Words: Guy Streeter

Mixed feelings surround the 350cc four-stroke when it comes to the motocross side of the sport, but when it comes to off-road, it’s the money. The 350 feels light like a 250, easy to throw around in tight single trail, yet doesn’t have the tiring power and weight of a 450 that wants to displace your arms from the rest of your torso.

When MotoOnline.com.au was invited to Spain to try out the new generation of the KTM EXC off-road racers, we jumped at the opportunity that doesn’t come around all that often. We packed our gear bags and hit the highway in the sky to Les Comes Spain, just outside of Barcelona.

KTM set up a 12km loop and a 1.5km special test track on some of the most fun, yet rocky, terrain Spain has to offer, so we could test out their brand new off-road weapons. The MY17 KTM EXC range has been redesigned from the ground up. The 350 EXC-F has dropped an impressive 3.2kgs in weight and boasts increased power output as well. What more could you ask for in a new model?

Cast your eyes over the MY17 KTM 350 EXC-F and it’s clear the first notable change is the general ergonomics of the bike. First up, the headlight and surround have reverted back to an orange frame around the light, however the headlight can now be removed tool-free.

The rest of the plastics have been revised also, featuring a stiffer front fender and modified design, as well as new grab handles in the rear fender to help you maneuver the bike and not grab a handle full of dirt at the same time.

The ‘Dirt Free’ footpegs have been redesigned to not gather mud and now sit 6mm higher than the SX and SX-F models. If you’re a taller rider or just prefer to sit lower on the bike, a quick changeover can be done.

In addition to the new footpegs, KTM has redesigned the shift lever to not gather dirt in the elbow of the shifter. Another small, yet clever, feature is that the brake and speedo cable have been encorporated together running in a twin tube from the head light down to the fork tube for a little extra protection.

ODI snap on grips have been fitted to the MY17 KTM bikes, which isn’t really a big deal, but if you hate messing around with glue like me, then it’s a another small thing that makes the overall package that much better.

As per usual with KTM, Brembo brakes are fitted along with a Brembo hydraulic clutch. These components are what you expect with any KTM and they too have made changes for the 2017 bike with a new rear brake caliper. The peddle length has also been extended, while the caliper piston has been reduced to give the rider more precise rear brake action.

The fuel tank is again a white/opaque 8.5 litre tank, taking the guessing out of how much fuel you have left. The fuel tank is also fitted with an integrated fuel pump and fuel level sensor as well. Another small adjustment is the fuel-line connector that has been turned 90 degrees to help protect against damage.

The 2017 KTM 350 EXC-F shares the similar design to the 250 EXC-F engine, yet has vastly more power. The DOHC engine itself is 1.9kgs lighter than the previous year’s powerplant and features – electric start with a new compact lithium ion battery, cutting edge Keihin Engine management system with electronic fuel injection and new 42mm throttle body.

The new engine management system and throttle body contribute heavily to the reason the bike is so impressive to ride. The throttle response is great right off the bottom giving you the power you need with the flick of the wrist. Adding to the EMS, you can purchase a Traction Control engine mapping switch for an additional $189.99, giving you a total of four different maps!

The 350 EXC-F puts its power to the ground via a six-speed transmission and shifting gears is made easy with low friction coating on the shift forks and a gear sensor syncs up the engines power curve to the selected gear as well as the track surface conditions.

The 350 EXC-F chassis and swingarm have been developed to work better together. The PDS shock has been moved closer to the centre of the bike to allow the feed back to the rider to be more symmetrical.

The frame itself has been made stiffer side to side, while the front to back has lost rigidity to allow the frame to work better with the WP Suspension. The overall idea behind the new chassis is to bring the weight to the centre of the bike to provide better handling and better feeling over all on the bike.

For MY17 WP Suspension have developed the all-new XPlor 48mm upside down fork and WP XPlor PDS rear shock. The most notable improvements on the previous forks are the rebound and compression ‘tool-less’ clicker adjusters on the top each fork leg (30 clicks of adjustment is featured in both).

The performance of the forks is outstanding and coupled with the ease of changing your settings on the fly without the need for any tools, this makes your ride that much better from track to track. An optional pre-load adjuster, which can be purchased through KTM’s PowerParts catalogue, allows the rider to choose one of three different pre-load settings without the need of any tools.

The shock has been specifically changed to suit the 2017 KTM frame and swingarm geometry. The diameter of the shock piston has been reduced from 50mm to 46mm and shortened by 2.5mm, plus the shock stroke has also been reduced by 4mm.

On previous models of the EXC-F the PDS suspension has been 5mm further away from the centre line of the swingarm and frame. The new design of both chassis and shock have allowed the mount to be closer to the centre of the bik,e which in turn forces the loads from the suspension to be more symmetrical to the rest of the bike, increasing rider feedback.

The MY17 KTM 350 EXC-F is one of the most enjoyable bikes you will ever ride. I had a smile from ear to ear after spending 45 minutes on this bike. The weight of it allows you to push the bike around where you want and has more than enough power and torque to power out of corners with little input from the clutch, like you would need to at times on a 250.

That’s not to say that you wish the bike had more power. Far from it. You just feel you’re a little bit more in control than you would when you send the wrist south on a 450 and you can get away with being a little lazy on the throttle where you couldn’t on the smaller 250.

And you save energy on the mid-capacity four-stroke as well. For those keen on riding for the long haul over the course of a couple of days or more, you’ll be forever thankful with the 350cc characteristics. The ergos are comfy – compact but still plenty roomy – maintenance simplified and reliability improves year on year.

Put that together with some really impressive suspension and great handling from the well put together chassis and you can’t go wrong. Overall I would put money down on one of these 350 EXC-Fs in a heart beat, especially if I were to ride in a more technical environment. As an all-round option, it’s easy to get excited over the developments KTM’s made for 2017.

The 2017 KTM 350 EXC-F will be hitting Australian shores at the end of July/early August this year with a price tag yet to be announced. Further information on KTM’s complete range and specifications can be found at www.ktm.com.au.