VOL. 54 ISSUE 18 MAY 9, 2017 P119
how much you weigh. Our group
of testers was split down the
middle between the 500 EXC-F
and the 350 EXC-F. The 500
was the all-around king of doing
everything well, while the 350
EXC-F ruled the more technical
and tighter single-track trails.
The 350 won't be great if you
spend a lot of time burning up
the miles on the pavement, but
the 350 is magic in the off-road
world. The 250 EXC-F was a
pleasant surprise and performed
better than we had expected.
All three EXCs are amazing
dual-sport bikes, or should we
say enduro bikes with plates?
The 500 will certainly tend to fa-
vor larger and more experienced
riders, while the 350 will appeal
to a wider variety of riders, both
in size and riding ability. The 250
will appeal to a smaller niche of
riders, like those who are lighter
in weight, or for those who want
something a little less aggres-
sive when you open up the
throttle but still want high-end
off-road performance when it
comes to handling and suspen-
sion for technical trails. And it
doesn't hurt that the 250 retails
for $1300 less than the 500 and
$1000 less than the 350.
Basically, all three EXCs have
a reason for being, without ques-
tion. You just have to decide
what that reason is for you. But
don't worry about it too much;
whichever one you choose, you
really won't be sorry. CN
SPECIFICATIONS 2017 KTM 500 EXC-F ($10,699) 2017 KTM 350 EXC-F ($10,399) 2017 EXC-F ($9,399)
ENGINE: SOHC, 4-stroke, single DOHC, 4-stroke, single DOHC, 4-stroke, single
DISPLACEMENT: 510cc 349.7cc 249.9cc
BORE X STROKE: 95.0mm x 72mm 88mm x 57.5mm 78mm x 52.3mm
COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.8:1 12.3:1 12.8:1
FUEL DELIVERY: 42mm EFI 42mm EFI 42mm EFI
STARTING SYSTEM: Electric Electric Electric
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed 6-speed 6-speed
FINAL GEARING: 14/45 14/52 14/49
FRAME: Steel Steel Steel
FRONT SUSPENSION: WP Xplor spring fork, rebound/ WP Xplor spring fork, rebound/ WP Xplor spring fork, rebound/
damping adj. damping adj. damping adj.
REAR SUSPENSION: WP Xplor PDS Single shock, preload/ WP Xplor PDS Single shock, preload/ WP Xplor PDS Single shock,
rebound damping adj. rebound damping adj. preload/rebound damping adj.
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: 11.8 in. 11.8 in. 11.8 in.
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: 12.2 in. 12.2 in. 12.2 in.
FRONT WHEEL: 90/100x21 in. 90/100x21 in. 90/100x21 in.
REAR WHEEL: 120/100x18 in. 120/100x18 in. 120/100x18 in.
FRONT BRAKE: 260mm Disc 260mm Disc 260mm Disc
REAR BRAKE: 220mm Disc 220mm Disc 220mm Disc
RAKE: 63.5° 63.5° 63.5°
GROUND CLEARANCE: 13.1 in. 13.1 in. 13.1 in.
SEAT HEIGHT: 37.8 in. 37.8 in. 37.8 in.
WHEELBASE: 58.3 in. 58.3 in. 58.3 in.
FUEL CAPACITY: 2.2 gal. 2.2 gal. 2.2 gal.
WEIGHT (WET): 258 lbs. 254 lbs. 253 lbs.
