Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1517946
April 2024 11 The 2024 300 XC-W HARDENDURO is best de- scribed as a fully dressed 300 XC-W along the same lines as the previous ERZBERGRODEO model. Load- ed with accessories from the PowerParts catalog, it's dripping with orange bling. But make no mis- take, these are components that make sense unlike silly spoke wraps and other fluff on the market. Included in the HARDENDURO package are KTM Factory Racing anodized orange billet triple clamps with rubber handlebar mounts, li ing straps front and rear, and disc guards front and rear. Hand guards, an anodized orange clutch slave guard, and high-end Italian SELLE DALLE VALLE ribbed seat are also part of the HARDENDURO model. For those wondering, the English transla on of "SELLE DALLA VALLE" is "SADDLE OF THE VALLEY". Factory Edi on wheels sets with orange hubs and spoke nipples, all topped off with an orange powder-coated frame dress the rest of the package. Speaking of the frame, there are many changes from the previous genera on. The steering head is now forged and welded onto the chromoly steel frame. The upper rear shock mount has been relocated to reduce energy transferred from the backbone of the frame to the spars leading down to the pegs. Footpeg mounts have been relocat- ed inward, slimming the bike while reducing the chance of catching pegs in the rocks. The rear subframe is now constructed of composite and aluminum. It's now shorter, more compact, and stronger. This new subframe design has been engineered to flex instead of bending or breaking when get-offs occur. Another bonus is the air filter has been redesigned with the filter cage locking posi vely in place without worry of sea ng prop- erly and sucking dirt into the engine. Ok technical jargon aside, how does this new genera on XC-W model behave in the woods you ask? Well, first and foremost, the new WP XACT Closed Cartridge front fork is magic, hands down the best out-of-the-crate fork we've ever experi- enced. It's plush yet rides high in the stroke and the new hydrostops do their job incredibly well. For those familiar with the WP 6500 kits, we're told this new fork includes similar components of basically the same design just engineered for mass produc on.