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/303159
2014 KTM 500 EXC (DUAL SPORT) RIDING IMPRESSION P72 very useable and extremely user- friendly. It does, however, rev up quickly and gets right to business as soon as you open up a bunch of throttle, but we wouldn't call it explosive or hard to handle by any means. In general, most of the "kick" is from midrange on up; it's actually quite tame from bottom to mid. You can ride the EXC hard when you're fresh, or mellow when you're tired, many miles into your ride. Either way, the KTM's motor is very ca- pable in many situations. Yes, it might be a "race" motor, but that doesn't mean you have to ride it that way all the time. It also does just fine plonking around at slow- er speeds. Fueling is crisp and clean, and the new mapping seems to have eliminated the annoying decel- eration popping that the original EXC had. And we didn't experi- ence any stalling or hard starting. Adding to the KTM's riding enjoyment is its ultra-light clutch and throttle pull, smooth shifting of the six-speed gearbox and outstanding brakes, though the front brake did get a little mushy on our bike but didn't really lose any stopping power. Simply put, suspension is out- standing. It offers a plush ride overall yet can, without surprise, withstand some serious pound- ing on the trail. The 48mm open- cartridge WP fork and the single PDS rear shock are well sprung and fully adjustable. Our test bike was ridden back and forth be- tween a 160-pound rider and a 180-pound rider and neither felt the immediate need to make any adjustments. So what didn't we like? Not a whole lot, but one tester thought that the handlebars were too low and flat. The gas cap can be a bit of a pain to loosen, and the meter isn't exactly user-friendly (though it does offer plenty of useful infor- mation once you figure it out). On the other hand, we loved the KTM's translucent fuel tank, which makes it easy to moni- tor capacity during your ride. Its 2.25-gallon capacity isn't any- thing to brag about, however, but it did once get us about 70 miles of mixed riding with still some fuel splashing around inside, and it's hard not to like its narrow profile. We feel the KTM's tank is a fair compromise between comfort and long range. We also liked the bike's useful hand guards, easy access air filter and sturdy license-plate holder. There is al- most no worse feeling than fin- ishing a long ride only to discover that your valuable piece of alumi- num is no longer with you. Many people, including us, still gulp at the EXC's now $10,099 price tag. Is it really worth it? It certainly is if you're looking for a super-high-performance go- anywhere dual sport bike that is ready to hit the trails as soon as you roll it off the showroom floor. Yes, it's a lot money for sure but at least you get what you pay for. You might want to change gear- ing and ditch the mirrors for ones that are more versatile and can be quickly and easily stowed away, but the KTM 500 EXC is more than ready to take on any trail at any trail pace, not to men- tion any city street, right from the get-go. So, does it really get much bet- ter than this? The KTM 350 EXC, perhaps? CN SPECIFICATIONS 2014 KTM 500 EXC ENGINE: .. Liquid-cooled, SOHC, 4-valve, 4-stroke, single DISPLACEMENT: ..........................510.4 cc BORE x STROKE: ..............95mm x 72mm STARTING: ............................Electric/kick LUBRICATION: ....Pressure circulation w/ two rotary pumps TRANSMISSION: .......................... 6-Speed PRIMARY DRIVE RATIO: ....................32:76 FINAL DRIVE RATIO: ......................... 14:50 CLUTCH: ............... DDS Multidisc clutch/ hydraulically activated IGNITION: .................................. Electronic FRAME: ........ Chrome molybdenum steel tubing FRONT SUSPENSION: .....WP Suspension USD 4860 MXMA PA REAR SUSPENSION: .......WP Suspension PDS 5018 DCC FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ................ 11.81 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ..................13.19 in. TIRES: .................................... Maxxis DOT FRONT BRAKE: ..... Disc, 260mm Brembo REAR BRAKE: ....... Disc, 220mm Brembo RAKE: ......................................63.5-degree WHEELBASE: ................................. 58.3 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: .................13.58 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ............................... 38.2 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ..........................2.25-gal. CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: ............ 245.8 lbs. MSRP: ........................................... $10,099