Rumors say that KTM is bringing back the 360SX

Been loving my 24 250, i'm down for this. 

But where does it places in the market?

Well, where did a 300 'place' in the market?

Answer : In it's own place - and, incredibly successfully.

A 360, fits right in there - the '300' market. The 300 has always been a slightly enlarged 250 - an incredibly cheap to make 'market  filler / creation'. That, has sold in quite large numbers - it's probably KTMs (and other brands) consistently most successful  model - of any type. A 360 - a bit more effort required than just a bigger piston / barrel , but really, not much.

Beta were the first to go for a (slightly) larger  2 stroke in current times. KTM  , for once, if a 360 / 380 / 'whatever' is released, will be  followers.

Above 250cc 2 strokes, should be  in the highest level series as 450 4 strokes  - as should the 250 class be Just that : 250s of any type. The Handicap Classing should have been stopped a couple of decades ago. It's BS of the highest order. 

Ktm delivered one of the most advanced and tunable 2 strokes in years with the new 300Sx….and it has gone largely invisible by most media and so called 2 stroke advocates….MXA did not even do a full blown test of the 25 300SX, just a brief recycling of their original test…. Yet they continue to test the unchanged YZ250 and write several hop up articles centered around the YZ250…..strange for a magazine that claims they are 2 stroke loyalists. If you read between the lines of MXA”s beta 350 test, the 300SX out performs it everywhere…Not sure I would need a 360 ….

These are great for guys like me. Racing in the vet classes you will see lots of 450’s but not all of us really enjoy riding 4 strokes. I raced a YZ250 last year just for my own personal satisfaction. If I would have been on a 350 2 stroke or something like that, I would have had the odds better in my favor. I’m eyeing the new Beta 350 for that reason alone. A KTM 360 would be ultra cool and I’d consider that bike as well! 

I mean for sure it's better to have it than not, but the 250 is great, the 300 is fine, do we really need more powerfull 2 strokes than a 300 engine can output?

Powerband character is why they are selling 300's... what do we do with a 360?

Didn't KTM use 380 two strokes in world championship racing for years? On Bears last paragraph, why are organizations resistant to allowing these machines in the open class? Is it just the Japanese makers influence? 

Do we need 450s?

A 350 / bigger than a 300 is something different to what has become the 'norm'.

And you can get a fuller, more linear power band / spread with a bigger engine.

So, make it easier to ride, or, indeed, if You, or the Manufacturer elect, it can be made a fire breather. 

A well made , 'bigger than 300', can be pretty bloody under stressed, being that they are used on the dirt, with the  full power potential from such a capacity, being of not much use, to most people. And through that, they can be remarkably reliable / cheap to run. My ancient 500, costs so little to run, when compared to friends smaller 2ts, and, their 250Fs. Hell, even 450s. 

I've had a few rides on my mates 350 Beta - it's a lovely thing, that can be easily changed, by just jetting, from  being a smooth , easy to ride, but quite , quite fast bike, to a being a Real Handful. The 'handful' tune, was above this Old Mans wants, but our Ex Pro level friend ( and my mates Son) ,  loved it. And that change, was just from jetting ( and, I think, a bit of PV fiddling?) .

A bit of variety, from the ubiquitous 250, 350, 450 4 strokes, and, the slightly enlarged 250 2Ts, that are the 300s, is something not to be complained about, I reckon. 

If you / people are happy with a 300, well, there are plenty to choose from. 

No one does a ktm vs name another 2 stroke because they all know what the outcome is and for some reason they are butt hurt about it.  300 sx vs 300 rx was the only one I ever saw and well, they took the ktm.

I too am curious about the design intent. I’m all for smooth, easy power, but more power is not something I feel is needed. 

300 makes plenty of usable power for sure. 360? Kind scary 

500 class 

Interesting history of racing classes:

Road racing - They used to run 50cc as a world championship class. (And 80/125/250/500)

The smaller classes got dropped, in line with trends in ownership/use in general. 2 stroke 500cc bikes eventually took over as the only competitive platform. Power to weight being almost everything in GP racing. 
Like the tiddlers, 2 strokes were disappearing fast from general ownership/street use.

The organisers gave 4 strokes a massive capacity advantage and overnight 990cc bikes dominated GPs. 
Pushing 300hp the organisers keep fiddling with the rules (capacity has varied 800-1000) to try and keep power/speeds sane. 

MX - 500cc four strokes were the fastest class. The old British singles/twins had to be that big to make power. 
Once 2 stokes were developed for MX racing the power to weight made them unbeatable against the 4 strokes of the day. 80cc for kids, 100/125/250/500 classes all flourished. But the 2 strokes didn’t need to be the full 500cc to annihilate the 4 strokes of the day. RM370/400s (and many others) were fast! But as racing does, everyone looks for advantage, so they gradually crept up to the max allowed 500cc. With basic exhaust valves (if at all) and no ignition “mapping” the bikes were fast, but a handful. They became less attractive to “mortals” and 250cc 2 strokes were much more balanced, with great power. The sales of 500s dropped off. The development slowed, and was diverted to the bigger selling 125/250s. 
250cc became the premier class. (Helped along by Supercross)

Again, due emission rules and other factors, 2 strokes away from competition were declining, and manufacturers were more interested in developing/selling 4 strokes.

To make them competitive they were given a massive capacity advantage. 

And here we are. 

With the current technology. Fuel injection/electric exhaust valves/and unlimited mapping of ignition (and said exhaust valve), 2 strokes would not only easily eclipse 4 strokes on power to weight, but the delivery could be tailored to suit most preferences. 

A modern 350-450 2 stroke would be a weapon. 

Like many: I wish it was just capacity classes again, with the top class “open”, and let the engines stand on their merits. (And personally, I’d let any electric bikes run in the “open” class. Any size configuration of 2/4 strokes.)

But most manufacturers seem to want to race what they sell to the majority. And they pressure the racing bodies to neuter 2 strokes. 

Watch how fast ICE engines disappear from “Enginesport”, once the big manufacturers are selling electric bikes to the general public.

Will make me sad. 

It is called torque. 

The big four don't want 2-strokes to be allowed.....they make massive $$$$ on 4-stroke parts. You can't refresh a 4stk for 300 bucks.

If its just a mx model I could see tons of people buying it and slapping a big tank on.  Having a mellow tune and a wfo tune these things will be all over offroad racing. 

I had a 380 in '00. In elevation, I could hit this uphill quad, no other person out of 100's could do it, due to lack of power.  Bam!

I raced my 23 for 2 seasons and it was fun a hell and a great bike. Suspend needed a little work but what bike dosent. After two seasons I went back to a 450. I didn’t race much the last couple years because I had kids but now that my kids are 4 and 5 we have been racing more the tail end of last year and will be this year. The vet class is loaded with 450s and although the 300 is a great bike it just would get pulled on the start and I’d have to eat roost for 3 laps trying to break the top 5. 450 I start more toward the front and eat way less roost. A 360 might combat that some. I’d say if you’re racing/practicing at like a 40/60 rate then the 300/360 is the way to go. Ton of fun but if you race 50% or more the. I’d go with a 450. 

In two stroke form ive had 14 250s and 2 300s, coming off of a 23 300sx ive been considering going back to a 250... I dont know what's wrong with me, but I see this and think hell yeah, id buy it...

You’re right the word wouldn’t come up, be easy on me i’m an italian kiddo

Raced a RM370 back in the day...my 3rd favorite bike ever.  A true open bike but not even close to the beasts the 500's were.

I wish they would make a perfectly linear 200 with a counterbalancer. Basically a 2-stroke version of the 350. Would be much more fun than a big bore with too much power. 

Bump it to a 430 and release it under the white fender brand:

BajaJ 360 for the off-road masses. Not necessarily HAS to be for racetracks competing in established classes.

This is awesome. I came super close to buying a 300 SX a couple years ago. Makes me wonder what they'll end up doing with that if the 360 is a hit.

I wouldn't mind seeing them drop a 200 again as well. Those things were lots of fun back in the day. Especially in the woods.

I gotta say it though.... How tf is this happening before a Japanese 350? 

When i rode some friends 500 two strokes back in the day, one of the things that really kept me from buying one is kicking it over.    Electric start erases that cumbersome task on a big bore two stroke.

https://enduro21.com/en/features/latest/comment-are-ktm-dropping-the-25…

Why???? 

Damn we really got an open class big bore resurgence before 𝖦̶𝖳̶𝖠̶𝟨̶ the Kawi 2 stroke reveal

KTM was testing that 360 in the Austrian Championship in 2025 til their Test Rider had a bad Injury .

I own a 1997 360 SX and its the best Twostroke Engine I have ever Riden , not that Monster that many think . Maximum A few HP more than the 300 but I can Ride it like a 450 

Would be great to see a 360 SX back in 2027 After 30 Years