2027 KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO headed to Australia in November
KTM’s factory-farkled 300 EXC HARDENDURO will return for 2027, with the latest version scheduled to reach authorised dealers in Australia and New Zealand from November 2026.
The HARDENDURO remains the most comprehensively equipped model in KTM’s enduro line-up, combining the 293.15 cc fuel-injected two-stroke platform with a long list of protection, suspension, braking and rider-control upgrades.
However, anyone expecting another substantial round of mechanical development following the updates introduced over the past two model years should temper those expectations.
For 2027, KTM’s declared headline change is an updated HARDENDURO-specific graphics package. The engine, chassis, suspension dimensions and principal specifications all carry over from the 2026 model.
In other words, the motorcycle should still be hard enough. The question is whether you are.
So what has changed for 2027?
A direct comparison between KTM’s published 2026 and 2027 technical specifications reveals no changes to the listed mechanical numbers.
The 293.15 cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine continues with a 39 mm Keihin throttle body, Vitesco engine management and six-speed transmission, while the wet DDS multi-disc clutch retains Brembo hydraulic actuation.
Suspension remains a 48 mm WP XACT closed-cartridge fork paired with a WP XPLOR PDS shock, providing 300 mm of travel at the front and 310 mm at the rear.
Seat height remains 963 mm, ground clearance is unchanged at 347 mm, fuel capacity stays at nine litres, and the quoted weight without fuel remains 105.9 kg.
KTM does not claim any new engine mapping, suspension calibration, chassis revision or braking upgrade for 2027.
This is not being presented as a mechanical overhaul.
How the HARDENDURO has evolved
When the HARDENDURO nameplate first appeared for 2024, MCNews described it as a “fully farkled from the factory” 300 EXC.
That first model arrived alongside the substantially renewed 2024 EXC platform, bringing TBI fuel injection, a new frame, revised bodywork and closed-cartridge suspension. KTM then added the orange frame, Factory wheels, protection equipment, radiator fan, pull straps, uprated brakes and other HARDENDURO-specific hardware.
The 2025 KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO delivered a more meaningful technical step through its hand-adjustable base-valve preload system. The four-millimetre adjustment range let riders increase fork support for faster terrain or reduce preload for more compliance through slower, more technical sections. KTM also revised the rear shock settings, chain slider and fuel-tank mounting roll.
Further changes arrived with the 2026 HARDENDURO. Its fork received revised damping, lighter and shorter springs, a reshaped pressure reservoir and a one-piece hydro-stop, trimming a claimed 200 grams from the fork assembly.
The 2026 model also gained additional protection for the CPC fuel connector and a conventional threaded radiator cap.
Against that history, the 2027 edition is best viewed as a continuation of the developed 2026 package with a new appearance rather than another stage of mechanical evolution.
The HARDENDURO treatment
While little may be new, the difference between the HARDENDURO and a standard 300 EXC remains substantial.
The MY27 equipment package comprises:
- HARDENDURO-specific graphics
- Orange frame
- HARDENDURO bar pad
- Soft grey ODI lock-on grips
- Black ribbed Diamante Factory seat
- Handlebar-mounted map-select switch
- Orange Factory frame protector set
- Factory wheel set with black Excel rims, black spokes, orange hubs and orange spoke nipples
- Metzeler 6Days Extreme tyres with a soft-compound rear
- Wrap-around handguards
- Radiator fan
- Black-anodised CNC-machined triple clamps
- WP XACT closed-cartridge fork with base-valve preload adjusters
- Skid plate
- Floating front brake disc
- Front brake disc guard
- Solid rear brake disc
- Rear brake safety wire
- Orange rear brake disc guard
- Orange Supersprox Stealth rear sprocket
- Orange oil plug
- Clutch slave-cylinder protection
- Front and rear pull straps
- Black-anodised engine hangers
The protection equipment is designed to keep the motorcycle and its rider moving through rock gardens, steep climbs, deep ruts, and the other forms of abuse that distinguish hard enduro from a pleasant Sunday trail ride.
The map-select switch provides a choice between two power-delivery characteristics, while the fork’s base-valve preload adjusters allow quicker adaptation between compliant technical-terrain settings and greater support for faster competition.
Australian arrival set for November
The 2027 KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO is scheduled to become available through authorised KTM dealers in Australia and New Zealand from November 2026.
The motorcycle itself is a known and comprehensively developed quantity, retaining almost every component and specification that made the 2026 edition KTM’s top-shelf showroom hard-enduro package.
The 2027 graphics will make it look different, but underneath it’s fundamentally the same extreme-terrain weapon.
So, is the 2027 KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO hard enough?
Almost certainly.
Whether its prospective owner, and their wallet, is equally committed remains to be seen. You can ride away on one later this year for $22,395.
Premium Manufacturer’s Warranty
Riders enjoy up to one year of warranty coverage with added peace of mind. More information and details are available on the KTM Warranty page of their website, valid from Model Year 2027 onwards for all off-road motorcycles and the KTM 450 SMR.
For further information, visit the official 2027 KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO model page.
