Why a 520MXC for woods? talk me into it!

KevinB4stk

Member
Jul 5, 2000
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If my local dealer does get a KTM dealership I will most likly get a 520MXC, why a 520? well, because every body else wants a 400, no not realy.
I have 3 dirt bikes right now,a BBR electric start XR400, a 97 XR400 also electric start and a 00 XR650r, I'm SOOO hooked on the power of the 650r, and even like riding it in tight woods, but it gets pretty harey sometimes.. I realy like the electreic start 400's also, especialy the light nimble feel of the BBR.
I don't ride 2 strokes, I ride 4 strokes, in the woods, sometimes open, sometomes tight and I like lots of power if I need it.
I'm thinking that the 520MXC will be like melding all of the bikes that I have into 1 AWESOME dirt bike.
I know it sounds like I've already made up my mind, but talk me into it anyway.

Kevin
 

jeb

Member
Jul 21, 1999
633
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Do you race in the tight woods or just trail ride? If the latter, get the 520 but make it an EXC. That big tank on the MXC makes the bike feel a lot wider and harder to keep your weight forward on. If you race hare scrambles or enduro's in the tight woods, you will probably find the 400 the better bike, IMO. It will be easier to control and not tire you out nearly as quickly. At least, that's my experience.
 

Shaw520

Damn Yankees
LIFETIME SPONSOR
May 14, 2000
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EXC520

Faster, lighter, norrower, and more manuverable than all those Hondas you mentioned,....Jeb is right about the tank on the MXC, you lose some of that slim, norrow feeling. :)
 

Jim Crenca

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Mar 18, 2001
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Hey JEB,

As far as tight woods & fire roading goes; does a 520 or 400 4 stroke beat you up noticeably more than a 250 EXC 2 stroke? I've got a modified KDX but will get another bike to play with & possibly Hare Scramble. I keep thinking that a 520 might make a cool Dual Sport bike as well. Your thoughts please.
 

hociracer

Member
Jan 24, 2000
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for anything other than the tightest east coast enduros, the 520MXC is ideal. I also prefer the EXC gas tank but if you choose not to change the tank, you will get used to the MXC tank in time. You will love this bike!

Good luck.
 

jeb

Member
Jul 21, 1999
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Originally posted by Jim Crenca
Hey JEB,

As far as tight woods & fire roading goes; does a 520 or 400 4 stroke beat you up noticeably more than a 250 EXC 2 stroke? I've got a modified KDX but will get another bike to play with & possibly Hare Scramble. I keep thinking that a 520 might make a cool Dual Sport bike as well. Your thoughts please.

Beat you up? Quite the contrary in my case. The suspension on the 01 400E is much better out of the box than my 99 250E's was. And I'd had the shock revalved by EE on the 99. I've now put stronger springs in both ends of the 400 as I'm 205 in street clothes and it's just a magic carpet ride compared to any other bike I've owned.

For me, this bike is way better than my 250 for trailriding or racing. It's not that much heavier than the 250 and has a great powerband. However, a friend of mine has sister bikes to both my 99 250E and now my 01 400E. He's not as convinced at this point after a couple of hundred miles on the 400E. The 250 is a very nice bike too and he's just not as fired up about the 400 as I am. So YMMV.

The 520 would probably be a better dual sporter but tread carefully here. KTM is emphatic that the RFS's are not designed for dual sporting and they caution that it will not be good for the bike. Some of the reasons are low oil capacity, no oil cooler, no fan for stop and go driving, no rubber buffered hubs for pavement stresses, thinner 5th and 6th gears. Some guys have used them for dual sporting and seem to have no problems, though. But you should be aware of what KTM says about it. Your dealer should be able to show you the letter from KTM about the above.
 

Nverfastenuf

Member
May 4, 2001
106
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The 520EXC is extremely easy to ride!!! The bike has very tractable power and doesnt beat you up at all. The suspension is right in the ballpark for woods riding (a little soft for desert though) and the weight of the bike is very deceiving. It feels lighter than it really is. IMO it feels 20 lbs lighter than the YZ426 I had. I was totally amazed at the bikes ability to chew up the nasty single track. Buy it, you'll love it, if you dont, you can resell it rather easily. My O2.
 

Motus

Member
Dec 4, 2000
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I just traded my xr 400 (600 before that) to a 520 MXC and i love it. I run about a 50/50 mix of woods and moto. I had a "set-up" day for both conditions and wrote the settings down. With a few clicks I can get it dialed in pretty sweet. My best riding bud has an XR650R and the power on the 520 is very comparable....smooth as you want or wick it and rip. I did put a 13t front sprocket on for the tight stuff. I also do notice the BIG tank sometimes (mostly on the moto track), but I'm coming off of an air cooled bike with a thin tank so everything is wide to me. We had a 70mph straight at this past weekend's hare scramble and I still had throttle left even with the gearing change. My bottom line is that if you like thumpers you will LOVE this one. Later,
Steve
 

Jim Crenca

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Mar 18, 2001
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Man I got to re-think this whole dirt bike thing. I've been so happy with light weight, smaller (200cc) 2-strokes for trail riding / play racing that I'm begining to fell like a cave man. You guys make it sound like the large KTM 4 strokes are the way to go. Are there any down sides other than a heavier bike?
 

Shaw520

Damn Yankees
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May 14, 2000
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I think there are better suited bikes for riders in the 130# -150#pnd range, but a strong aggressive rider over 180# will find the RFS's perfectly suited,......you find yourself doing things you werent capable of previous fourstrokes.
After tossing XR400/600's around for the past five years, the 520 feels and flicks as lite as a MX250, and with a bit more throttle control, can be whipped and tossed around as such. But grab a handful, and thats where the difference becomes evident.
 

jeb

Member
Jul 21, 1999
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Jim,
What 200 are you riding? If it's a 98 or newer KTM 200, the weight difference is significant. Some 33 pounds on the EXC's. I was racing a KTM 250E before I went to the 400E and I don't notice the difference in weight. But I'm 6'2", 205 and in pretty good shape. I will tell you that it's a bit more work getting it out of mudhole if you get stuck.

I'm faster on my 400 and throughly enjoy it. I was going to keep the 250E but I couldn't bring myself to even ride it anymore as I was having so much fun on the 400 and the suspension is so much better. When I do ride our 125EXC or 200EXC, I really do feel the difference in weight, though. Those bikes feel too small to me so there's no appeal for me but it's worth considering.
 

Jim Crenca

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Mar 18, 2001
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I'm 5'10", 175 lbs., 43 years old but in pretty good shape with decent upper body strength. Lately I've been riding a reasonably tricked out KDX 200. I was thinking about muscling a heavy bike up some of the muddy, tree lined hills, strewn with rocks we have here in the East; I would guess that & bottomless mud holes are everyones worst trail experiences. Of course endless torque might make getting caught in the above less likely as well.
 

jeb

Member
Jul 21, 1999
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That's a good point, Jim. The 400 seems to get through more mudholes easier than my 2 strokes did. Much easier to just chug right through while the bike magically finds traction.

We have a 96 KDX200 in the family that I've put some miles on. It's a top heavy bike with relatively low tech suspension. The KTM 400 would be good move in every way from that bike, IMO.
 

JEFF SAND

Member
May 24, 2001
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You said that you like power!

As the over quoted cliche go "there is no replacement for displacement" As competent as the 400 RFS are the 520 will never cease to amuse your desire for power. In the woods it might be an issue keeping it out of the trees for the first few rides until you relax your throttle hand. As far as really being a woods machine I think that all KTMs need a little set up to before they are completely intuitive. For me it was proper sag set up and less offset in the triple clamps before I was comfortable on my 520 in the single track.
 

PeterWaldman

Member
Jan 18, 2001
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520 MX or EX/C

I've been trail riding and Dual Sport Event riding my K2K 520 EX/C for about a year and a half and LOVE it. I'm 6'2" and tip the scale at 235 Lbs. I ride Pennsylvania woods - tight single track and LOTS of ROCKS. After springs & revalving the suspension, it's a DREAM to ride. Also dropped the front sprocket to 13 teeth and upped the rear sprocket to 54 teeth for the tight PA woods. Still get about 90-95 MPH on the road, thanks to the six speed transmission. I did Dual Sport convert the bike day one but only ride roads on the dual sport events. Also put on the MX tank for extra range. The $320 was well spent. I don't mind the tank size at all - but I don't MotoX it.

If I were to buy another bike, it would be just like the one I have now. I could not ask for or want anything else or different. It's a MAJOR BLAST.
 

Smitty

Alowishus Devadander
Nov 10, 1999
707
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How many of you guys are hardcore racers (cross country/hare scrambles)? I am 6’3” and 200 in street clothes racing a KX250 as a pro in the OK cross country series. I feel underpowered at times versus my competition, nearly all of which are smaller than me. My question is how many of the 520/400 riders here are serious racers who have to flog a bike for 2 hours through whoops, chop, sand, and 2nd/3rd gear woods? Do you think you use more energy or less than a MX250. I am an aggressive rider in average shape for an expert.

Part II, I used to own a 99 300MX/C and never came to grips with the handling. Too many washouts and tucked front ends. Jumped on the 2000 KX as an intermediate and (after revalving the suspension) really improved a lot. The question is will different offset clamps and suspension work put me where I want to be with more power? :p
 

Nverfastenuf

Member
May 4, 2001
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The only true answer to your question is going to be answered by yourself. You need to ride the bike and make the choice. Every one has different opinions and each has there own preference. I can give a short synapsis on my own experience and you can add it to the thousand others out there. This is a condensed version encompassing the last 2-3 years. Had to have a 4stroke, got a 600 Berg. At the same time, had a 98CR500 & 00RM250. T Didnt like the Berg, sold it for a YZ400. Liked the bike, also replace the RM for a new YZ250. Loved the YZ250. Got the YZ426 and sold the YZ400. After riding the YZ250 it was hard to get jazzed about riding the 426. I decided to try a 520KTM(my brother desert races one). I had ridden his a little and wasnt all that impressed, but after setting the bike up for myself I was awestruck with the bikes power and handling traits(from the desert to the tight single track it worked great). Granted to run at high desert speeds it needs to be set up stiffer, and we all know that a woods bike is softer, but for a bike to do both as well as this one does really impressed me. To end a lenghty reply, do yourself a favor and find one that you can spend a little time on and the make your decision. Some people love em, some people hate em, in my case I really like the bike. My 02.
 

johnf3

Member
Mar 21, 2000
85
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Smitty,
Does your KX have MXTech stickers on it? If so, I rode near your row last year at Cross Timbers. I am 6'3" and ride over 30 A at most of our enduros (the ones that are RMEC, since we don't have the class in TSCEC.) I don't ride the circuit. I just got a 520 EXC coming off a YZ 250. The one thing I can say without reservation is that this bike turns on a dime when set up right. However, the suspension is valved very soft and the spring rates were not close at all for me. With MxTech's help, I got the right springs and the bike is much better. My ridng buddies say I am going better than ever now. Looks like this years Cross Timbers will be the 520's first taste of competition, as I am not going to Cloudcroft. Anyway, I have ridden every chance I have gotten since getting the KTM, and ride the bike hard. I recommend it highly except for the stock suspension.
 

Smitty

Alowishus Devadander
Nov 10, 1999
707
0
Cool Johnf3, that was me and I’ll be at the Crosstimbers this year (row 5 or so). I’m pretty interested in a 520, but I am still trying to figure out how I can afford one without selling my current ride. Sort of a backup in case I don’t like the 520. I need to grab somebody’s and get 15 or 20 miles on a used cross country course to really get a feel for it.

In the mean time I think I will look into hoppin’ up ole faithful for some more grunt. (Eric Gorr 310!)
 

johnf3

Member
Mar 21, 2000
85
0
I will be around row 10 again, just got the entry today. I'll try to see you before the race. I jumped in with both feet and had to sell the YZ, I mean have to sell the YZ. The used bike market is slow around here right now. I still can't believe I bought a bike that cost so much, but as of right now, no buyers remorse.
 

KevinB4stk

Member
Jul 5, 2000
208
0
I just rode a buddy of mines 01 400MXC today for about 15 minutes, this bike is brand new, this was the 1st time it had seen trails.
Just getting off of my XR400 it seemed a little strange, I mean the layout of the seat and handlebars but it wouldn't take me long to get used to it. I did notice the widness of the MXC tank though, when sitting down going through turns. I also liked the lack of weight feeling, it felt alot like riding my BBR, and this MXC needs a steering dampener, but so do alot of bikes.
The engine seemed a little flat right off the bottom but it ripped in the mid and top. I supose just getting off of my good running XR400 just made it seem that way as far as the bottom end power goes.
I know from what I've read that the 520 will have more bottom end power and every whare else, so now more than ever I'm hooked on the 520, and I haven't even rode one, but now mabe a 520EXC.
I apreciate all of the reply's on this

Kevin
 

GlennP

Member
Jun 6, 2000
311
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There will be more to choose from soon. The KTM RFSs are great bikes, but don't fit everyone. If you can, wait for the GG, Husky, VOR, and TM and see how they compare to the KTM. This is going to be an interesting year, especially for the new 250s.
 

Smitty

Alowishus Devadander
Nov 10, 1999
707
0
Dang It!

I had almost talked myself out of it until today. I rode an 01 400MX/C for one 6 mile lap and loved it! It took so much less energy than my KX, and seemed to handle very well. It was not as flickable, but then again I only rode it one lap. With my height I think I will have enough leverage on the bike to crank it back and forth. With regards to the power, it was great in presentation, but the 520 seems the more likely candidate for my style. The 400 did not feel like it would just walk away from my KX like I want it to.

The really sweet thing was how well the ergo's fit me when standing. Even though the KX is a big bike and I have CR double hi's I still get a hunched feeling when I stand and end up too far over the front unless I stay real aggressive. The 400 had stock bars and I had a very neutral position on the bike.

DANG, I don't want to buy a new bike ($), but a racer's gotta do what helps. I should get the chance to put some miles on a 520 MX/C in a couple of weeks.
 
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