Quick Ride
Quick Ride
ROUNDUP
2000 KTM 400 & 520 E/XC Four-strokes of the future
"SORRY, SIR, YOU CAN ONLY have one: lighter weight or electric starting." If you're tired of hearing all the old excuses about four-stroke dirtbikes, wait 'til you see what KTM has on tap for the new millennium. By starting over from scratch, the Austrian company has engineered an all-new Thumper that is so small—no, make that tiny—that it's even thinner than current two-stroke engines.
Intrigued by KTM’s claims that its new electric-start enduros weighed the same (259 pounds) as a Yamaha YZ400F motocrosser, Cycle World trekked to the Czech Republic recently to sample the pre-production 400 and 520 E/XCs normally raced by world enduro championship riders Giovanni Sala, Mario Rinaldi, Kari Tienen and Fabio Farioli.
Throw a leg over either E/XC and you find yourself thinking, “This can’t be true.” The bike is too small, too low and way too thin. Get it rolling, and it feels
as light as a Honda XR250. But whack on the throttle-especially on the 520-and you’d better hang on! Even with the quiet 92decibel mufflers, the motors rip.
The 400 E/XC runs as strong as a YZ400F, but with a more traditional four-stroke character. Its low-end and midrange power comes in torquey pulses, instead of just a quick-revving blur.
The 520 E/XC has a very similar feel, with strong lowend, but the midrange punishes the ground. In fact, for all but
the most wide-open spaces or power-robbing sand, you’ll never use it all. As for top-end, suffice to say that this is the stuff Open-class two-strokes are made of. With its hydraulically actuated clutch and wide-ratio six-speed gearbox, the 520 should top 100 mph in stock form, no problem.
The electric starter is Good Stuff. Exceedingly compact, it fires the engine without fuss. And the dry-sump motor has no fewer than two oil pumps and three oil filters (including KTM’s now-familiar micro-filter), so reliability shouldn’t be an issue. In fact, the bikes we rode endured a two-day world enduro round and an all-day thrashing by journalists and never missed a beat.
But the best thing about the small motors may be their positive effect on handling. The four-strokes’ tiny-yet-roomy feel and precise handling mirror that of KTM’s two-strokes. Not surprising, considering that chassis geometry is said to be identical. In truth, you find it hard to believe you’re riding a “diesel.” The main giveaway is the excellent tractability that lets the rear tire hook-up even with absurd amounts of throttle.
No longer do Thumpers have to be tall, with a corresponding high center of gravity. Nor are low-slung, toe-crushing footpegs required to fit the motor in the frame. The future of dirtbikes has arrived. All we can say is make sure your deposit is guaranteed. Thumpers are changing-fast.
-Jimmy Lewis
