MXC vs. EXC in the REAL WORLD

[919]

OK. I Know the 300 MXC and the EXC share 1st and 2nd gear. After that they are different ratios. But when riding is it noticable?On the EXC is there a gap between 2nd and 3rd? Does 3rd seem to tall in the woods? My buddy has a 380 EXC and I don't notice it. I am thinking of getting a 300 and want to know, since it has a little less power will I feel the gap on the EXC?

 

[Pumpkinhead]

Well without riding the EXC previously, my opinion is only based on the MXC.

The MXC has good gearing for tight single track....but for more open woods riding I would like the gearing a little taller. Sometimes we get open stretches and my MXC just can't hang. It is so low in the gear in 3rd thru 5th that I am constantly shifitng. I personally am going to try dropping a few teeth on the rear sprocket. Hopefully this will get it closer to the EXC gearing.

I think the only place that the MXC gearing works really well is on the track...keeping the bike in the meat of the power.

I ran a dual-sport event last week which entailed some dirt roads and tar,also trails with hero sections. The bike topped out very quickly in the road situations, but was excellent in the tight hero sections. So think a little about how you are going to use the bike before you buy.

Looking back I think the EXC gearing would probably suit me better.

 

[919]

I race GNCC's and local Hare Scrambles with an occasional MX if that helps with advice for me. THANKS!

 

[Montana300]

If you ride in places where sections trail are connected [or interrupted], by roads you will like the wider box of the EXC. I have ridden MXCs and always look for 6th and 7th gear on those bikes.

 

[Lawndart D]

i have a '98 380M/XC

and i run through the gears( 1 thru 5) real quick. its great in the tight woods and for MX . a guy i ride with has a '99 380E/xc and we have traded off a couple times and it really depends on what terrain you are riding. i notice the gear spacing only in wide open fields and fire roads, and this is where the E/XC flies and leaves my M/XC in the dust! other than that both the M/XC and E/XC are very similar. o yeah the E/XC's headlight is awsome when you spend a little too much time out in the woods and it gets dark!!!
happy landings,
Lawndart Dave '98 380 M/XC ( i wish i owned both!!!)
heck i will keep my M/XC and my next KTM will be an E/XC!!!

 

[TexKDX]

Check out the gearing thread elsewhere in this forum. On my '99 300, it works fine in a variety of conditions with the stock gearing. The 300 has such a fat power delivery that if any motor does well with the wider spacing this one does. I may tweak it a bit for the 20 mph stuff to aid in exiting turns, but it works fine as it is.

The bike will run an honest 80 mph+ with the stock gearing if that is of any matter to you. Not bad for a tree banger. Cruising at 50-55 in 5th is a breeze. 4th gets used with the motor reving pretty hard in the sand whoops at 40+ mph. 3rd pulls from 8 mph up to 35, so not alot of shifting is required with the 300 unless you are really trying to hammer out of the tight turns and have lots of traction. Then a downshift to 2nd may be warranted. Otherwise, just click it into 3rd and set the cruise control ;) .

 

[Strick]

EXC?

I like the MXC because of desert sand. I just need a 6th gear.

Tex - Do you have an EXC? The top speed on my bike (when stock) was 72mph. Since then I have gone to a 50t rear, and a Delta II. I haven't checked it since then.

 

[TexKDX]

Yea, it's an E. So yes, in '99 at least we have different tranny gearing per the manual.

I found out just how much top end it had at one of our club fun days. The 300 and I won the drags and were breaking 80 in the process. What a gas!