Best 350?

You are right, best 350 😅

I'd get a 2023+ Husky FX350 or KTM equivalent, spring it to your weight/rider level and go have fun.  Amazing machines.

I have a '22 350 with the vortex, 53 rear sprocket, older air boot, and suspension work. It's a great bullet proof bike, but my new 350, aka '26 BETA 350RX is my new favorite 350. 😁

I had the same experience with the air fork. I had an extra set of forks that I ran on my 2019 350 SXF with the KYB inserts. I bought a 22 350 SXF and put the KYB insert forks on it a soon as I got it. I ran those for awhile and I thought I would just try the stock 22 forks. I never took them back off the bike and they were on there when I sold it. They worked very well for me and other than having to check the air before you rode, I like them better than my KYB forks that were first done by ENZO and later by Factory Connection. For some reason though, I liked the 19 bike as a whole over the 22 even though the 19 had a ton of hours on it. Just like having two brand new bikes on the showroom, one will often be faster or work better for whatever reason.

Anyone ride one of these? GasGas MC350F?  Thoughts?

It’s Off topic but how do you Like your 350 Beta ?

Mine has now around 5 Hours and really Like that bike , the only concern so far the Beta is much higher than the Husquarna 

After some decent seat time, ergonomic adjustments, and suspension changes, I absolutely love this bike. I am actually 2 seconds faster on the two-stroke vs my KTM 350SXF at the same track. I like how it doesn't necessarily wants to rip your arms off like my KTM 250SX wanted to do all the time. 😂

My current 350 is a Yamaha TY350.

I have a 22 350sxf for sale with the ecu remapped, kyb forks, and bladder on the rear shock, 40 hrs. Can't even get $6500 for it. 

I just picked up a 27 350sfx, I have about 2hrs on it….the muffler has a smaller outlet core to cut sound down, likely cuts a bit of performance down also. My 24 FMF slip on fits right on. The air filter and cage are different, but my 24 2 stroke cage & filters fit right on……I contacted Twisted Development, they confirmed my 24 tuned Vortex will work on the 27 as well. 

I've ridden a few,  all are pretty darn good.  Motor wise it seems like as they went along, it got easier and easier to ride. 14-15's are still fast but it's way up top.  The mid and bottom is just ok.   Clutch works just fine,  forks are personal preference, I just like spring so mine has a conversion, (have a 21').

I may pull the trigger on a new gasgas that's a year old.  The price is right, and sounds like they really have that motor dialed.  

yes. grabbed a 25 MC350F a few months ago. Coming off a 21 MC250F I thought I would notice the stiffer frame a whole lot more than I do... I really cant say Im bothered by the new frame. Especially after the 15 hour mark the bike seems like it just feels better and better after every sesh. I put the 6500 kit on the forks and I absolutely love this machine. Each gear literally revs to the moon and the motor really responds well to being wrung out.    

I kind of hate this thread....

History:

21 crf WE

23 yz450

23 kx450

Current 24yz450...

6' 190. 

I not a huge lugger. I like to ring it out, which isnt exactly the way to go fast on a 450.

Could the 350 be for me even tho im anti air fork? Swore I'd never consider orange but.... Kyb drop ins shouldn't sting too bad..

If your a revver you really should give the 350 a try. Im a revver and been back and forth between 350's and 450's alot but always find myself back on the 350. I'm 220lbs and ride faster softer tracks and never find myself thinking more power could make me faster.

I've had kyb, ohlins and dal soggio's on my ktms and rate dal soggio's the best. So if you want to go a spring fork I'd highly recommend those.

Or wait till the 28 model comes out and if rumours are right it could have dual injector and spring forks standard. With possibly a slightly softer chassis also.

What don’t you like about the Yamaha that makes you want to switch?  I have a hard time going from the 450 to the 350.   

Chevrolet 

I hate airforks and I have a 2024 mc350 with kyb inserts. Get the 350, and get kyb inserts. You won't regret it. 

I wish I'd kept mine.

The 250 and 350 really revolutionized Trials at the time.

Initially, the 350s had a few 'issues' here in OZ, and, if I recall correctly, when Yamaha tried to fob off an owner about his problems ( I think it was crank issues?), they picked the wrong bloke to mess with - he was a High End Lawyer / Queens Council, I think. He 'won' the argument ........

I got a later one, had no problems. Though, the 350s made some truly weird bottom end noises - like an echo - y rumble / boom, that could freak out bystanders in sections . It was said they used a YZ490 crank ( perhaps a comparable weight?), but I'm pretty sure they just upped the bore from the 250, by around 12mm. 

It was a much better / nicer bike than my '83 Montesa 348 " Ugly Duckling"- that was a bit of a beast of a thing.

2022 350sxf owner. (bought used with about 80 hours on it). 

At about 95 hours it started making a bad noise. Turned out to be a damaged inner race on one of the main bearings. So I had to split the cases which sucked. 

The "wood" screws that go into the tank and hold the shrouds on were a little worn so the top of the shroud stuck out a tiny little bit. It was enough for me to catch my pants on the shroud (I'm 6'2"). Ended up having to get the Re-Jot kit from Bolt. That solved the problem. 

I like sleeper bikes and I'm on a budget so mod-wise my upgrades are subtle. I'm running the 2018 intake boot that has a sort of velocity stack thingy inside (made it feel a little crisper off throttle...almost like a jetting improvement feel) and I have a 250F stock head pipe (much more noticeable than the intake mod....pulls 3rd better out of corners). Gearing-wise,...if memory serves...I'm running something like 14/53. I've got a pretty large rear sprocket. I also did the cheap trick of putting brass washers under the engine mounts (FCP mounts are beyond my budget). I'm almost 52 and my arms get numb sometimes so my next mod is going to be those KTM bar-mounts with the bushing in them. I am also not a huge fan of the air fork but I used to have a 2016 KX450F with the SFF air fork. So by comparison, the WP forks are awesome. The main issue for me is initial compliance and front end grip. My cheap solution is to run Tubliss with somewhat low tire pressure to maintain grip and soften that initial inch or so of movement. I'm not fast enough to be worried about tire roll. I always run it in the more aggressive map and I don't use the TC. 

I'm quite happy with the bike overall. The newer versions look sexy but it's not the bike that's keeping me off the podium at my local 50+ race series. 

Side note: if you are not pro level, the GasGas' cast triple clamps might actually provide some compliance. A lot of people scoff at the "cheap" cast parts on the GG but I bet there is a demographic out there for whom that will actually work better. The GG's shrouds are also smoother so you're less likely to catch on them. 

I love my Yamaha. Im only contemplating a new bike because I try not to keep them for more than a couple years. Last time i tried a different bike because my 23 was stolen, i tried the kx and disliked it for anything other than play riding. I couldnt push it at race pace. My fear is im so used to the 24 yz and with all the reviews saying it lost its "punch" for 26/27, i won't like the new one as much. I feel like ill instantly want to do the air box and ECU just to get it on the 24 level. I like my yam because i can get away with stretching gears out, much like it seems you can do on a 350. Im in the best shape ive been in for alota years, and could probably push on a 350 like you ride a 250f. A 250f is just too weak unless fully built. 

Basically, just looking for what may pull the best out of my riding style. 

Boo to the smart ass!  2018 KTM350. Why? Because it's my bike and I can ride it whenever I want.

TM

One of the strengths of the 350 is how long it will pull for in each gear. It would take a rather long start straight to ever need to shift. On track, 2nd and 3rd gear will cover most (not all) of the tracks and I feel there is quite of bit of overlap as to which gear to choose. The choice is your's depending on how much engine response you want immediately. It pulls well enough in lower RPMs to be ridden mellow, or it will happily rev to the moon.

My 450 experience is limited to maybe half a dozen two lap try outs of different bikes (YZ and CRF). If you are using all a 450 can deliver the 350 may not feel like enough. It simply does not have as much torque. However, when riding against 450s I do not feel like power is a short coming of the 350. If I properly use the power it has it really goes. The 350 does not have the arm jerking hit out of the corners and they do feel lighter. I agree that 250s are anemic. 

You can really change the feel of the engine via the CUO. And, the lap times are cool to have. 6500s feel as good to me as any of the valved KYBs I've ridden.

I put kyb internals on my 21 250sx forks doing the dailed mfg. I'm definitely going to do the same with my 25 350sxf I just got. 

The vague grip feel on turn in with the kyb spring swap was gone and it felt so much better. Better feedback much better grip. Way more confidence in the front end. 

I'd highly recommend that it was totally worth it. 

The other stuff I did was an improvement. I'm close to 195 200 in full gear. On my 21 both my 150sx and 250sx. I found to stock rear spring to be too soft. I ended up with a 5.0 rear on my 250sx and 4.8 on the 150sx.

Much better hold up in the rear and it stopped the hard bottoming out. Plus it got rid of the ktm rear end squat. Which helped put more weight on the front = better front end traction. 

I did install a full rep shock linkage as the last mod. It wasn't as noticeable to me vs the kyb fork swap or the stiffer rear spring. It did make it smoother over the square edge bumps. Acceleration / braking bumps. 

But definitely if did one mod kyb fork swap i don't have to hold on as tight now. I was able to relax my grip on the bars. 

Own a 2017 250SX 2t now. Said i was not interested in any version of a 4 stroke again, especially not a 350 or 450. Rode my BIL's 2019 FC350. That thing handled like a dream and jumps seemed simple comparatively.  Immediately got the urge to sell one of my bikes and buy it from him. Put my 150SX on marketplace but he sold it in 4 days before i could buy it. That would be my choice on a 350 if i were to ever buy one. Then i would ditch the air forks for a KYB conversion. 

The 2026 did lose it's punch.  it completely messes up the gearing.  Add an exhaust and use the GYTR airbox...then you can change the gearing to make it work better.  Mine's awesome now.

I joined the church of 350 back in 23 when i picked up a 22 350sxf. Did all the usual mods... TD vortex, exhaust, 6500's and revalve from REP. My 21 yz450 has sat for most of the past 3 seasons. I was a long time 450 guy. A few years back i started getting small bore bikes for a second bike. This led me to trying the 350. Im Vet A/B skill level, 285lb, 6' 1" and been riding for 25 years. These days I just hit up the practice tracks once a week. These days im rockin the dad bod, but getting back to my healthier ways. 

At the end of last season  I spent about a month solely riding the 450. It's not that easy to ride the 350 and 450 back to back, because you twist the throttle a lot harder on the 350 which means you have to tone it back a bit when riding the 450. It really magnifies how much slower you ride a 450. The only thing I miss about the 450 is the extra power for my larger ass lol. The 350 feels so much more nimble and flickable... for me its like going from a 125 to a 450. With my setup the 350 spools up quicker when exiting corners. Its not arm wrenching 450 torque when crack the throttle, but it seems to get moving quicker especially with a few stabs of the clutch. Due to my weight, I have to ride the 350 much more aggressively, but as long as i stay in the upper rpm's I dont have any issue clearing jumps.

With all that said, at the end of last season, I started to get the ich to pick up a new 450. The goal was to get a lighter feeling 450, that cornered good, felt playful, and had spring forks. I figured with that combo, it would help not get me as tired and I wouldnt have to ride so aggressively.  After lots of going back and forth between yz, kx and crf, I picked up a leftover 25 crf450. Sent the suspension to fc and setup the controls for me. I run it in the slow map and it seems to be what I was looking for in terms of power, but not wearing me out. I did remove the judder spring to improve the clutch feel and it puts the clutch lever out further instead of so close to the bar, but other than that the bike is stock. So far ive been happy with it. I get the same amount of tired whether im on the 450 or 350, with the only difference being that the level of aggression is toned down when riding the 450.   

Just sharing my perspective and experience. I do like the 350 a lot, but I also like having a variety to ride.

I had an early gen '15 350SX and it was entirely too much fun. Similar power wise to a 250 smoker with FI. Did not feel like I was riding a heavy fridge.

I've been on newer Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Husky 450 motocrossers and would 100% get another 350 if I were interested in another four stroke mx/trail bike. It's really good. 

I cant quit watching 350 videos. 

Of course a 25 with 3 hours on it shows up on FB. Already has enzo spring set up done. Unfortunately for the seller its for sale due to health issues. If my yam sold tomorrow id probably just go buy it. What do you feel would be a good price for that "used" bike?

I haven’t shopped in awhile so don’t know the market. Skipping all the dealer fees and already having springs likely makes that a great deal. I’d find the lowest dealer price on a ‘25 and expect you could get at least 1k under that. Seems like there are many 25-26s for $8999. Any dealer that still has a ‘25 would likely deal quite well, but again the fees and then getting forks, adds up. Are the forks sprung and valved such that they would work for you and does it look like a near new bike? These could sway me one way or the other.

Looks brand new. Suspension is set up for 185 and im 195. Should work. If not, i know a great tuner.