Ktm350 Enduro Second Chance

KTM350 ENDURO SECOND CHANCE

CYCLE WORLD TEST

IN 1984, WHEN HUSQVARNA INTROduced the 400WR, an Open-class enduro model of just 400cc, the bike was immediately proclaimed the perfect size for an enduro machine. The 400WR had most of the acceleration and pulling power of a typical Open machine, but without the hard starting and violent power delivery normally associated with 500cc enduro bikes.

None of this escaped the watchful eye of KTM. The engineers there noted the success of the 400 Husky, both on the trail and in the showroom, and went to work on their own downsized Open-class machine, and introduced the KTM 350MXC in 1985. But that first attempt at such an enduro model simply used a slightly overbored 250cc engine displacing only 273cc. And while that

was big enough to allow the 350MXC entry into the Open class, where it did enjoy some success, the 273cc engine had an explosive powerband that made the bike behave more like a hot-rodded 250class motocrosser than an Open-class enduro bike. So KTM’s engineers went back to work on a “real” 350. The result is the new 350 Enduro you see here.

This time, KTM took the opposite approach by starting with the company’s 500cc two-stroke engine and reducing its displacement. Thanks to a 14mm smaller bore and a 1mm shorter stroke, the 350 Enduro’s engine measures an actual 345cc. And to complement the reduction in displacement, the crankshaft was made proportionately lighter.

Naturally, this larger engine has

much more low-end and mid-range power than its 273cc predecessor, but it has a similar powerband: Power and throttle response right off of idle are barely adequate, followed by a huge burst of power as the engine enters the middle rpm ranges. That powerband is as broad as it is strong, continuing all the way up to the upper rpm ranges, where there also is good power available if needed. The

engine starts easily too, usually requiring just one brisk romp on the left-side kick lever to do the trick.

Like most KTM engines of the recent past, the 350 Enduro motor gives off very little vibration. Also continuing in KTM tradition, the engine revs quickly and has crisp, instantaneous throttle response once it’s in the wide powerband. Thus, lofting the front wheel over logs or rocks on the trail is as easy as blipping the throttle. But while enduro experts will probably love that responsiveness, riders of lesser ability may not, for they may feel that the 350 Enduro engine behaves too much like a motocross motor, especially when the trail is muddy or extremely rocky. Under those conditions, the 350 KTM demands careful throttle control to maintain traction and momentum.

Throttle control is even more important when riding in the lower gears of the wide-ratio, five-speed transmission. There's a giant gear-ratio jump between first and second (a 36-percent change, which is almost like shifting from first to third on most other off-road bikes) that makes climbing some steep, tough sections even more challenging. In such circumstances, first gear is often too low and second gear too tall. And the engine's instant burst of power as it enters the mid-range only adds to the

problem. Installing a one-tooth smaller countershaft sprocket helps by allowing the use of second gear at slower speeds, but first gear then becomes so low that it's useless.

Nevertheless, once a rider adapts to the bike’s powerband and gear ratios, it’s possible to go very, very fast on the 350. Some of that is due to the behavior of its chassis components, such as the White Power front fork and single rear shock. The steering is quick and precise, as well, and the chrome-moly steel frame is rigid.

As a result, the KTM can pass with amazing quickness over fast straights that are full of bumps and whoops, even though the bike is very busy in the process. The front tire is in the air much of the time, and the whole machine dances and jumps around. But suprisingly, the bike keeps going in the right direction while this is happening. so the rider seldom feels out of control; instead, he just feels fast.

Unfortunately, we can’t say for sure whether all KTM 350 Enduros will act this way, or if these characteristics are peculiar only to our test bike. That's because our bike had been modified by the importer before being delivered to us for testing. We normally test only bone-stock motorcycles; but since our bike was an '86 model we were testing late in the model year. KTM insisted on modifying it to reflect changes the 350 Enduro will receive for 1987. The fork and shock were revalved to make the suspension softer and more compliant; the brake-pedal claw was made smaller to lessen the chance of the brake being unintentionally applied; the rear brake was given a different disc with fewer holes in it, and different brake pads.

Using our experiences with previous KTMs as a yardstick, we found that the modifications to the suspension work fairly well; suspension compliance is much better when crossing sharp ruts and square-edged rocks, and overall, the fork and shock behave nicely, although neither sets any new standards. Some harshness still reaches the rider’s arms at slower speeds on rough trails, but the modifications are a definite improvement.

So, too, are the rear-brake modifications worthwhile, but they’re not a complete cure for a worse-than-average braking system. The rear brake has better “feel” with the new rotor and pads, but it still cannot match a good drum rear brake for feel and control. In fact, despite the super-serious look of the 350’s double discbrake setup, almost any current offroad bike with a disc front and drum rear will stop more quickly and with less rider effort.

And as long as we’re voicing complaints, we must bad-mouth a KTM seat once again. The 350’s seat lets the rider move about easily, but it has squarish top edges and absolutely rock-hard foam that makes day-long rides pure torture. If you’ve noticed that KTM riders stand up a lot, the seat is probably the reason.

But while standing or sitting on the 350, riders of a wide variety of sizes and riding styles will probably notice that the bike is narrow through the mid-section. The large gas tank is narrow at its rear but spreads the rider’s legs quite a bit when he moves forward fora tight turn, although not objectionably so. And the weirdly

bent exhaust pipe keeps its hot parts a good distance away from the rider’s leg, yet provides more ground clearance than do most stock pipes. Riders who do a lot of riding in the mud, however, will find the footpegs very slippery, a problem that has bothered KTMs for too long a time.

Another KTM tradition —that of supplying all the required enduro hardware only as an option —has been at least partially broken with the 350. A headlight and taillight are standard equipment on this bike, so only the odometer and the spark arrester/mufflerare extra-cost items.

Depending upon your riding ability and riding style, then, the new KTM 350 Enduro is either a marvelous new model or simply a new

model with first-year teething problems. It is an Open bike that is as agile as a 250. with a powerband much like an extra-powerful 250's, and an engine that starts easily and runs cleanly. But it can’t be torqued through a mud bog or a sandwash in whatever gear you happen to be in, and it doesn't have the relaxed straight-line stability of a 400 Husky.

None of this means that KTM's 350 Enduro is not a worthy machine. It just means that the bike is a different approach to the same goal: winning enduros. In the hands of an expert rider, the KTM is quite capable of achieving that goal. But for a lessthan-experienced dirt rider, riding a KTM 350 Enduro won't move that goal one bit closer. EE

KTM350 ENDURO

$3149