Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127790
TM 300 Enduro
(Left) Like all of the
bikes In TM's
lineup, the TM 300
Enduro Is a roiling
showcase of
aftermarket
accessories and
works-like, billetaluminum
hardware. The
optional aluminum
tank holds 3.6
gallons of roost
juice and looks
sano. It's a joy to
look at - except for
the pink plastic.
(Below) The TM 300
Enduro produces
plenty of power and
hooks up quite well
In slick and silty
conditions.
By cameron Coatney
Photos by KIt Palmer
'11 admit it, I'm weird. I like things
that are different. My friends think
I'm crazy because I ride a KIM 550 in
the desert and an AT!< 604E5 as my dual
sport mount. Maybe I do go crazy when I
need parts. I even like the new 1996 K1M
yellow-orangish color scheme. That's
right, you read correctly. I really like the
color. It's different. I was still kicking
myself in the heinie that I wasn't around
to take part in our recent 250cc enduro
shootout, where plenty of weird bikes
were tested, like the AT!< 250LQ (which
I've since ridden), the CRE 250 (which
isn't quite as weird, but still qualifies),
and the 1M 250 Enduro (can you get any
more weird than having a hydralilic
clutch, an aluminum fuel tank, and glaringly pink plastic?). So when importer
Pete Vetrano of TM Motorcycles in
Chino, California, called up offering us a
ride on a TM 300 Enduro, the Italian
company's new open-class off-roader,
you bet I was willing to give it a ride.
One of the first things you have to
notice about the Italian-built TM 300
Enduro is the plethora of trick parts that
went into the construction of this
machine. It is a rolling showcase of billetbeauty and quality components. The
hubs, triple clamps, handlebar clamps,
and the rear brake pedal are all carved
out· of billet aluminum and are quite
stunning in appearance, especially the
rear hub. Other high-quality components
include Marzocchi Magnum 45mm conventional forks, Ohlins shock, Excel rims
laced to the aforementioned hubs, 0.1.0
a-ring chain, aluminum 3.6-gallon fuel
tank, an out-of-harm's-way centerstand;
aluminum handlebars, hydraulic clutch,
and steel-braided clutch and brake lines.
It's got the goods - but how does it work
on the trail, you must be thinking.
We were thinking the same thing and
loaded up the TM for a day of riding
some of our favorite trails, albeit they
I
2
were a bit sljck and dusty this time of
year.
The 1M 300 Enduro is actually 293cc.
TM achieved this by boring the 250
Enduro's cylinder from 66.4mm to
72mm, resultin in s. , . re cyhnder
dimensions of 72mm for the 300. The
bike starts well and the jetting is pretty
close, although jt seems a bit rich on the
bottom.
One of the first things we noticed was
the deceivingly good low-end power that
the bike produces. It doesn't hit hard at
all and seems like it shouldn't be making
power by the sound of the motor, but it
just keeps chugging up thl;! nastiest of
hills. The stock pipe is a Messico unit and
supposedly produces less low-end
power resul ting in a hard hit from lowend to midrange, but our bike came with
an aftermarket Dyno-Port pipe that
Vetrano S