√Ford Ranger Raptor vs KTM Enduro bike: Which is fastest?

We know it doesn’t really matter. But we know you also want to know the answer.

It’s the comparison you didn’t know you needed: Ford’s new off-road performance ute versus an unlikely competitor on two wheels. Shaping up to be a David versus Goliath battle, we pin six cylinders against one, and four wheels (and strokes, for that matter) against two.

Where? None other than Off-Road Rush, which is located north of Sydney along Putty Road. It’s a dedicated off-road racetrack, and has been a great location for testing both generations of Ford Ranger Raptor.

And now, it’s going to be used to settle the debate: what’s faster around the track? Ute? Or bike?

The Ute

This isn’t just any ute, however. It’s the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor sporting a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that makes 292kW/583Nm running through a 10-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. Fox 2.5-inch Live Valve shock absorbers sit at each corner, tasked with controlling those 33-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tyres as the Raptor powers through bumps and over jumps.

Price: $85,490 plus on-road costs
Weight: 2475kg

The Bike

Also sporting a sharp orange hue, our bike is a 2023 KTM 300 EXC. This Enduro bike sports a 300cc fuel-injected two-stroke single-cylinder engine running through a six-speed transmission. The frame is made from chromoly steel (with a weight-saving aluminium subframe), and adjustable WP suspension is employed front and rear.

Thankfully, I’m not riding this thing… That would be a horrific mess. Instead, I’ll leave that to our talented photographer Sal Aloisio who is often busy on the other side of the lens. However, some of you might remember his byline from much lower-speed endeavours in old Toyotas.

Price: $17,879 ride-away
Weight: 103.4kg

Plus! New versus old

Now I feel like a late-night commercial, because wait! There is more!

The result of this one might not be as surprising, but we did give the old diesel-powered Ranger Raptor a flying start (literally) to even the ledger.

Can that stonking new twin-turbocharged petrol V6 catch up to the 157kW/500Nm diesel Raptor with a hefty handicap? There’s only one way to find out, watch the video.