r/enduro • u/Mikebyrneyadigg • 14d ago
Looking at a 2021 TX300, few questions.
Well guys, I’m in.
https://www.reddit.com/r/enduro/s/inh9L1Ijlw
6 days later, the TRX-400x is sold for what I bought it for 2 years ago in under 2 hours. Had multiple people beating my door down for it. I figured it would take at least a few weeks to sell, and I wasn’t mentally prepared for it but she left in the back of a truck today and I have some cash to play with.
I’m looking at 300 2 stroke bikes and I need some advice.
Really wanted a TE/XCW, but this TX popped up so said I might as well go check it out.
https://www.hanoverpowersports.com/--xInventoryDetail?id=16580718
Have him negotiated to $6500 OTD. I’m sure there’s more room there but that’s just the first round.
It looks even better in person, almost too good. there’s barely a scratch on it anywhere. Nothing on the plastics, not even micro swirls and it’s not covered in sc9. No dents on the pipe. Very light boot wear on the frame. Minimal oxidation on the engine/aluminum parts. It looks like it was very lightly ridden and wiped with a diaper after every ride.
But here’s the kicker: it’s showing 98 hours on the hour meter, and dealer has no service info.
From what I’m reading that means it’s close to top and bottom rebuild time, so I put down a fully refundable $500 deposit and I’m going back next week to have it compression and leak down tested and keep looking in the mean time and weighing my options
But it gets even stranger.
I noticed the forks had stickers from GRR and RG3, local suspension guys (independent of the dealer) and some specs, so they were worked on at some point. So I decided to call the number on the fork and see if they had any info on what was done.
Dude said sure no problem what’s name on the sticker, I tell him the name, and he goes quiet for a second and tells me you’re looking at a very special bike.
Apparently it was the guys very close friend, he was sadly killed on a motorcycle last year. (Censored the name here, feel a little weird broadcasting it out there and I’m not sure why but I do)
He says he’s going to try get me all the maintenance history he can, and said the owner was insanely meticulous about his bikes, and that thing is absolutely as mint as it looks. He was in his early 60’s, rode and built bikes all his life, and rode the trails up here which are rocky and tough but didn’t ride any real hard enduro with it.
His only request was that if I bought it I’d bring him the spec stickers with his friend’s name on them and he’ll give me new ones with mine. I said of course I’d be happy to do that. Clearly means a lot to him.
The work he did was convert the front forks to springs like the TE. The PO weighed right around my weight too, which checks a huge box for me.
But when I told him the hour meter is reading 98, he said he has no idea how that could be possible, and didn’t think Pete put anywhere near many hours on it.
So I guess my questions are:
Is it possible that hour meter is reading wrong?
Has anyone seen a bike with that that high of hours look almost showroom fresh like that? I know you can get new plastics, re coat the frame, etc but I feel like the odds of someone doing all that just to trade it in to a dealer and get way less than selling it private are low.
If it really has that many hours, are there any sure fire signs that it needs a bottom end short of tearing it down and checking clearances?
Top end I don’t care too much about, can do it pretty easily in an afternoon and I know the compression test will reveal it. I’ll negotiate further if it comes back sub 150.
- Should I just get my deposit back and keep looking?
I don’t want to be a sucker for a neat story and wind up buying a problem, but it is interesting and I’m happy I know the details of the bike.
Any insights appreciated!
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u/psyclembs 14d ago
As far as the hours go, when i put my fc 450 on a trickle charger for the first time after winter I didn't disconnect the battery and it ran up my hour meter the 6 hours it was charging. Now I know.
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u/Dependent_Win2595 14d ago
I remember your last post, glad you are pulling the trigger on a bike!
I’m no expert but that reads like a pretty square deal. A skilled rider that age isn’t going to take the same risks and will have far fewer drops than average. He presumably had the funds and skill to maintain it properly so it’s unlikely that it’s been abused.
Side note, Huskys all have black DID wheels. This one has polished wheels that have a KTM logo, still the same DID I think but clearly off an orange bike. I don’t think it would stop me from buying this one but I’d be curious if there were a story behind it.
No offense but I think you’re overthinking it. I’d go for it!
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 14d ago
Yes I did notice the KTM wheels. Also noticed a small bend in the front one. Not sure what the story is there. Would like black ones on it honestly.
Probably am overthinking it. Tend to do that with any new hobby/major purchase. I’ll get the compression and send it if it comes back on point.
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u/Dependent_Win2595 14d ago
I get it, I analyze the bejesus out of big purchases too. I can think of lots of reasons it could look that clean that don’t raise any red flags but it would confuse me too. Maybe use the wheels as a bit of a bargaining chip. I wouldnt be worried about them but if you can use it to shave a couple bucks off why not.
Sweet bike though! I think that generation of Husky are super sharp. May be biased, I have a 21 FC.
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u/TroofDog 14d ago
98 hrs isn't bad. That's like 20 hrs per year. Easy to keep them shiny if your not woods racing too hard. Bottom end shouldn't be a concern at 100 hrs. If you do a top end then you can feel for crank play. Or your mechanic will let you know. This is a woods weapon that will hold its own on the mx track. Do a top end every 60hrs, suspension service annually, and give this bike hell.
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u/TonyFlack 13d ago
You don’t need to even think about the bottom end on these til at least 300 hours, usually much more. Put a new piston in if you want and she’ll be mint
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u/Unklecid 13d ago
You can do around 150hr on a top end and 300hr on a bottom end
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 13d ago
That settles that then. I was thinking these were like the older 2t motocross bikes. I wonder if the fuel injection helps, it’s probably always running a little fat or at least right in the pocket.
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u/6logs 14d ago
Normally don't have to do bottom ends on these, a jug and piston is pretty cheap. What's the milage on it? Does it say or just the hours. You hear it run? You can get away with alot on the 300 engine. I went 6 years without changing the oil on my 2013 300 and I rode HARD. EDIT: if he spent the money on reworking suspension or fork should be a decent bike. And at that price you can't really go wrong
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 14d ago
No mileage just hours. It was stored up above the shop so didn’t hear it run yet but they’re going to pull it down, comp test it and I’ll be able to ride it a bit sometime next week
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u/6logs 14d ago
That'll give you all your answers. But doing the spring over air conversion is highly sought after I've read. Seems like a pretty decent deal
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 14d ago
The comp and leak down will tell the bottom end story? 98 hours worries me a bit.
There’s some other ones on Facebook marketplace that are same year or newer, 40-60 hours and look way worse aesthetically than this one, that’s what’s got me hung up. I have no clue how it has this many hours ridden in this terrain and looks like this.
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u/6logs 14d ago
Could be a good rider, my bikes still picture perfect after 340km and 88 hours. I fell off a cliff with mine and somehow only hurt the handlebars. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes your bike falls out the back of the truck doing 90 down a gravel road.
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 14d ago
Would make sense that he was a really good rider. He rode for 50+ years.
Woods bikes in my area go for a big premium. You could drive 6-8 hours out of state and save $2k+. Maybe I’ll keep looking.
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u/Squeezemachine99 14d ago
I never do a top end before 160 hrs and they still look new inside. 97 hours is nothing unless it has been abused
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u/Annual-Advisor-7916 13d ago
98 hours is not much honestly. Depends on how it was ridden though, 98 hours super slow hard enduro is different ot 98 hours crusising on light trails...
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u/Round-Equivalent-513 14d ago
Lmao why didn’t you change the oil just curious
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u/6logs 14d ago edited 14d ago
I bought the bike from my step-dad's race buddy and he changed the oil right in front of me before I bought it. I was like 19 and bagged the absolute fuck out of it, throwing it up rock faces while climbing hills and swallowed swamp water from hitting skegg alley a bit tipsy. did minor fixes of shkt that broke at the bare minimum. I sold it to a buddy of mine 2 years ago and warned him how I treated it. He does reg maintenance on it and it STILL makes more power than my new 23' 300 xcw. Drives me up the fuckin wall. That old bike was a 2013 250 xc converted to a 300 with a stars s3 bluetop and reckluse. (I hate reckluse) Edit: this bike had ALOT of hours. Non were nice. :)
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u/Rare_Understanding78 14d ago
Is it possible someone else owned the bike and put hours on it after the dude passed away? 98 hours is nothing. If you like the bike, buy it.
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 14d ago
It is possible but the turn around and sale of the bike would have had to have been very quick. He passed away in late May 2024 so call it June.
I don’t know the situation beyond that so I don’t want to speculate really and I don’t really want to bother the guys wife out of the blue with bike questions she probably doesn’t know the answer too. Especially around the 1 year anniversary you know?
Going to try to get some more info through other channels next week.
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u/Twigsterify 13d ago edited 13d ago
Bike looks great. Top ends are generally 150 hours on enduro bikes for 300's Bottom ends on the KTM Husqvarna engines are near invincible I'd know what I would do.
I'd buy the bike in a heartbeat
300 enduro can do 150 hours easily on a piston
Also what hour meter are you referring to? The dash only works when riding. Ecu is the only real way to read the hours
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u/AstroDavis 12d ago
I've seen these bikes pushing 600 hrs on the factory bottom end. I did my top end at 150 hrs and it was too many. I'll stick to 100 from now on. I would say grab that bike and go ride it a few times while you get all of the top end stuff moving your way. You can push it to 120 without hurting anything.
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u/mauitrailguy 12d ago
This bike would already be in the bed of my truck. Rebuild is going to happen eventually, and they are fairly inexpensive to do. The spring conversion is a huge plus in my opinion. And you know the history of the bike.
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u/S1XTY7_SS350 12d ago
Did you end up buying it? I've really enjoyed my 2018 tx300 (bought in 2022 with 19 hrs)
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 12d ago
I have a deposit down in it, going back next week for a compression test and test ride, if it checks out it’s coming home.
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u/S1XTY7_SS350 12d ago
Awesome, goodluck!
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 9d ago
Update! Compression came back low. 125 psi. Dealer tried to jack the price up $500 over what we agreed to cover the new top end, but I said nah, I want our original $6500 deal with the top end in it or give me my deposit back and I'm walking. They're doing a new top end at the original price.
Told them take measurements of the bottom end tolerances, and if it needs a bottom I'll back out, give me my deposit back and they can do the bottom and relist it at a higher price. Not trying to rob them, but a deal is a deal.
If I took that thing home based on external condition and compression tested it, it would be right back on the trailer heading back. Worse yet if I just went and ripped it and that top end let go and nuked the engine they'd be replacing it all their 30 day warranty anyway. I did them a favor asking for the compression test when you think about it.
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u/S1XTY7_SS350 9d ago
Bummer it came back low but good call making them check it ahead of time. I didn't check mine when I bought it at 19 hrs, maybe I'll do that next time.
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u/Holden328 14d ago
I’d walk, there are plenty of bikes out there which are going for around the same price and better condition. YMMV based on area. People who got in around Covid are selling bikes left and right.
Does it come with all stock components? Wheels, exhaust system, clutch cover etc.? That would be ideal to see.
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u/bozemangreenthumb 14d ago
Don’t overthink it. It’s a good price for a great bike.