Well over the last few weeks I have lost count to how many bikes I have enquired about or looked at to replace the old XR600.
The cryterior was fairly straight forward, old but not to old, something in the late eightys upto 2001. It had to have at least one disc brake, be a 2 stroke and no electric start.
I have always been impressed by Flippers old WR250 and a mate of mine had an awesome KDX175 years ago so thats were my search started. The budget was upto $2000, everything I found around that money was a basket case, just a quick look saw a grand to 1.5 monkeys needing spent on it, new kick starters, new gear leaver, new brake leaver, cracks in the plastics, cracks in wheel hubs and rims, no rego bad electrics you name it I saw lots of crap. Hame and I travelled to Mansfield and to Camberfield and beyond to look at crap, I spoke with guys as far as QLD who had bikes for sale and with the cost of around $500 for shipping I got serious about local bikes which always seam a little more expensive than else were in our vast country.
I had to get my head around the fact that if I wanted to get a bike that I could basically just put fuel in and start riding that I had to spend a few more buckeroos in the first place.
I then decided that as I am all tooled up with suppliers and tools for KTM that it should be a KTM. At least the cryterior was getting more refined now.
It was then decided that after around 1999 they came with upside down forks so as I prefer the upside downers then I new it had to be between 1999 and 2001.
There was a bike that I kept pushing to the side as the ask was nearly 4 monkeys but it was around the corner from my place, so I thought as it was so close to my place I had to go and have a look c and get the guff on it from the owner.
It was nice to arrive and find a bike for sale by a serious trial rider for a change, it was a 2000 KTM 300EXC 10mths rec reg, a fresh top and bottom end just done by Anthony at power house, all though the bike has a clutch leaver it actually also has a reckluse auto clutch fitted to it, no real signs of ware just signs of good maintenance , FMF Gold series SST pipe and FMF quiet technology muffler, rear grab strap, rear disc guard, bash plate, pipe guard, hand guards radiator supports, all of a sudden the bike was'nt that expensive looking anymore, no more than 5 minutes to go and pick it up from home and a seller willing to negotiate on price. So here it is a new old banger and with a dyno sheet showing 52hp I'm itching to go for a ride now
