Hopefully KTM survives its financial woes and doesn't become extinct. I bleed orange. Have a 500EXCF and a 1200 Super Adventure. Have owned may KTM's back to the late 70's.
@dh You would know then how inferior the Quality control and R and D on reliability that they lack compared to some . A shame i have always wanted to buy one from 2008 in the offroad field but i do my homework and they just cant produce without 2nd rate quality and or rectify quality control problems . I am sick of ktm cash for comment on how good they are in the marketing so i would welcome a vast reduction of ktm propaganda . Long 16 years of discovering constant disappointment of issues with the brand .
With my limited 4-stroke experience I would say my 2024 Husqvarna FE 350W is the best overall bike. You can lug it extremely low and it rips on the top. The 6-speed transmission is glorious!
@@Drake-Edwards I love mine too, but you can’t help but wonder if there are other bikes out there you would like better. I hear good things about the Yamaha WR 250.
@@DUNEATV I have the same thoughts. Part of me wonders if I would have liked a 300 2-stroke more, especially when I’m riding super technical terrain. I feel like my 350 is the best of both worlds for my budget. Someday I’d like to have both.
I don't get it, it's like every 6 or 9 years the engineers decide they need to make the chassis super rigided, then spend the next 5 years trying to add flex.
350 over the Sherco 300sef?? I can see where the 350 would be better on the track. I felt the 300 4t lugged better than the 350. What are ur thoughts. I thought Beta made a 350
We all have our own opinion, jays comes from alot of experience and testing . I'd love to have a 350.. I like 2 strokes but am opening up to the idea of a 4t dual sport so I can ride the trails in Wisconsin.
A compromise bike is "OK" everywhere but not great anywhere. I think the suspension is the biggest factor. I once thought a CRF250RX would be a good compromise bike but, after respring and revalving it, the bike still beat me to death in the woods. That makes me suspicious of FX/RX/XC/etc cross-country race bikes. Now I'm on a GasGas EC300 that is AMAZING in the East Coast woods. It's magic dealing with trail chop, but would suck blitzing around an MX track, and that's OK. It's a woods bike and its great there, which is where I spend most of my time. If I find myself on an MX track, I'll take it slow and easy. If you are a fast guy (or gal) you can make anything work, but since I'm not fast, I'm sticking with the 300 2T.
I have the gas gas ex 450. There a little more mellow with the power. It’s honestly such an amazing bike that my gas gas mc 450 just sits. I usually end up taking the ex to the few local Mx races I do a year. I bought it thinking I would use one for Mx and the other for trails and hair scramble races but like I said now my mc 450 just sits collecting dust
One other makes it Beta I have a beta 350 race edition Best bike I’ve ever owned Zero flame out or stalling and it’s stock Separate engine and transmission oil, kyb suspension, brembo clutch , quick release seat , quick release air filter Linear power and amazing chassis feel Forget the China/india/austria machine and get a Italian brand and Italian built with Italian parts owned by the same Italian family that started it
Have a 18 kx450 for fast open desert and sand and have a 22 300 XCW for single track and tight technical stuff. Love both and idk how I can’t have both now that I have them
XCF is geared more toward faster off-road racing (think GNCC,) where the EXC-F is more Enduro biased- slower and more technical riding., hence the PDS suspension for clearance.The EXC-F will probably have a milder power delivery as well, and being street legal, it is corked up.
After buying an EXCF I never would again, rather go through the hassle of making any other model street legal then turn the bike that felt like a moped into something half decent again
Can we get the transmission ratio changes between the 24 and the 25. Ktm manual says they are the same between those years other than the 47t on the 24 and 50t on the 25.
I don't know, back to back on 300/350. As a Smoker, I will stay with nimble and after a ride day my body feels same as my YZ250F. Same story with 250F/300. 250F/200SX +STIC Super X carb, +'17 YZ front end...200 easily. But yeah, 2.5 decades on 200's, go figure. The 350 is of course an outstanding bike.
Here’s my question Jay, and I have not researched the gearing ratios on the newer XCf 350’s. But I hate wide ratio transmissions, even for off-road. Typically, especially when I think back to some of my Yamaha’s, but also my Ktm’s, they lower first and second and then make third a little taller. That ruins the meat of the gearing for just about every trail and every motocross track corner I ride. Second ends up too low and third to high. If I gear it for second to be good in the corners then thirds way too tall, if I gear it for third to be good in the corners and single track then second is way too low and first is pretty much useless. I don’t understand why the manufacturers ruined the two most used gears in the name of wide ratio? In my opinion, the perfect wide ratio would be a close first second and third that are motocross gearing, then start to spread out forth, fifth and sixth. Fourth and fifth on the Yamaha’s although I’d like to see them add a sixth gear for exactly the reason you mentioned. The standard argument is that slower riders need a lower first and second gear. Well yes, if they need a lower first and second gear then they need a lower overall ratio by dropping the counter shaft one tooth or up 2 to 3 teeth on the rear. Anyway, that’s my thoughts and rant on the wide ratio transmissions and I wish the manufacturers would quit screwing them up. And I know I’m not alone in this complaint. Give me the closer ratio and first second and third and then spread it out, please. Your thoughts?
I just bought my 1st 4 stroke. 24’ 350 XC-F. Just finished my first year of H.S racing & coming from a 2014 300 XC-W. What’s the difference between the KTM connectivity unit & the twisted stock ECU & the Vortex system.
I ride a 2019 FE350 (Eastern US.) Been a great bike so far for dual sport and trail riding. Don't think the Enduro models would be good for track though.
I had a 2012 KTM 500EXC with the same amount of hours on it. It will be a huge improvement in suspension alone, I was never impressed with the 500 EXC. The power was bland but I owned plenty of CR 500's in my time. Bikes have come a long way over a 13 year span. I sold my 500 this year and love my 24 orange wagon.
i had a 23 300xc and loved the engine. I’m old and slow and it was the worst bike chassis wise. I’ll just rides my yz 250f everywhere no issues with that on the trail in the right map and obviously the chasis and suspension blows the orange bikes out the water. Just my opinion but I really hate the orange bikes…
OK but I am hearing that KTM's dirt bike market is going out of business sometime in 2025 so it will be nearly impossible to get parts or they will be grossly over priced in the future.
Even if they end up not being able to manage it themselves and end up bankrupt the people managing/selling all the assets of the Pierre mobility group will sell up all the individual business and some one will buy KTM, the name, its assets the product is all worth something. KTM IS NOT GOING AWAY.
Great bike for the fairly unique conditions where you ride. For most of the world they're not really a contender. One person out of the hundreds I know has one and he can't even take it on half our trails as they just dont work for normal enduro (which is in a forest 🙂 )
2023+ KTM Chassis are garbage. I have owned and ridden many KTMs as well as every other color of bike. Frankly KTM was so far ahead in the 2010's I pretty much rode only KTM, but that is over for me. I bought a new '24 350xcf to replace my 2020 350xcf and wow was I dissapointed in the 2024. The engine backfired, the handling was terrible, the swingarm design was so bad you have to leave 6" of play in the chain so the swingarm wont bind up in last 1/3 of travel. I don't care what any of the magazines or reviewers say, look at what the testers and racers are doing to tame the awful chassis. The '25 may be an improvement, they did fix the swingarm, yet all the testers and racers are putting parts on the bike to improve the '25 KTM chassis.
KTM possibly going belly up. Not going to buy a machine that could have availability problems. Guess it depends how much money KTM pays someone to give favorable reviews.
ktm is not the best bike ever…. actually its one of the worst bike ever built… theres no reason whatsoever motors should be grenading on brabdnew bikes ive never blown a bike up and been on nothing but 20+ year old hondas zukis kawis and yamis and i see all these brandnew ktm motors having severe casting issues and motors are disposable and thry dress them up with all best brakes and suspension made by OTHER BRANDS to make them sell its fraudulent af and with a price tag higher then the rest it should be bulletproof lol like for instance a brandnew yz250 2 stroke is half the price and faster more reliable and wayyyyyyyy cooler
Half the price? no japanese manufacturer makes all their own suspension you have Shawa and kybetc , the 250 shootout shows the austrian bikes make more power google i Shaw ke
Industry loves them , good to make money off the owners . Big business fixing ktmhuskagas , twisted lol suspension, updates why ? Just shitty bikes but great for these media people. Kyb kit on the wp shite , yes. No mention of the plastic oil pump gear that fails catastrophically. Jay is bitching up on the gaytm market . Full of shit Jay , 350 not needed full of it !
KTM makes a great product. I love my 2025 300 XC-W Hard Enduro.
Love the 350 and I'm glad to see that they are still making it better!!
Hopefully KTM survives its financial woes and doesn't become extinct. I bleed orange. Have a 500EXCF and a 1200 Super Adventure. Have owned may KTM's back to the late 70's.
@dh
You would know then how inferior the Quality control and R and D on reliability that they lack compared to some . A shame i have always wanted to buy one from 2008 in the offroad field but i do my homework and they just cant produce without 2nd rate quality and or rectify quality control problems . I am sick of ktm cash for comment on how good they are in the marketing so i would welcome a vast reduction of ktm propaganda . Long 16 years of discovering constant disappointment of issues with the brand .
@@motozz8258 if you actually did your homework you would know that everything you just said is total trash.
@@slowtoprodad no way , proven repeatedly right back to 2008 for me anyway., so many break downs and failures too.
KTM brainwash 🤮
@ahsnap9103 jealous because you can't afford one.
With my limited 4-stroke experience I would say my 2024 Husqvarna FE 350W is the best overall bike. You can lug it extremely low and it rips on the top. The 6-speed transmission is glorious!
You have a white KTM.
@@leonrawls892 Yes Sir…with linkage.
I have the same bike, I’m super impressed with mine.
@@Drake-Edwards I love mine too, but you can’t help but wonder if there are other bikes out there you would like better. I hear good things about the Yamaha WR 250.
@@DUNEATV I have the same thoughts. Part of me wonders if I would have liked a 300 2-stroke more, especially when I’m riding super technical terrain. I feel like my 350 is the best of both worlds for my budget. Someday I’d like to have both.
Sweet looking bike. Reminds me of the early 2000s ktm
Owned & raced many dirtbikes over 40 years...my current ride is a 350 excf 💯
I don't get it, it's like every 6 or 9 years the engineers decide they need to make the chassis super rigided, then spend the next 5 years trying to add flex.
Gives them something to do. Every year they change a bunch of stuff on every bike so they can change it back later.
Yamaha hoping builds a YZF350F then could have the YZF350FX and WR350! They are really getting into the GNCC/Enduro scene now.
Yup, KYB suspension, programable mapping, great platform
Beta makes a 350.RR s street legal dualsport.Also off road only and Race 350 Wth KYB fork and shock i believe.
350 over the Sherco 300sef??
I can see where the 350 would be better on the track. I felt the 300 4t lugged better than the 350. What are ur thoughts.
I thought Beta made a 350
Lol, sherco? That thing is about the only bike that's a bigger pile of junk than the KTM! 😂
We all have our own opinion, jays comes from alot of experience and testing . I'd love to have a 350.. I like 2 strokes but am opening up to the idea of a 4t dual sport so I can ride the trails in Wisconsin.
Tight trails in SoCal? your funny. Nice rainbow gloves, 50/50 rider? Had to flick you some crap bud, great videos man keep it up!
A compromise bike is "OK" everywhere but not great anywhere. I think the suspension is the biggest factor. I once thought a CRF250RX would be a good compromise bike but, after respring and revalving it, the bike still beat me to death in the woods. That makes me suspicious of FX/RX/XC/etc cross-country race bikes. Now I'm on a GasGas EC300 that is AMAZING in the East Coast woods. It's magic dealing with trail chop, but would suck blitzing around an MX track, and that's OK. It's a woods bike and its great there, which is where I spend most of my time. If I find myself on an MX track, I'll take it slow and easy. If you are a fast guy (or gal) you can make anything work, but since I'm not fast, I'm sticking with the 300 2T.
2015 350 sxf. Love it
People overlooking beta will end very soon🔥💪
Get your final year KTM at clearance prices
love my 350 i got a good deal on a 23 after couple years riding 2t they are just as fun
I have the gas gas ex 450. There a little more mellow with the power. It’s honestly such an amazing bike that my gas gas mc 450 just sits. I usually end up taking the ex to the few local Mx races I do a year. I bought it thinking I would use one for Mx and the other for trails and hair scramble races but like I said now my mc 450 just sits collecting dust
yeah I want a 6th gear for d37 racing all the time on a 250, and have felt that on my 23 450xcf
One other makes it
Beta
I have a beta 350 race edition
Best bike I’ve ever owned
Zero flame out or stalling and it’s stock
Separate engine and transmission oil, kyb suspension, brembo clutch , quick release seat , quick release air filter
Linear power and amazing chassis feel
Forget the China/india/austria machine and get a Italian brand and Italian built with Italian parts owned by the same Italian family that started it
Have a 18 kx450 for fast open desert and sand and have a 22 300 XCW for single track and tight technical stuff. Love both and idk how I can’t have both now that I have them
What’s the difference between the 350 XC-F and the 350 EXC-F? Other than being street legal
It has link suspension exc has pds
XCF is geared more toward faster off-road racing (think GNCC,) where the EXC-F is more Enduro biased- slower and more technical riding., hence the PDS suspension for clearance.The EXC-F will probably have a milder power delivery as well, and being street legal, it is corked up.
Xcf is full on race bike. Excf is a squishy clogged up duel sport.
After buying an EXCF I never would again, rather go through the hassle of making any other model street legal then turn the bike that felt like a moped into something half decent again
Did the Husky get all the same updates including the gearbox?
Ill stick with my crf450rx. I love it.
Can we get the transmission ratio changes between the 24 and the 25. Ktm manual says they are the same between those years other than the 47t on the 24 and 50t on the 25.
Pretty sweet bike. You should stock the Utah garage with a few and I’ll help you rack up the hours.
Over here on the east coast the best overall dirt bike is very different…
How so?
@@jeffwendorf170 The trails are a lot different over here. Slower, tighter and muddier.
@@rlovell383 absolutely!
I don't know, back to back on 300/350. As a Smoker, I will stay with nimble and after a ride day my body feels same as my YZ250F. Same story with 250F/300. 250F/200SX +STIC Super X carb, +'17 YZ front end...200 easily. But yeah, 2.5 decades on 200's, go figure. The 350 is of course an outstanding bike.
Does anybody know where this is being filmed at?
Probably Glen Helen or Cahuilla Creek in California.
Here’s my question Jay, and I have not researched the gearing ratios on the newer XCf 350’s.
But I hate wide ratio transmissions, even for off-road.
Typically, especially when I think back to some of my Yamaha’s, but also my Ktm’s, they lower first and second and then make third a little taller. That ruins the meat of the gearing for just about every trail and every motocross track corner I ride. Second ends up too low and third to high. If I gear it for second to be good in the corners then thirds way too tall, if I gear it for third to be good in the corners and single track then second is way too low and first is pretty much useless. I don’t understand why the manufacturers ruined the two most used gears in the name of wide ratio?
In my opinion, the perfect wide ratio would be a close first second and third that are motocross gearing, then start to spread out forth, fifth and sixth. Fourth and fifth on the Yamaha’s although I’d like to see them add a sixth gear for exactly the reason you mentioned.
The standard argument is that slower riders need a lower first and second gear. Well yes, if they need a lower first and second gear then they need a lower overall ratio by dropping the counter shaft one tooth or up 2 to 3 teeth on the rear.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts and rant on the wide ratio transmissions and I wish the manufacturers would quit screwing them up. And I know I’m not alone in this complaint.
Give me the closer ratio and first second and third and then spread it out, please.
Your thoughts?
Email Jay with questions! Contact info in About tab.
@ no. 😂
What about the beta 390? I have always felt that was rhe best do all bike.
2024 350XW-F uncorked 4 the win.
Rad bike! Great insight
I just bought my 1st 4 stroke. 24’ 350 XC-F. Just finished my first year of H.S racing & coming from a 2014 300 XC-W. What’s the difference between the KTM connectivity unit & the twisted stock ECU & the Vortex system.
Pretty tough to have just one bike that covers everything. I got a few for each category. 😊
Ya a 350 is what I would ride if I had to ride a 4 stroke, nice smooth power . I would get the W with a plate though.
I ride a 2019 FE350 (Eastern US.) Been a great bike so far for dual sport and trail riding. Don't think the Enduro models would be good for track though.
Now it just needs to be a 2 stroke and then it can be the best bike ever
How's gearing for motocross
My 23 300XC is ready to challenge yours
Convinced me
Until China makes them when ktm bubble pops
We have another butt hurt dude!
@bmwlane8834 exactly!! It's not our fault idiots overpaid for ktm bikes and they ran the business into ground!!
Harden up, your typing and touching stuff daily that are made in China @
What track were you guys riding?
Cauhilla creek is what it looks like
If yamaha made a YZ350X id buy one today.
I like the white shirt under the black shirt
I have a 2013 500 exc with 50 hrs on it. Im wondering how much of a jump it would be to go to a 2025 350 exc?
I had a 2012 KTM 500EXC with the same amount of hours on it. It will be a huge improvement in suspension alone, I was never impressed with the 500 EXC. The power was bland but I owned plenty of CR 500's in my time. Bikes have come a long way over a 13 year span. I sold my 500 this year and love my 24 orange wagon.
Looks basically unchanged for over 10 years.
i had a 23 300xc and loved the engine. I’m old and slow and it was the worst bike chassis wise. I’ll just rides my yz 250f everywhere no issues with that on the trail in the right map and obviously the chasis and suspension blows the orange bikes out the water. Just my opinion but I really hate the orange bikes…
Yz250 all day everyday
i think its because they dont want to go bankrupt like ktm thats maybe why no 350s
Once KTM makes things in China and India you know the Brand is DONE!
OK but I am hearing that KTM's dirt bike market is going out of business sometime in 2025 so it will be nearly impossible to get parts or they will be grossly over priced in the future.
Absolutely not. Simply a restructuring
Even if they end up not being able to manage it themselves and end up bankrupt the people managing/selling all the assets of the Pierre mobility group will sell up all the individual business and some one will buy KTM, the name, its assets the product is all worth something. KTM IS NOT GOING AWAY.
Nope , second to the Rieju 300 Pro.
Great bike for the fairly unique conditions where you ride. For most of the world they're not really a contender. One person out of the hundreds I know has one and he can't even take it on half our trails as they just dont work for normal enduro (which is in a forest 🙂 )
2023+ KTM Chassis are garbage. I have owned and ridden many KTMs as well as every other color of bike. Frankly KTM was so far ahead in the 2010's I pretty much rode only KTM, but that is over for me. I bought a new '24 350xcf to replace my 2020 350xcf and wow was I dissapointed in the 2024. The engine backfired, the handling was terrible, the swingarm design was so bad you have to leave 6" of play in the chain so the swingarm wont bind up in last 1/3 of travel. I don't care what any of the magazines or reviewers say, look at what the testers and racers are doing to tame the awful chassis. The '25 may be an improvement, they did fix the swingarm, yet all the testers and racers are putting parts on the bike to improve the '25 KTM chassis.
KTM possibly going belly up. Not going to buy a machine that could have availability problems.
Guess it depends how much money KTM pays someone to give favorable reviews.
NOPE, 2023 GAS GAS EC 250,
Not gonna buy a bike made by a sinking ship company.
Nah… 2025 TX300 best bike ever
ktm is not the best bike ever…. actually its one of the worst bike ever built… theres no reason whatsoever motors should be grenading on brabdnew bikes ive never blown a bike up and been on nothing but 20+ year old hondas zukis kawis and yamis and i see all these brandnew ktm motors having severe casting issues and motors are disposable and thry dress them up with all best brakes and suspension made by OTHER BRANDS to make them sell its fraudulent af and with a price tag higher then the rest it should be bulletproof lol like for instance a brandnew yz250 2 stroke is half the price and faster more reliable and wayyyyyyyy cooler
Half the price? no japanese manufacturer makes all their own suspension you have Shawa and kybetc , the 250 shootout shows the austrian bikes make more power google i
Shaw ke
Yamahas are overpriced too.
Industry loves them , good to make money off the owners . Big business fixing ktmhuskagas , twisted lol suspension, updates why ? Just shitty bikes but great for these media people. Kyb kit on the wp shite , yes. No mention of the plastic oil pump gear that fails catastrophically. Jay is bitching up on the gaytm market . Full of shit Jay , 350 not needed full of it !
Yea it is pretth wild you plunk down damn near 15k ojt the door then immidiatly have to spend another 2 to 4k to fix the shocks, and ecu lol 😂
Pretty tough to have just one bike that covers everything. I got a few for each category. 😊