TE/TC TE 300 street tagged, set up, and rockin

Well we are just about there putting all the little needless farkles on the TE. Been playing with the jetting A LOT, and have thrown more cash at parts than I intended to. I still need to go up one size from stock on the front and rear spring rates (I weigh 205 in birthday suit), and thinking about getting a Gnarly pipe.

**Likes = Lightness, handling, geometry, lack of vibs from motor due to counter-balancer.

**DIS-likes = Mikuni carb, Explor forks (seem very cheaply made with less parts than traditional OC), lack of a good factory set up on motor/tuning and not having the standard bottom end a 300 should, without throwing gobs of cash at it (i.e. junk stock reed cage, low compression head, flimsy stock pipe, retarded ignition). And stock tires are crud, they need to go back to the Bridgestones. Lumber Jack 2x4 PINE TREE seat.

Here she is currently (minus the S3 head that is now on there).

A few details;

Bridgestone Ultra HD Tubes
TMD skid plate
FLO Racing Rad Louver/Guards
Warp 9 rear disc guard
Acerbis frame guards
Husky Hard Parts swing arm guards
MSR brake snake
MSR Folding mirrors
My design *Frankenstein hand guard and mount
BRP Isolator bar mount system with Scotts underbar damper set up
Guts Racing tall soft seat
E-Line CF pipe guard
EE Slave Guard
All Balls Racing front and rear o-ring seal wheel spacer kit
Renthal 50th rear sprocket
JD Jet kit
V-Force V4r reeds
S3 head (currently running the low elevation insert but going to try the higher elevation/higher compression insert this weekend)
FMF TC II silencer
FMF Fatty pipe (not shown in pic)

Have but haven't installed yet;
Obie rear link guard
Tugger straps
Sicass Racing full dual sport street legal kit (DONT ASK HOW I GOT THE TAG ALREADY ;-) )

Carb set up currently, and running ok but not as good as I want it yet;
430 MJ
27.5 PJ
R8 NJ
JD Jetting Red Needle on clip 3.5 position
AS 2 out
Air box cut open a little
Slide #4 with reed side air notch opened up just a tad

That's nice!!

Been so wet here in Louisiana all spring and summer the riding areas have been closed more than open, so haven't got to ride it but about 4 hours total now, and owned it since mid April 17. Getting DESPERATE to ride!!

Would love to hear what that S3 head has done for you!

The S3 has been a huge disappointment on the sea level to 6000' insert I currently have in it (im riding at sea level). I plan to swap it to the 6000' and up insert this weekend and try that at sea level, even if I have to buy a little race fuel. As is, absolutely worst money I've spent to date on this new ride (besides the shinny factor).

I would try the RK or VHM (sp?) heads first, before spending money on this expensive paper weight.

Edit, not to mention the fit was not good, the two head stay holes aren't drilled/threaded deep enough and I had to add washers to the factory hardware per side. Also, there is no air release hole like the stock and other aftermarket heads have, so I started the bike, got is warmed up, and kept it running while laying it on its side to HOPEFULLY get rid of any trapped air.

Might be worth measuring squish and compression for each of the inserts.

Yup, thats the plan. Since I jumped without looking, im going to do both on this insert, the stock head, and the high elevation insert to compare all three properly.

Please post your numbers! Thx.

I have a complete Showa SFF Spring fork/wheel/brake set up for your bike.... Forks were new take offs from a local pro that runs A kit stuff. They fit in the stock clamps with lower shims that are included. Trade for your xplor's?
Pics are up on ktmtalk classifieds if interested.....

I'll go check em out. I assume I'd have to revalve the rear to be balanced correctly with the action of the stiffer front suspension.

Great Looking Bike!

What do you have the ignition map set at? What were the differences you found between the blue and red needles? I am still running the 30 pilot that was supplied with the JD kit, but curious what you have noticed going from 30 to the 27.5?

Since I have the TX, I am half tempted to change the rear sprocket to a 52 compared to the 50. Only noticed it when I was helping the club cut trail on the side of ski area plunking around.

4 hrs you really must be going crazy! That's like one good Saturday

It is absolutely killing me. We continue to get massive amounts of rain. I have zero issues riding in the mud and/or during the rain, but all of the legal Forestry trails get shut down for extended periods during rain events, and then with this seasons back to back to back rain events, they just never seem to be open. I've been making a small loop in the electrical power line right of way by my house, at least enough to have a little fun on the bike and test out settings.

Mikey, the bike was too rich on the blue needle all the way up to clip #2 (and I've never been a clip 1 position user). It just felt sluggish with all three main jets I tried (420, 430, 440). I like my bikes closer but not quite at the MX snappy level, and typically prefer a XC or TX to the XCW/TE, however I really wanted a tag'able bike this round, and a TE was the only way to do it. So that is part of my issue, Im trying to get a trail bike to act like a cross country/gncc bike. Not a big deal, just tuning really, as they have the same motor and cdi box.

The start/idle/just off idle circuit was still rich at the 30 PJ by two tell tales. One, the bike would start cold without choke, and two, the Air Screw needed to be at 2.5 out to be anywhere close to crisp. Now with a 27.5 PJ in there, it actually has the ring ting ting ting sound and rolls into the throttle easier. The air screw is now at 2. Now, a big part of that is also the change to the Red needle, which helped crisp it up.

I am on the HOT map switch setting, and typically keep it there unless its really snotty rooty rocky and/or I get really tired. It make a note'able difference on this 2017 TE with the jetting I have in it.

I am at sea level, 90 degree temps and upper 90 percent range on humidity, so I don't need more fuel.

Thank you for all the info! That will help me quite a bit and explains what I noticed when I put the JD kit in. The bike became a pussy cat when I put the JD kit in and honestly it was a blessing because it has been wet here too, but not as bad as it sounds for you. I am running the red pv spring about 2 turns in. I am going to try the red needle to see if it is a little snappier off the bottom although I am running on the mellow map setting.

I am lucky that I have a street tag on my TX. I just hit 12.9 hours last night riding a faster trail system where the bike felt very at home. My previous bike was '08 250XC. I am liking the linkage suspension and the AER forks compared to my old bike although my old bike was revalved very plush for the rocks on N.E and the TX300 is a bit stiff for the gnarly stuff.

On my '17 300 XC-W, I have been running the JD Blue needle on the 3rd clip, 420 main, 32.5 pilot, A/S at 1 1/2 and the R8 needle jet. Vforce reed cage as well. This was running at 2,500 - 3,500 and around 65-70 degree weather in the So Cal desert. Bike ran well, but would get a bit of a hanging idle after some longer, sandy hillclimbs.

Install of RK-Tek....best mod to date Power increase from bottom to top. Really noticeable on the bottom. Compression went from stock of 190 to 219 but it runs solid on pump gas. Kelesy builds his heads the way you want to run your bike. The bike needed more fuel on the low circuit so I went to a 35 and I would just get a hint of a hanging idle. These bikes with the R8 needle jet just need a bigger pilot to offset it but then you get a rich condition as I went to a 37.5 and it still ran well but got a lot of spooge running down the silencer. Just a tweak of the A/S cleans it up.

I have since had ACL surgery 5 weeks ago so I am on the shelf for awhile. This usually leads to no good.......ordered a OEM Keihin 36 PWK form a '15 and yesterday sent it off to RB Designs for Ron to perform his voodoo. To be continued....

Yeah, I would have got the TX for sure, but they claimed they couldnt tag it, oh well, I'll still ride the heck out of it, and smile all the way, cheers.

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT, I take it ALLLLLL BACK. Finally got a dry weekend day yesterday that the forest trails were legally open and spent 4 hours of real actual fast pace single track riding. The 3rd gear pinned bouncing off trees and hitting roots hard enough to jump like the pros do it in Super Cross kind of trail riding we all love. Had a friggin blast and also really starting to like this new ride. 3 times back to the truck to make suspension adjustments (sag changes, fork heights, etc) and I am not going to bitch anymore about the Explr suspension for my skill level and speed at this point in life. In addition, I like the motor. Im happy with it as is, and doubt I do anything else that I was thinking (besides a Gnarly pipe and the high altitude head insert for when we go mountain riding).

I was riding with a buddy that has a 2016 TE300 that is basically stock, other than Pro-Circuit sparky silencer, V-Force Reeds, JD jetting, Stillwell Performance Suspension, and an Under mount Scotts damper. We swapped at one point for about 3 miles, and I could not wait to get back on my bike. Last year I loved his bike, and now, now Im spoiled by this MY '17 and its smooth motor and suspension. I had already forgotten what a paint shaker the previous 300's are (and I still own an '09 300XC ahahaha).

ANYWAY, any of the aforementioned bitching I may have been doing, I take it back, I like this motor and suspension.