KTM 350 XCF, is it a great bike ?

[OffroadMT]

I would like to purchase a 350 xcf and I currently own a 2009 250 xcf-w and was wondering if the 350 is a great trail/ woods racing bike as my 250 is ? My 250 has been great but a little more power would be nice. Has the fuel injection been trouble free as my carb ? I wish it was linkless for log crossings.

[Chas_M]

You would be money ahead and I'll bet just as happy if you had HT Racing or Thumper Racing convert your current 250 XCF-W into a 320 or better yet a 350.

[cloverdale]

Be carefull, I have done a number of big bore kits for 250 4 strokes (Honda, Kaw and Yamaha). In almost half the cases I ended up without the over rev and you can never be sure of how the new powerband will turn out. I know the 350 KTM kit gives a very narrow powerband with a strong hit. I made the switch to the 350sx (core exp, 18", tamer throttle etc.). I ride tight woods of Indiana, GNCC etc., very happy with the end result....still have the over rev and enough low end to get the job done in very tight sections.

Just be carefull, what sounds good on paper is not always what is best...

[Chas_M]

Be carefull, I have done a number of big bore kits for 250 4 strokes (Honda, Kaw and Yamaha). In almost half the cases I ended up without the over rev and you can never be sure of how the new powerband will turn out. I know the 350 KTM kit gives a very narrow powerband with a strong hit.

Not true at all; especially with the KTM. My '08 HTR 350 XCF-W is the standard HTR conversion including the CNC porting, otherwise the engine is stock. The engine is very strong with a very wide power band. The engine also has excellent top end power, although that is only occasionally used or needed. The thus far untouched engine currently has 5,800+ miles and 283 hrs on it and is still running like a top, strong as ever. The bike is equipped with a Revloc clutch and LHRB. The engine power is so smooth and flexible that a manual override for the clutch is totally unneccessary.

[owster]

I wish it was linkless for log crossings.

Check out the sweet product Slavens Racing has designed to address the issue you described with the link suspension. I just oredered one and think that it will be a great and simple after market piece to eliminate any concerns I have with logs and other obstacles damaging the link.

http://slavensracing.com/products/ktm/link-skid-for-ktm-250350450-sxf-by-slavens

[OffroadMT]

Thanks for the tip on the slavens racing link product, thats a great idea and it was a concern of mine. Not a bad price for it either ! Do you have a new KTM ? If so how do you like it ?

[owster]

Yeah I agree that the Slavens Racing Link Skid is a great idea and appears to very well designed with simple install. I should have the Link Skid next week and can take a picture or two along with any remarks.

I had a 2008 250 XCFW with a TR 290 kit and a 2008 450 XCF for the past two years. I loved the 450 power, but when I got out of shape it wore me out after an hour of racing hare scrambles. Ended up mostly racing the 290 XCFW and it was great, but I wanted a bit more power.

Have about 10 hours on the 350 XCF and loving it so far. The bike is in the same weight range as the previous rides, but feels lighter riding. I have not raced it yet, but I think the slight power increase will be a huge factor in results.

The bike is nimble and the fuel injection is spot on with instant feedback. The suspension is very good and I have yet to tweak with the settings although I plan to do so soon. For off road it seems pretty good (180lbs without gear), but did notice the front was a bit soft on the MX track. I only took a couple laps and it was difficult to tell how the rear was. The bike turns really well, the brakes are strong, and a bit less engine breaking than most 4 strokes.

I just installed a Rekluse Core EXP and first ride it worked well. I may adjust the idle speed to see if it will help the free wheel effect I get when I tap the brake entering a turn. I would like to get it set to have a constant feel entering the turn.

I have read some reports of injector issues so that is a big concern going forward. I have not experienced any issues to date, but again only 10 hours on the bike.

[OffroadMT]

Thanks for the information. Sounds like a good bike from all i have read and fuel injection would be nice with the higher alltitude we ride at here in Montana. How is the bottom end power ?

[owster]

The bottom end feels pretty good to me. The way to look at this bike is a really fast 250 rather than a slow 450. I installed an FMF 4.1 with quiet insert and sparky (CA). I wanted to see how the bike felt like this before going with the power bomb, which is supposed to help low end.

I think the bike lugs pretty good with stock gearing. Some people are adding a 52 rear sprocket with excellent results. The motors does like being up in the rpm's, but it has much more low end than the 290 TR I had.

FI in Montana would be sweet.

[OffroadMT]

My 250 XCF-W is a bike that likes to be up in the RPMs to make its power but it does OK on the bottom for slow riding in rocks and technical riding but I wouldnt mind a little more bottom than a 250 and the bike would be nice when I go riding in the sand. Is there a big difference from the 350 to your 250 ? Is the suspension different ?

[gdbarr1976]

Put a 300 kit on your 250 and use the savings to take a trip to Baja or bribe your wife to let you go to more races.

[owster]

Yes there is a big difference in power and delivery of power from my 2008 290 TR xcfw to the 350 XCF. The 350 can be much easily lifted or carried over ruts, roots, rocks, etc. with a blip of the throttle at any RPM. The 290 had a much harder time of this unless you were up in the RPM's.

The 2008 290 xcfw felt more like an enduro bike (which it is) and the 350 feels more like a MX bike. The 350 is so much more nimble it's amazing and the bike turns like a Japanese mx bike. At the same time it is very stable at high speed and the rear stays planted. Less engine braking on the 350 as well.

The suspension is totally different between the two bikes from forks to rear link. The frame is different and the ergonomics too.

Night and Day difference between the two bikes.

[albertaguy]

I have never been a 250f fan though I had an 06 yzf 250 and rode it a bit on both track and singletrack/hills and it did ok on both. I have the 350 sxf. My bias has always been towards bigger displacement. I am in Canada and ride the rockies and the foothills, all quite steep and often very rocky. Before 4 strokes I rode cr500's in the hills and 250 2 strokes on the track, then in 05 I got a crf450 and did both with it excellent plus 450's are about your funnest dunes bikes with a paddle (and yes I also owned an aluminum framed cr500af from service honda). I had an 07 yzf450 - didn't like it anywhere, got an 08 505xcf awsome everywhere but a touch heavy feeling on the track - great dunes machine. Got an 09 crf450 for track but also ride in the hills and an 09 ktm 300xc 2 stroke for the hills with rekluse core exp clutch and now also have the 350 - mostly was curious and my son fits it well so we share it a bit on the track and he's trying it out in the dunes next week. So my 2 cents - if you want to stick with 4 strokes (the 350 is very quite) get a 350 xcf and do it all up - you'll be very happy. If you are considering all options my 300 xc has way more bottom end than the 350. The 300's both lug and screem and to get the most out of the 350 you would be riding it a bit like a 2 stroke anyway. I have e start and kick backup, maintnance is so easy, and if to let slavens work it over it will hold with the 450's yet still fell as light as the 350. Compared to my 450's the 300 feels like you just jumped on a 125 2 stroke. I have never had a ktm I didn't like and you can pretty much adapt your riding style to whatever you end up on but to date the 300 xc is my favorite woods bike. I can however go everyplace on any of my 3 bikes (450, 350, or 300) and that includes track or any hills situation but I ride all 3 a lot and know how to adapt what I do so I can be fast and get up everything. Didn't Wattsy win major races on like 5 or 6 different bikes in the ktm line up including a 125? Anyway sometimes we get too hung up on which bike when they all do a great job if set up right. Good luck, stick with orange and you can't go wrong.

[aytheist1]

I rode a friend's 350 a couple days ago. I have been considering a new bike because mine is getting old. I race hare scrambles. The 350 felt plenty fast and turned very well. My Husaberg FE570 has a lower maintenance engine, and is a little more fun, but quite a bit harder to handle and doesn't corner well (not to be confused with turns well(placeablity.)) Ive ridden a 2011 Beta 520RR and a 11' 300XC also. They are all great machines. I am leaning toward the Husaberg FX450 or the KTM 350 for next year. Better turning and quicker reving seems to win races around here.

[OffroadMT]

Has anyone heard if there is going to be a KTM 350 xcf-w ? Will it have a link suspension ? I have been torn between the KTM 4 strokes and the 2-strokes the both have there strenghts.

[albertaguy]

Has anyone heard if there is going to be a KTM 350 xcf-w ? Will it have a link suspension ? I have been torn between the KTM 4 strokes and the 2-strokes the both have there strenghts.

I personally doubt it but they have done it before. The xcf is already a six speed tranny with about as tall a top gear as it likely pulls well, all you need now is a lighting setup. Don't see what more they would do to distiguish it as a true w.

[obgod3]

I rode five of the new KTM's today, 350XCf, 250XCf, 250SXF, 150XC and the 300XC, there is no need for a "W", my 250 XCFW is a PITA regarding the transmission, just too many gaps. The 350 XCF blew me away, it tracked extremely well, of the 250's I liked the SXF best, the 150 was just plain fun and if I could have two new bikes I would get the 350 XCF and the 150XC. But they were all great, most folks dont ride their bikes to the limits anyway. I have previously riden 450's and any f the 350/250/300's are more than enough bike.

[OffroadMT]

I am still unshure of the bottom end power for trail riding conditions but I would think it is a bit more than my 2009 KTM 250 xcf-w, not that I don't like my current bike it's that if I buy a new one and go up in engine size I don't want to regret it.

[Chas_M]

I rode five of the new KTM's today, 350XCf, 250XCf, 250SXF, 150XC and the 300XC, there is no need for a "W", my 250 XCFW is a PITA regarding the transmission, just too many gaps.

I'll have to disagree with this, at least for 350 and larger engines. I have ridden many bikes, i.e. MXC's, Huskys, etc, and found all of them to be a PITA. With the close ratios I was always shifting plus 1st gear was too high and 6th gear was too low. I love the versatility of the wide ratio tranny and not having to re-gear for different types of riding conditions. My '08 HTR 350 XCF-W has no problems or issues at all with the so-called 'gaps' in the XCF-W wide ratio tranny.

[OffroadMT]

Is there any one out there with the new 350 XC-F that can let me know there likes and dislikes, is the link suspension better. It looks like the magazine reviews like the new suspension.