It’s back-to-back wins as Manuel Lettenbichler wins the 2023 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, the tough Austrian hard enduro event, and second round of the FIM world championship.
The Erzberg Rodeo began in 1995, and it’s the largest event of its kind in Europe, with four days of racing, and previous winners including Christian Pfeiffer, Cyril Despres, David Knight, Tadeusz Blazusiak, Jonny Walker and Graham Jarvis. Around 1500 riders attend each year with only a few making it to the finish line.
Riding a 2023 KTM 300 EXC for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, Lettenbichler qualified in seventh, but soon moved into the top three, which was initially led by KTM teammate Trystan Hart and British Husqvarna rider Billy Bolt. The reigning Hard Enduro champion was able to take the lead through the woods section and build up a sizeable gap, leading by 11 minutes as he reached the finishing line and taking his second victory of 2023. The 25-year-old German finished in a time of two hours, 31 minutes and 15 seconds.
motorcycle racing and sport, here, including off-road riding. And you can check out all KTM news here, including the new 2024 EXC enduro range of two and four-stroke bikes. If you can’t stretch to a brand new KTM off-road bike, then you can often find a bargain in the selection available via Ebay.
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The New 2024 KTM EXC Range Of Enduro Bikes
The 2023 KTM EXC range of enduro bikes has been unveiled with a trio of two-stroke models from 150 to 300cc, and four-strokes from 250cc to 500cc. Whichever you choose, they all feature a new hydro-formed, laser-cut and robot-welded frame to offer less flex, more stability and better energy absorption, along with a new lightweight two-piece subframe.
At the front is a new 48mm WP XACT Closed Cartridge spring fork with a new mid-valve piston to optimise oil flow, along with a new WP XPLOR PDS rear shock mounted via an updated system. And the suspension at both ends is fully adjustable for compression and damping by hand, with easy set preload adjustment at the rear.
All of your electronics are monitored by an independent OCU under the seat to replace fuses and relays, with any problems indicated via an LED light, and the components themselves are integrated into the polyamide and reinforced aluminium subgrame for access and better protection when you’re riding off-road.
The 2024 KTM EXC two-stroke range consists of the KTM 150 EXC, the KTM 250 EXC and the KTM 300 EXC, which get ew electronic Throttle Body Injection (TBI) technology to offer smoother power delivery and remove the need for re-jetting at different altitudes, while the read vale case has had a design update to add new plastic flaps to improve the seal around the intake tract and avoid running ruch in extreme uphill or downhill sections, and you now get two different engine maps selectable via an optional Map Select switch.
Finally, all of the 2024 KTM EXC range get new bodywork, with input from the Red Bull KTM factory riders. The result is a better rider triangle for improved knee contact, especially when standing, and a new front mudguard which has mud-repelling fins to protect both rider and the radiator. All of the four-strokes get an 8.3 litre transparent polythene (XPE) fuel tank so you can check your petrol level more easily, while the two-strokes get an 8.9 litre version.
The 2024 KTM EXC range will be available from authorised dealers from June 2023.
Also available is the Six Days range, which gets a list of special parts designed and built for competition in the International Six Days Enduro, which includes orange powder-coated frames along with;
- Orange frame protectors
- Grippier SIX DAYS specific seat
- Handlebar with specific SIX DAYS bend
- Anthracite coated silencer with SIX DAYS logo
- GIANT high-strength rims with SIX DAYS logo
- Orange-anodized CNC machined triple clamps
- Orange front axle puller
- Semi-floating front brake disc
- Solid rear brake disc
- Rear brake safety wire
- Orange Supersprox stealth rear sprocket
- Orange chain guide
- Composite skid plate
- Map-select switch
- Radiator fan
- Metzeler 6 Days Extreme tires
The Six Days versions will also be available in dealers from June, 2023.
Check out our other coverage of KTM motorcycles, here, with road and off-road models all featured. If you can’t stretch to a brand new KTM Enduro bike, then you can often find a bargain from the selection available via Ebay.