Gold Seal 2025: KTM’s 300 HARDENDURO wins Off-road Petrol
Factory-fitted hard enduro hardware and fuel-injected two-stroke power earn KTM the 2025 Off-road Petrol gold.
By ROOST New Zealand desk · 3 November 2025
New Zealand riders know a thing or two about rough terrain, so this result should get some attention here. The KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO has won the Gold Seal 2025 Off-road Petrol award. Gold Seal names one winner per category per year, and there is no second or third place.
A hard enduro bike straight from the factory
The HARDENDURO is KTM’s answer to a question every extreme enduro rider has asked: why buy a bike and then spend thousands making it race-ready? Developed with input from 2024 Erzbergrodeo winner Manuel Lettenbichler, it starts with the 300 EXC and adds the upgrades fast hard enduro riders usually fit themselves.
The fork is a closed-cartridge WP XACT 48 mm unit with 300 mm of travel, matched to a WP XPLOR PDS shock with 310 mm. Extra protection and grab straps are standard.
Injection makes life easier
Power comes from a 293.15cc two-stroke single with Keihin throttle-body injection and a 39 mm throttle body. Riders who go from sea level to the high country in a day won’t need to fiddle with jetting. Electric start takes the sting out of restarting on a steep, slippery climb, and there is a six-speed gearbox.
Numbers that matter
KTM quotes 106.1 kg without fuel, 347 mm of ground clearance and a 963 mm seat height. The tank holds about 9 litres. It is light and has plenty of clearance, which suits the clay, roots and rock found on much of New Zealand’s enduro terrain.
The judges’ reasoning
Gold Seal’s judges chose the HARDENDURO because it is race-ready out of the crate. KTM calls it a bike that can go straight from the team van to the start line. In practice, that means buyers get factory-team specification without a long list of aftermarket parts. That made the difference in a strong Off-road Petrol category.
New Zealand pricing is set locally, so see your nearest KTM dealer.
At a glance
- 293.15cc two-stroke, Keihin throttle-body injection
- Six-speed, electric start
- 106.1 kg without fuel, about 9 L tank
- WP XACT 48 mm fork / WP XPLOR PDS shock
- 963 mm seat, 347 mm ground clearance
Full specifications, the judges' notes and video are on the KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO winner page at Gold Seal Awards. The complete list of Gold Seal winners is also published on IMR Awards.
Photo credit: KTM (official press image).
Sources
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