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Driving report: New 350cc Crosser from KTM

KTM 350 SX-F: The new center?

Are crossers facing a classless society? With the new 350 SX-F, KTM is opening a new displacement category.

Manufacturer

Great idea: The completely new 350cc four-stroke drives light and lively like a 250cc, but has the power of a 450cc on top.

It’s a little strange: For many years we journalists had nagged about the not supple suspension of Austrian off-road machines. We missed traction, wished for more comfort and progression; and stability was also a sensitive issue at times. In the end, however, even severe critics had to admit that the directly linked PDS suspension may not have worked perfectly after all these years, but it worked more than passably. And after all, KTM won world championship titles in cross and enduro with PDS suspension.

But now the KTM technicians are dropping their single-handed suspension when it comes to suspension like a hot potato – at least with the four-stroke crossers. Which somehow has to do with the commitment of cross-legend Stefan Everts, who has been in the service of the Austrians since the end of 2006. Because there was a strong PDS faction at the plant, only the Belgian superstar was able to break open the structures and bring all of his experience to the new project.

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Driving report: New 350cc Crosser from KTM
KTM 350 SX-F: The new center?

Manufacturer

Simply exemplary: the air filter can be changed without tools, and behind it, as before, the battery for the electric starter.

An impression that is immediately confirmed on the first round. The 350 is superbly balanced, stays precisely on course and is easy to control with ease. In contrast to the often stubbornly acting PDS machines in the past, the new one is more comfortable. It literally soaks up the unevenness, almost levels wavy straights. Nonetheless, the suspension does not hit the hard metal as it did before, but is softer on the shock absorber.

The reason is to be found in the more progressive characteristics of the leverage. Not only the damping, but also the suspension increasingly hardens towards the end of the spring travel. As a result, the 350 – like the other two four-stroke engines, which are identical in terms of chassis – can be tuned to be softer. The PDS models required a harder setting of the suspension and damping, which then came at the expense of traction and driving comfort. This was a problem especially on Supercross-like slopes, which is why, for example, there were hardly any KTM machines in the starting fields in the corresponding series. That’s going to change.

The progressive leverage makes the adjustment to the route and individual driving style easier. So far, the PDS suspension only worked well if you had worked out the optimal setting. The lever suspension is less critical and easier to adjust. It still works quite well even if you are a few clicks wrong.

KTM

The 350 impresses with its razor-sharp handling.

The chassis and engine can never be viewed in isolation. The smoothly starting, steadily increasing and almost vibration-free running 350 engine also contributes to the great handling. And with all its ease, it has a lot of pressure on top. KTM specifies 50 hp at an enormous 13,000 rpm. It turns as high as some 250ccs, but its top performance is on par with a current 450cc Honda.

In this condition, the 350 has good cards against the 450, which it usually has to compete against, not only in terms of lap times, but also at the start. While the quarter-liter machines can often achieve faster lap times, but have practically no chance in the acceleration duel, a 350 can easily stand up to the sprint to the first corner thanks to linear power development and good traction. Furthermore, the engine characteristics can be adapted to the road conditions in three modes, the differences are clearly noticeable. The bottom line is that the 350 series does not – as is so often the case with interim solutions – combine the disadvantages of both previous displacement classes, but rather their advantages.

This is new + videos

Manufacturer

Laws of leverage: All three four-stroke crossers get the new steel frame with leverage on the rear suspension.

• New steel frame with an optimized mix of rigidity and elasticity
• Rear suspension now with leverage and a lighter swing arm
• New plastic parts with a narrow tank and a more comfortable seat
• Completely new 350 engine with 57.5 mm stroke and 88 mm bore
• E-starter as standard, can be replaced by a kick starter on request (1.5 kg lighter)
• Engine weight only 27 kg, hardly heavier than the 250 engine
• Peak power 50 HP and maximum speed 13,000 rpm
• Longer muffler for future noise regulations

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