kdx200 or ktm200exc

The 200exc is a very nie bike. It is also a pretty expensve bike.

In all honesty - they dont cost any more to repair than Japanese bikes. I own a KTM and they are very nice bikes. Their claim to fame is they are practically race ready out of the crate. KDXs take a few dollars in mods to make them competitive.

If you are racing at an A level or even high end of the B's - then the KTM is probably your beter bet. You willpay alot more though.

If you are a C or just looking for an ultra reliable trail bike that can be competitive if you need it to - thee is no better bike than the KDX.

If you dont plan to race at all - then the KTM would be wasting your money. Buy a KDX and use the extra $3k to go riding.

FWIW - the 200exc rides very different than the KDX. It is alot more pipy and demands alot of skill keeping it in the power. The 250exc is a very nice bike with a much more manageable power delivery.

Dont get me wrong - I love my KTM - but ride my KDX alot more. It is just plain fun. If I was going to get serious in off-roading - there is no better bike than the 250exc.

Hope that didnt confuse the issue more.

sn

You also have to have an iron ass for those seats... OUCH!

Never owned anything other than a 2001 200 Exc KTM. My 200 Exc has provided me many an hour of fun. The bike may have cost a bit more than a KDX upfront but it hasn't cost me a dime more since. Basic maintenance, oil changes, etc. The KTM is built tough and keeps going. I do not ride it as tough as it is designed but is fun every time I take it out. I am 6'3" and adjusted the bars to fit me. Sweet ride without being to much. Plenty of mods including bars, sprocket, pipe and flywheel weight. I ride HS and find it to fit the woods just fine with all the power I need.

I met up with a couple of KTM riders in the Arizona moutains last winter. They had 200EXC and 300 EXC. I have no idea how much experience either rider had, the 200 seemed to be a bike that had to be kept in the pipe much of the time. The 300 did great. If it was me I would buy the KDX and put the extra cash towards gear etc. I stopped in a KTM dealer in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, the 200 EXC was $5875! Our local Kawasaki shop has an 04 KDX 200 for $3999 out the door. From what I saw, not worth the 2 grand. Just my 2 cents worth.

re: had to be kept in the pipe..

Then it was tuned to do that (read, 'tuned fer crap').

I spent a few weekends on a 200exc over the past couple months. It has a DFII and a RB modded carb. The pull off the bottom was perfect. It has a moose 'soft' seat, and it's STILL hard!

It's fast! Faster than the kdx. Without a scotts it's also useless! You'll kill youself.

The narrow-ness..the top-light-ness is a joy to ride. The kdx is a bit of a tank compared.

Like already said, if competition is in your playbook...the exc is much easier to ride much faster.

I started back on a 250EXC after riding a XL350 for a year (just didn't like the suspension). Damn near killed myself! I hit a tabletop jump not expecting much... well I cleared it by 60 feet and went so high and so far, when I hit it bounced and I was trying to hold on... one of the handles had a throttle on it...so that got turned pretty good too.... needless to say, I looped it out at full throttle.(suspension was setup for a much heavier guy). I was hurtin for certain! Couldn't walk for week and lost my big toenail. Soon after... sold it, bought a KDX and haven't looked back! (Thus the reason for my sig!)

P.S... I now call KTM's KILL THE MAN! :laugh:

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I've had both and would say that moridin has it pegged.
While I really enjoyed the KTM, and loved racing it, I found myself loading the KDX in the truck more often, even for races. I still have the KDX, the KTM is gone.
That does not mean that a KTM 450 isn't in my future :)....yup, its in the future...waaaayyyyy in the future.