Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1515142
RIDE REVIEW I 2024 KTM 350 SX-F P84 don't think this means you're bringing a knife to a gunfight. The 350 was picked by some of our testers as the bike of choice on tracks with tighter layouts. Here, the raw horsepower of a 450 isn't as necessary, and the lightweight, fast-revving personality of the 350 can be seen as more of an advantage. Larger displacement does universally reign supreme on a faster, wide-open track like Glen Helen Raceway, but you'll still find positives when riding the 350. On this style of track, the overall speed might not be as high on the 350, but the rider can likely maintain a strong pace for a longer time when compared to riding the more powerful 450. In our time with the 350 SX-F, we opted to keep it stock and only replaced necessary wear items like tires, grips, etc. The platform is well-rounded for any ability level and has been equally hard to pry away from one test rider to another. We also raced this machine at the Day In The Dirt, where it carried us to a win in the Open Expert division. Race testing helped us find our preferred settings, too, with map two being our go-to for its more "450-esque" power character. The electronics are fun to play with, especially traction control when it gets slick, but they weren't a must-have for our riders. The only big changes we made were to the suspension, where we softened the fork and slowed the rebound. With the new '23-and-up chassis being stiffer than before, our orange- blooded testers wanted some added comfort like the previous generations. Softening the fork and slowing the rebound helped the front end stay planted and gave our guys extra confi - dence out on the track. The 350 is the do-it-all track bike as it fills the void of a black-and-white 250 versus 450 scenario. Many of our riders said it would be their choice if they could only have one bike in the garage. Riders can push it hard like a 250 without totally sacrificing the open-class power needed to keep up with the larger 450s. The fact that it feels light on the track inspires confi - dence and doesn't wear down the rider as fast. While there is no replacement for displacement, and likely never will be, the 350 SX-F offers a fair trade of power and performance. CN 2024 KTM 350 SX-F ($10,899) ENGINE TYPE: 4-stroke, single DISPLACEMENT: 349.7cc COOLING SYSTEM: Liquid BORE X STROKE: 88 x 57.5mm STARTING SYSTEM: Electric FUELING: Fuel injection with Keihin EMS CLUTCH: Wet multi-disc DS clutch, Brembo hydraulics TRANSMISSION: 5-speed FRAME: Steel central-tube SUBFRAME: Polyamide FRONT SUSPENSION: WP Xact 48mm REAR SUSPENSION: WP Xact Monoshock with linkage FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL: 12.2 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL: 11.81 in. FRONT WHEEL: 21 in. REAR WHEEL: 19 in. FRONT BRAKE: Brembo 260mm REAR BRAKE: Brembo 220mm SEAT HEIGHT: 37.7 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: 14.1 in. FUEL CAPACITY: 1.9 gal. WEIGHT (DRY, CLAIMED): 224.65 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S