KTM Scarp Exonic 2023/24

Vienna is sweltering in the summer heat. There is some wind, but it feels more like a sauna: hot and blowing from above. Even the most die-hard summer enthusiasts are seeking refuge in air-conditioned offices around noon. Only a few brave souls are braving the conditions and venturing out of the cooled spaces.

I’m one of them. For Bikeboard.at, I’m testing “my” brand-new bike, the KTM Scarp Exonic. Even though I’m far from motivated and already sweating as I climb on the saddle. It is the first week of summer vacation in Vienna when I start my daily tests.

Right from the beginning, I notice that even when the rider isn’t in top form, the ratio of kilometres covered to time spent is pretty good. In a short time, the Scarp lets you accumulate many vertical meters, which makes it a bike – also – suitable for not-so-great days. Just hop on and keep the handlebar straight; the KTM takes care of the rest.
Well, maybe that was a slight exaggeration. Even the Scarp doesn’t conquer the Kahlenberg all by itself, though climbing certainly feels almost effortless on it. I’m already looking forward to a ride or race on a day when I’m well-rested, and the temperatures aren’t soaring past 30 degrees Celsius.

But what gives me the feeling of effortlessly climbing up mountains, and why do I also feel safe and fast when descending? I’ll try to clarify both in this review.

My Exonic is already specced with the Sram Transmission, i.e., the weight-optimised XX SL. Of course, I was eager to test the performance of this new groupset. It looks incredibly robust, and in operation, it’s even more sensitive. According to the creators, shifting under full load should be no problem. And it’s true indeed. When shifting under load, the combination of the rear derailleur mounted directly on the rear axle and the cassette with a Sync profile is sometimes so quiet that I have to check if I’ve actually changed gears. The word “effortless” comes to mind.

However, the transmission is not immune to “mis-shifting”. Shifting 2-3 gears at once can be a bit clunky. But I attribute this more to the rider’s mistakes.

The new gearing of the cassette is quite good, especially the reduced jump to the “bailout gear”. The manufacturer claims that the rear derailleur is better damped, which might explain why it seems to me like the chain slaps less against the chainstays.

I was determined to participate in a race with the Scarp. Why not start with the longest one? The A-course at Salzkammergut Trophy seemed perfect – over 200 kilometres and 7,000 vertical metres. I usually spend two weeks of summer vacation there, and I have enough experience from previous starts to assess the KTM under race conditions.
Since I didn’t come square with the loose gravel on site, I converted my bike to tubeless before the event. This change significantly improved my grip.
One handy feature, not common with every full-suspension bike, is the space for two bottle cages. There are four screws on the downtube for the cage, so it can be mounted in different positions on the frame, depending on personal preferences or bottle size.
Other than that, as described at the beginning, I was simply hoping for a good day and bearable temperatures. Unfortunately, the latter didn’t happen. Temperatures soared well beyond 35 degrees Celsius.

However, I did get that good day. I could maintain my pace from the beginning without being influenced too much by the competition. A young co-rider proved to be very helpful as he was riding at a similar pace, had a KTM Scarp, too, and even a power meter. He rode steadily, didn’t overexert himself on short, steep sections, and made up for it on flat terrain. Thanks to him, I found my rhythm perfectly. Eventually, he got too fast for me, and I let him go. I had found my own pace by then. For extreme distances, it’s crucial to manage your energy wisely. The Scarp helped with this. The central riding position and the gently tuned shock helped relieve the back. Unlike usual, I was able to climb uphill quickly, and thanks to the balanced setup, I descended safely.

In a race, you can truly feel whether the components of the bike are working together. With the KTM Scarp Exonic, they absolutely do. I can’t and won’t emphasize any particular aspect; the overall concept is coherent. The lightweight, stiff frame that still absorbs bumps sensitively, the smooth shifting, the intuitive operation of the lockout, the robust wheelset that even shrugs off rough impacts, or the brakes that never let me down. Even after eleven hours straight in the saddle, the carbon saddle didn’t hurt more than usual, and the KTM Team silicone grips are non-slip without causing discomfort until the end.

Despite the heat, I was able to keep up my pace until the finish. Cramps set in from time to time after the halfway point. Drinking more fluids, some extra salt and magnesium intake, and using easier gears were all helpful.

Without a support crew, you don’t know much about the ongoing race. In the last four hours, I overtook two competitors, and no one overtook me from behind – a good sign. At the last refreshment station in Gosau, I heard that I was in 23rd place. That motivated me even more, so I summoned my last reserves. I was welcomed at the finish line after about 11:15 hours by my daughter and wife – and I found out later that I had finished third in the M50 category.

Everything went well that day: My back didn’t hurt much, and the cramps subsided. My foot soles and palms were burning, but that’s normal after almost 12 hours in the saddle.

And the bike? After washing, cleaning, oiling and greasing it thoroughly, it looked as good as it did in the morning. The 209 race kilometres don’t seem to have taken a toll on it.
... Just like the thousands of training kilometres accumulated since early July. My initial assumption from the first ride got confirmed: the KTM Scarp Exonic is an ultralight race full-suspension bike with modern geometry. It supports on bad days and is the perfect companion when you’re feeling strong.

The tested model is excellent, but it’s a bit expensive (by the way: Transmission was added “mid-flight” without affecting the SRP. Some bikes were still delivered to dealers as specified on the website). However, there are many different models available to suit almost any budget. The entry-level aluminium Scarp 294 is already available for € 2,499. The cheapest carbon model with an aluminium rear triangle, the Scarp Elite, is priced at € 3,499. In addition to the “standard” configuration, there are also the MT models (MT stands for marathon) that offer more suspension travel, bringing the total number of options to eleven.