I’ve been a two stroke guy all my life and I just bought my first 4t. A 19’ husky fx350 and it’s simply amazing. Sooo different but once I leaned to ride it, it’s been amazing to say the least. Climbs like a billy goat.

Best Route i have seen on a Video!

Dude, you’re pretty fast on that trail. Nice job.

I ride a 17 250 sx and have been looking at the 500 , very informative video for a 2 stroke guy , thanks

Sweet looking trails.

Sick build. Loved my 500

What a fun looking trail. Nice vid! Keep the content coming 👍

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

That trail was a blast! Riding the 2020 KTM XC-W's and XC's next week in Washington and plan on posting a video afterward. Thanks for watching!

looks like a very fun trail to ride on to test a really cool bike

Very cool video....The bike looked like a dream on the single track. Scott Summers used to win national enduro titles on a bike 50 pounds heavier...image that! Once again, cool video and love Colorado. Hope your buddy recovers quickly from that mountain bike crash.

Thank you for showing that the 500 isn't too heavy to do any type of singletrack. I get tired of people griefing me about my 2018 500 exc and how it's limited in what it can do. I'm 6'4 240lbs I have no problem handling the extra weight of the bike. I actually prefer it. I'm going to have to look into a seat concept seat though when it does come to sitting down The stock seat is like sitting on a piece of wood. Any other bigger dudes out there that have 500s I also recommend adding Pivot pegz too. I wear a size 14 boot and they help SOOO much.

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Christopher Stephens you’re welcome! Just keeping showing your riding buddies up on the 500 and they’ll come around. We’re a big fan of the bike. When it comes time to order that seat concepts seat, use the code below for 25% off. Thanks for watching! Gnarlyroutes20194562

@kojack635

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the heads up. I'm 6'4" and 230lbs with gear as well.

Dude, that thing is so mellow - such a tractor! Awesome review. Reminds me of riding my dad's 505 for so long. Even though I love the 350s, these would be great for dual sport friendly areas 👍

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!

Trail and bike look so fun!

What an awesome place to ride👌💯

Absolutely love my 2 stroke and am more of a 2 stroke rider, that being said I've got to admit that a well set up 4 stroke definitely can have a big advantage in being more planted and traceable. Awesome stuff, great riding!

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

aircooled ADV thanks for watching!

I have the 350 exc-f, love it.

Sick looking trail mate! Looked cruisey as anything! Hope Rus heals up quick!!

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

It was a super fun trail! Thanks, we're ready for him to be back on two wheels already.

My moto friends are tellin me I NEED one of these. (They've always told me it's funner than MTB on the uphills) I've watched a lot of vids on this thing, even sat on a couple and had it fit like a damned glove, but that trail ride in my CO closed the deal. I'm older and calmer now, so I suppose it's about time. Thanks, man

I had a 300 and a 500 KTM. Sold the 300. Kept my 500. Smooth, controllable power at any speed. The trail-only version of the 500 is coming back for 2020, and the EXC will still be available.

@benfairhall5331

4 жыл бұрын

Yamaha Rider hey I’m from Australia mate we don’t really get anything but the EXC are you talking a XC-F or XC-W? What’s the differences? Cheers

I did a demo on the Ktm 500 (all of them actually :) Being 6’2” tall it felt like it was made for me. I had a Yamaha WR 450 at the time and I had to add bar risers.

Good ride. On trail 770 and connecting single tracks and in Rampart Range the conditions are definitely prime after a good rain due to the decomposed granite terrain. I've have some good success with a Sedona MX 907 rear tire. The Shinko 505 is a soft knobby that is great for dry less friction conditions.

But good review and love the bike

Damn l miss colorado watching this! Sick trail!

Perfect timing. I can’t decide between buying the 300 or 500 next. How about some good comparo vids eg. drag race, mx track, hill climb, sand, mud and swap riders etc. Would be fun to make, awesome to see and much appreciated.

@powayimports4175

4 жыл бұрын

Ktm and husky did a comparison of the two and discuses why to choose one over the other. It wasn’t a huge difference. Check it out. I have the 500 and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Hopefully you just forgot to mention the fueling. He had to have fixed that. A GET RX1 ECU or Vortex ECU is what makes these bike really magical.

I started my interest in dirt bikes with a Sur Ron. It's just such a fun little bike. I felt safe. I thrashed trails, jumped the hell out of it and just enjoyed it. I got a WR250R and it was som comfy and powerful but kinda heavy and too soft suspension for fast riding. Just got a YZ250X and while it's so much more fun and easier to ride slow and technical, the suspension is a bit stiff to chill. I just gotta send it and ride fast. And the 2 stroke on pipe requires solid discipline on the clutch/throttle. The 500 seems like you gotta focus on clutch/throttle control down low but should be able to just tractor through most stuff where the YZ probably gotta slip clutch or lug a bit more.

Love my 2016 ktm 500 exc ! Got over 8000 miles on her with no issues!!!

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Jesse James heck yeah!

Nice bike, i wonder how Grahm Jarvis would like it, even though he rides a 300 Husky, would be interesting to see...

The EXC-F are neutered by the EPA and run like crap stock. Not KTM's fault. Unless you rode it desmogged, with a slip-on and with a Vortex ECU you didn't ride it the way the engineers intended it to run. My KTM 350 was 36 horsepower stock and ran like crap. It ran hot, the fan was on 100% of the time in singletrack. It flamed out. After desmogging, slip-on and Vortex ECU it makes 48 horsepower, runs cool and can lug down low. If you can pick up 12 horsepower on a 350, the 500 will be even better.

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Hey Doc, Cole here. The bike is totally stock minus the slip-on and yes they are plugged up off the floor. It still ran fine in my opinion and I like that it's extremely quiet and the power is smooth. If I was racing it, then yes perhaps some mods would be made but in all honesty, I went plenty fast with it, "neutered." We did a whole bunch of stuff (ECU, desmogged, etc) to the 350 EXC-F that Russell used last year and honestly it didn't make that much of a difference so that's why we left the 500 alone. Russell managed to ride the 500 through 5 miles of hell without the bike overheating so I don't know what to tell you on yours. The day I rode it in the mountains, the temps were in the 70s and I never felt like my fan was on excessively.

@tcmx712

5 жыл бұрын

@@gnarlyroutes think he was talking about the 350 he had. I've never had a 350 but nearly every I ride with has them and since we ride mostly hard enduro style they were always overheating. They still swear by them tho but I'll stick with the 300 2t ftw.

@tjlovesrachel

4 жыл бұрын

I don’t have the vortex ecu but I have the piggyback tuner from ktmandhuskyparts.com....took the very last screen out of the stock muffler... and cut the spark arrestor about 2 inches and crimped it back... I also disabled the air injection and took the reeds out of the intake tract... HUGE HUGE HUGE DIFFERENCE.... just my 2¢

Dude love this. My 1 steed is a 501. Would love to rip with your bud on a “ds” ride. Im in golden. AA rider

@gnarlyroutes

3 жыл бұрын

Heck yeah, would be sweet to get a ride in!

KTM has us covered, I wish I had a 500exc, 450(xc for glen helen), 350xc, and both a 250 and 300 xc smokers(for odd and even days perhaps, lol), the 500 is my do it all bike(I got to have a plate), 350 is a close 2nd(I've sold my 2015, looking for the right 2017), and I loose sleep thinking about a 2020 300xc. I uncork my KTMs, mainly for longevity and heat dissipation, it will suck when the day comes that we can't uncork them, but maybe then electric bikes will be the bomb(2wd. Powerful, and 200lbs please).

I came from 250 2 smokers and a WR25OR. I recently got a 2017 500 EXC and I absolutely love it! Smooth as butter! So tractionable and power when you need it. Love the hydraulic clutch. One thing I do miss is the 2 stroke sound. I would love to have a newer 500 2 stroke. Anybody know how much H/P them KTM 500 EXC have? I have heard anywhere form 50-60

@theyeetus1428

2 жыл бұрын

It's about 40

Bro fucking mint riding

The 450 and 500 thumpers are very underrated and do well for a single bike stable.

@tdel8613

5 жыл бұрын

What are you currently riding?

@texlee1640

5 жыл бұрын

@@tdel8613 I have a CRF450L that is quickly turning into a 450X, or at least it seems that way haha. I plan to add a 300 2-stroke by the end of the year. I got rid of the adventure bikes, no more slabbing it short of connecting trails.

@texlee1640

5 жыл бұрын

@@tdel8613 2019 CRF450L

Now imagine when Summers raced that fat 600. But his bike never moved because the soft suspension soaked it all up. Oh and he ran everything over in his way.

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Summers is a bad dude!

What location is that? Looks like fun!

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

TPS Tool rampart range recreation area in Colorado. It’s got awesome trails and all you need is an OHV sticker and a bike with a spark arrestor.

2-strokes biggest real world advantage is ease and cost of maintenance. Piston and rings every couple years, and an hours work tops and your good to go.

@bradl45

4 жыл бұрын

I cheat, I buy 3 year old ktms, low hours and sell 2 to 3 years later(150hrs ish), to avoid expensive maintenance (4 strokes). It still costs to own and ride, but so fun. I'd much rather change a smoker top end too, lol!

Why do you prefer the AER cone valve over the traditional spring cone valve?

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Tyler Rivelli hey Tyler, This is Cole. Russell and I both have the AER cone valve fork on our bikes that we use on the Gnarly Routes tours and then run the spring version on the bikes that we race. I’m in the process of doing an in-depth comparison between the stock XPLOR fork and both cone valve versions. For me, when it comes to the AER cone valve fork, I really like how light it makes the front end feel in slow technical terrain or places where I have to get the front end up quickly. I have noticed that the spring version handles successive large square edge braking bumps better (more comfort) but other than that the performance is very similar. One other thing I noticed is that the cornering characteristics are a little different between the two as well. The spring requires less attention as you don’t have to check air pressure but that could also be viewed as a positive if you’re changing forks from bike to bike often. Stay tuned for a detailed video comparison towards the end of August and if you have any specific questions let myself or Russell know. Thanks for watching!

@1Tyler1Tyler

5 жыл бұрын

@@gnarlyroutes Thanks for the speedy reply, I just ordered a set of spring cone valves. I was just wondering your opinion between the two. Your reply makes me feel happy about my investment.. I look forward to seeing the in depth review! Love the videos!

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Tyler Rivelli you made the best choice and will be impressed with their performance. Enjoy!

Any ECU mods?

Does someone know what the display on the bar is and could tell me where to buy it?

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

It's a trail tech voyager pro. www.trailtech.net/voyagerpro

Big Bore rules :-) my 530 EXC-R from 2008 is undestroyable and I was still driving Erzberg Prolog in 18. On Single Trails, I can follow any other Bike with ease and the fuel consumption is far better than on all two Strokers. With good Body Position and Technique, she will not destroy your underarms ;-) BUT if you want to go over Trees and Rocks, it is not the right Bike, because it pops out very often, if you don`t use the clutch all the time. Pivots and stand up wheelies are also a lot more trickier than on a 300cc two stroke, especially when it is wet Terrain.

You said you rode roughly 20 miles out and back, was the trail 2 way?

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Bill, yes the trail can be ridden in multiple directions. I think that 770 is well over 70 miles long in one direction.

Wait till the ground is really wet and slippery fella, all that weight and planted feeling turns into the smell of death and the taste of blood😱

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

Tim Jackson that’s a lot of doom and gloom. It’d do just fine in some slick stuff!

@timjackson8050

5 жыл бұрын

@@gnarlyroutes don't get me wrong, as a dual sport it's a great bike (I've owned 2) and one of the best fast and flowing trail riding bikes. But in my experience too much for slick technical tracks. Flame outs, weight transfer, monster engine braking and inertia, engine torque hinders traction, all make it not viable for competitive riding. And like your title says "Two stroke guy rides a KTM 500 EXC-F for the first time" I'd wait until you have actually had some experience on it in proper slippery conditions before you pass judgement. There's a reason no one uses them for technical enduros, desert racing amazing bike. 👍🏻

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

@@timjackson8050 we get what you're saying but plenty of expert level guys could ride this bike in mud and do just fine. Yes a two-stroke would the bike of choice for technical enduros but a good rider could get the 500 down the trail regardless of conditions. It just might take longer and require more effort than on a two-stroke.

@mxracingunlimitedltd7784

3 жыл бұрын

I think the 350 EXC-F is a pretty damn good bike. Little lighter and more nimble than a 500, and with still plenty of power. I loved riding that bike and I have a 2stroke XCW..

Come valve stuff is kinda useless without a good ecu....

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

We promise that Russell and Cole can go plenty fast on the stock ECU and that the benefit of the cone valves is noticeable.

@SouthernUtahMx

5 жыл бұрын

Gnarly Routes of course the come valve stuff is noticeable just doesn't make any sense to spend a few grand on cone valve and a trax shock and still let the bike run lean and feel all choked up. Vortex ignition makes a world of difference on the KTMs.

ur n the wrong gear

@gnarlyroutes

5 жыл бұрын

It's not Cole's first time to ride.