Freeride 350

[Nick DoleMember]

Just got back from sunny corner, the Sutto’s boys were there with the new Freeride.
First impressions were it’s a trailbike…or a powered mountain bike…or the ultimate single track bike….
So my question is who will buy it?
Upsides are super low weight, super slim, long maintainence intervals. It seems to be a 350 EXC engine modified to make more low end torque.
Possible limitations are the 5L fuel capacity, 90km/h flat biscuit, have to give it a hard time tap dancing on the gearlever and clutch if you get a big fast uphill wrong. The brakes are interesting too, radial mounts but the calipers looked small. there was talk of what you could do to get it going, exhausts, pistons, cams but does this defeat the freeride concept?
From talking to the guys who rode it (we ride it next weekend) they loved it. Faster in the bush than they are on an EXC (350 was his normal ride, Daniel from Sutto’s) ). Struggles on open terrain with lack of power compared to EXC’s. Some ground clearance issues with the soft suspension package (more like a trials bike, it’s got the 43mm WP forks a-la KTM 85 and 99-02 EXC)
Now here is the catch. At sunny corner i saw a LOT of 350/450/530/570’s with big exhausts. Apart from the sheer noise (thanks to the 3 plonka’s that started their bikes in the trade stands and ride off at full noise on the trails at 5am) Who can ride a 350+ bike to it’s potential? the same words coming out of the freeride’s pilots mouths were typical of what most riders say when they get back on a 250 4 stroke after years on bigger bikes.
Ben Grabham dropped in this morning, i asked him who did he think would buy it? he wanted one for finding the worst terrain to use as an extreme enduro practice bike. His bike runs and Akro pipe but he has a baffle in it, that’s how he likes it, smooth power.
So, who wants to buy a freeride? It’s good buying at 10K. get an open face helmet and play trials bike/extreme enduro in the rock garden?

[GregMember]

Ummm that’s an interesting question Nick, I am yet to see one in the flesh. You raise a few interesting points re power etc
I would think that blokes like Murph, Tim? Murph that would have to suit what you guys love doing wouldn’t it?
Will be interested in your thoughts after you ride one for sure

TB

[Nick DoleMember]

Just had a look, 23hp. Hey that’s what an XR250 makes!

[AlexMember]

The topic should be “Freeride 350”. I was thinking we were talking “Freerider E” until I read that it takes 5L fuel. I’m keen to see a ride report on the E bikes I guess rather than this bike. It reminds me of the WR250R.

[Nick JacksonMember]

5litres would leave me stranded on most rides I do or I’d have to cart fuel , I like the idea of having it to play in my back yard though :woohoo:

The 10k is a problem with a limited toy but I guess someone will have a bigger tank out soon and defeat the object of this bike once again !!

Nick

[Steve WyethMember]

It’s kind of interesting but I don’t know why they limited the power, it would be of much more interest to me if they hadn’t handicapped it.

Sure, the best bike for me to ride through the bush the fastest is a 150cc four banger because I can’t ride anything bigger to it’s potential. However, things to consider regarding this are:

I don’t see pro’s riding their 450’s through the single track tapped out, does that mean they should downsize?

The ‘riding a bike to it’s potential’ line always makes me laugh. It’s suited to about 2% of riders who attend all the race meets and actually give a damn about consistently riding fast. How many of us here care about riding a bike to it’s potential? I sure as hell don’t.

Did I buy an exhaust for my 570, yes. Did it make snappier, yes. Can I ride it flat out, no. I do love riding it though and the power it has. Riding in the bush on the weekend is about fun, getting the back out and having a ball, not riding it pinned and cutting quick laps.

Aus dirtbike sales show the Aussie trend to buy big bikes, that’s why I think the Freeride won’t do too well in terms of sales. Good for a beginner or learner rider though. Too expensive and too little bang for buck for others is what I’m tipping.

[Andrew popeMember]

Ok speaking of fuel 5 ltrs for 90kms is not that bad! My new CRF450x with open T4 pro c exhaust gets 80kms with 7.2 ltrs so id say that’s pretty good for a De-tuned 350? and mind you after the ride i was stuffed, how was the sutto’s rider after the 80kms on a lighter nimbler more agile bike? Falling of half way up a steep hill is a pain in the butt on a 450 or bigger I wonder if you even get puffed at all after dropping it on a few hills with a 350 mountain bike with a motor?

just questions to ponder?

KR

[Steve WyethMember]

According to the KTM website it weighs 99.5Kg, hardly a mountain bike. That’s 30Kg more than a trials bike and only 2-3Kg lighter than a 2 stroke KTM with twice the power and can tell you from plenty of experience, picking the 300 up on a gnarly hill is anything but easy. It’s also only 14Kg’s less than my 570.

It might be easy to ride and touch the ground but so is a CRF150 or a yamaha TTR250, both of which are significantly cheaper than the Freeride.

My 570 Berg with an FMF pipe and EFI fuel tuner will do over 100Km to the fuel light, god knows how much after that and that’s from a 8.5L tank, so I think the fuel consumption could be a lot better than it is too.

[GregMember]

It’s for a niche market, and you can’t and shouldn’t I think compare it to either a trials bike or an enduro bike because it isn’t claimed to be either.

It would be a fun bike I reckon, better in the bush than a trails bike, better in the trails stuff than an enduro bike. Great fun for playing

Comparing against a 570 :laugh: I don’t know what to compare it against but certainly not a 570 :laugh: or a TL250

My thoughts anyway

TB

[GregMember]

99kg is light Moto compared to any other bike let alone a 350cc bike

TB

[Steve WyethMember]

It’s way too heavy to do any real trials stuff with, having had direct experience with both forms of the sport I know this. It wouldn’t handle any decent trail use as the fork is too small and it doesn’t have the power to sensibly get about to explore without it being laboursome because they unecessarily de-tuned it. It does nothing well, maybe that’s the point.

But at $10K I struggle to see it’s value for a single bike (other than a learner/novice), and if you’re going to own more than 1 bike you might as well have a trials bike and an enduro bike and do it properly, not to mention a trials bike is cheaper.

A KTM 250 weighs 104Kg and and a KTM 200 weighs 97Kg, both have considerably more power. 99Kg is not light when you account for the fact the bike makes half the power of a normal 350.

If you read my post, you’ll see the only area it was compared to my bike is fuel economy. When taking into account my heavy 4t and it’s 60hp it makes the Freeride’s fuel economy not look impressive either.

This bike should weigh about 80Kg, then the economy, handling and performance *might* warrant paying $10K for it.

[Scott SouthwellMember]

Like TB says this is a niche market bike but who is it aimed at? Trail riders will see it as under powered and trials riders will see it as too heavy. (On the weight thing it is the same weight as a KTM200EXC)

It will make a good single track bike if thats all you ride but with a low ground clearance how will it handle trails rutted out by full size enduro bike?

I have seen on ADV rider some think it will make a good light weight ADV bike but I think maybe they are delusional although there are those the ADV postie bikes so anything is possible.

It will be interesting to see how well it sells and who buys it. My guess is cashed up guys who already own a full size enduro bike, an ADV bike and a sports bike who just want one more toy in the shed.

kamakazi-rocket wrote:

Ok speaking of fuel 5 ltrs for 90kms is not that bad!

KR

I just re-read Tekniks post and can’t see where it says it will do 90km to a tank. I read it as “90Km/h flat biscuit” meaning top speed not fuel range.

[GregMember]

moto wrote:

It’s way too heavy to do any real trials stuff with, having had direct experience with both forms of the sport I know this. It wouldn’t handle any decent trail use as the fork is too small and it doesn’t have the power to sensibly get about to explore without it being laboursome because they unecessarily de-tuned it. It does nothing well, maybe that’s the point.

But at $10K I struggle to see it’s value for a single bike (other than a learner/novice), and if you’re going to own more than 1 bike you might as well have a trials bike and an enduro bike and do it properly, not to mention a trials bike is cheaper.

A KTM 250 weighs 104Kg and and a KTM 200 weighs 97Kg, both have considerably more power. 99Kg is not light when you account for the fact the bike makes half the power of a normal 350.

If you read my post, you’ll see the only area it was compared to my bike is fuel economy. When taking into account my heavy 4t and it’s 60hp it makes the Freeride’s fuel economy not look impressive either.

This bike should weigh about 80Kg, then the economy, handling and performance *might* warrant paying $10K for it.

Yeah I see what your saying re the weights etc mate. I think the point is like you say it does nothing real bad or real good

TB

[murph the surfMember]

Horses for courses I guess
It certainly would be interesting to see how it went in the crazy snotty stuff
But there is usually a lot of singles and or fire trail to get to those snottier hills
Personally I get great satisfaction out of getting my 500 Kato up those hard sections and love the fun of popping up the front wheel in 4th or sliding the arse out.
So for me its all about the challenge of getting a big bore up grade 5 hills
Maybe the 350 freeride would allow me to go harder but I still love the power and challenge of my bike.
No 350 for me, thanks
Cheers
Murph
P.S. Maybe ten years down the track

[Gareth Morgan-ThomasMember]

Hey, going to the KTM ride day on sunday to ride the freeride (+ others).

Now, considering I have the latest Gas Gas Raga replica (plonker with too much money) and a WR450F inj I ask “what’s this bike for?” so ….. chance to ride their bike for nearly free!!

I will report in on Sunday night with my “average experience at riding both styles” Freeride ride report!!

G

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