Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/105496
Whether in the air or through the trees, the XC is light, nimble and responsive. was the case with the new XC with no obvious over or under steering. When the trail required quick turning through tighter strands of trees, the XC was equally impressive. In fact, the overall handling can be described as "quick." The only difference with the ergonomics from last year were the new Renthal Bars - which are basically the same as the Renthal 996 bars. I liked the bars a lot as they fit me well while standing or sitting. They also lend a more aggressive feel to the rider position. The new plastic doesn't snag or otherwise get hung up on clothing or boots and makes for a sexy looking machine. Motoring Last year's motor was smooth and somewhat unexciting. With no significant change beyond a new a new V Force Reed Block, this year's motor had a bit more snap off the bottom and into the mid range. Overall, I would consider the '13 to have more torgue off the bottom and a bit more responsiveness through the mid range. Acceleration , by extension, was a bit more deliberate than last year - at least that's what we felt. It was still smoother than an old school two stroke, but with just a touch of retro 2 stroke punch. Once we installed the red power valve spring, we had so much fun with it in that we kept it there. With the red power valve spring in, we could lug the bike and carry another gear, or rip from corner to corner in throttle jockey mode. One huge advanatage the KTM has over the other 2 strokes is the option for quickly tuning the engine for any situation, style or ability level it's what sets KTM apart from brands that haven't updated their motor in a decade or two. What about the sum of the parts that define the overall handling? in a word - excellent. Quick, sharp, responsive, well balanced, January 2013 33