Had a chance to ride a 2017 KTM 300XC today. It was brand new. My buddy picked it up today from the dealer. There was no setup on the bike at all except he replaced the Mikuni with a Lectron.
Rode it for a couple of miles on some rocky trails. Was riding my Beta today to give a comparison.
Motor - Believe the hype about the counter balancer. It really cuts vibes. Very smooth motor. Almost zero vibes. Bottom end is very soft compared to my Beta. Had to keep it humming. This was really surprising. I had heard reports it was soft off the bottom but this was really weak. Maybe the Lectron needs tweaking.
Suspension - Forks worked very well. Plush yet stayed up in the stroke. Rear was fine. Nothing special. Nothing bad.
Chassis - Tank bulged out more than the Beta which was a little irritating. It is taller than the Beta of course. Layout seemed roomy.
I didn't feel as comfortable on the bike as on my Beta. It was that much different. More time on the bike and I am sure that would not be an issue. Funny because when I go back and forth from my Beta to my 2013 KTM 300SX there is zero transition.
Bottom line is after a few miles I wanted back on my Beta and handed it back.
Good solid bike but the only thing that really wowed me was the lack of any vibration.