2017 KTM 350 EXC-F and 500EXC-F review

Do you remember when KTMs were white, barely known and regarded as mildly interesting European oddities? No, I don’t either.

Now, they are orange, dripping with good gear and improving at a rate that must have their major competitors hanging up their helmets in despair. In fact, the last major makeover was in 2012, because they were good enough to not do a whole lot evolvement-wise since then.

For 2017, though, the Austrian mega-manufacturer has given KTM lovers a dose of serious smugness – this new package not only lets maniacs the likes of Toby Price and Daniel Sanders carve bush trails and desert roads with the precision of a factory-spec bike, but also lets us trail hacks enjoy the occasion.

We rode the 2017 500 EXC-F and 2017 350 EXC-F in the NSW Blue Mountains (the two-stroke test is coming soon) and, while we knew the reports out of Europe were stellar, it’s not until you get a dirtbike onto Aussie shores that you know for sure it’s a gem. The technical specs have been available for ages; this article concentrates on how those changes work on a trail ride.

And with former KTM star and now local racing boss Ben “Grabbo” Grabham leading the charge around some of his favourite trails, we saw a variety of terrain – from tight singletrack to loose rock, sand, steep, rutted hills and the kind of trail litter that can send the heart rate of a trailrider into the rev-limiter at the mere thought of it.

KTM’s slogan is “Ready to Race”, and that they are. Racers buy them because they need little work to prepare them for enduro and desert racing; non-racers buy them because the racers, ummm, buy them.

The downside to previous models (the 2012 incarnation was more stable than any before it) was that the things that made them good racebikes could push them into the edgy basket for trailriders.

Tankslappers were just a part of riding a KTM in the mid-2000s, and by 2010 they were better, but still a fine line between race performance and all-day trail friendly for average trail punters.

The 2017 four-strokes, however, are incredibly-well specced for trailriders, with the new X-Plor 48 fork almost as compliant as the 4CS fork that trailriders loved, but racers hated, but with much better progression through the stroke. The way that fork gobbles up loose rock with small, controlled movement is just nuts. Magic carpet stuff.

The reason for this isn’t just the new fork – the entire chassis and engine changes have allowed the bike to find a new level of refinement, to the point where I had the confidence to attack obstacles I would have avoided on other bikes. Or at least taken a lot easier.

For trailriders, a bike that doesn’t drain their weekend warrior energy is a big bonus, and this bike helps the rider in these areas.

The compliance of the chassis and the ability of the shock to match the fork's flexibility, as well as the sheer feel the bike offers the rider, means the trail isn’t kicking you all day. And that saves energy. It also means mistakes and bad line choices don’t hurt your progress as much.

I climbed one particularly nasty cross-rutted hill at one point, and made a mess of a line choice. The feel at the rear, the precision of the front end, the manners of the engine meant I could roll my way out of the wrong rut and ride the narrow island of soil to the top, all from a standing start. It’s an uncanny feeling.

It actually feels like cheating a lot of the time, because difficult trail sections are simply easier.

Judging by Grabbo’s progress -- when I could still see him! – the KTM still offers plenty to those able to stretch the throttle cables like he can. When I slotted into a special test loop near our base, I could steer the bike through familiar trees like I had pre-programmed the steering. And when I landed in a peg-deep rut to discover a very surprised blue-tongue lizard was already there, the bike let me stop in control and watch as the blue-tongue hit another gear, leaping out of the rut and finding somewhere safe from the orange monster.

This amazing chassis – and I know I am very enthusiastic here, but it’s that good – is complemented by engines just as refined.

I had a mate along who owns a 2003 525 EXC - he couldn’t believe the 500 EXC-F is so much more rideable than his old fire-breather. The 500 is mild in a way, and riding the torque in a single gear in tight bush means it works almost like an automatic. Just stay in the one gear and grunt it around.

It’s amazing out on the open firetrail, however, with strong grunt at any revs, and that amazing chassis meaning rocks and roots are to be sneered at, not afraid of. I am no Finke Desert champion (Grabbo is), but I found myself skipping through a set of sandy whoops mid-ride, and it felt more natural than it has in the past. I just felt so in control, with an engine that can leap me out of trouble and a chassis that loves the challenge. Like I said, it feels like you are cheating.

As good as the engine is, and it’s refined fuel injection, excellent counter-balancer and superb response is magnificent, the chassis is what makes this bike sing so loud.

The 350 EXC-F, is an even sweeter nut and in tight bush, it’s easy to understand why the traditionally top-selling 450cc enduro is under threat. Of all my trailriding mates, I can’t think of one that wouldn’t be better off on one of these, as opposed to whatever they are riding now.

It’s as light as a whip, nimble and agile, and the 350cc engine has enough power for most of us. Learn to ride it full-noise through the trees, then move to something bigger…

The work on the clutch, engine management and crankshaft result in a more tractable package than before, and when added to the incredible chassis means this bike is a mountain goat.

I have always liked big-bores, and the new 500-class four-stroke is so much better than models a few years ago. That has normally meant that in a group test situation, I have tended to head towards their monster torque. Not this time, though.

The 350 EXC-F is so accomplished in so many areas I just feel more comfortable on it, and I reckon most trailriders would.

Both bikes are close to ready to ride out of the crate – we rode them dead stock, after all – with just some engine and radiator armour a good idea given the use these things endure. KTM has thought of most other things.

The footpegs, for instance, are sharp, self-cleaning, and perfectly positioned. The air filter -- that job we all hate -- is easier than ever to get to, handy for race-swaps but also great for home maintenance.

Easy to live with, easy to ride, able to compete in the Australian Off-Road Championship, or just get you to the end of a long day in the saddle, the 2017 EXC-Fs are the best KTM has ever produced.

There is nothing meaningful to complain about from a riding perspective, so I won’t. If you can afford one, try one. KTM’s sales and support is nation-wide, the build quality appears excellent (we need more mikes to be sure, but history promises good things there) and they can now suit a lot of riders.

Just add a bashplate then roost into the bush, and revel in a bike that helps you feel like a world champion, even if you don’t look like one. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?