VOL. 51 ISSUE 17 APRIL 29, 2014 P71
which really isn't all that unusual
when it comes to dual sport riding.
You have to get to the good stuff
somehow, and the EXC makes
that process very acceptable.
Sure, it vibrates a little bit at
speed and doesn't feel quite as
refined on the road as some of
the more street-orientated dual
sport bikes, but the KTM handles
the pavement quite well overall.
Our test bike came re-geared,
from the super-tall stock 14/50
sprockets to a more-sensible
14/48 (lower) gearing. This KTM-
recommended combo works
quite well both on the trail and
the pavement, where you will ar-
rive at sixth gear fairly quickly but
still have enough gear left over
to get you to 90 mph fairly eas-
ily. In general, though, we found
the KTM to be quite happy at a
steady 60 mph on the pavement.
Luckily, for the long sit-down
street hauls, the seat is more
comfortable than it was on the
earlier EXC.
The EXC's motor is nothing
less than superb. It is just about
perfect for moderate to hard-core
dual sport riding, i.e. technical
and non-technical trails. Its large
motor displacement translates
into awesome torque and horse-
power. But don't let the number
"500" on the side panel scare
you – yes, the 500 EXC has
lots of power on tap, but it's all
