2005 KTM 300 EXC Project Build: Better Than New

For this build, we started with a fairly beat-up 2005 KTM 300 EXC. We wanted to see how close we could get it to a new KTM 300 (minus the electronic start of course). We came pretty close, and Dirt Bike Magazine liked it so much that it ended up on the cover of the magazine.

We did a full frame-up restoration on this bike, going over every part and bolt. We took our time with other projects in between, and it took nearly three months to complete.

We rebuilt the engine and checked every pivot point on the bike. We put in a new drive, bled the brakes, freshened up the suspension, and touched everything else up to make sure it was in perfect condition.

One big complaint on 300s is the vibration you can feel, and that was reduced with Crank Works working their magic on the crankshaft. Crank Works actually does a bunch of complicated math to calculate out the best place to add and or take away material on the crank webs to make the bike vibrate less. Nearly all top factory teams run a balanced crankshaft for optimal performance and less vibration. The crankshaft is also balanced to work perfectly with the piston you are using.

One thing I have been impressed with on these older KTMs is their durability. In many cases, their parts don’t wear out as quickly as other bikes and still work well even after a lot of use. Many of the parts we replaced were switched out only because they just looked too beat up, like the plastic and pipe.

There are so many important parts of a build like this, but our key areas of focus were on the motor and suspension. You can have a great time on a bike that has these two areas in good shape. Many of the other parts we added to this build improved comfort, functionality, and (of course) looks.

After all of this work, we ended up with a bike that is close to as good as a new KTM that will last us another 10 years on the trail.

Products Used for this Build

Hot Rods Complete Crankshaft	Hot Rods Crankshaft Bearing and Seal Kit	Vertex Piston Kit
V-Force Reed Cage	FMF Gnarly Pipe	FMF Turbine Core 2 Silencer
Pivot Works Steering Stem Bearing Kit	Pivot Works Shock Rebuild Kit	Pivot Works Swing Arm Rebuild Kit
E Line Carbon Pipe Guard	Cycra Shrouds, Side Panels and Mud Flap	Cycra Ultra Pro Bend Racer Pack
Uni Two-Stage Air Filter	CV4 Coolant Hoses	CV4 High Pressure Radiator Cap
Renthal Rear Twinring Sprocket	Renthal Fatbar	Renthal Kevlar Grips
Dunlop AT81 90/90×21	Dunlop MX3S 110/100×18	Motoseat Seat Cover
Works Connection Front Brake Cap	Works Connection Clutch Reservoir Cap	Hinson Fibers, Steels, Springs and Outer Cover
Tusk Oversized Rotor	Tusk Rear Disc	Tusk Rim
Tusk Spokes	Tusk Brake Bolts Kit	Tusk Shifter
Tusk Rear Brake Pedal	TM Designworks Rear Chain Guide and Slider	Trail Tech X2 Headlight
Trail Tech Kickstand	Primary Drive O-Ring Chain	Primary Drive Sprocket Bolts Kit
IMS Fuel Tank	IMS Pro-Series Pegs	Klotz R-50 2-Stroke Pre-Mix
Attack Graphics Custom Graphic Set	OEM KTM Frame Guards