25 ktm 350sxf or 24 kx 450?

I’m interested in the bikes mentioned, I’m coming off a 23 yz 450, I’ve never owned a 350 sxf  my only concern is the front suspension. Is a spring conversion a must?  And the kx 450 sounds sweet with the rebates, my biggest concern with the kx is resale . I buy new bikes yearly and don’t wanna be stuck in a bike. The Kawi seems like a great bike but with all these crazy deals I don’t wanna be stuck in the bike cuz they’re hard to resell.  I would love to hear peoples opinions, thanks! 

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280driver
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7/3/2024 9:40am

KX.  Great bike and you can’t beat the rebates and contingencies Kawi offers.

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Duke28
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7/3/2024 10:01am Edited Date/Time 7/3/2024 10:02am

Had this same debate. Went with the Kx450…chassis is great! I got mine for 7k out the door which beats 12k+2k kyb forks by a mile. 

I sell my bikes yearly as well but I figure I’d be taking a 2-3k hit regardless of which bike I went for. If you look at the market, no one is buying 24 ktms for 9+k like ppl are asking.

I'm happy if i offload my kx for 5k with less than 50hrs next summer. 

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Dude Abides
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7/3/2024 10:46am

Which dealer do you prefer ? Nothing beats a good dealer.....that should be the answer right there.....

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Cdubya
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7/3/2024 11:47am

KX is such a great bike, great deals now and not hard to mod. It also feels light on the track! Love my KX!

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Smith246
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7/3/2024 4:19pm

I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as you so I bought both ha ha. As good as the kx is I honestly believe the only people who really benefit from riding 450's are the super fast, super lazy and the real big guys. If your one of them I say go the kx if not go the 350.

I have kyb forks on my 350 but I wouldn't say they are a must. If you mainly ride softer dirt i think the stock forks are very very good, where they lack a little is comfort on the square edge choppy hard pack stuff. But who knows with the softer 25 chassis the air forks could also work good in those conditions aswell. 

agn5008
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7/3/2024 5:53pm
Smith246 wrote:
I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as...

I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as you so I bought both ha ha. As good as the kx is I honestly believe the only people who really benefit from riding 450's are the super fast, super lazy and the real big guys. If your one of them I say go the kx if not go the 350.

I have kyb forks on my 350 but I wouldn't say they are a must. If you mainly ride softer dirt i think the stock forks are very very good, where they lack a little is comfort on the square edge choppy hard pack stuff. But who knows with the softer 25 chassis the air forks could also work good in those conditions aswell. 

F that air fork. If you don’t wanna be miserable and constantly chasing a decent set up then either get the kawi or get a KTM and immediately do the KYB conversion. I’ll never even consider another KTM brand until they get their horrible suspension sorted out. 

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Smith246
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7/3/2024 6:31pm
Smith246 wrote:
I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as...

I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as you so I bought both ha ha. As good as the kx is I honestly believe the only people who really benefit from riding 450's are the super fast, super lazy and the real big guys. If your one of them I say go the kx if not go the 350.

I have kyb forks on my 350 but I wouldn't say they are a must. If you mainly ride softer dirt i think the stock forks are very very good, where they lack a little is comfort on the square edge choppy hard pack stuff. But who knows with the softer 25 chassis the air forks could also work good in those conditions aswell. 

agn5008 wrote:
F that air fork. If you don’t wanna be miserable and constantly chasing a decent set up then either get the kawi or get a KTM...

F that air fork. If you don’t wanna be miserable and constantly chasing a decent set up then either get the kawi or get a KTM and immediately do the KYB conversion. I’ll never even consider another KTM brand until they get their horrible suspension sorted out. 

While I agree keeping an eye on the air pressure might be a annoying for some it really is not a big deal. And even though I do prefer the feel of a spring fork, the air fork in the current models is not bad as people still make them out to be.

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agn5008
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7/3/2024 7:20pm
Smith246 wrote:
I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as...

I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as you so I bought both ha ha. As good as the kx is I honestly believe the only people who really benefit from riding 450's are the super fast, super lazy and the real big guys. If your one of them I say go the kx if not go the 350.

I have kyb forks on my 350 but I wouldn't say they are a must. If you mainly ride softer dirt i think the stock forks are very very good, where they lack a little is comfort on the square edge choppy hard pack stuff. But who knows with the softer 25 chassis the air forks could also work good in those conditions aswell. 

agn5008 wrote:
F that air fork. If you don’t wanna be miserable and constantly chasing a decent set up then either get the kawi or get a KTM...

F that air fork. If you don’t wanna be miserable and constantly chasing a decent set up then either get the kawi or get a KTM and immediately do the KYB conversion. I’ll never even consider another KTM brand until they get their horrible suspension sorted out. 

Smith246 wrote:
While I agree keeping an eye on the air pressure might be a annoying for some it really is not a big deal. And even though...

While I agree keeping an eye on the air pressure might be a annoying for some it really is not a big deal. And even though I do prefer the feel of a spring fork, the air fork in the current models is not bad as people still make them out to be.

I disagree. I hate everything about the air fork. I don’t mind checking the pressure, I just can’t get comfortable on them. Some people may think they’re ok, til they ride a bike with KYB or just about any other top brand that’s nicely tuned.  

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yz133rider
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7/3/2024 7:39pm Edited Date/Time 7/3/2024 7:49pm

Kawis stupidly good when the tracks rough.

 

ktms more nimble (maybe)

 

kawi ergos are amazing so much leg grip and adjustable cockpit.

 

theyre really both a+ bikes but for me the confidence the kawi gives is worth it.

 

are you a lugger or a revver? Not that the 350 can’t lug or the 450 can’t rev but they certainly have strong suits.

 

450s for me lug better than even a tuned up 350 although. 350s keep getting better and better still gotta give the nod to the 450 for that bark out of turns and 3rd gear luggabulity 

DadBod86
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7/3/2024 8:05pm

I went with the Mc350 , took five rides to get comfortable. I am now completely happy with it. 

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Smith246
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7/3/2024 9:52pm
yz133rider wrote:
Kawis stupidly good when the tracks rough.   ktms more nimble (maybe)   kawi ergos are amazing so much leg grip and adjustable cockpit.   theyre...

Kawis stupidly good when the tracks rough.

 

ktms more nimble (maybe)

 

kawi ergos are amazing so much leg grip and adjustable cockpit.

 

theyre really both a+ bikes but for me the confidence the kawi gives is worth it.

 

are you a lugger or a revver? Not that the 350 can’t lug or the 450 can’t rev but they certainly have strong suits.

 

450s for me lug better than even a tuned up 350 although. 350s keep getting better and better still gotta give the nod to the 450 for that bark out of turns and 3rd gear luggabulity 

I'd have to argue that my 350 has more snap and bark coming out of corners than my 450, granted once into the meat of the power the 450 pulls harder. The 350 has a very snappy quick revving style of power whereas the kx is quiet slow and lethargic. If he's coming from a 23 yz450 he will find the kx450 power very slow and dare I say kinda boring compared to the yz.

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MX558
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7/4/2024 1:11am

I have 22 350 and have ridden a 24 KX with FMF slipon (had 2 previous gen kxs and I wasn't overwhelmed on the differences of the new one, minus the tech . I recently rode a friends 24 husky 350 and absolutely loved it minus the forks . If the 25 is better I'm all over it but not for 11k lol

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Duke28
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7/4/2024 3:17am

I mean…you can nearly buy 2 Kawi 450s for the price of one 350. 

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rpm.15
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7/4/2024 6:26am

KX 450 🥇

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rpm.15
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7/4/2024 6:28am

KX 450 🥇

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cloverdale
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7/5/2024 11:05am
I’m interested in the bikes mentioned, I’m coming off a 23 yz 450, I’ve never owned a 350 sxf  my only concern is the front suspension...

I’m interested in the bikes mentioned, I’m coming off a 23 yz 450, I’ve never owned a 350 sxf  my only concern is the front suspension. Is a spring conversion a must?  And the kx 450 sounds sweet with the rebates, my biggest concern with the kx is resale . I buy new bikes yearly and don’t wanna be stuck in a bike. The Kawi seems like a great bike but with all these crazy deals I don’t wanna be stuck in the bike cuz they’re hard to resell.  I would love to hear peoples opinions, thanks! 

No on the spring conversion, the 2025 model uses springs.

7/5/2024 11:18am

Right now, prices are terrible on used bikes, regardless of the brand.  Plus, if you paid 2 or 3 grand less for a bike when it was new, you can sell it for 2 or 3 grand less with a smile on your face.  2 or 3 grand is a big spread for a same year, same hours bike on the used market.

1
7/5/2024 12:46pm
Smith246 wrote:
I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as...

I came from a 23 yz450, I've previously had 350's and currently have a 23 350sxf and 24 KX450. I was in the same situation as you so I bought both ha ha. As good as the kx is I honestly believe the only people who really benefit from riding 450's are the super fast, super lazy and the real big guys. If your one of them I say go the kx if not go the 350.

I have kyb forks on my 350 but I wouldn't say they are a must. If you mainly ride softer dirt i think the stock forks are very very good, where they lack a little is comfort on the square edge choppy hard pack stuff. But who knows with the softer 25 chassis the air forks could also work good in those conditions aswell. 

agn5008 wrote:
F that air fork. If you don’t wanna be miserable and constantly chasing a decent set up then either get the kawi or get a KTM...

F that air fork. If you don’t wanna be miserable and constantly chasing a decent set up then either get the kawi or get a KTM and immediately do the KYB conversion. I’ll never even consider another KTM brand until they get their horrible suspension sorted out. 

Smith246 wrote:
While I agree keeping an eye on the air pressure might be a annoying for some it really is not a big deal. And even though...

While I agree keeping an eye on the air pressure might be a annoying for some it really is not a big deal. And even though I do prefer the feel of a spring fork, the air fork in the current models is not bad as people still make them out to be.

To be clear, I'm on a spring conversation and love it. There's more than a couple fast A riders at the club I ride at that run the air fork and have no issues with it. And by fast, I mean FAST. Dealing with the fork isn't a big deal to me the 350 is so good. My '23 is my first 350 and it's taken me awhile to get used to it. But the more I ride it, the more I like it. It's so damn good

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WarrenMX
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7/5/2024 2:27pm
Right now, prices are terrible on used bikes, regardless of the brand.  Plus, if you paid 2 or 3 grand less for a bike when it...

Right now, prices are terrible on used bikes, regardless of the brand.  Plus, if you paid 2 or 3 grand less for a bike when it was new, you can sell it for 2 or 3 grand less with a smile on your face.  2 or 3 grand is a big spread for a same year, same hours bike on the used market.

Exactly. Let's say you're willing to a take a $3k hit on a new bike I've gotta imagine it'll be easier selling a KX450 for $4000 ($7k - $3k) in a year than it would an Austrian bike for $8000 ($11k - $3k).

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Smith246
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7/5/2024 3:26pm
cloverdale wrote:

No on the spring conversion, the 2025 model uses springs.

Negative, the 2025 sxf's are still air.

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StillSmokin
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7/5/2024 7:47pm

Imagine advertising a $2000 "Temecula Motorsports discount" just to bait and switch a Temecula Motorsports $1300 mark up. Temecula Motorsports: Biggest cucks in SoCal

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121x
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7/6/2024 2:47am Edited Date/Time 4/16/2025 3:27am

Imagine advertising a $2000 "Temecula Motorsports discount" just to bait and switch a Temecula Motorsports $1300 mark up. Temecula Motorsports: Biggest cucks in SoCal

Imagine advertising a $2000 "Temecula Motorsports discount" just to bait and switch a Temecula Motorsports $1300 mark up. Temecula Motorsports: Biggest cucks in SoCal

Ouch! That's pretty dirty.

1
cloverdale
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7/6/2024 4:19am
cloverdale wrote:

No on the spring conversion, the 2025 model uses springs.

Smith246 wrote:

Negative, the 2025 sxf's are still air.

My bad, thinking of the XC-f

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mx4all
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7/7/2024 1:42am

Two completely different bikes in my opinion.  Got the kx 24 and a ktm 350 xcf 25. 

Both is very good and fun bikes.  You will probably need an exhaust on the kx to enjoy it. Made very big difference. 

Stock suspension is pretty ok on the kx just add some oil and right springs.

Fork on the ktm is not the best so you might wanna mod or change it. I went with conevalve and trax and it works very good. 

 

7/7/2024 10:45am
mx4all wrote:
Two completely different bikes in my opinion.  Got the kx 24 and a ktm 350 xcf 25.  Both is very good and fun bikes.  You will...

Two completely different bikes in my opinion.  Got the kx 24 and a ktm 350 xcf 25. 

Both is very good and fun bikes.  You will probably need an exhaust on the kx to enjoy it. Made very big difference. 

Stock suspension is pretty ok on the kx just add some oil and right springs.

Fork on the ktm is not the best so you might wanna mod or change it. I went with conevalve and trax and it works very good. 

 

What does the conversion to cone valve and trax cost?  

mx4all
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7/7/2024 1:39pm

What does the conversion to cone valve and trax cost?  

Its the wp A kit suspension so its not a conversion..

Price is about 5-6k new and maybe half that if you buy used 

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