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KTM’s message about the EXC is clear; this is not a streetbike.

THEY SAY: “Best in class.”

WE SAY: “We wouldn’t want anything else.”

Especially with the swelling tide of adventure touring (ADV) models to be had, there have been plenty of stories written about the off-road capability of streetbikes. But realize, please, that when we journalists rave and gawk at the relative ease with which a 500- or 600-pound behemoth plods down a two-track road, it’s all relative. They are amazing feats of engineering, it’s true, but genuine dirt bikes they are not, and nothing makes that more evident than riding an actual off-road machine.

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The 12 inches of WP suspension is wholly competent (and fully adjustable) straight out of the box.

We like to think we’re all-arounders here at MC, in that we like two-wheeled transport in every shape and size, and to do that it pays to stay abreast of the latest and greatest. For a quick refresher on the state of the dual-sport art we swung a leg over the 2016 model of KTM’s 350 EXC-F and wandered off into the Sierra Nevada Mountains just south of Yosemite National Park. Juicy EXC country, if you know where to look.

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KTM is proud that it’s not perfectly at home on pavement because of what it means about how it handles off the asphalt.

It’ll be easier, by the way, to swing that leg over if you’re as lanky as the EXC, with this 350’s seat listed at slightly more than 38 inches. That’s not a typo: The seat is just a couple inches shorter than the roof of a Ford GT40. And nearly as stiff. It’s fuel injected so there’s no choke, but there’s a high-idle stem that helps the fairly cold-blooded 350cc single warm up and transports those of us who grew up on a little dirt bike to memories of our youth.

On the smooth, black tarmac the EXC is poised and stable enough without ever feeling totally comfortable. To its considerable credit, KTM’s message about the EXC is clear as a mountain stream; this is not a streetbike. In fact, one anecdote from inside Orange corporate tells of KTM refunding one buyer’s money who bought an EXC thinking the license plate and blinkers meant it was a good commuter. KTM is proud that it’s not perfectly at home on pavement because of what it means about how it handles off the asphalt.

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In addition to a few cosmetic updates, the 2016 350 EXC gets a plastic skid plate and 2mm less offset for the 4mm-smaller front axle.

Where 260 pounds of tall and narrow felt skittish on the road, it’s brilliant when the skinny Metzelers get to sink their knobs into soft dirt. It’s incredibly agile, with just enough weight to stay composed and steady in rough terrain. The 12 inches of WP suspension would benefit from some adjustment if you owned one, but it’s wholly competent (and fully adjustable) straight out of the box. It’s almost like your eyes are deceiving you, when a plot of gnarly roots or strewn rocks in the trail simply dissolve under the bike.

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The orange rear sprocket is a nice touch too.

KTM’s philosophy with the 350 powerplant was to create “250 agility with 450 power,” and as far as we can tell they hit the target. There’s no wringing the 350 out to stay in the power like you might do with a two-fiddy, and yet it’s docile enough for riders who might not feel ready for the monstrously torquey 500 EXC. We find it to be the perfect balance: approachable in the dirt with enough steam to keep up with traffic on the pavement—not that you’ll want on-road trips to be too long, with the fractional, knobby contact patch and small fuel tank.

Incidentally, 2.3 gallons of gas might not seem like much, but we managed around 80 miles of riding, 90 percent of it in the dirt, without feeling like we were close to fumes. After careening through the Sierra National Forest on this latest 350 EXC we sat muddy, dusty, and thoroughly impressed. To a mostly pavement rider, the EXC will feel like it was built for a martian: insanely narrow, tall, and light. But after leaping over water bars, crossing streams, and scampering up devious slopes it’s hard to come up with any complaints about the 350.

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Tucked neatly behind the KTM flyscreen is a spartan but functional dash.

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Dual tripmeters and ride timers sit to the right of the speedo and basic warning lights.

Actually, there is one. The area where the 350 EXC story gets a little sticky is price. The $10,199 price tag is imposing on its own, but it’s the fact that the 500 EXC is only $200 more that always makes our noses wrinkle. Being that the 500 is only 9 pounds heavier and has so much more power on tap, it’s hard to look the other way. Still, we can’t help but come back to the feeling we had after riding the 350 all day of pure amazement—tired, but not depleted, and shocked at how much better a rider you can be on the right equipment.

TECH SPEC