KTM 350 EXC-F 2013: Papineau Labelle Wildlife Reserve Ride Part 1

Sunday, September 16 2012 - Patience paid off. For 3 days I could only admire the snazzy KTM 350 EXC-F in my garage.  Other priorities prevented me to go for an adventure ride with the “Ferrari” of dual sport bikes.  But finally, the perfect day presented itself: no rain on the horizon, sunny and 64 F (18 C) degrees as a maximum - perfect conditions.

But before leaving, I made ​​some adjustments that were beneficial:

1. I removed the visor on my hybrid helmet - it has the effect of a parachute on the highway with a dual-sport motorcycle.  So much for the look;
2. I adjusted the mirrors - returning from St-Bruno, Qc where I picked up the bike a few days earlier, I realized on the highway that the mirrors were very, very well secured, which is a good thing, unfortunately in a position that did not suit me well;
3. As the bike is pretty high, I got used to removing the kickstand before sitting  - a lot easier!

With the 350 EXC-F, I had to use my imagination and all the pockets of my jacket and my pants since there is obviously no suitcase or anything to carry some goods in.  This way, I could carry my usual equipment: camera, iPhone, 2 cans of energy drink, cereal bars etc etc..

And finally, a precaution: the fuel tank on the KTM is 10 liters with the reserve, so I planned for refuelling along the way... I will get back to this.

8:45 a.m., departure, heading to Lac des Plages village, through:

• 344 along the Ottawa river, then
• head to Staynerville road,
• Montee Hall,
• Dumoulin road,
• Rawcliffe,
• 6e concession,
• Scotch road,
• Huntington road,
• Maskinongé road,
• …
• and a stop at Namur village for refuelling.  So I thought…

The planned ride, about 140 km from (A) St-Eustache to (C) Lac des Plages with a gas stop at Namur (B)

 

 

West Staynerville Road

09:53 a.m. A gravel road… woot woot!  After 40 miles (60 km), I finally reached West Staynerville road.  I could probably have done this faster, but the ride alongside the Ottawa river (344) is always nice. At last! I could try the bike on a path that sticks a little more to what it was designed for. I opened the throttle and some adrenaline  flowed through my veins. Finally! - This is the reason I worked so hard planning all the steps to get there - you can’t imagine – riding a KTM in the conditions where it excels, what a great start!

 

10:02 a.m.  On the Hydro road near Montée Hall. This road, I had looked at it often in the past: access is obstructed by concrete blocks, but the KTM is so narrow that it can sneak in everywhere. This is a major advantage! +2 I often wondered what was at the end of that road - I thought that somehow I would be able to join the Scotch road from here, but no... Crap!  The road is blocked a mile further with a padlocked fence. No way around it. WWHHHYYYY?! Hydro roads are interesting for motorcycle adventuring!  Those lands are supposed to be public!  Frustrating!

Chemin Hydro, près de Montée Hall

Anyway, continuing southbound on the Montée Hall, I joined another gravel road (Dumoulin road) along highway 50 and the path that leads to Rawcliffe road. One thing lead to another, I borrowed my usual trails in the area through the 6th concession.

I appreciated the lightness of the bike and its handling on hotter trails. Everything became so easy, it was night and day with my usual bike that weighs almost twice as much. Normally, I drive with caution in rocky trails, but with the high ground clearance of the KTM, its large diameter wheels (21 and 18 inches) and long travel suspensions, the same routes seemed to be made of pavers - fantastic!

This was a total bliss until I reached the next section of this awesome road:

 

To be continued…See part 2

Ciao!

DSAQ

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KTM 350 EXC-F 2013, Photo Montage, Papineau Labelle Park

Enjoy!

DSAQ

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First Contact: KTM 350 EXC-F 2013

When I asked KTM Canada to lend me a bike, I did not expect to be catapulted miles out of my comfort zone.

The landing is a bit brutal: it is not the bike that is adapted to humans - but humans must adapt to it.  The word “compromise" was not part of the 350 EXC-F spec sheet.

Result: about 240 pounds.

Once the shock of the first contact has passed, one understands where he just landed: in a world where gravity is no longer as important. The 350 EXC-F is easy to tame and quickly becomes an extension of the driver.  The step is high, but behind the handle bar, everything is possible.  I experienced it on my way back from KTM Canada in St-Bruno.

My first off-road experiment was done in Kahnawake, near Mercier Bridge on the south shore of Montreal: I spotted a trail from the road and gave it a try.  There was a steep slope covered with boulders - the kind of road where you have to think twice with a bigger bike. With the KTM, I was on top of the slope in a wink. It felt like the weight of the bike was almost negligible and it didn’t require much effort to drive even in difficult situations.  I was pretty eager to find other similar challenges after this one.  I rode alongside the St-Lawrence river for a while in short trails then I continued my journey to St-Eustache.

On my way back home, there is a trail that I could never access with my regular motorcycle: there are big concrete blocks that prevent vehicles from crossing.  The 350 EXC-F is so thin that I could snake around the blocks easily.  At the other end of the trail there was a racing sand pit with jumps and bumps pretty well hidden from sight – probably the best kept secret in town.  I went for a couple of laps in the sand, through the bumps, and even attempted a few jumps.  That was pretty cool.  I was able to ride the bike it the sand with such ease!  The biggest surprise was that the small 350cc engine was more than sufficient for the task.

So my next ride with the bike will be to kick some ass in trails that I could not complete and had to turn around with my regular bike.  My expectations are very high, but I feel that I will not be disappointed… 

Ciao!
DSAQ

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2012 Montreal moto show: KTM

It was not easy to speak with the KTM representative, he seemed to be the most popular guy at this moto show.

KTM is one of the brands that attracts the most attention with their Ready-to-Race motorcycles and its implication in many events like the Dakar rally with Marc Coma and Cyril Després who compete year after year for first place.

So a stop at the KTM booth was a must.  I had the chance to have a closer look and quickly evaluate the Adventure, which my wife found ugly by the way, but from a dual sport adventure motorcycle amateur, the Adventure represents the summit of efficiency in its class – which allows to see the best of this bike, but yeah, the look is rather particular.  However the Dakar version in dark blue suits this bike nicely.

There are many trails where I had to turn around because my Versys was not adapted - either because the ground clearance was too low, misadapted suspension or the bike was too heavy.  It is in moments like those that I would have liked to ride an Adventure or a 690 Enduro to really see the difference.

However, take note that those motorcycles are not for everyone.  First, the accrued power which makes KTM’s reputation comes with a proportional gas consumption, which in turn also means a reduced autonomy.  Also, those motorcycles require more maintenance than the average motorcycle… so if mechanics are not your thing, be prepared to regularly visit your dealer.  There is a price to pay to be the pack leader.

 

I added some trail pictures where I had to either turn around or be very careful because of the limited ground clearance of my Versys.  Would an Adventure or a 690 Enduro have made a difference? Certainly yes, but to what degree?

 

Next stop: Kawasaki and Moto Guzzi

Ciao!

dsaventurequebec

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