By now you've probably read the Dirt Rider 2009 250F Motocross Shootout (in the March 2009 issue). We only had so much room in the magazine, and couldn't fit all the opinions we collected. Here are a few additional opinions, as well as the opinions from the magazine, and a big bunch of great photos from two of the test days.
The shots are from Racetown and Piru MX, a great track in the high desert with great dirt, and a tighter track build on a hillside, from the first and second days of testing all the bikes together. You can see we work our photographers as hard as our bikes. So enjoy the photos and gain some insight from the opinions. And if you haven't read the magazine yet, shame on you, but I'll tell you here the Kawasaki was declared the winner with the Honda a close second. The other bikes were not ranked. And we have to keep saying this because people just don't seem to grasp it - all these bikes are good bikes, and any one of them could be the best bike for you, depending on what you're looking for.
For the full in-depth test, get your hands on the March 2009 issue. There you'll find facts about the characteristics of each bike, suggested suspension settings, and enough graphs to keep you happy for months - Human Impression charts on power and suspension, lap times, speed and acceleration, and sound test ratings.
WEB EXCLUSIVE OPINIONS
I loved the 2008 Honda, so it's no surprise that I love the 2009 model. The Honda worked well at every track and was a blast to ride. It was easy to put the bike in any line you want. You could easily square up a corner mid-way and rocket out early. The motor was strong throughout the whole powerband, and the suspension worked great for me and never bottomed, even on hard hits. The Honda is definitely a winning package.
The 2009 Kawi flat out screams! I think every one of the test riders noticed the top-end power over all the other bikes. The Kawi almost feels as if it has an aftermarket exhaust or motor work. The bike is also very stable, which makes it perfect for fast outdoor-style tracks. My only real complaint is with the tranny. The bike popped out of gear a couple of times when shifting under load. I put the KX-F second.
The Yamaha has always been a solid bike but has just lacked a bit since blue went to the aluminum frame. This year, the geometry is right. I was really impressed how well the 2009 Yamaha cornered. It was easy to lay the bike over in a rut and just rail. I found the suspension to be really plush and the easiest of all the bikes to ride, especially on a whooped-out rough track. The only thing I felt the bike needed was a little more low-end grunt to pull out of corners. It placed third in the shootout for me.
The KTM has come a long way over the last couple of years. The bike takes a little longer to get used to than the Japanese bikes, but not in a bad way. It has crazy strong brakes that can stop on a dime, and a hydraulic clutch that is so nice that I can't see why all the bikes aren't running them. The six-speed tranny gives you more options for what gear you want to ride around the track; you can scream second gear through a corner or lug third and clutch it. Either way, the bike has more than enough power and torque. If motocross consisted of riding smooth tracks, the SX-F would be my top pick, but motocross consists of rough, squared-out holes and braking bumps. The KTM doesn't work well in these conditions, so I ranked it fourth. If KTM can get the bike to absorb the small choppy bumps and holes, the bike could be a shootout winner.
I felt at home right away on the Suzuki. I loved the bar and ergonomics of the bike. The RM-Z had a ton of bottom-end and short gear ratios, which made it good for tighter tracks, like arenacross or supercross. The bike really seemed to lack top-end, though. It could use a tooth smaller on the rear sprocket or a good exhaust that was targeted at upper mid to top-end power. Other than lacking a little top-end power, I felt as if I could go the fastest on it compared to all the other bikes. It has a very smooth power delivery.
Ricky Yorks
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 170 lb
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