Real world KTM 350 EXC impressions?

[dvwalker]

great pic crawdaddy, neat little draw...the taller gearing (xcf-w) looks perfect for that type of terrain. Going garage crazy up in the frozen north this time of year, so pics like these are a lifesaver

[Crawdaddy]

Originally Posted by dvwalker

Going garage crazy up in the frozen north this time of year, so pics like these are a lifesaver

How about a short video segment shot this past Friday in my backyard playground (3 of the 5 guys I took out there had Go-Pro's): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P397V...layer_embedded

[Crawdaddy]

350XCF-W + 5.3 Acerbis tank.......bring on those wide open/big country spaces

[Crawdaddy]

A friend of mine snapped this photo before mounting his 5.3......not THAT much wider

5.3 acerbis tank vs. stock tank with shrouds:

[Foot dragger]

Originally Posted by Crawdaddy

I think it would be waste of $/machine to relegate this bike to mostly pavement.....that's not its mission statement.......just my $.02

Lotsa guys buy these bikes,some of the best off road bikes made,and keep them on the street. As a long time singletrack/dirtbike nut its hard to get my head around that.
I guess the radical dirtbike look is popular for street use? 12.5" travel to get to the corner market? Why not? Its only 10K+ then spend $ on street settup.
Pocket change really................

[wizz]

I allways liked the seating position of my xr on the street, so I can understand wanting a light upright bike for street. But there are much better bikes that fit that description. Personally I got rid of the vfr and got a mts. I love my 350exc for dual sport, but you just cant beat purpose built machines.

Just desmogged, added fmf q4 and megabomb and best dualsport mod. Will update when I get a chance to ride, still have to change springs on front and back before I take it off the rack.

[Rusty Rocket]

Originally Posted by wizz

Just desmogged, added fmf q4 and megabomb and best dualsport mod.

I did a thread search and didn't come up with "best dualsport mod" can you explain please?

[calltrex]

It's a carb mod they do

[wizz]

bestdualsportbikes.com

Best I can tell its a throttle body mod to trick the ecu into dumping more fuel and changing the timing. could be wrong, though. Might be a bit before I get to test it out though, nasty weather heading thisaway.

[Rusty Rocket]

Originally Posted by wizz

bestdualsportbikes.com

Best I can tell its a throttle body mod to trick the ecu into dumping more fuel and changing the timing. could be wrong, though. Might be a bit before I get to test it out though, nasty weather heading thisaway.

thanks

[wizz]

crawdad-

with the mt43, how much percentage of pavement does it see and what are your impressions of it on pavement? stock rear is wearing fast and looking what to replace it with. treefiddy sees a nice mix of gravel, fire road, trail, open and asphalt. in other words, your general california dual sport conditions. was considering the mt43 and xcmh, probably xcmh for front anyway.

[ADVTuga]

Last weekend :

[Crawdaddy]

Originally Posted by wizz

crawdad-

with the mt43, how much percentage of pavement does it see and what are your impressions of it on pavement? stock rear is wearing fast and looking what to replace it with. treefiddy sees a nice mix of gravel, fire road, trail, open and asphalt. in other words, your general california dual sport conditions. was considering the mt43 and xcmh, probably xcmh for front anyway.

I'd say my general mix is 85% off road and 15% pavement .... I'm a big proponent of the Pirelli MT43 Trials Tires for dualsport use.....they're DOT legal for street use and the park rangers like'em because they're low impact on the trails.......therefore they're less likely to hassle you with "Green friendly" tires......I've been using them almost exclusively in the rear since they came out as DOT tires ~5 years ago.........I can never make up my mind in the front........I generally run a matched set or a more aggressive XCMH front..........the MT43's offer better traction in nasty/rocky stuff than a traditional knobby and they're better in sand than you'd think (provided you've aired'em down).....a good "all around" tire but you must run'em at low pressure or they'll fall apart/crack in the middle...... also a good idea to use a rim lock to keep the tube in place......

I generally get about ~2K miles out of a rear....

The only real down side of using these tires is they suck on downhills......your bike will pitch sideways under heavy breaking in the rear rather than holding a true/straight line.......so you need to use more front brake.....

They also don't slide/spin in corners like a true knobby.......the traction is too good......that can be kind of a bummer when you WANT to slide like a hooligan....

I run'em at ~10psi (sometimes ~8psi in the rear when off-road) with Bridgestone Ultra Heavy Duty Tubes.......they're expensive/heavy tubes but they'll ward off pinch flats from running at such low pressures

Review: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/392/19...re-Review.aspx

Motorcycle superstore links:

Rear: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...Rear-Tire.aspx

Front: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...ront-Tire.aspx

Another alternative for the front is the Pirelli XCMH......also DOT legal and more aggressive: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...ront-Tire.aspx

[NSFW]

Originally Posted by Crawdaddy

A friend of mine snapped this photo before mounting his 5.3......not THAT much wider

5.3 acerbis tank vs. stock tank with shrouds:

thanks chris for posting this pic, that got me interested and ordered one too.


rode the bike last saturday. first time since i bought it last october. it was flawless and i love it.

installed some aftermarket parts
seat concepts seat
pmb side stand
pmb rear rack
cush hub rear wheel
dunlop 606 rear
kenda front
bar riser
longer did chain 118 link or was it 120, forgot the count?
14/52 gearing
folding side mirrors
radiator fan
g2 throttle
ktm 990 bark buster
trail jammer case saver - best bang for the buck protection



this week, installed new exhaust 1.4 lbs lighter
the acerbis 5.3 tank, baja design squadron and tidy tail light will be installed soon.

future - suspension, steering damper and the list goes on.

[Crawdaddy]

Originally Posted by ADVTuga

Last weekend :

Good stuff