so if this were my bike, I would leave
the stock oil injection system alone
and deal with any added weight.
Overall, however, these engine
modifications make the 300 XC-W a
lethal weapon on the trails.
Wheels & Tires>>
Tires are crucial for off-road perfor-
mance, and the Slavens crew opted
to
use stock wheels with a Bridge-
stone X31 front tire and an IRC
VE-33
S rear tire. Our bike featured
Nuetech's TUbliss systems, which
turn the stock wheels into tubeless
wheels. Tubeless tires have several
advantages, such as allowing you to
run low pressure for improved trac
-
tion and compliance without worry-
ing about pinch flats. Additionally,
they
are overall more flat-resistant
but not flat-proof like mousse
(foam) inserts, which come with the
tradeoff of increased weight. We
had perfect dirt due to rain the day
before we rode, but there were a de
-
cent number of rocks, roots and rain
ruts. Our
tire setup, however, gave
us a feeling of confidence.
Comfort and Ergos>>
For long days of riding, a Seat Con-
cepts Comfort seat was installed.
The stock
seat seems fine until you
try something better, and this seat is
much more comfortable with no neg-
ative tradeoffs. The XCGear Mako
360SX
bar mount helps dampen
vibration and absorbs some of the
hits from the trail that the upgraded,
smooth-performing fork couldn't. I
have one of these on my personal
XC-W and love it. Slavens installed
some Motion Factory Racing Flex-
Mount footpegs, which I thought
would feel strange due to the pivot
-
ing. I was, however, surprised that
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