144SX a 250-F Beater?

[RideGreenKX125]

Today at my local dealer, which sells KTM, I noticed a KTM 144 SX sitting outside and it got me thinking, with the new slightly greater displacement, how does this bike stack up against the 4-stroke bikes? I personally have heard nothing about the 144s and I havent seen any at the races I have been to so far this year, unless they had the 144 badging removed because I wouldnt be able to tell them apart from a 125.

I also noticed this bike had an hour meter on it, when did KTM start putting these on their bikes, this is the first I have seen them...or is this an optional accessory. I saw it on 3 bikes at the dealer. Cool feature if you ask me!

 

[2 strokes for life]

RideGreenKX125, i do not know how the KTM 144 dose but a Eric Gorr 155 dose great. It is alot of fun to ride and has a fair amount of bottom end power. I thought the KTM 144SX was not able to race in the 125 class?

 

[RideGreenKX125]

I believe they are legal at local levels as well as AMA amatuer ranks, or at least they were discussing making them legal at those levels. I know at the Pro levels they are not legal to run in the lites class.

But maybe they didnt make them officially legal yet in the classes, all I know is that most people that I talk to look at me when Im nuts when I talk about the 144SX and I have yet to talk to anyone who has any experience with one! Strangee.

 

[munch]

I've got one but I've been riding HS on it, bike is awesome, light, plenty of power, it will pull a 250 F with the right rider. They had a recall for an update piston and rings due to some sort of failure. I had it done before I put to much time on it. KTM covered this free of charge

 

[2 strokes for life]

munch, what is the power like compared to the 200 hillclimbing, strights, and tight stuff?

 

[munch]

munch, what is the power like compared to the 200 hillclimbing, strights, and tight stuff?

Not as much low end, I've had no problems with hills, last couple of races have had some pretty respectable hills in them. Seems very fast in the straights for a 200 lb bike
Super nimble in the woods, I passed a friend of mine last race, he followed for awhile, he commented on how easy it looked to throw it around, He is right, it's like a 40+ HP mountain bike.
Suspension is the best stock KTM suspension I've ever ridden

always leaves me feeling like this :laugh:

I loved the 200's i've had in the past and swore I'd never stray from them again, but I'm very satisfied with it.

Oh yeah,I'm a fairly aggressive 175lb +40 B rider

;)

 

[2 strokes for life]

munch, thats great.

 

[kdxtodd]

There are a couple good reviews on ktmtalk. Most of the guys have both the 144 and a 250f and it seems like the 144 is more than a match.

 

[RideGreenKX125]

I finally talked to the guys down at the shop where the 144 is and they said they had it as a demo bike and that they did race it against the 250Fs pretty sucessfully. Has just enough more Oommmph more then a regular 125 to make it stand up to the 250Fs better.

This demo did have a piston failure like Munch said and it happened fairly quickly since they only had 5.5 hours on the bike when it got toasted. KTM did replace the whole engine though for them under that update/recall.

Another guy down the shop talked of the 200 SX he once had and he was dissapointed KTM didnt continue offering that model. I guess he raced 250 MX with the 200 and did amazing, it was his favorite bike so far. Thats another bike I never heard much about, kind of an odd sized one for a motocross bike thats for sure.

 

[2 strokes for life]

RideGreenKX125, one of my friends races the 2003 KTM 200SX in the 250 class as well. He is about mid pack most of the time but has won some events.

 

[munch]

I had an 03 200 SX also, it defiantly held its own, Can't imagine how sweet that motor with the new frame and suspension

 

[2 strokes for life]

munch, yeah it is a sweet bike. The 300SX was also really cool.

 

[RideGreenKX125]

300 SX?! I dont remember that bike. I know that the KTM 300 engine is a KILLER off road engine though, sweet! My dads 200 EXC goes like a *******, I cant even imagine what the SX versions of these engines are like. The 250 EXC, (a 2005) however, didnt impress me at all...go figure!