350 regret?

I have the first year 350 2011 that I'm still riding and still don't regret it.  I did come off a 250 but I have never liked a single 450 I've ridden.  They are just not nearly as fun to ride, heavy and just unusable power for the average guy.  Nobody needs ones. 

I find the 450 easier to ride than my 250f. About the same lap times. I would Imagine the 350 would be close but the fun factor would be zero compared to the other bikes.

I maintain that almost nobody will be slower on a 350 than a 450 once they get used to it if all we are talking about is lap times, but the experience and fun you get out of riding it is entirely subjective and not something you'll figure out unless you try it. Some people have more fun on a 350 and some people have more fun on a 450.... but it isn't because they are turning laps faster. 

It all comes down to riding style, size and skill in my view. Which combo you are can help narrow your decision. 

In the last 10 years I have owned a 125, 250f, 250 two stroke, 300 two stroke, 350 and 450.

If I could only own one bike it would be my 350. That being said I currently have a 125, 250, 300, and 350 lol

No regrets and will never own another 450… ever! Anyone that thinks being 200+ will hinder them it won’t. You can’t just borrow it for a couple laps, you need 5-10 hours to get used to it… commit to it! I have been as heavy as 250 without gear (i’m big boned damn it!) but now finally at 195. Mine is a 21 with vortex from XPR and it pulls hard … run 14/51 gearing. I regularly use 3rd through corners with a touch of clutch on exit but will drop to second for inside lines. I think a change to 14/50 and always using second in corners might be something I try. The thing i get the most is, you have excellent cornering speed, and why is the exhaust note different on your 450 than mine … when i tell them it’s a 350 the look on their face is priceless! I honestly don’t know how someone can’t like the 350 it is a better bike in every way than a 450… once you have 10 hours on the 350 ride the 450 back to back and then tell me you don’t think it is a beast of an unridable pig! 

MC350 owner here. B class. A few years ago I had a KTM 350, LOVED it, but I let my ego get to me and sold it for a 450. My mentality was “Wow I am ripping this 350, imagine how much faster I’ll go if I had a 450.” huge mistake and the lap times proved it. Bought a Gas Gas 350 last year and feel right back at home. I’m riding the bike instead of it riding me. Confidence is all time now! I will say they are kind of money pits initially if you want to be competitive on it (suspension, pipe, ecu, ect). 

Get the 2 stroke air filter cage and the vented side cover as the throttle response sucks otherwise. You’ll need to bump the idle up too or it will flame out from all the extra air flow. 

I have a buddy who is slow as shit and just wants to ride around the track and blow up berms, it wasn’t the bike for him. It kinda takes roll speed and skill, then the dynamics of the bike are super rewarding.  imop . But I just sold mine because I love my 300 even more.

The same feelings I experienced.
I can only confirm.
I highly recommend before buying it, a test drive. Ask someone at the track and try it out.
I liked as you say some feeling of a 2t on high rpm

I had one a few years ago and had a love/hate relationship with it. Overall it was a fantastic bike but it didn't feel as natural to ride, for me (if that makes any sense.) I couldn't get the gearing and power profile exactly how I wanted it and I struggled with the fork. On my good days, I absolutely loved it. But I had days where depending on track conditions I just couldn't gel with it. The new gen bikes sound like the power is placed a little better, so I would be open to trying one again. They certainly handle much better than a 450, in my opinion. The less inertia makes it feel lighter than the weight difference actually (if you compare to a KTM 450.) 

Ask Gypsy Tales or Ryno

Lol, I did the exact same thing.. Back on a KTM 350 now and couldn't be happier. 

Had a 17 350 and loved it. Went to a 450 in 21 and planning on going back to the 350 here in a couple months. 350 is a better fit for me personally. I adapted to the 350 pretty quick coming off of 125/150 and 250f, it was the 450 that took me awhile to get use to. I found out very quickly I couldn’t ride it like the 350, which I really liked. 

Jesus man thats sick... i did the same the lol 

Seeing a lot less 350's @ the track these days. Must be the regrets.

A key point for anybody else mulling this over is what you're doing with it and where. If you're racing on rough tracks, that's where the 350 starts to become a no brainer for me. The 450 can be fun if I'm hitting open practices or riding on relatively smooth tracks but if you're racing on gnarly tracks the 350 allows me to charge harder later in motos where on a 450 I'd be spent. The 350 feels 20 pounds lighter than a 450 and doesn't fatigue you as much. The 450 is just too much horsepower and rotating mass to manage when the track gets gnarly and I end up plateauing midway through a race to where I feel like I'm not "racing" anymore but just trying to manage the brute I'm on, whereas the 350 allows me to continue to charge all moto without ending up in a pile. 

Your out of shape Bro.

 
No regrets here ! Finally got to ride mine on Sunday. I’ve been riding my 300 in technical single track all year and was a little rusty at first, but after a few laps, I felt right at home on my 350. 
I’m so glad that I sold my SX300 and went back to a 350, it’s the perfect bike for me. 

It’s about time you got it out there…. 😃

What do you think of the motor compared to the old generation?

I had the 15 350 with the 4CS. Hated the suspension with a passion.  I’d been on 450’s since 03. I did two seasons on the 350, and just missed being able to lug like I could on a 450.
 

From my experience, I had to ride the 350 much higher in the revs and that along with the trash 4CS, it just wore me out quicker.  I’ve heard the newer 350’s have better low end, but I’m not interested in trying to figure out the AER and the cost to make it as good as my Yamaha KYB’s.. I might give the 350 another shot eventually, but I’m VERY happy with my setup now and have zero regrets ditching the Austrian stuff. 
 

Ill say this though, it was a lot of fun to throw around. Reminded me of my 2 stroke days. 

I’ve been having too much fun riding in the wet dirt we’ve had. It’s finally drying out, so I’ll be riding the track more often. 
To be honest, coming off riding my 2-strokes, I spent the first half of the day getting use to the engine braking and just getting used to the whole bike. It’s bitchen, but needs some time t loosen up a bit. 
I left the spark arrestor insert in the bike the the 1st two practice sessions. (3-4 whole laps each) then I took it out for the rest of the day. There was a big difference in sound and the bike definitely revved out better with it out. But also developed a bit of decel pop. Nothing big, but I noticed it. 
I have a vortex that I sent to Jamie to see what he’s got developed for this bike. Interested to see how he’s moved the power around. I don’t know what I’d change, but it’ll be interesting to see what his mapping will feel like. 
The motor feels more like a 450, than a fast 250, unlike my ‘19. But I have no complaints, I’ll need a few more rides on it to really get a better opinion on the motor. 
It’s got plenty of bottom end power and seems to pull up top just fine. LACR vet track is pretty fast and the bike was very fun to ride, I’m looking forward to this weekend to get some more time on it. I put a whole 1.1 hours on it so far…. Lol 

Yeah I feel the same, they rip! Rode a 23 450sx with the same time (about 20 hours) to compare with my 23. I was really surprised how different the chassis feels given they are identical minus a very minor valving difference in the forks according to Factory Connection. 450 feels much stiffer almost rigid compared to the 350. 

That is an awesome looking bike!  Where did you get the carbon fiber mud flap?  Lightspeed?

I rode a friends Husky 350 at Elsinore last week and really liked it.  It was easy to get use to and power was good.  Thinking I will be pulling the trigger in the next week or so.  We will see!!!