as the throttle is opened more it still allows the wheel to spin , but in a more controllable manner . As soon as it ’ s clicked into map 2 you can hear the difference as the idle is lifted slightly . The power off the bottom is snappy and gives it some serious punch , but does rev out a lot quicker . Also engine braking is decreased allowing you to roll into a corner faster . With TC activated , the snap off the bottom is subdued a bit and that also means the rev range is increased a little bit more , which I think is a positive .
ENGINE Now onto the engine . The question with the 350 always is , as always , is it a 250 with a bit more ... or a tame 450 ? Well , I reckon the answer is kind of neither . There has definitely been an increase in overall power this year . First impressions were the 350 likes to rev a lot more , but after altering the gearing I found the engine had a lot more to give . The standard gearing is 13:46 , but I ’ ve changed that to 13:50 which I find works well with the internal gear ratios and helps fill any gaps . By doing this it really brought out the bike ’ s bottom end power , and allows it to be ridden more in the short-shifting style of a 450 , but also doesn ’ t have too much power for it to easily get away from you . Some may say the bike goldilocks would have be looking for ... not too powerful or too soft , just that perfect in between .
RACING IMPROVEMENTS Despite coming ready to race there are always improvements that can be made . The first change I made to my own bike was to put on an Akrapovic muffler . This improved off-thebottom throttle response and also allowed it to rev faster which were both plusses for me . Next on the list was a map switch . This allows you to have the standard ( map 1 ) and advanced ( map 2 ) maps with the option of traction control ( TC ) for both and , also new for this year , the quickshifter feature . The characteristics of map 1 with TC gave the bike a very soft initial pull , perfect for gaining a bit of drive on any slippery terrain and then
UPGRADE WP CONE VALVE FORKS
P1 Moto lent us a demo set of the new WP 7500 Cone Valve cartridge kit forks to test out on the new bikes . The standard forks are good and have a lot of potential but these are another step closer to the A-kit Xplor Pro forks . A significant increase in bottoming resistance and with plenty of adjustment via the clickers and internally means that magic carpet ride is possible .
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