Hey Ya'll,
I'm looking for advice/ recommendations for a new bike to race the UMORA series in Utah next year. It's a mix of hare scrambles, GP's and a few Sprint Enduros. I compete Vet 30+ B mid pack.
I'm coming off a pretty enduro built 22 TE300i I'd like to keep for technical riding but not necessarily for racing. The suspension is not great high speed and I like running gummy tires that get eaten up pretty fast in the desert.
I come from racing desert in SoCal where I loved my Honda 450x, but looks like there will be some slower/ more techy sections in this Utah Series and I think they weight of a 450x will become cumbersome.
The 2024 Husky/Ktm lineup seems pretty attractive, but not sure if I want to go four stroke or two stroke. If I went four stroke, the 350/350 FX/XCF's seem pretty atrractive and two stroke wise the 300TX or XC seem like a great option.
I am worried the weight of a 450 could slow me down later in the races, I'm 5'9 200lb in decent shape but definitely room to shed a few pounds.
Would love some reccomendations!
I'll suggest a linkage Husky or KTM 350. They are much less fatiguing to ride compared to a 450, even though they are similar in weight.
The 4 strokes have a huge fuel range advantage over a 250 or 300 2 stroke.
The '24 and up Husqvarna's have greatly improved suspension components, though you will still need to get them set up properly for you by a good suspension technician.
this 100%, have Precision concepts set up your suspension and you are good to go. Personally I would also get a stabilzer. I ride/race the same bikes and came from a 450x that was just too big.
Thanks guys, as far as 350's go, what years should I be looking at?
For example, there's a pretty clean 2022 350XCF near me with 25 hours for $5,500. Also a 23 with 50 hours for 6k (Two of the better deals around) but I've heard some drawbacks of the 23's. 24's seem like they have better suspension with the spring setups
No to the '22.
Limit your search to 2024's and newer. You'll be glad you held out and streched your budget to have the upgrades from the older models.
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Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
I don't understand this idea that 450's are tiring to ride, in my opinion they're super easy to ride, just learn some throttle control. You can get by with riding at a lower rpm, run taller gearing so there's less shifting, and climb hills without worrying about bogging down. They make excellent off-road bikes!
To your last point- I believe they do too! But in a racing scenario across multiple hours is where they become cumbersome if you're not in great shape. At least from what I've found. Weekend rides with friends- great choice
Get a 300 XC or TX, I have 100 hours of racing hare scrambles, GPs and Sprint enduros on my 2023.
I don't know how much tight woods you'll be racing in Utah but our races our usually a mix of fast field sections, double track and a little bit of tight woods and it gives up a lot less in the fast stuff than the 350s do in the tight stuff. Also you will get much better dead engine starts on the two stroke.
I've raced the 2 rounds of hare and hound in utah. It was very fun those races are the best races I have ever done. I was on a 22 ktm 450 and it was fine one of the rounds and maybe a bit much on another but was still - guess what fun. My 22 with a 6500 kit, RT valving F/R (A desert), PC stabilizer and Twist ecu was a great bike I put 350 hours on the bike. I wish I just founds a 350 version of that bike and swapped everything over. I am on a 23 husky 350 MX bike but changed the valving to be more inline with a stiffer version of XCF stock valving and AER fork with a cone valve and found a cheap stock xc tank and can do at least 55+ miles in the desert. The 350 is much easier to ride but the previous chassis was maybe a little easier to ride. The 350 turns so good but you're winding it up a lot more the 450 was easy to ride at low rpm but much easier to stall. The 4 strokes are just so much more fuel efficient for desert riding. I had a pretty built out yz250 it was good at the lucerne hare and hound. You are riding a lot of virgin terrain easier to climb loose stuff with rocks and descend goat tracks but at the Idaho H&H which was higher speeds and some old road transfers it was much less ideal of a bike.
TLDR-
If you buy a 22 model plan on doing a 6500 or kyb fork swap/ tune, plus a pipe and ecu. The good thing is there are a ton of used parts on here or mx locker to upgrade for cheap. I would still get one of these but just plan to spend a little on setup but you might like it stock and be fine.
If you buy a current gen get one after 24 so you get the cc forks but you still may end up still getting tune but its a pretty turn key bike.
ill second a 350xcf. hard to beat KTM's purpose built off road racers and the 350 is a nice sweet spot
Stark Varg
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