Any 350sx-f owners

nornevrder
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nornevrder
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 2:58am
Just wondering what your thoughts about it? Any horror stories? Likes dislikes?
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mxtech1
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mxtech1 10/3/2011 6:44am
10/3/2011 6:44am
My friend has one. At the 11 hour mark the valves were too tight and needing adjusting. At the 21 hours mark the valves were too tight again and needed adjusting. At the 26 hour mark, the bike began to burn oil because the piston and rings were worn. We raplaced the piston, rings, wrist pin and bearing, and adjusted the valves again. The dealership he got it from would not offer any service work because "these are race bikes and they are meant to wear out parts"

Not sure if this is a KTM issue or not, but he takes good care of his bike and I never saw him abusing it when we went riding and the bike was broken in properly.
matrixlee
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matrixlee 10/3/2011 6:54am
10/3/2011 6:54am
nornevrder wrote:
Just wondering what your thoughts about it? Any horror stories? Likes dislikes?
best bike i have ever had and imean best bike. when there was a recall ktm sorted it strait away never had any trouble with it.it turns so tight i can go places i could never go on the 450 i am 15 stone and its no problem. in all fairness it is starting to make me a better rider my corner speed is becoming a lot faster i will be buying anouther
TX24
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TX24 10/3/2011 7:03am
10/3/2011 7:03am
I know where three brand new ones are sitting.
garm521
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garm521 10/3/2011 7:30am
10/3/2011 7:30am
A good friend of mine has one. No problems so far. I have ridden a few times and with power, it feels more like a fast 250F then a 450 but the handling is much better then a 450. Fun bike.

The Shop

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Shawn142
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Shawn142 10/3/2011 7:33am
10/3/2011 7:33am
From a local pros view the bike doesn't hold up to abuse very well. A lot of small problems that will keep you from riding all day seem to pop up. Small parts breaking, fuel injection issues causing sputtering, valuve adjustments, ect. I know a few other vet riders who have no complaints though.
Pierre 391 10/3/2011 7:53am
10/3/2011 7:53am
The bike is perfect. Only had one recent issue with the fuelinjection but have now put on a filter so it won't happen again. Have just stepped down from being a pro over here to maybe being a +35 Exp. Raced that class at the Vet World Gp thing at Glen Helen last year, on this 350 and got on the podium, so I think I can twist it still a little bit ;-)
I totally agree with matrixlee about picking up cornering speed and trying to not be so lazy as many of todays 450 riders really are. A lot of people think they need that 450 out of corners, when its all about them doing it ALL wrong before and in the turns.
Anyhow, about the bike, its a blast. I know for sure my bike doesnt break more than any of my Japriding friends bikes atleast.
CR500Rider
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CR500Rider 10/3/2011 8:14am
10/3/2011 8:14am
TX24 wrote:
I know where three brand new ones are sitting.
Me too, and most likely will continue sitting.
Flatliner
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Flatliner 10/3/2011 8:19am
10/3/2011 8:19am
Shawn142 wrote:
From a local pros view the bike doesn't hold up to abuse very well. A lot of small problems that will keep you from riding all...
From a local pros view the bike doesn't hold up to abuse very well. A lot of small problems that will keep you from riding all day seem to pop up. Small parts breaking, fuel injection issues causing sputtering, valuve adjustments, ect. I know a few other vet riders who have no complaints though.
So these issues are mostly pro speed issues?
nornevrder
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nornevrder 10/3/2011 8:20am
10/3/2011 8:20am
The reason I am asking is because I have been reading about the fuel pump going bad and what not. I rode one and liked it a lot so much so I put a deposit on one, however I am starting to get cold feet. Just kinda seeing what other peoples experiences are with them.
Flatliner
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Flatliner 10/3/2011 8:23am
10/3/2011 8:23am
OT, what's the riding like in alaska?
hondaracer664 10/3/2011 8:42am
10/3/2011 8:42am Edited Date/Time 10/3/2011 8:44am
I help out a national caliber B rider with riding and training, and he rides the 350's exclusively. He has 2 race bikes and 2 practice bikes, and he puts no less than 10 hours on his practice bikes every week, most of the time much more than that even.

Over the last year he has had 5 2011's and now has 2 2012's, and I've seen 1 problem with them and that was on a full blown mod bike, there was a recall from KTM that caused the motor to go with 8 hours on it. KTM overnighted him a crate motor so he could make his LLQ that weekend.

One practice bike had over 200 hours on it, and besides 2 top ends, 1 valve adjustment and a clutch, the bike hadn't been touched and has been sold to a trail rider who has had no problems with it. Keep in mind he is a VERY fast B rider and is extremely hard on bikes.

KTM reliability is second to none and so is their customer service. If you like the bike, don't let the horror stories scare you away. ALL bikes have these horror stories and it's all about how you maintain them (oil every other ride, air filter every ride) and sometimes just plain ol' luck. I've had good and bad experiences with every brand bike 2 and 4 stroke, and I can honestly say KTM is one of the better as far as reliability goes.

Pull the trigger and enjoy your new pumpkin!
Factoryphoto
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Factoryphoto 10/3/2011 8:46am
10/3/2011 8:46am
I have one and gotta say its the funnest bike ive ever ridden.. The bike pulls along just fine im no slower on it than I am on a 450.. The key is gearing them I went up two teeth in the rear (52) and put one of those quick turn throttle tubes (which is a must) and it rips.. I put on a Leo Vince Ti Tech also which gave it more mid on up pull. Absolutely the funnest bike ive ridden. I know lots of people that own them that have 100's of hours on them with no issues and also know some that had the tps go bad. I have an 11 but bought the tps rubber boot that comes stock on the 12's and have had zero issues. Im a total freak about maintenance and you need to be with a 350.. Your screaming it everywhere its sucking as much air as it can get so your filter gets caked fast. I change air filter every ride (also shop vac the whole air box/boot.. I have a splitstream fuel filter in the gas tank.. A lot of people have no clue how shitty pump gas is. The splitstream is your best bet. Im runnin VP streetblaze I know its clean ,consistent and good for the motor. Personally I think its the ultimate bike. Another thing is people will post "problem/issues" most of the time looking for answers and your not going to the see post from the thousands of people with them post saying how great it is. Just like any bike it can have problems. I know some mechanics that say to swap out the fuel pump for a husaberg one but so far I have had zero issues.
BIG E
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BIG E 10/3/2011 9:08am
10/3/2011 9:08am
i have about 30 hours on mine and have no problems yet. i know about 6 others that have them as well, with no problems. i am i big around 290 and it hauls my fat ass around no problem. i have a sicass map switch and a fmf slip on.
mxtech1
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mxtech1 10/3/2011 9:46am
10/3/2011 9:46am
Factoryphoto wrote:
I have one and gotta say its the funnest bike ive ever ridden.. The bike pulls along just fine im no slower on it than I...
I have one and gotta say its the funnest bike ive ever ridden.. The bike pulls along just fine im no slower on it than I am on a 450.. The key is gearing them I went up two teeth in the rear (52) and put one of those quick turn throttle tubes (which is a must) and it rips.. I put on a Leo Vince Ti Tech also which gave it more mid on up pull. Absolutely the funnest bike ive ridden. I know lots of people that own them that have 100's of hours on them with no issues and also know some that had the tps go bad. I have an 11 but bought the tps rubber boot that comes stock on the 12's and have had zero issues. Im a total freak about maintenance and you need to be with a 350.. Your screaming it everywhere its sucking as much air as it can get so your filter gets caked fast. I change air filter every ride (also shop vac the whole air box/boot.. I have a splitstream fuel filter in the gas tank.. A lot of people have no clue how shitty pump gas is. The splitstream is your best bet. Im runnin VP streetblaze I know its clean ,consistent and good for the motor. Personally I think its the ultimate bike. Another thing is people will post "problem/issues" most of the time looking for answers and your not going to the see post from the thousands of people with them post saying how great it is. Just like any bike it can have problems. I know some mechanics that say to swap out the fuel pump for a husaberg one but so far I have had zero issues.
What was the KTM recall for the engine?
Factoryphoto
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Factoryphoto 10/3/2011 9:51am
10/3/2011 9:51am
Some bearing needed to be replaced. Mine was done before I picked it up so far so good. Most friends with the 350 have not had the recall done and they have not had issue.
Denn700
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Denn700 10/3/2011 10:15am
10/3/2011 10:15am
How does it compare to a YZ or KTM 250 two stroke?
mxb2
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mxb2 10/3/2011 11:11am
10/3/2011 11:11am
Lower end bearing recall?
BIG E
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BIG E 10/3/2011 11:25am
10/3/2011 11:25am
mxb2 wrote:
Lower end bearing recall?
no, it was the bearing behind the slave cylinder that the main shaft went into.

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mxb2
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mxb2 10/3/2011 11:44am
10/3/2011 11:44am
mxb2 wrote:
Lower end bearing recall?
BIG E wrote:
no, it was the bearing behind the slave cylinder that the main shaft went into.
Thanks, but props to ktm for taking care of it!
sdfog1
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sdfog1 10/3/2011 2:12pm
10/3/2011 2:12pm
Denn700 wrote:
How does it compare to a YZ or KTM 250 two stroke?
I would like to hear opinions on this as well. I'm 6'1" and weigh around 200 pounds and currently race a KTM 250 two stroke off-road, wondering if the 350 is my next bike.
nornevrder
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nornevrder 10/15/2011 1:51pm
10/15/2011 1:51pm
Flatliner wrote:
OT, what's the riding like in alaska?
Not very good. I have a track that is down the street but in anchorage but I have yet to find a place just to go riding. Still looking though.
bradmx421 10/15/2011 1:58pm
10/15/2011 1:58pm
Denn700 wrote:
How does it compare to a YZ or KTM 250 two stroke?
sdfog1 wrote:
I would like to hear opinions on this as well. I'm 6'1" and weigh around 200 pounds and currently race a KTM 250 two stroke off-road...
I would like to hear opinions on this as well. I'm 6'1" and weigh around 200 pounds and currently race a KTM 250 two stroke off-road, wondering if the 350 is my next bike.
the KTM250SX is faster, but i can ride a 350SXF faster....... i rode all the 2012 KTM's this week, the 350 was by far my favorite bike to ride.

its insane how much power the 250 smoker has though...
lappedrider
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lappedrider 10/15/2011 3:28pm
10/15/2011 3:28pm
sdfog1 wrote:
I would like to hear opinions on this as well. I'm 6'1" and weigh around 200 pounds and currently race a KTM 250 two stroke off-road...
I would like to hear opinions on this as well. I'm 6'1" and weigh around 200 pounds and currently race a KTM 250 two stroke off-road, wondering if the 350 is my next bike.
After watching JoJo Keller flog his 350 I would say you will be fine.

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