and other irrelevant chit-chat 
Just riding the 520 in the parking lot scared me. The thing has some serious booty. Once loaded up I headed north for the RRob compound. We unloaded the bike and gave it a good looking over, then decided it was time to see what she would do. It needs to be said that RRob has a beautiful place, and it is a dirt rider's dream. His immediate back yard consists of a jump and a training course. His outter reaching back yard consists of several trails cut through his woods with uphills, downhills, water crossings, bogs, extemely tight single track, roots, etc. His trails also link up to all the neighbors' trails for extended runs. At first, I was very intimidated by the 520. It is taller than the DRZ, and the motor is way more twitchy and explosive, with instant flat-slide throttle response. Some mdubya recalibration was in order. RRob took me around the "easy" loop, which is easy, but significantly more technical than anything at Green Ridge. Then we went for the more challenging loop. Again, since all this riding was more technical than I am used to, on a bike I was feeling intimidated by, I was riding like a little sissy girl. The second "challenging" loop out, I was feel things a little more. RRob took off up a steepish, snotty hill which had a double log crossing about 3/4 of the way up. I was going up the hill just fine so I decided to gas it and jump the logs. I hit them at a bit of an angle and caught about a foot of air. But the rear got kicked out by the angle, so I ended up doing a foot high table top before augering my shoulder and the bars into the soft (thankfully) hillside. I was still holding the bars, the bike was still running. The payoff was the bike was very easy and light to pick up. The "E" in the EXC paid off with me being able to just thumb the magic button to get started again.
I was still feeliing like the bike was a handful and the 520 motor to be a bit much for the tight woods we were riding. But as the day went on, I got more comfortable, and I began to shed my ingrained DRZ habits as I learned how to ride the KTM. By late afternoon, things were really starting to click and the big KTM was just plain fun. All the intimidation was fading away, and I was starting to feel the 520. It was working fine in the tighter stuff, and anywhere the trail opened up, a big squirt of throttle would have me giggling like a lunatic followed by panic braking trying to not run off the trail and deep into the woods.
I asked RRob to take it out and give it a good shake down. RRob is the master of his domain, and I never came anywhere near keeping him in sight all day. RRob first put the bike thru a work out in his "training" area, 4 or 5 laps. Then he headed for the woods. To hear the open pipe resonating off the hill side (f-ing loud! :shock: ) was beautiful. You could just about hear how much RRob was enjoying the bike by the exhaust note. He was gone for awhile, which to me was a good indication he was enjoying the ride.
When he came back, he was all grins and giving the bike much praise. Hopefully, he will chime in with his comments.
So, bottom line; trading the Duke for this 520 EXC was well worth it. My eyes are now open to what a "real" dirtbike can do. Lookout Green Ridge.
Photos by RRob:
Thanks to RRob for being a great host and always good company. I couldn't have enjoyed my day anymore than I did.
You guys will have to start packing a grill... the waits at intersections for us slow pokes is going to be a lot longer now.
...For all you know there might be a super secret motard ride in the works right now..... 
la la la la la, I'm not listening. It's so funny you think I was listening.