Living with the 2025 KTM 350 SX-F | 35 Hours Later 4

I picked up the 2025 KTM 350 SX-F in August of '24, bringing it home to Texas with an intense enthusiasm to put lots of laps on the machine. In September, I wrote a first impressions story expressing my initial thoughts after the first ten hours on the bike, which you can read here. Seven months later, the bike has 35 hours on the meter, and it seems like a good time to give an update. 

Thoughts After 35 Hours

Initially, I struggled with feeling comfortable on the '25 KTM 350 SX-F. I had difficulty with straight-line stability and the front wheel not feeling planted in corners. It felt significantly better after making suspension changes, including setting my sag at 95mm from 103mm to get more weight on the front wheel and raising the forks to 5mm from 3mm. I had been told that the frame took approximately 10-12 hours to 'break in,' and that was factual information. In those first ten hours, I felt the rear end deflect off rocks and ruts, which would unsettle the bike, and the front wheel didn't feel planted in corners. The more I rode it, adjusted my suspension settings, and allowed the frame to break in, the better the bike felt. 

I felt at home on the bike once the hour meter hit 12-13 hours. It felt incredibly compliant, and my comfort level skyrocketed. I now feel I can put the KTM where I want on the track, and it does what I anticipate. I'm confident in the bike's straight-line stability now and know it won't react unexpectedly if it clips a rock/edge or braking bump. That confidence allows me, a rider with average abilities, to push harder than I may on other bikes because I know the bike isn't going to do something unexpected. 

Cornering was my other struggle in the 'First Impressions' stage. The aforementioned suspension changes made a night and day difference in that area, and I feel I can attack corners. The 350 SX-F now tracks better, making it more friendly when entering corners, and I can lean into a rut through the apex, allowing myself to roll through without worry that the front wheel will tuck or push. In flatter corners, the bike is planted well enough that I can still have a good lean angle with the bike and not worry about any understeer. It legitimately gives me the feeling of being a motocross hero at times. 

My opinion of the engine has not changed. It's great for my needs and riding abilities. The 350 engine gives me all I need. I have yet to say, "I sure wish I had a little more power to hit that jump or come out of this corner faster." The power delivery is smooth and user-friendly, but it has enough hit with a feather of the clutch to rip out of a soft corner or get you over most jumps on any motocross track. There isn't a jump on a track that I'm willing to jump that I couldn't do on the 350. 

Sure, if you are a significantly more skilled rider than I am, there could be situations where you need a 450, but that isn't the case for the average vet rider. Yes, it may be lacking a little off the starting gate in second gear mid-rpm range, or somewhere you are wide open at the top end of the rpms for an extended period, but it's minimal. The mid-range of the power is impressive and doesn't fall off, and I enjoy fully opening the throttle down a straight and knowing it won't get away from me.  

I often leave the bike in the aggressive (green) map because I like that extra low-end hit in the deep, loamy tracks I encounter here in East Texas. It makes the bike feel closer to a 450 off the bottom but isn't so aggressive that you're worried about it getting out from underneath you. I also like the hand-adjustable clickers on the suspension, making clicker changes incredibly easy.

Changes Made

I was initially disappointed in the stock seat cover and lock-on grips that come stock on the KTM 350 SX-F, so I threw on a set of glue-on Renthal full-waffle grips and added a Guts Racing gripper seat cover. Those were simple upgrades that added to the bike's likability. I still don't love the different tools needed to remove the plastic, but that is a small issue. What isn't a small issue is the spokes. A couple of the spokes regularly come loose and I have to check/tighten them every time I come off the track. That needs to be addressed.

I also recently had Race Tech do a spring conversion on the forks and revalve the shock and forks for my weight and skill level. It needs to be said that this wasn't done because the stock WP XACT air fork system wasn't good. As mentioned in the first impressions, I like the stock system. I never noticed it fade or change enough to affect my riding. The stock AER fork worked really well for me. I chose to change it to see if there was a massive difference. I only have about two hours of riding time on the spring conversion setup, so I need more time on it before giving an opinion. 

 Final Thoughts

Trust is the best way to describe my feelings when riding this bike. I trust the bike to handle well and do what I want. The KTM 350 SX-F builds confidence and comfort and allows me to have incredible fun when riding. I don't tire from fighting the bike or holding on for dear life. I also regularly ride the 2025 Yamaha YZ450F, which tires me much quicker. It's a handful, and I am not as confident riding it, so I lean towards the 350 often. The 350 platform is an all-around fun bike, and I look forward to adding more hours to mine. At the end of the day, the goal is to have fun riding with friends, and you should leave the track wanting to ride more. The 350 does exactly that.