KTM doesn’t want to be like most ‘other’ off-road manufacturers and only offer two four-stroke bike options, commonly a 250cc and a 450cc. We all know they also proudly produce a wide variety of two-strokes and some even describe their best selling (in SA) 300cc two-stroke as a ‘three-stroke’ because of its power characteristics and not a new engine configuration. Generally all KTM models (for the most part anyway) share components. Things like electric starter, hydraulic clutch, WP suspension, Excel rims, Brembo brakes and no tools access to the air filter are shared throughout the range, so this test is going to be mostly about the engine.
By KTM’s account the gap between a 250cc and 450cc bike is far too large. Their 250cc four-stroke engine has a smooth power delivery, although the bike’s real power will be found a lot higher up the rev range, but it feels light and is an all-round great bike. You really need to work a 250cc four-stroke hard and rev that little engine to keep the speed up, whereas the 450cc is a sheer brute that likes to rip off your arms and beat you with the soggy end. The down side of all these heavier moving engine parts is the inherent gyroscopic effect, making the bike harder to turn or stop which means that the bike can feel heavier than the scales say it is. The 450 rides you more than you ride it, unless you’re a factory rider with Popeye forearms, hence your riding style for the 250/450 divide also has to be noticeably different. So where does this new 2013 350XCF-W sit? Does it combine the best of both worlds or does it just become a Frankenstein of bad science? 
Ok, so if you’re still with me and haven’t nodded off, well done and have a brandy or two. Now we can start talking about the KTM 350XCF-W. Interestingly when I unloaded the 350 it pulled quite a crowd, which I haven’t seen before with a ‘mere’ new off-road tool. Riders of all shapes and sizes all crept up and asked me the same question, so let me try to divulge my experience with the bike.
What’s it like to ride?
Make no bones about it this 350XCF-W is a thoroughbred race bike. It has everything a racer’s little heart desires as standard equipment. Items like the light action hydraulic clutch, for example, are truly amazing. The Brembo brakes are simply sublime and are mainly one of the reasons my medical aid didn’t get any phone calls this past weekend. The bike itself feels more like a 250cc bike on steroids than a limp or detuned 450. It has a super smooth bottom end that builds progressively into a meaty mid-range that lets you crawl over rocks and stalk around the nastiest technical sections with absolute ease which allows you to conserve your energy. Then, when the road opens up, stab the throttle and you’re off at warp speed in no time at all because the mid and upper rev range is where the massive power numbers really lie. This new 350 engine has such broad power that you actually start to believe it has two very separate power bands; one for fast sections and one for technical sections. Kudos to the clever dudes at KTM.
How does it handle?
This is where white lab coat science steps in again and, truth be told, it does feel slightly heavier than a 250, possibly due to internal inertia? When you’re dancing along a single track it feels light and flick able and nothing crazy happens with power that unsettles the bike, ever. Then, when you get in over your head at some steep hill climb or river crossing, the extra power is heaven sent. Your braking needs to be a little firmer due to the added speed over a 250, but you will be giving other 450cc pilots shit fits as you cut underneath them in the corners and scream past them down the road. This engine has a remarkable effect on how the bike is ridden and how it handles various situations. This is most certainly great science.
How good is the suspension?
In typical KTM fashion this will never be a concern for most riders, however, the person who rode the bike before I did must have weighed the same as a paper weight, meaning the forks and shock were set way too soft for my liking. When I first vaulted onto the bike I rode around for a while but just couldn’t get comfortable, so I went ‘in’ on the rebound and compression quite a bit and, what do you know, the bike didn’t dive while braking, bounce around like a pogo stick in the corner, or wander like a lost dog down the straights. This tells me that this superb WP suspension has enough tune-ability for skinny kids and lardy gents like me. Your magic clicker numbers are in there somewhere, all you need to do is spend some time and you’ll find them. With the power coming in so progressively the suspension isn’t really being taxed by having to control the power and the bumps, it just gets on with the job at hand and allows the rider to conserve energy and not fight a raging bull of power, even though it is one. I’m very impressed at the way this suspension package works over all. Off road riding has every perceivable obstacle known to man thrown in for good measure and these WP units soaked it all up, whether I was charging hard or just cruising. There’s no wonder the KTM catch phrase is ‘Ready to race’.
What’s my overall impression of the 350XCF-W?
I think the overriding sensation while riding this new 350 is how effortless it goes to work. It does everything really well, and then some. During my two days with the bike I started off fresh and strong, then I got lazy, then tired, then I forgot what the time was and went home late but the best part was the next day. I didn’t need a heavy-duty crane to get my carcass out of bed, instead I felt surprisingly fresh. I can imagine how a novice rider can potter around all day in the bottom and mid-range and just love life, while ‘racers’ and people with mad skill will be intercontinental ballistic missiles higher up the rev range. This bike is mamma bear’s porridge that sits very comfortably between baby bear and daddy bear and will appeal to a very wide audience for very different reasons. Versatile and capable are the two words that I would use to describe this bike, so give a round of applause to the new, not too hot and not cold but utterly fantastic 2013 KTM 350XCF-W. Good job KTM.
Price: R85,999
Log on to www.ktm.com/ for all 2013 model lineup.
