2016 KTM 350 EXCF
10,600 miles 10-30-19
I bougth this bike new in late 2015 to replace
my 2006 KTM 450EXC.
This bike is fully street legal from the factory and is fuel injected.
I think a lot of people probably didn't think I have a dirt bike or even rode
one---actually I've always had one but don't write about riding them.
The riding I do on them is much shorter than with my other bikes-------mostly
day rides.
This picture I got off of KTM's website as I didn't get a picture of mine before I started modifying it.
I had this Acerbis 4.2 gallon tank on the
bike pretty well after owning it only a week====before even taking it for a
ride.
I wouldn't buy a bike they don't make a big tank for---as unlike others--------I
won't carry extra fuel containers on a bike----not real safe and takes up too
much room on the bike.
It gets over 50 mpg easily and now will have a 200 mile range or more.
I completely removed the charcoal cannister system on the bike -----and plugged
off the AIS system.
Near the exhaust I just cut the rubber hose on the air induction (AIS) system
and plugged it---and removed anything that was connected to it----simple.
The charcoal cannister system was just as simple-----just tore everything out----the
one electrical connector I just unplugged it and
wire tied it up out of the way (no error codes)-----and plugged the vacuum port
on the side of the throttle body-------simple.
I did all this before putting on the bigger tank.
These bike have still retained the kickstarter-------it is kick electric by
the way.
The push pull throttle cables had way too
much play in them and I tightened that up--you have to do that at the throttle
body.
Why didn't they make that adjustment at the throttle I don't know???????
My bike has run perfect------no re-mapping of the FI-----no TPS adjustment----never
flames out.
TPS---is throttle position sensor for you carburater guys.
A friend of mine had to adjust his---as his would flame out at the most un-opportune
times.
The wolfman "Enduro" tank bag fits nicely---and the front strap goes
around the head tube with no problem.
I don't have radiator guards on any of my 4 bikes-----the gas tank protects
it just fine.
This is a Seat Concepts "Gripper"
seat----I ordered it with the seat pan so I could keep my stock seat.
You can see the wolfman E-12 saddle bags over the seat--and a wolfman fender
mount tool bag is on the rear fender. The saddlebags
required a heat space on the muffler to keep the plastic off the muffler.
I had a GPR stablilizer hanging around the
garage off my old 520 EXC---and the whole thing fit right on this bike.
The risers---the tower mount----the damper mount---everything.
Be careful------the front of the tower mount around the head of the frame may
rub wires or brackets behind the headlight---mine did and I had
to do a little fiddling to keep it from rubbing.
I had a set of Cycra handguards laying around from another bike and installed
them.
I tapped the inside of the handlebars with a tap from HDB---and used their threaded
insert inside of it to eliminate those goofy
expandable inserts on each in of the handlebars to fasten the handguards.
The black bracked that looks like it don't belong-----is my gps mount---and
there is a SAE 12 volt hot all the time plug there also.
I can use it too charge the battery if I need to.
I tapped into a hot all the time wire going to the ignition switch for this--------which
is in the headlight shell.
It's hard to see---but right in front of the gas tank is a rubber vacuum hose
plug---that is over a connector going straight to the battery for my
heated vest should I need it.
The other thing on top of the stabilizer is the remote for my helmet cam.
See that hole in the black steel bracket below
my right front turn signal ??? Thats where the ignition switch and key went------------so
where did it go ?????
What did I do with it---it's gone ????
I cut the wires---pulled the whole thing out
and threw it in the trash----that's what I did.
The key was in a very awkward spot---dirt bikes ain't suppose to have a key
anyway---I hate keys.
Now my bike just has a switch---to turn it on or off. I guarantee a dumbass
thief would never figure out how to start it.
You paranoid city folk will probably not do this.
Keep the key tho-------you'll need it for the fork lock if you want to use that.
The stock key switch just crossed 2 wires
to activate the ignition and operating system------there are 4 wires but
2 of them do nothing whatsoever.
Thoughts ?????
Super lite---makes it great in rough terrain---twitchy
on the highway--but that's not what it's made for.
The bike has a 200 watt alternator--------so I put a switch on the headlight
cowl to turn off the headlight if I want to---this
might be handy if the battery is low or I'd rather keep warm with my heated
grips and vest than have the headlight on.
Or----------------------------I don't want to be seen !!!
I can't think of anything else I'm going to
do to it. Obviously this won't be the bike I take on a month long trip carrying
camping and cooking gear---but it will be a lot of fun on day rides in rought
terrain--it's the best dirt bike I've ever had.
Well---almost as good as my 1974 Bultaco Pursang. :) :)
It's a 6-speed and runs at 65mph down the highway if needed----but I won't be doing that very often.
Just a couple thing I don't like about it-----the
wiring behind the headlight looks like a couple of 2 year olds routed the wiring
in their kindergarten class.
It's a complete mess------Yamaha would never do anything like that.
Oh yeah---------KTM can't make a kickstand (for and EXC anyway).
It's a hoot to ride---------my Yamaha WR250R
has over 50,000 miles on it------I expect this to be in it's grave way before
that.
Send hate mail to-----------"I don't give a rats A----@gmail.com"
I even took it for a ride. Choose HD if you can.
So hows it holding up you ask ????????
February, 2016 me and some friends went to Baja.
I rode it almost 2,000 miles and it was awesome---never gave me any problems.
I "NEVER" changed the oil and "NEVER cleaned the oil filter.
Forget the KTM maintenance bullcrap-----it's bullcrap.
For us non racers anyway.
The gas tank has seemed to swell out--------I put 4.8 gallons of gas in the
4.2 gallon tank. I like that--------keep swelling.
Before I went to Baja with 500 miles on it---I
checked the valves---one was way too tight--but as I do with all my bikes I
shaved the shims down
with a diamond stone and took the clearances out to the maximum allowed.
This does several things------it maximizes the miles you can put on the bike
before you have to check or adjust them-----you don't have to buy shims
and you can get the valve clearances to exactly what you want.....instead of
just close using the factory shims.
It never used a drop of oil for the ride.
I use Rotella T6 full synthetic oil---it doesn not have the stuff in it that
will make a clutch slip.
I use this in all my bikes.
Before going to Baja I installed this Zip
Ty racing inline fuel filter to prevent my injector from getting plugged.
About $70 from Zip Ty Racing
All EXC's have the same kickstand-------it
was rejected by the Chinese 20 years ago for use on one of their 50cc.
scooters---they all break.
They are lite---so guess who bought them all.
So throw it away and put on a real kickstand
from Pro Moto Billet.
It has a built in spring and is just awesome----nice big foot too---------a
bit heavier--but it has to be.
12-3-16
3,200 Miles Rekluse Clutch
Decided I just had to have a Rekluse Clutch.
I've had a couple before on 2 520EXC's I've had------old ones------didn't like
them much.
The new ones are much better---I think this one is the EXP 3.0 which maintains
the stock clutch lever
feel-----unlike old ones which were really hard.
This one comes with a Rekluse clutch cover
which is needed as the clutch pack is a bit wider.
It took me all day to install it just because I did not want to screw it up------and
I didn't.
A jillion ways to go wrong doing this.
Probably could do it in 3 hours or so now.
This one is externally adjustable from the included adjutable clutch slave cylinder.
In this process I'd heard you need to replace
those 6 rubber dampers in the clutch when they get worn.
Mine were worn quite a bit and you can see vividly the ones on the right are
much thinner and this can
cause freeplay and slop between the inner and outer clutch hubs----welcome to
KTM maintenance.
WR250R's would never need this after over 100,000 miles----you know where to
send the hate mail don't you !!!
The caliper is opened up to the thickness
of a new damper---so you can see they are worn a lot.
I think there is about 1/16" difference-----not really hurting anything
at this point probably--but Rekluse
recommended replacing them if worn and mine were. I bought 2 sets.
1-12-17
Installed a Baja Designs XL Pro LED headlight kit------part #SKU: 500010
The XL Pro, LED KTM 2014-On Kit is in a league
of its own, producing 4,900 lumens and 40 watts giving you the perfect mix
of power and performance, and offers a 20% dimming feature.
Here is the backside------------The stock wiring behind the
headlight shell of this bike is a total mess.
Looks like some 3 years olds went nuts with black tape and wire tires and it
is a very tight fit to get
this light crammed on the bike-----but was the same with the stock light------Bad
on you KTM.
I bought an extra gizmo of wires and plugs
from them to make this light have a 20% dimming feature.
It's not DOT--------and it's not a high and low with the low being aimed lower----it's
just dims the lite a bit.
This dimming feature works with my stock high low beam switch.
I also wired in an additional switch on my own to turn the light off if I want.
Very happy with the end result.
But----I've always had big issues with Baja Designs with many things.
1. Products on their website leave out crucial pieces of imformation you might
want to know
which makes you call them and have to ask many questions.
2. Their directions are so bad------I really didn't need any, but.......first
off the directions said it didn't fit my year
bike----a phone call clarified that indeed it did fit my bike-----but required
a phone call.
3. They send directions for different bikes and you have to figure out which
ones work for your bike.
4. Directions on one page will refer to a photo on another page---put it on
the same page dummies.
5. And the biggie-------wire colors they gave out on "their" headlight
were different than what the
directions said------and I had to do a lot of testing to figure out what to
do.
The ordinary Joe Blow would have never figured this out-----------Bad, bad,
bad Baja Designs.
Just before leaving for Baja 2017 I installed
this soft luggage-------it worked out perfect.
It's the Reckless 40 bag from Mosko Moto
Installed Tubliss system to reap the benefts
of running really low tire pressures.
9-4-17 6,300 Miles
With this system there is no tube and you
fix flats by using a tire plug----------hopefully !!!
Some people actually run zero psi using these things---------me no.
10-30-19
10,600 Miles
I haven't updated this page in a while------as I was thru modding the bike some
time ago.
I don't see me doing anything else to it. It's good the way it is.
Just checked the valves again---they were right where I set them the last time
I looked at them.
Replaced the rubber bushing in the clutch again--------they were as good as
new but I replaced them
as I was in the Rekluse clutch anyway as I had set the clutch outer ring wrong.
One thing about this bike had been bugging
me for quite awhile.
When it was cold you had to kick start it. And the battery drained down quickly..
A shorai lithium battery solve that----Now the bike can sit for awhile, be cold
and it lites
right up spinning over much faster.