Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Looking at buying the above and looking for owners views good and bad!

My 2005 525EXC is the best trail bike I've ever owned. Plenty of useable power (unlike my 450 which I found more of a handful). Had mine for years and had no issues whatsoever - reliable as anything, given normal routine servicing.
Highly recommended.

My hamfisted mate overcooked his twice whilst stuck in bogs etc and took the nikasil plating off the bore, rear subframes are a bit weak and of course the sidestand issue common to many ktm's of that era.

They EXC's of that era all are a great bike, imho . I had an '05 400 (the one in my Avatar), my riding mates had a 450 and a 525.
I also had an '08 450 with the xc4 engine rather than the '05 rfs engine.
I preferred the 525 to the 450...but I preferred the 08' 450 to the 05' 400 and I also much preferred it to the 05' 450.

Chassis is more modern post 08, with the XC4

However they have an engine that some love and others hate

Some threads here, for research

525

https://advrider.com/index.php?threads/ ... ke.201026/

2008 530 on the TAT

https://advrider.com/index.php?threads/ ... p.1266396/

Thread on 2008-11 530's

https://advrider.com/index.php?threads/ ... er.327969/

I liked the XC4 engine. It felt smoother to me than the RFS predecessor. I rode mine fairly hard for 6 years and never had a problem but I have heard of a few engine issues. I guess it’s luck of the draw.
I agree that the chassis on the 08 models is far superior to the 05. My 08 450 felt smaller and nimbler than my 05 400 which was odd because it wasn’t so it was all down to the chassis set up. The 525 and 530 feel a bit lazier in power delivery but that’s about it. Good bikes .

' I also much preferred it to the 05' 450'

Cos mine scared you

525's are nice bikes. Bit heavy compared to new stuff of today but nice trail bikes.

I raced an ‘04 525 for two seasons in Supermoto. The engine was stock, totally standard. It could hold its own in the group that I was in with Aprilia 450 on some of the longer straights.
I know that it depends on the Rider and that I was in the slowest group, and never won a race. I didn’t make a tip three either.

However, the bike was 100% reliable. I bought it off of my mate who’d done three seasons on it and won the novice championship the year before I started.

They are all getting a bit old now though aren’t they??

A ktm of that age will need to of been loved. Subframes crack and bend, rims rot from the inside, plastics brittle, etc, etc. That said if it's a nice one it will be awesome as a trail bike . I prefer the 500 plus exc range over the 450s personally for trails as it seems to take less effort to ride.

redbikejohn wrote: ↑Mon Jul 16, 2018 10:56 pm ' I also much preferred it to the 05' 450'

Cos mine scared you

yes, it was a bit of an animal, and quicker than my XC4 engined 450 EXC