KTM 500 EXC-F

Going by the looks of it, the KTM 500 EXC-F impresses a lot with its tall stance and sleek design, which looks purposeful and off-road ready. The sharp-looking panels, bright colours, tall ground clearance, exposed mechanical elements and rugged tyres and wheels all combine to give the required visual essence of an enduro motorcycle.

At the front, the KTM 500 EXC-F gets a trapezoidal halogen headlamp sitting within an inclined cowl, which makes most of the front fascia of the motorcycle. The high-mounted front fender of the motorcycle gets a tapered design at its front tip, which along with the rugged large tread blocks of the tyre, make the KTM 500 EXC-F look adventure-ready from the front.

The KTM 500 EXC-F continues its aggressiveness in the way it looks in its side profile too, with the enduro motorcycle getting bold decals for the front forks, lower fork protectors and side body panels. The partially exposed fuel tank of the KTM 500 EXC-F has minimalist tank panels on either side, which flow towards the sleek-looking rear section panels below the single seat.

These rear side body panels cover the upper part of the high-mounted exhaust pipe of the motorcycle, while the KTM 500 EXC-F also gets an extended tail section with a tiny LED tail lamp and tail tidy kit at the back. The inclined single seat is almost linear to the overall upper design of the motorcycle, giving it a more purposeful appearance.

The KTM 500 EXC-F has a minimalist rider’s cockpit, with the motorcycle having an almost flat handlebar with body-coloured crash guards ahead of the levers on either side. The central part of the handlebar has a very basic and minimalist instrument console, which though gets basic warning lights in them. Even the switches on either side for various settings look basic, but match the overall rugged purpose of the motorcycle. The fit and finish levels of the KTM 500 EXC-F are good, though it lacks several new-age features.

The KTM 500 EXC-F has premium, top-spec mechanical hardware under its skin, with the enduro motorcycle having a trellis frame along with 48mm WP Xplor upside-down telescopic forks with 300mm travel at the front and a WP Xplor PDS mono-shock with 310mm travel at the rear. Riding on 90/90-21 front and 140/80-18 rear off-road-spec tyres, the KTM 500 EXC-F is bestowed with a braking combination of a 260mm front disc and a 220mm rear disc. The motorcycle also has a ground clearance of 355mm and a seat height of 960mm, which further adds to the purpose of the KTM 500 EXC-F, but makes it a slight hassle for shorter riders.

The KTM 500 EXC-F has the most powerful and largest engine in the entire off-road-spec enduro motorcycles from KTM in Malaysia. The four-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 510.9cc engine of the KTM 500 EXC-F is capable of producing a maximum power output of 50 bhp and a peak torque output of 46 Nm. The transmission on duty in the KTM 500 EXC-F is a 6-speed gearbox.

The KTM 500 EXC-F misses out on many new-age safety features but does get ample protection for its engine and exhaust pipe, while also having disc brakes for responsive braking over off-road terrains.

The KTM 500 EXC-F is purely for those who love hardcore off-road riding, for this enduro motorcycle has the best mechanical hardware – including premium chassis, engine, tyres and brakes – for the price segment to which it caters. With best-in-class performance numbers, the 500 EXC-F possesses KTM’s pedigree to the fullest.