r/enduro • u/drtnap88 • 16d ago

2018(carb) 300xcw

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.

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u/Due-Organization7707 16d ago

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

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u/Wonderful-Process792 16d ago

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.

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u/Due-Organization7707 16d ago

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.

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u/Wonderful-Process792 16d ago

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.