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Web Test: 2009 KTM 250 XC – Dirt Rider Magazine

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The 2009 KTM 250 XC is great even in the technical stuff./></a> <p class="wp-caption-text">The 2009 KTM 250 XC is great even in the technical stuff.</p> </div> <p>If you were shocked when I called this KTM 250XC the best bike ever in our web preview, then dampen yourself for blow number two. I’ve confirmed it is the best bike ever with a load of trail riding and another day at the track. It would be pretty simple to tell you what this bike does not do (or can’t do). But that stuff is beyond what a single bike is capable of with current technology. It’s not a super-long distance bike, not even close to being called a dual-purpose, but it sure would be nice to be able to get a license plate for one of these! It isn’t a motorcycle I’d try and race a supercross on either, yet I wouldn’t hesitate to try and hit a ramp on this XC if the opportunity arose.The main focus of this KTM and the XC line is to deliver a bike that is, right from the dealer’s floor, ready to race. Specifically race a GNCC, WORCS, or a Grand Prix. Races that incorporate a certain mix of motocross and blend in off-road. It isn’t as single track focused as the XC-W line, or as moto-only as the SX. In design it is derived as a cross between the both, one machine that can do the job of the other two more specific bikes, maybe just not a well. Or maybe better, if you like a particular setup – stiffer in off-road, softer at motocross.Then you have the two-stroke component of this equation. KTM has not give up on the pre-mix burning machine and since there are less of them available, they are suddenly more popular. The advantages here are light weight, mechanical simplicity and– thank your four-stokes for this–electric starting. Another thing you can thank four-strokes for is the long spread of power current two-strokes have been forced to produce to keep pace. This KTM does that.The motor is simply amazing. It has plenty of torque and will chug down to almost zero RPM when tasked. It will then pull however you’d like it too, depending on how you have the bike set up. Most of the tuning can be had with a simple swap of the powervalve activation spring inside the small clutch side cover mounted housing. By swapping out the smaller of the two springs inside the cover with the included green (stiffest), red (softest) or yellow (medium and standard in the bike) spring, you control when and how fast the powervalve opens. Add to that the adjustability of the preload on the springs, made easy with a square-head tool from Enduro Engineering, and it will take this bike from near motocross-only snap and aggression to a complete bog-o-matic trail hound seeming only found in the 300cc KTMs. With the additional tuning available through the dual-stage ignition, there is even more range of adjustment, and it seemed to vary on which curve acted more aggressive depending on which powervalve spring you have installed. It is best to use the available handlebar-mounted switch so you can easily go between the two ignition curves. We preferred the softest spring for any motocross along with the ignition wire connected. Then the more gnarly the trails, the more we liked the medium or stiffest spring, here the preload adjustment really makes a difference too. But however you like your power delivered it seems pretty likely that this KTM will give it to you. About the only thing it lacked was a super strong snap or hit, likely due to the additional weight on the flywheel from the electric starting equiptment.The Brembo clutch master cylinder has a lot of feel and the lever has plenty of adjustability. It takes loads of abuse and never faded one bit in our testing. Then you have the transmission. In reality it is a close ratio gear box when compared to two-strokes with a low first gear or a sixth speed. It is low enough for most trail riding but extremely slow going takes a lot of clutch work. You’ll never use first on a track and the jump to second isn’t that far when riding off-road. Then the gaps are not far at all but noticeable. Fifth is fast enough for fire-roading but getting up above sixty MPH means really screaming the motor. If there was one thing that this KTM could use, it’d be a six-speed gear box. <div><a href=The 2009 KTM 250 XC

The 2009 KTM 250 XC’s smooth power finds traction even on slick trails.

Then on to the chassis. It is largely the same as it has been and shared with both the XC-W and SX. The suspension is a cross between off-road and motocross but it is definitely on the stiffer side of the spectrum. It will get proper sag with a 190-pound rider and rip around a motocross track with the stock clicker settings no problem, and they are in the middle of the range. The new fork is a sealed cartridge design and it controls the stroke, especially on the big jump hits and does not let the bike bottom. Nor is there too much bump transmittal like the SX’s and XC’s had issues with last year. The bike rides high in the stroke and feels light and quite active. A lot of riders confuse KTM’s light steering with the feeling of headshake. It isn’t unstable at all and if anything since it is just a bit softer than the SX, it settles really well in the turns. When you are off-road, especially in loose or jarring rocks or on roots, the bike will jar you a bit more than a heavier four-stroke with off-road suspension. You can click a lot of this out, more in the fork, but we found it was also easy to go too far and make the bike pack and get worse. If you are going that far with the compression, remember to open up the rebound to let the bike extend out quicker too to stay in the softer part of the stroke. The bike is not wallowly and about a perfect partner for rough off-road. If you like attacking on the trails, this bike is the ticket. It is also about perfect endurocross suspension setup. Stiff enough to let you hit and jump things, soft enough to blow through when you need it too. Then you factor in the light weight and how easy it is to make this bike do what you want it to and it is downright potent. I don’t think there is anything else that handles this good off-road and it challenges even the best motocrossers.The fuel range in the 2.9-gallon tank is about 50-miles trailriding and it will do almost an hour-and-a-half moto. None of our riders noticed or felt the added weight of the battery and we even got it to run an HID light for two hours of first gear trailriding before the battery started getting low. Remember how two-stroke pipes stick out and are prone to damage? Well it didn’t take but a few hours before we put a nice dent in ours. Get to know FMF, Pro Circuit and Enduro Engineering well, they make pipes!After my date with this XC, I am in love. It is the one dirt bike I could do everything I need to do shy of having a license plate. Sure you pay for it, but you are getting what you pay for, there isn’t one bit of junk on this machine. Last year I was partial to the XC-W because of the electric starter, but could never ride one of those on the track. Now with the XC setup and electric starting, this bike will do anything and everything. And since my Labor Day plans include doing a multi-facetted moto/off-road/trials event on Kawai in Hawaii, I’m packing this bike in a container and shipping it over. I see it as an unfair advantage.

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2009 KTM 250 XC
DIRT RIDER SPEC SHEET
Price: $7898
Claimed Weight: 221 lb
Actual Weight (no gas): 226 lb
Actual Weight (tank full): 243 lb
Seat Height: 38.0 in.
Seat to Footpeg: 21.8 in.
Footpeg Height: 17.2 in.
OFF-ROAD
Fuel Capacity: 2.9 gal.
Ground Clearance: 14.0 in.
SETTINGS
&nbsp Stock DR
Jetting:
Main: 168 Std
Pilot: 35 Std
Needle: N8RH Std
Clip Position: 4th Std
Fuel Screw: 1.5 Std
Other notes:
With spark arrestor everything is just a bit on the rich side. You could drop the pilot, main and needle position one size each.
Suspension:
Fork:
Compression: 15, 15-19
Rebound: 22, 22
Shock:
Low-Speed Compression: 15
Rebound: 24, 24
High-Speed Compression: 1.15, 1.15
Sag: 112, 112-115
Other notes:
For off-road we liked only a little less low speed compression, especially on the fork.
Modifications we’d like to try:
Different pipes. Trials rear tire for trailriding. Modifying the ignition to run all the charging to the battery for really strong lights.
Strong, controllable power lets the 250 XC launch when you want to fly./></a> <p class="wp-caption-text">Strong, controllable power lets the 250 XC launch when you want to fly.</p> </div> <p><strong>Opinions:</strong>Overall I liked the KTM 250. The motor makes the bike. The torque is so good off idle that I have trouble making any negative comments because I prefer a bike to pull like this, especially in nasty conditions. I’d throw a few more teeth on the rear sprocket so I could use second more out on the trail. For my weight, the front end pushed when I was just cruising at a slow pace, but when I rode the bike like it was designed to be ridden (race pace) it was much better, just a little to stiff for my 160 lbs. The feel was comfortable and for a KTM the brake and shift levers were easy to locate. Yes, the brakes were strong with good progressive action. This bike has a tall feeling for a 5′ 7″ dude, but only when in precarious situations. The center of gravity was definitely low and good when I was moving. Oh, and I love the electric start<strong>Dave Donatoni 5’7″/160 lb./Senior A</strong>The KTM XC line is possibly the only series of two-stroke motorcycle I’d consider owning in the modern day of off-road dirt-bikedom. As a card-carrying member of the four-strokes-made-me-lazy-and-I’m-fine-with-it club, I don’t necessary feel the need to master the two-stroke game any longer. However, the exception to this rule is clearly the KTM XC line of torquey, fun two-strokes. Case in point: the 250 XCThe beauty of this XC is in its usability. And we’re talking across the board here, not just in one area of performance.The bike captures the power of a 250 with the easy-to-use attitude of a 250F. Its power never surprises and has all the heft necessary for clearing full-on moto obstacles. Delivery is strong and meaty but retains enough two-stroke character to make the clutch a necessary tool for plastering that power to the ground. The “sweet-spot” is definitely there, just align the throttle and clutch and enjoy the ride. All of this is fine and dandy, but the ability to get lazy on this bike is what really wins me over. The ability of the bottom-end to pull on its own (without clutching) is great.On the suspension front, the bike is surprisingly capable at attacking the harshest end of the spectrum: a Motocross track. The standard XC plushness is enhanced with decent bottoming and much more control than in previous versions of this fork/shock combo. The changes made to both are working. And there is not hint of harshness. Sure, it has its limits. The bike does behave too softly when pushed up to race speeds. And will be maxed out with riders much heavier than 180 lbs.Just as with all KTMs, the little things really add up to an attractive package. Even with a premium price tag, the bike brings equal or greater value to the table. Add in the easy air filter access, top-rated durability and pit-board guy on the front number plate and I’m already stocking up on oil…the kind you put in gas.<strong>Jesse Ziegler/5’10″/175lbs./Moto: Vet Intermediate</strong>Want to know more? Help us test this bike for you by telling us what else you want to know about the bike. Click <a href="" onclick="javascript:window.open(here to go directly to our message board thread set up for these questions.
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