I wrote to Motorcycledaily.com a few months ago when they did a feature comparing the new KTM 350F with 450F's. I said that with Cairoli as the rider the ability to compare the 350F to the 450F were null and void, that no usable data whatsoever could be derived since he was the #1 rider in europe and could probably smoke the 450 field on a 125 2 stroke. If you put a rider like Cairoli or Alessi on a 250 2 stroke i guaran-damn-tee they would be winning races. It all comes down to the manufacturers paying the best riders to win with the bike they want to sell.
While yes, KTM has very good riders on the 350f, I believe, that the 350f is honestly a faster bike than the 450's for the general population. Take the 500 2 strokes for instance, they have a lot of fun factor within that motor, but, are they any faster than a 250 2 stroke? Well.. in most cases, they aren't, the 500 2 stroke has added weight(not much, I know), different engine physics, and the bike is very hard to keep pinned in the corners, where as the 250 two stroke is much easier to achieve break neck speeds in the corners. I have to say, that the 350f is like the 250 two stroke, when the 250 two stroke took over the more dominant class position. 350F's are easier to ride fast, and are more flick able(Dare I say it?), like a 250 four stroke. i have been thinking lot's lately, about what has killed the 250 two stroke, and, what I have come up with, is not a displacement disadvantage(although, this does not help the situation). I have found, that, even 250 four strokes can beat 250 two strokes straight up, what it has to do with, is that amazing ability to hook up, that traction. That is what is killing the 2 stroke. Think about it, the power(in terms of horse-power) of a 250 two stroke is not that far off, and if the 250 two stroke had the same ability to hook up as the four stroke, it would smoke that four stroke all day long, I mean, it's lighter weight, it revs faster, and you can fix things that go wrong between races(try a top end on a four stroke between qualifying and main on a four stroke). So, what can be done, well, I say we need more displacement to work with, and actually, not that much more, I don't think we need a big bore, what we need is just enough to have some power to spare, so that we can load the two stroke up with flywheel weights, different gearing, anything that will make it hook up better, it can be done, but we have to realize, that the reason why the four stroke wins right now, is the traction, there is a solution, we just have to find it.
