450 or 350?

I’ve spent the last 5 years on the 350. Recently went to a Husky 450 because I got a great deal. I’m trying to be patient because I’ve only got two rides on it but I’d be lying if I said I made the right decision at the moment. There’s a reason the church of 350 is always full. 350 all the way

350 …more versatile, less fatigue to ride, better transition from a 125. Better/ easier resale…around me 450”s are very hard to resell. Your local riding spots should also be considered, smaller, tighter tracks favor the 350, big, wide open, deep sand or ripped deep often favor the 450…

I went from CRF450 to 250 two-stroke to 2022 KTM350 2 years ago and I couldn't be happier than I am with the 350. I added the XPR Vortex, 53 rear sprocket, revalve of suspension by RaceTech (I kept air forks since I've been running them since 2015) and a bunch of ergo stuff for my liking. I'm a +40B MX rider if that helps any. The only and I mean only spots I have issues with the 350 is any long straights against the 450's. The 53 rear sprocket doesn't help that, but helps in the corners for sure. 

This will be the X Brand Forum Check-In on the MotoXpod Show tomorrow night. I was on the '23 Husky 350 for a bit, then a Kawi 450 and the YZ450. Now I'm back on a '25 KTM 350 and have a YZ450. Interesting topic.

Shoulda went green..... lol

The only answer you are gonna get on vital is the 350 is the best bike ever and the air forks are crap. At the same time,  it's fast enough and handles like a dream.

The next advice your gonna get is to drop $2-3000 since 350 needs a pipe, a vortex etc to make it faster and then drop another $2000 on kyb fork upgrade.

After all of this, your gonna hear that maybe you need another few hundred on clamps, engine hangars, floating axles, etc. But to be fair, all the ktms need that, so maybe get a yzf450?

Love the 350 but also, keep the 125. The 350 does well when ridden hard in a similar style to riding the 125s. You’ll probably not ride the 125 much but it’s a great bike to ride occasionally. Many people have said it, myself included; the 125s and other small bikes teach you to ride with momentum because you don’t have the power to go fast exiting corners. To ride with momentum you have to take corners fast and that requires proper body position.  That translates to bigger bikes. The 450s can be a too much of a  jump from the 125 for most riders. They are fun to ride but they feel very heavy especially later in the moto as you get tired. The 350s feel much lighter and will be easier to ride longer and more consistently as you make the transition from a 125 2-stroke. 
Suspension can be a little tough to get dialed in. The two things to keep in mind, have a base setting you can go back to in case you get lost in the testing. Make small changes and write down what you feel after each change. It’s ok if you don’t feel a difference but you will as you make more changes. 

350 always and forever

I have rode 450’s since 07.  About 1.5 years ago I had got to ride my buddies 23 Husky 350. Night and day for me. Felt more comfortable right away. So I bought a 24 Husky 350 two months later.  I really love this bike.  Now - not sure of the difference the ride is on other 350s but the Husky is a great bike. 

Those would not be my suggestions.

Church of 350… 450s are shit boxes! 

Been on a 350 for a couple seasons now. I rode a 450 this summer for the first time since I switched. I was blown away by how heavy it felt. I can be much more aggressive on my 350. I might not even be faster on my 350 but I sure feel like it. And it's way more fun

It’s not the color that’s the issue 😂

I agree with you, I think that was just a hot take.

I'm a fan of the KYB fork conversions and I manufacture drop in kits ( dialedmfg.com ) that bring the cost way down...   
Still, most guys can live with the 2021+ WP XACT air forks if they keep an eye on the air pressure during the day and find good settings for each track.

The GasGas (and I think the Husqvarna too) has a baffle in the muffler.   You can buy a new take-off muffler from the MC250F or FC250 or KTM 250SX-F and bolt it onto the MC350F or FC350.   I paid $125 for a brand new MC250F muffler on MXLocker.  The bike has plenty of power in the aggressive map.

I run the stock forged GasGas clamps and engine hangers on my 2023 MC350F and it's a very comfortable bike at my riding level  (165lbs, 40+A).   My 60+ Expert 200lbs buddy rode it back to back with his FC450-RE and mentioned how much lighter and more nimble the 350F feels.

For me, the 350F is the perfect motorcycle.

If you want to trade low end grunt for better handling, the 350F is perfect.
If you care more about torque than you do about handling and perceived weight, a 450F is better for you.

tree fiddy

God damn lochness monster 

Me neither, what are your suggestions?  On my 23 450, I am running the oem protaper bars, different grips and back spring.  I did treat myself to the 5mm down, 10mm back footpegs.  Although,  it's a 450 so I ain't smart buying an unrideable,  over powered bike that handles like crap.

Painfully accurate explanation of my experience.

Maybe the 25+ chassis is sorted, but my 23 350 SXF was not good. 

I can only imagine how good the 23+ engine in the 21/22 frame with KYB suspension would be.

"Ready to race" should be Yamahas slogan.

350 all day long.  The air fork hate is overblown and mostly people repeating old info.   Every year since 2021 they have gotten much better.  I have 4 Austrian bikes at the moment, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2025.  I have 6500's on my 2023 and bought my 2025 FC350 just assuming I'd need another set of 6500's.  Well, 13 hrs on the bike now and have barely touched a clicker.  I am really liking the forks.   As a +30C rider, don't get yourself too caught up in all the air fork hate.  If you plan to keep the bike 5 years, sure, maybe 1 or 2 years down the road you can do a spring conversion if you find you just can't accept the air fork.

It is so strange to me when I see everyone here talking about how great the 350s are, yet every summer I look up and down the starting lines at Vet MX races here in the Midwest and there isn’t a 350 anywhere.  The Thor Showdown Series is one of, if not the biggest race series in the country, with 600-1000+ riders at every event, and I’ve never seen one there.  Are all the guys racing 350s on the west coast, or is it the official bike of the Vet pro practice rider?  I’d love to try one, but none of the guys I race with have one.

Not sure if the original post states solely based on racing ….he does state he is a 30C rider… so not that old and should be in good enough shape to handle a 450 but the C rider on a 450 always has me wondering if all that power is really the best option for a guy still learning his techniques. You are definitely correct in your assessment of Vet practice riders loving the 350, and that is because the 350”s are fun as hell, more fun to ride than a 450. I always tell guys like yourself that have never ridden one, they are like riding a factory 250, without the 2hrs rebuilds. If you have never ridden a 350, find a Vet practice rider and take it for a few laps… After racing 450”s for 10 years, I rode a friends 350, sold 450 and never looked back…. But I”m an old Vet A rider that still races regularly when I”m not busted up….

I say this with respect to OP… a C class rider has no need for a 450. There’s a lot of power that will go unused, but you’ll have to deal with the added weight and inertia all of the time which can quickly lead to Whiskey Throttleville, USA. It’s an exhausting displacement for a novice rider. A 350 still has a lot of power, but is far more manageable and less likely to bite. I would lean in that direction, or even a YZ250F before throwing a leg over a 450. 

I will have to let you ride mine...you'd be shocked at the power difference. I didn't gel with the husky 450...kawi 450 on the other hand.....money

Unpopular opinion with the Vitards. I like the 450 better than the 350.

Nothing wrong with the 350. But I have to ride it harder, shift it more, and it is a little less forgiving of my multiple mistakes per moto.

I’m sure if I bought a 350 and spent time on it, I would love it and adapt to it. But the ones I’ve ridden - built vet bikes, mind you - have left me wanting more grunt and bottom end.

I’m a reasonably fit, fairly strong 30 year old C/B rider who doesn’t push it too much anymore. I can hang onto a 450 for 20 mins at 80% pace. Stick the 450 in 3rd, lug it around, and flow smoothly, and I’m having more fun riding now than I ever have in my whole life.