KTM ride day

[holeshot]

I went to this event at Zaca and tried a few of the new KTM's

1) Rode the 350XCF first (off road model, 6 speed) ... track was still muddy and I've never ridden Zaca before. Nice bike, but it handled a lot quicker than my '06 CRF 450, so I was over steering a lot. Electric start was sweet.

2) 450 SXF was next ... it was a very similar to my Honda, Meaning you could ride it around in 3rd gear no problem. This is where a 450 shines ... you rarely need to shift the damn thing. E-start was sweet again .. but with no option to add a kickstart to the 450, it can't fill the role of a do-it-all MX/offroad bike. I know .... 450 SXF is a motocross bike ... but plenty will try and multi-task their expensive purchase.

3) 250 XC two stroke (offroad, 6 speed for 2011) ... damn..I really liked this bike. It had E-start as well. The suspension was stiff enough for any jump I'd try and it dealt with "coming up short" very well. And it was fast without being a handfull on the jumps. Is this the best bike KTM makes?


4) 150 XC .. suspension too soft and it's just too weak in the power department. I expected more, but this is really a kids bike. Probably great for weaving in and out of trees and such. I did have a little crash/tip over on the step-up jump ... I guess I was waiting for a non-existent autoclutch to kick in or something .. or maybe I just forgot what the clutch was for. BTW ... the two dings were already on the pipe when I got it ... honest.

5) 350SXF ... the bike seemed geared really high in 3rd and would barely pull 3rd around the track at the speed I was going (slow). Called it a day after 1 lap ..I was done / toast.


The comparison of the bikes was somewhat tainted, because as the day wore on, I was beat and perceptions changed. It also depended on what type of bike I was accustomed to and the track type (Zaca is short and hilly).

In the end.. my little comparison doesn’t amount to a hill of beans, because anyone could get used to any of these bikes with time/different setups and there aren't that many +50 novice types.

I’m still scheming on an excuse to buy the 250 XC 2 stroke though…

 

[dirt bike dave]

Thanks for the info.

KTM 250 two stroke FTW!

 

[Ol'89r]

Cool Ron. :cool: Thanks for the report.

 

[holeshot]

I decided to inquire with Dirt Rider Letter Rip regarding the 250/300 XC, because some of the stuff I've seen on the internet didn't add up. I like the 2011 KTM smokers, so I asked if Dirt Rider would do a test (power) with graphs comparing the two (250/300 XC) the answer below ----


"Those graphs would be useless since you don’t ride a dyno. No matter what anyone tells you. That is why we run bikes in front of a radar gun and ride them so we know what they do. But basically the 250 and 300 are so close right now it is difficult for most riders to tell the difference. Yes, we have a 250 now and a few guys rode it and thought it was a 300.

The biggest noticeable difference is that the 300 has a bit more torque at a lower rpm and is nowhere as sluggish off the bottom as they use to be. And it almost revs out as quickly as the 250. Peak power is basically identical. You can’t go wrong with either but the deciding factor for me would be in how much I like to lug the bike. The more low rpm riding you do and the less you care about a slightly quicker pick-up (snap) the more the 300 makes sense.

You can tune and play with the powervalves (as well as ignition settings) on either of these bikes to get them to mimic the other as well.



JIMMY "

 

[scar tissue]

Very cool. My "next bike" has been and will be a KTM 250XC.
That's what I wanted when I bought my yz 250 new in 06. (I had been riding a 300MXC) While the YZ has served me well, and is a great bike. I did alot to "KTM" it. (susp,tank,seat,bars,handgaurds,kickstand, skid plate, flywheel weight)

The reason I went w the YZ back then is the dealers were adding $1000 mark up on the 250xc, As it was a new and "in demand model"
Back in 2006, It was $8K OTD for the 250XC and $5100 OTD for the YZ.

 

[holeshot]

Back in 2006, It was $8K OTD for the 250XC and $5100 OTD for the YZ.

Is that all? I guess the 9200 to 9400 OTD they're getting for the 2011 XC smokers is reasonable then. :rotfl:

Maybe these things cost more than the four strokes because KTM is the only one continuing to develop the 2 stroke, so they know that they can get top dollar.

I like the XC's, but I don't ride enough anymore to justify that kind of investment. I've go to the Milestone vet track most weekends, but that's it.

 

[holeshot]

Holy crap ... they actually printed my letter in the May issue of Dirt Bike, page 20 (I submitted to both Dirt Bike and Dirt Rider). But the reply was a bit different than above -

"We would love to, but first we have to get a hold of these bikes. KTM two stokes are in such short supply that we struggle to find test bikes. For what it's worth, the power comparison is exactly what you'd expect. Peak horsepower is about the same. The 250 gets there with more rpm, and the 300 has more torque."


:ride: :yeehaw: :cool: