Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1231989
March 2020 17 As with our 300TPI, the 150 requires a thorough warm up before it begins to run clean. Once up to temp, the 150 is as crisp and clean as a properly je ed bike; in fact, even cleaner. Power delivery is linear in feel with a decent amount of low-end torque. Now don't get too excited; it's s ll a 150, but the new TPI'd 150 pulls quite well down low without a hint of loading up or bogging. Small bore pilots are fully aware of the need to keep momentum, and yes, they can be a lot of work. This is where the new 150TPI shines. While climbing a gnarly steep sec on of single track, I purposely stopped mid- way up the hill. Instead of bogging or spinning wildly, the li le 150 chugged effortlessly without any drama. At 215 pounds, the bike is light but I'm not. Certainly no stump puller but it gets the job done with li le fanfare. Another surprise was the new 150 has the ability to lo the front wheel with ease. Just a flick of the clutch and a blip of thro le, and the front wheel is hanging high and proud. Ripping faster trails, the rider is rewarded with a sweet mid-range hit and pulls clean all the way to the moon like a proper small bore should. As for suspension, it's clear KTM's target market for the 2020 150XC-W TPI is a rider of smaller stature. Sprung for riders of 140-160 lbs., it's very so and reminiscent of KDX 200's from days gone by. Given this, I'm s ll impressed. The so suspension forces the rider into a standing posi on. As for me, si ng while riding was poor form with forks looking like something from Easy Rider. Yeah, chopper-mode. Standing while weigh ng the front wheel makes a world of difference. Also, KTM/WP improved the Xplor fork by adding a new mid-valve piston to keep the fork from blowing through its travel and bo om- ing. Even at my rider's weight of 235, the fork be- haved remarkably well. Given this, we'll s ll be doing suspension upgrades to handle this big German. As I type this review, I'm longing to get back on the li le 150. Some of my friends are a bit puzzled as to why a 300 rider would care for such a dras c de- crease in power. But I find the combina on of a light- weight quiet bike with effortless clutch pull, along with electric start equates to an easy-to-ride piece. The biggest bonus of riding a small bore is they are exci ng and make you feel fast, even if you're not going fast. Let's face it; riding any of today's 300s hard is one wild trip since they are flat-out BRUTALLY powerful when ridden on the pipe. As for me, I'm enjoying the feel of going fast without actually going fast at all! You can be sure to look forward to much more on this fun ride! -Kurt