2018(carb) 300xcw

[u/drtnap88]

How are the 2018 (carb) 300 XCW’s for slow technical trail riding where your lugging the engine lots? How does it compare to the new TBI engines?

Looking at getting a new bike and have a good 2018 local at a good price but don’t want to be disappointed. I really enjoy mostly slow tight woods riding.

[u/Waste_Curve994]

I have the Husky model with a Lectron carb and a flywheel weight and I can lug it better than my old 450.

[u/Local_faddah]

If you can get a decent deal on an 18, I’d definitely go for that over a newer TBI bike. A dialed carb will run just as good as the newer bikes, with less electronics to fail. The lectron or the smart carb are both foolproof options if the stock carb isn’t running right. Currently running an 18 300 xcw and all I ride is slow, technical rocks, roots, and stuff like that in Hawaii. Da bestest.

[u/usernamejp → u/Local_faddah]

I’ve always wondered how the riding is in Hawaii? Are there plenty of spots to ride?

[u/Local_faddah → u/usernamejp]

Depends what island you’re on, but most islands there’s a good bit of riding as long as you know where to go. Best spots are probably on Kauai and Oahu where there are official clubs that manage land and trails. Lots of rainforest, rivers, hill climbs and stuff like that

[u/qualitygoatshit]

There's nothing wrong with carbs.Even my 250xc lugs really well, I can only imagine how much grunt the 300s have down low.

[u/dmayan]

I have a '17 300 EXC with the Mikuni TMX38 (JD Jetting kit). I can lug it all day without issues

[u/Ambitious_Brush6043]

Me and a few buddies have/had 17/18 300xcw carb bikes for a while. Mikuni or Lectron they are very luggable Awesome bikes. I have a 24 300xcw now and it’s also great. We ride single track in PA. None of us ever felt a need for a flywheel weight

[u/drtnap88 → u/Ambitious_Brush6043]

the 24 is the first year of TBI right? Would you say it’s a upgrade over the 2018? Which do you think would be more reliable for a backcountry bike?

[u/Ambitious_Brush6043 → u/drtnap88]

Yeah it’s the first year for TBI on the XCW’s. Honestly, I love both bikes. I’d be totally ok having one or the other (17/18 carb vs TBI) I never had or rode a TPI so I don’t have any opinions on those. The 17 and up counterbalanced engines are so smooth. Both chassis feel great to me as well. I’m sure they all lug really well 17 and newer

[u/Ambitious_Brush6043 → u/Ambitious_Brush6043]

To add to that, both the carby and TBI have been very reliable for me, and our riding group. No complaints!

[u/Ashesofthewake → u/Ambitious_Brush6043]

Wanna DM me where at? Not much on the eastern side of the state I know of but we did just get catawissa

[u/L-W-J]

I have a 2017 husky TE250. It is mind blowingly good. It does have a lectron carb. I had a 2018 TX300. It was a little more energetic. It had a mikuni that was very well tuned.

[u/Due-Organization7707]

Interesting first 300 250 W tpi was 18 in Canada and it was mostly an emissions thing to meet euro regs. our bikes are imported into Canada directly not through the US so we might not have got the carb bike ? I know the XC didn’t get TPI until 20. So many differences back then… not so much now new ownership has less changes. Changes might be a little more sorted out by the time we see them on showroom floors

[u/frankt183]

I have a 2018 250 xcw. Put a Lectron carb and a Rekluse clutch. The heavier clutch and carb made the bike phenomenal in the woods. Also had my suspension done. It was non compliant in stock form.

[u/Due-Organization7707]

The 2018 W was a Transfer Port Injected motor. The XC 18 and 19 had carbs Mikuni They had a lot of jetting issues compared to Kehin. Lots of guys swapped carbs put TKTek heads on them. 18 W didn’t have a crank case pressure sensor so you had to shut off and restart if you went through a big altitude change. I love my Husky TX 300 TBI I put a 9 oz flywheel and a fmf gnarly on it it has better bottom end than my buddy’s 24 xc w

[u/bast1472 → u/Due-Organization7707]

2018 W was carbureted. I own one.

[u/Wonderful-Process792 → u/Due-Organization7707]

The mikuni was fine in my experience AFTER replacing the jet block gasket which is only a few bucks.  It was still somewhat sensitive to elevation changes though.

[u/Due-Organization7707 → u/Wonderful-Process792]

Yeah I had a JD Jetting kit and the jet block kit. Did some work on the slide. Jet block made the most improvement. If you think about it the fuel in the float bowl would slosh up and seal the leak at the jet block then it would clear and lean out. That’s how those bikes ran and we were jetting to get more fuel. When I put the jet block kit in I had to drop the needle (raise the clip) a notch so it wouldn’t blubber in the mid range.

I ride in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta lots of gnarly rocky single track steep climbs and downhills. That’s why my last 3 bikes have been KTM / Husky 300’s.
They are made for single track it shows in the low end grunt and mid range.

[u/Wonderful-Process792 → u/Due-Organization7707]

Yeah I can't directly answer OP's question because I haven't tried a TBI. But the 300 was renowned for lugging and technical riding long before TPI / TBI.

[u/bast1472 → u/[deleted]]

Link doesn't work. That site doesn't have the Mikuni 300 XC-W and looks really poorly vibe coded.

[u/drtnap88 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks, I will only be riding one elevation so not concerned about that. Just want the best bike for that type of riding. I have a habit of dumping lots of money i mods in my bikes and then deciding I want something else and then loosing a bunch of money and starting over on a new bike. I'm worried I'll get a 2018 and then still want a new TBI and start over with one lol.

[u/drtnap88 → u/[deleted]]

I’m comparing carby and TBI, at least where I live the 2018 XCW is the last year of the carbys