EVER HEARD THEsaying as
happyasapiginmud?Ifnot,
letmespellitout.Pigloves
mud.Piggetstorollinfresh
mud.Pigisveryhappy.That’s
aboutwhereI’matwiththe
KTM 350EXC-F. In fact, I’m
loving this bike so much I
actuallyaskedKTMifIcould
hang onto it for three more
months.Theysaidyes.
For the first time in nearly a
decade working onADB,I’ve
found a long-term test bike that
needsnearlynomodifications.
The engine, suspension and
even the ergonomics are all
standard,eventhehandlebar
and handgrips.
ObviouslyI’veoptedforaset
of graphics to keep it fresh, an
orange sprocket because I just
wanted it to look trick (I
retained the standard gearing)
andaflashseat,butthatwas
just to fit in with the new
Holeshot Graphics decal set.
In fact, the only performance
modificationI’vemadewasto
theECU(seesidebar).I’vefitted
theoptionalmapandtraction
control switch, plus an SX-F
starterbuttonbuttheyare
accessoriesthathaven’t
necessarily improved the
performance, just made it
easier to live with.
What’simpressedmemostin
nearly 45 hours of testing is the
suspension.I’veonlyusedthe
350EXC-F for trailriding and,
forthefirsttimeever,Ihave
notfelttheurgetotunethe
suspension to suit my riding or
weight.ThenewWPgearis
seriouslyimpressiveforastock
machineand,thankstothe
compression and rebound
damping adjustment on the top
of the fork legs, tuning this bike
is easy.
Oneofthefirstthingspeople
do when they get a new bike is
slipapipeonit.Isay,don’t
wasteyourtimewiththe
350EXC-F. Since having my ECU
adjusted, I do not believe I
wouldgainanythingbyhaving
apipe.Sureafasterridermight
getsomebenefitbut,forthe
average trailrider, I don’t see
the point.
There are some dealers
offering$1000worthofKTM
partswhenyoubuya2017
machine.So,ifIhad$1000to
spend, here is where it would
go. The PowerParts traction
controlandmapswitch,not
becauseitsignificantly
improvesthebikebutbecause
it’sfuntoplaywithandthe
adjustability helps in suddenly
changing conditions.
Andtosuckuptherestofthe
coin I’d select items prone to
wear and tear, such as
sprockets,achain,plentyofoil
and air filters, ’grips, lubricants,
levers and anything else you
think you might break or wear
out. I’ve just slid on a set of
PirelliScorpionMid-Hard
rubbersostaytunedtosee
whatwethinknextissue.
Editor Mitch LeesMITCH REQUESTS AN EXTENSION TO
PROLONG HIS AFFAIR WITH THE KATOKTM
350
EXC-FREAR GUARD
HOWTORIDE/ADB GARAGE/WERECOMMEND/TECH/KIDZKORNER / USED RIDE /
130 | SEPTEMBER 2017 http://www.adbmag.com.auI’D BEEN EXPERIENCING a little
bogging and flaming out when low in
the revs and blipping the throttle. I had
a few moments where I caught the
handlebar in the guts as the bike stalled
and my body did not. So I was keen to
stop this without spending big bucks on
a new ignition or exhaust system.
I decided to send my ECU to Rex
Fleiter from Fuel Torque in Qld as I’d
heard he had a solution. It took less
than three days to unbolt the ECU, mail
it to Rex for adjustment and get it back.
The gains Rex found are huge! My
350EXC-F feels twice as strong, but still
has that mid-cap accuracy and balance.
So just what does Rex do?
“The 2017 bikes appear to be a little
lean, the long fuel range suggests this,
so I richen it up a little.” Rex said. “In
basic terms I richen the base fuel map
across the entire rev range, but it is
tailored to the riding conditions for
each rider. This can be adjusted for
race or trailriding situations.
“It doesn’t take long to upload the
map. However, it takes weeks of testing
to build it.”
On a four-hour ride with the altered
ECU my bike only bogged once. There’s
mountains of useable power right
through the rev range. I don’t think I’ve
felt a 350 this strong. It’s incredible.
According to KTM’s Rob Twyerould,
ECU mapping is always a compromise
with differing fuels, regulations and
conditions around the world, so the
manufacturer has to cater for a bunch of
different scenarios. A savvy tuner armed
with the UST (User Setting Tool), KTM’s
tuning tool, can make gains in throttle
response, by better matching the
fuelling requirements to local conditions.
It’s an easy fix that even your dealer
might do, providing they have the right
software. Remember they’re low on
fuel, so let the thing drink!TORQUING
FUEL
A PIG
IN MUD