Well got to put 70+ miles on the bike this weekend (~4.5 hrs on motor) and had a blast. My previous bike was a 99 250EXC so I wasn’t expecting anything radical, but I was pleasantly surprised by several things.
1) Motor: My 99 was very smooth, even four stroke like, so I wasn’t sure how the new motor would be. Well, it worked just fine. The 03 is strong, very strong. It still has the strong lowend which is a must for the riding we do, but it also has eye watering mid-range and topend. But the beauty is…. Everything is still controllable, and not violent. Thumbs up for the new motor!!
2) Suspension: I wasn’t real sure about the new 48mm forks in the woods. I had the conventional 50mm on the 99 and they were d@mn good. The 48s started of very stiff as any new suspension would, but after about 40 miles they really started to loosen up and show what they could do. They handled the big stuff (larger logs, g-outs, ruts, etc) extremely well. They still seem a little harsh on the small stuff, but still might not be fully broken in yet. The shock work very well, much better than my 99 did. I have no complaints with it at all.
3) Handling: I was very pleased at how the bike handled the rough stuff. It tracked very well and maintained its line thru some really gnarly high speed rocks and roots. I attribute a lot of this to the larger front hub and axle, and to the mammoth rear hub. I have ridden several 00, 01, and 02s and the front seemed a little nervous in the rough stuff……. not any more with 03.
4) Ergonomics: I really like the new tank and seat design. Much easier to get up on the tank for corners and the bike seems more nimble with less gas carried high… makes sense I guess.
5) Odo: One word… AWESOME. Easy to use and very functional. I like it!!!
Overall I am very pleased with the bike. Pretty much everything I was hoping for and a little more. I am trying to get the correct springs for me, but no one in the US has .38s for the forks… (Yes, I am a skinny a$$) So once I get those, I can give a better impression of the suspension. I did drop the needle (N3CH) one clip (to 3rd) since, IMO, break-in is done. The jetting was a little rich stock, which is what I would expect from the factory, but not bad by any means. Might have to drop the pilot one for around here (Huntsville, AL) but we will see.
More riding this weekend!!!! :)
Eric
1) Motor: My 99 was very smooth, even four stroke like, so I wasn’t sure how the new motor would be. Well, it worked just fine. The 03 is strong, very strong. It still has the strong lowend which is a must for the riding we do, but it also has eye watering mid-range and topend. But the beauty is…. Everything is still controllable, and not violent. Thumbs up for the new motor!!
2) Suspension: I wasn’t real sure about the new 48mm forks in the woods. I had the conventional 50mm on the 99 and they were d@mn good. The 48s started of very stiff as any new suspension would, but after about 40 miles they really started to loosen up and show what they could do. They handled the big stuff (larger logs, g-outs, ruts, etc) extremely well. They still seem a little harsh on the small stuff, but still might not be fully broken in yet. The shock work very well, much better than my 99 did. I have no complaints with it at all.
3) Handling: I was very pleased at how the bike handled the rough stuff. It tracked very well and maintained its line thru some really gnarly high speed rocks and roots. I attribute a lot of this to the larger front hub and axle, and to the mammoth rear hub. I have ridden several 00, 01, and 02s and the front seemed a little nervous in the rough stuff……. not any more with 03.
4) Ergonomics: I really like the new tank and seat design. Much easier to get up on the tank for corners and the bike seems more nimble with less gas carried high… makes sense I guess.
5) Odo: One word… AWESOME. Easy to use and very functional. I like it!!!
Overall I am very pleased with the bike. Pretty much everything I was hoping for and a little more. I am trying to get the correct springs for me, but no one in the US has .38s for the forks… (Yes, I am a skinny a$$) So once I get those, I can give a better impression of the suspension. I did drop the needle (N3CH) one clip (to 3rd) since, IMO, break-in is done. The jetting was a little rich stock, which is what I would expect from the factory, but not bad by any means. Might have to drop the pilot one for around here (Huntsville, AL) but we will see.
More riding this weekend!!!! :)
Eric
