES have a lower 1st and a taller 6th... both things that you can use in the great outdoors! 2nd is a bit lower too but I don't think enough to matter. :cool:

Kevin

 

[FlyinRyan]

I have ridden both the MXC and the EXC (00 & 02) and there is only the difference in first gear and of sixth feels "faster" on the EXC. I went with the EXC both years just due to the fact that they come with lights already and I race all the IL & WI enduros. The dealer I race for will only ride the MXC, says it feels faster. Can't go wrong with either model, I just prefer the EXC (for the lights) and then go to a 46 rear sprocket for more top end.

my .02$