PROJECT BIKE SPOTLIGHT: 2024 KTM 500EXC

For some riders, it’s all about the thrill of the hunt. The process of building a project dual-sport bike is like going on a safari where you don’t know who’s going to bag whom. Sometimes, the right parts present themselves for an easy catch; other times, the search is long and arduous with aftermarket traps and pitfalls. Many would-be bike builders resign themselves to the “stock is best” philosophy.

For this 2024 KTM 500EXC-F project we decided to take the low-risk approach. Almost everything we installed is from KTM’s in-house aftermarket sources. That means either the KTM PowerParts catalog or WP Pro Suspension. For those who don’t know, WP is wholly owned by Pierer Mobility these days and comes out of a factory right next door to KTM.

This project was built almost entirely with products from KTM PowerParts.
WP PRO
The cornerstone of the project is suspension. That presents the most room for improvement and the biggest investment. The standard fork on the 2024 EXC is the spring version of the Xact air fork, which we celebrated as a huge improvement over the previous open-cartridge Xplor fork. It could have been taken to the next level by a good aftermarket tuner, but we really wanted to go beyond the next level with this bike. The WP Xplor Pro 7548 fork is more or less designed for the EXC. This is a closed-cartridge fork that uses no shim stacks. WP has developed cone-shaped valves that do not deform with time or impacts. It’s not an easy thing to build and requires perfect precision, that’s why cone-valve technology has never made its way to production bikes.

It’s not cheap. Beyond the design, the materials are all works-level. The axle carriers are made from billet and the internal parts are hard-coated. The price? Somewhere in the neighborhood of $3500. Yes, that’s brutal, but think of it as a multi-bike investment. You can pass this fork to your next bike and perhaps the one after that. It, quite frankly, will never wear out. The KTM hard-parts billet triple clamp is also a distinct upgrade over the stock forged clamps and offers variable offset if you feel you’d like to experiment with the way your bike handles in turns.

The shock that goes with that fork is the Xplor Pro Components PDS rear shock. Keep in mind that this is a shock designed to run on a no-linkage design. The WP damper, once again, is made specifically for that application, and the build quality is far superior to the stock components. The price is around $2250. Can we rationalize that? Sure. It isn’t unusual to pay $1000 to re-valve and re-spring the stock shock. By going with the WP Pro components, you still have your original shock to sell separately or on the bike. See there? If you try hard enough, you can justify anything.

All the graphics are custom-made in our blue theme by Decal Works.

DUAL-SPORT LIFE
Next on the list is the wheelset. We have always believed that any dual-sport or adventure rider has to have two sets of wheels. One can be set up for dirt only with full knobs and perhaps a mousse or tire balls. The original wheels can be set up for the street. They can keep the stock Continental TKC80 tires and don’t necessarily need rim locks. That means that wheel balancing is much easier, and you get a smoother ride on pavement. For real dirt rides, the KTM Factory wheelset is a great value. The price is in the $1029 range. This particular set came out of the Husqvarna catalog for the blue color.

As anyone knows who has ridden a KTM dual-sport bike for more than a mile, the Christmas tree that hangs upside down from the rear fender is just dying to get sucked into the rear wheel along with your license plate. You can take it off, but you have to relocate the blinkers and the license plate holder.

Most of the other parts are all about the look. Anodized reservoir covers never enabled anyone to win a race, but they certainly look cool. Same goes for the billet clutch and brake lever, plus the both are easily adjustable and very difficult to break.

We confess, we installed full knobs. For us, pavement is an occasional means to connect trails.

WHAT ABOUT THE MOTOR?
KTM doesn’t have anything in the catalog that will violate state or federal laws. When a dual-sport bike is homologated to pass EPA noise and emission standards, that’s the way it’s supposed to remain unless you convert it into a closed-course competition bike. Aftermarket part builders and engine tuners can actually get in trouble for anything that alters noise or emissions output on a homologated bike. Having said that, very few riders have ever been busted for making subtle modifications. Just know this: the louder a motorcycle, the more attention you attract. More and more dual-sport riders are leaving the stock mufflers in place but making secret modifications to the mapping. That way you get a substantial increase in power without any difference in noise. The worst thing you can do is the reverse of that. A loud competition muffler with the standard mapping will run much worse than a stock EXC.

There’s no limit to where you can go, what you can do and how fast you can do it with a properly built EXC.
RIDE LIKE IT’S A RACE
Regardless of any motor modifications, the real star of this build is the suspension. It’s downright amazing. It has all the cushiness of the original bike in rocks and on tight trails, but it can also get up and run with the fast guys. It can handle whoops and jumps like a true race bike. There are still riders who won’t accept PDS suspension for anything more than trail riding. This bike can change any mind that hasn’t been petrified. It’s stable, level and doesn’t have any of the notorious PDS “stinkbug” feel. Hard-core trail riders will still love it because of its ground clearance. Oh, yeah, it’s lighter, too.

Going in, we knew that not many people would break out the platinum card for this kind of project. After riding it, though, it’s difficult to walk away. You don’t have to work the numbers all that hard for something that makes you smile like this.

The WP Xplor cone-valve fork is virtually works-level suspension. Is that overkill for a dual-sport bike? Yes. No apologies.