KTM 350 EXC-F

The KTM 350 EXC-F is a proper off-road enduro motorcycle, and anything can make up that with the way it looks. It is a proper dirt bike in all sense, with minimal body panels, raised stance, and a slim body profile.

At the front, the KTM 350 EXC-F gets a trapezoidal headlamp which is neatly incorporated in a slim-looking slanted cowl. This cowl, along with the high-mounted front fender attached just below the headlamp unit, is painted in a striking shade of orange. Even the handlebar crash guards placed ahead of the palm grips and fork protectors at the bottom are finished in the same shade of orange.

The side profile of the KTM 350 EXC-F is what makes it look very extroverted in its visual appeal. The large white coloured fuel tank placed ahead is covered by slim body panels on both sides, which extend further while adjoining with additional broad body panels which are finished in the shade of orange.

While the long and almost flat single-piece seat has the traditional shade of black, the rest of the body panels, including the ones below the seat and the tail section are finished with the same attractive shade of orange. However, the spoke wheels and the frame are painted in black here. What adds additional rugged appeal to the design of the motorcycle is the high ground clearance and off-road spec tyres, which truly go with the original appeal of the KTM 350 EXC-F.

Towards the rear, the KTM 350 EXC-F gets a very tiny LED tail lamp at the back, with a tiny tidy kit attached to its bottom. The right side of the rear-side body panel partially hides the exhaust pipe below it. The KTM 350 EXC-F doesn’t get proper turn indicators both at the front and rear.

The KTM 350 EXC-F misses out on a proper instrument console too, which further amplifies its image as an off-road only motorcycle. The motorcycle gets an almost flat handlebar, with both the palm grips having proper handlebar crash guards.

Apart from a technically advanced engine, the KTM 350 EXC-F also gets a rich engineering prowess for the basic architecture of its chassis. The bike sits on a central double-cradle frame, which is common in many EXC series of enduro motorcycles from KTM. The suspension combination used in the KTM 350 EXC-F is a set of 48mm WP-Xplor upside-down hydraulic telescopic forks with 300mm travel at the front and a WP Xplor PDS mono-shock with 310mm travel at the rear.

The long travels of both front and rear suspension make the KTM 350 EXC-F a proper hoot over the most difficult of terrains. With off-road spec tyres at both ends, the KTM 350 EXC-F gets a 260mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear.

The KTM 350 EXC-F is powered by a four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 349.7cc engine, which is regarded as one of the most powerful sub-400cc engines for off-road spec motorcycles. However, surprisingly, KTM has kept the maximum power and torque figures under wraps. What’s confirmed is that the engine gets an 88mm bore and 57.5mm stroke. The engine is paired to a 6-speed gearbox which offers slick shifts even at lower RPMs. The low kerb weight of 103.8 kg makes the KTM 350 EXC-F even more fun to ride.

Apart from handlebar crash guards, the KTM 350 EXC-F doesn’t get any other safety features and electronic riding aid to keep the costs in check.

The KTM 350 EXC-F deserves the popularity it has gained all these years, for the excellent engine and chassis it has got. The motorcycle is nimble and quick to ride, which makes riding over off-road terrains a much easier job.