The instruction for our annual Torture Test was simple, purposely vague and left wide open: “Bring us the best all-around dirt bike ever.” There were no other directives. We wanted to see who would show and what they would bring. What variations of which bikes would show up? Would they be race bikes or trail hounds? Based on motocrossers or built from off-road bikes? What displacements would prevail? Would they all be new bikes or would some teams look to older bikes in our tough economy? Does anyone care about riding at night besides me and my crazy friends?As the entries flowed in, we were getting a wide and varied picture. Times are economically stimulated in a bad-dream way, so in place of the typical overload of crazily modified machines there was a lot more concern for costs. Some machines were a few years old, others were completely stock-good thing as the stock bikes were largely the driving force behind such a sinister invite proposal. KTM’s XC line, specifically the 250cc two-stroke and the 450cc four-stroke, has struck a chord with our staff and most of our closest riding buddies as such a good platform, we wanted to see if there was anything better to be had.Ready. Set. Go!
The Torture Test is only torture if you have to compete in it. Otherwise, it is an invite-only industry ride day where you get to ride great trails and exclusive motocross tracks, hang with the heroes of the sport and eat a Red Bull-catered lunch and dinner. It is such an E-ticket day we have guys from other magazines sneaking in, people bidding on auctions that donate money to the BlueRibbon Coalition to get an invite, every member of the staff suddenly gaining a boatload of new friends and there are way more companies who are “very interested” in running ads in Dirt Rider. Where else do you get to hang out with Malcolm Smith, get roosted by Destry Abbott, jumped over by Ryan Hughes, have Thad Duvall show you a wheel on the tight trails and maybe even Pete Peterson will come up to you and ask some silly questions, until he figures out you’re not Randy Hawkins? Some guests even took us up on our offer to ride our 450cc off-road test bikes and give us some extra opinions. There were Quantya electric bikes to test ride, and you could even see if you are as fast as you think you are-or as quick as the top off-road racers in the country in our Escargot or Terrain Test (no one was).Squeezed somewhere in between was the Torture Test of the 21 bikes from almost as many companies with differing strategies on how to make the best one-bike-does-it-all machine. We had everything from stock motocross bikes to all-wheel-drive trail machines. Torture began promptly at 7 a.m. with a brief rider’s meeting where everything must have been explained perfectly as no questions were asked. And as everyone knows, Dirt Rider runs a tight ship, so we’re sure nobody walked back to their respective pits and started asking each other, “Uh, what do we do now?”A group photo shoot, that’s what, and herding cats into a pool might have been easier. Next year we’ll leave a trail of donuts. Confusion again attempted to stymie our individual photos of the bikes, but ingeniously all of the teams figured out where that station was happening. With that came a punch card and a time schedule, never mind that the identifying stickers for the participating bikes were lost with RidePG.com’s Bart Hayes’ luggage someplace between Georgia and California, proving that no good deed goes unpunished.From here the plan was simple: Tackle the five timed tests before lunch, one turn at each with the hero rider, one turn with a Dirt Rider tester. Get weighed. Get measured. Get sound checked. Then later in the day the bikes were surrendered to DR testers for the final evaluation, for at dinner there would be a ceremony where the majority of the bikes would get sent home. Just like those TV shows your wife watches, except this time it’s with dirt bikes and is 100 percent real. Just ask someone who loaded up early.Bringing game can come in a few ways, and Red Bull brings game with a plush setup and some fine grub for the troops. Too bad we had too many troops for lunch, a lot of them tired already from roosting around the Rynoland facility. We had two outdoor motocross tracks prepped and three spectacular trails. These ranged from fast and flowing to so tight you wanted to grind on your steering stops. Riders were finding killer cliff-jump hits, and many others were just happy to check each other’s style through the array of events. Our photographers were running around everywhere, and even some photographers we didn’t know about shot stuff we knew nothing about. Surprising since we’re so damned organized.Now you can’t just go out and ride at Rynoland (www.rynoland.com), but you can rent the place. Likewise, you can’t just show up at the DR Torture Test as some people tried, and you can’t buy or brown-nose your bike into our top six-it has to earn it.
Perfect form and high pressure for KTM’s Mike Sleeter and the 250 XC in our Escargot.
Escargot
One of the tests in which a solid performance is a must is the Escargot, an endless circle controlled by Chris Denison. We know you learn a lot about bikes just in turning-from third gear pinned to first and crawling around the center-because our bikes live and die in a turning state. To help with the testing duties, Chris recruited Alexander Smith-spawn of the great Malcolm Smith-and together the two spent over 100 minutes just turning these bikes.If there is one thing the Escargot teaches you, it’s how well a bike’s power gets to the ground. Certain machines-such as the Pro Moto Billet RM-Z450 and the Zip-Ty Husqvarna 450 TXC-had power spreads that worked magically around the giant dirt snail. Other bikes like the Precision Concepts KX450F were too fast for the tight circle and thus hard to control. Obviously, cornering prowess becomes crystal clear in the Escargot Test, and as a general rule much of a bike’s performance had to do with the quality and makeup of the front tire; those Torture Test steeds with stickier shoulder knobs had a great advantage in the tighter center section.Denison was partial to the Dr.D CRF450′s strong bottom-end power, while Smith called his top Escargot pick a tie between the KTM 450 XC-F and the KTM 250 XC. The fastest lap by a test rider was spun by Denison on the Zip-Ty Husky (1:48.53), while hero rider Rory Sullivan raced the Pro Moto Billet RM-Z to a quick 1:39.94. Track owner Ryan Hughes came by and threw down a 1:38.45 for the fastest overall time, then was barraged with joking ridicule from his training student Ricky Dietrich about having a home track advantage. Hughes kindly reminded Ricky that there is no advantage to riding in circles on a flat patch of dirt. Touche.2009 KTM 250 XC
Parts And Modifications:
KTM North America, Inc.: KTMUSA.com
Map switch: $44.99
Hourmeter: $48.99
Bar pad: $19.99
2009 250 XC MSRP: $7898Tale Of The Tape
Pete P. was busy weighing and measuring everyone’s bike and wondering if he’d recognize Randy Hawkins by his not-so-British accent. In between keeping the line flowing and trying to spot national champions pushing a bike (almost every third bike) he realized that starting with a light bike doesn’t mean winding up with one, as weights varied radically even between same-model bikes and two-strokes didn’t necessarily have the big advantage here you might expect. (Check the chart on page 48 and see what you think.)Radar Test
I was busy drag racing. Running all bikes full stream up an inclined road that would just top out fifth gear on most bikes. And since I’m cocky about my drag strip prowess and I knew I didn’t have to chop early to avoid going off the cliff at the end of the strip, I’d taunt the hero guys that I could go faster on their bikes. Sometimes I actually did. Here, the MX-based bikes’ gearing caught them out too short, the 250F and smaller bikes slowed on the incline, comparatively, and I thought the Husky 450 was a 510, it felt that fast. Our gun said it was clearly the fastest bike in the 775-foot strip. Other revelations; The Christini KX-F 450 holeshot every bike to 40 mph on the loose surface, surviving to be the third fastest machine, passed by the second fastest bike, the Am-Pro WR, on the top-end pull. Most of the other bikes were clumped into a very tight bunch and largely indecipherable for the most part. Did anyone check to see if that Husky was really a 450?Moto Test
Motohead Jesse Ziegler commanded the Moto Test on Rynoland’s lower track. Why have a moto test? Because we’re looking for the do-it-all bike! The lower moto track is long and rough. How long? Well, Ziegler’s baseline lap on our stock KTM 450 XC-W was just over three minutes. And it wasn’t a groomed, manicured or a nice lap, either. It was ugly and incorporated every terrain-laden obstacle known to man. We recruited Dave Donatoni to split real-guy evaluation duties since there was no way Ziegler could do 25 three-minute laps without updating his Facebook status to “Jesse’s arms fell off.”Moto-edged bikes, or those based on motocross bikes, would seem to have the advantage here, but that wasn’t necessarily the case. And the dead two-strokes were resurrected. You can go two ways in the compromise for all-around usability: aggressive or soft. And if you went soft, the bike suffered in the moto. All these bikes are powerful enough for a fast lap time, so power delivery seemed more important than quantity.KTM dominated with its stock 250 XC and 450 XC. With development tester and supercross regular Mike Sleeter on board, the 250 XC dropped the fastest test-bike time. Factory WORCS racer Justin Soule was close behind on the 450 XC. Ziegler actually pulled his third fastest lap on the 250 XC as well. These were the only bikes to get under 2:40.00 for the heroes, unless you count Hughes’s silly 2:25.47 on his full-moto CRF450R!The top motocross bike, the L.A. Sleeve Honda CRF450R, showed up in the fourth spot behind an off-road conversion: Am-Pro Yamaha’s WR450 with Duvall on board. Donatoni got along well with the Beta 525 for his best time, and Ziegler’s fastest was on Dubach Racing’s CRF450X. Most of the motocross bikes went more off-road in their builds and that hurt them on the MX track where the true off-road bikes that were built up to handle higher loads performed better. Except for the Pro Moto Billet RM-Z450 and its smooth power. It was the only MX bike to hit both DR testers’ top three. Even a true, almost untouched YZ250-a genuine motocross bike-with its snappier power delivery and aggressive suspension setup couldn’t match some of the smoother performers here and ended up mid-pack.
www.yamaha-motor.com; 800.962.9726Performance header assembly: $2249.95
Performance piston kit: $229.95
Blue rear sprocket (50T): $59.95
Front sprocket (14T): $24.95
Billet clutch cover: $110.95
Billet clutch inner hub: $279.95
Billet clutch pressure plate: $157.95
Billet clutch basket: $209.95
Fuel screw: $31.95
Blue timing plug, 14mm: $24.95
Blue timing plug, 27mm: $25.95
Blue oil filler plug: $26.95
Enduro skid plate: $115.95
Radiator braces: $99.95
Rear brake master cylinder guard: $35.95
Axle blocks: $41.95
Front brake line pinch: $34.95
Shroud graphics: $79.95
Gripper seat cover, blue/black: $47.95
V-1 MDX clutch lever: $79.95
V-1 MDX front brake lever: $79.95
Billet clutch perch with hot-start: $188.95
Front wheel spacer kit: $34.95
Rear wheel spacer kit: $35.95
Rear brake clevis: $44.95Yamalube: www.yamaha-motor.com; 800.962.9726
10W-50 motor oil: $9.49 per qt.
Brake fluid: $6.49Kenda Tires: www.kendausa.com; 614.866.9803
Washougal Sticky front: Price varies
Washougal Sticky rear: Price variesFMF Racing: www.fmfracing.com; 310.631.4363
Factory 4.1 system with PowerBomb header: $799.99ProTaper: www.protaper.com; 951.736.5369
EVO bar, CR-Hi bend: $94.95
Half-waffle soft grips: $14.95Cycra: www.cycra.com; 800.770.2259
Powerflow shrouds: $59.95
Stealth Hand Shields: $34.95
Performance front fender: $19.95
Disc cover: $25.95Factory Connection: www.factoryconnection.com; 866.220.1151
Fork revalve and service: $180.00 (labor only, parts extra)
Shock revalve and service: $180.00 (labor only, parts extra)Zip-Ty Racing: www.ziptyracing.com; 760.244.7028
Zip-Ty Signature Series offset triple clamps: $499.95
Brake pin set: $19.95
Magnetic drain plug: $19.95
Magnetic drain plug oil tank: $19.95
Waterless race coolant: $23.95
Front axle nut: $14.95
Front axle hex extender: $14.95
Neutral safety switch plug: $14.95Johnny Signs: www.johnnysigns.com; 812.275.7535
Team Graphic Kit, including front/rear fender, fork guards, swingarm, airbox, hand guards, number plates: $NAT.M. Designworks: www.tmdesignworks.com; 541.535.1612
Chain guide: $69.95
Disc guard: $79.95Ready Filters: www.readyracing.com; 800.400.9924
Performance pre-oiled air filter: $9.95Fastway: www.promotobillet.com; 866.466.4762
F-6 footpegs with spike cleats: $129.95
Extra spike cleats: $22.95EK Chain: www.ekchain.com
520 MUXZ O-ring chain: $NA
Rivet link: $NAEBC Brakes: www.ebcbrakes.com
Extreme Pro front brake pads: $NA
Extreme Pro rear brake pads: $NAMotion Pro: www.motionpro.com; 650.594.9600
T2 throttle cable $36.99
T2 clutch cable: $33.99
T2 hot-start cable: $22.30GPR Stabilizer: www.gprstabilizer.com; 619.661.0101
Version 4 stabilizer: $495IMS: www.imsproducts.com; 800.237.9906
3.1-gal. dry-break ready tank: $274.95
Dry-break receiver: $220.56Boyesen: www.boyesen.com; 800.441.1177
Supercooler kit, including water pump and impeller: $189.95Merge Racing: www.mergeracing.com
Adjustable leak jet: $150E-Batt: www.ebattonline.com
Self-charging 12-oz lithium battery: $129.99Eleven 10 Mods: www.eleven10mods.com; 724.562.8877
Performance carb mods: $150.00G2 Ergonomics: www.g2ergo.com; 815.718.5860
G2 throttle cam system with 300X cam: $99.95Terrain Test
Next in the queue was either the Terrain Test or the Extreme Test where the off-road prowess would come into play at racing levels, both going fast and going technical. Karel Kramer was on point at the Terrain Test with ace testers Ryan Orr and Kris Keefer handling the DR riding duties. All of the riders were allowed a sighting lap if desired. The times hovered at around five minutes for the almost 1.5-mile lap, and each lap contained fast and slow sections, off-cambers, deep sand turns and a few roots and rocks. Learning the trail definitely helped, and our test guys were faster than 13 out of 20 riders on their own bikes because of this. Note that we say 20 bikes as one machine never made it past the Escargot Test due to electrical gremlins. Of the hero riders, young GNCC star Duvall threw down the fastest time on the Am-Pro/Tucker Rocky Yamaha WR450F, hammering so hard it had no brakes left for our lap. Yamaha techs bled and cooled the brakes, and Keefer slammed out a lap within a couple of seconds. Everybody was feeling good about off-road guys when Ryno rolled up. On his first attempt he got sideways, high-sided and tumbled through bushes. He picked himself up, restarted and topped Duvall by a second. With a second lap Ryno lowered the time nearly 12 seconds faster than Duvall’s fast time. Keefer’s fastest time was on the Dr.D CRF450X, and Orr was quickest on the Precision Concepts Kawasaki KX450F.Extreme Test
Across the pond I’d set the trap of an Extreme Test, just ask host Hughes who finally could not card a low time on his home turf. All it takes is a turn where there was none before and disregarding instructions to walk the course before you rode it. The test had sand gullies, Erzberg-in-California rocks, tight turns, a series of ledges, a soft hillclimb with no run then right back down, an off-camber wall-ride above a pond and a cliff climb-out. The lighter the bike, the better it worked and the smoother the power, the easier it was to navigate the course. Stiff or motocross suspension had you paying for it.The Honda CRF250X was easily a favorite here and set the second-fastest time on its first run. Then later it reset the fastest and second-fastest times; like we said, light weight, controllable power and plush suspension make a difference. Team Green’s EnduroCross bike could have been the best, but someone forgot to jet it for the elevation. It had everything but smooth power because you couldn’t ride it below a quarter throttle. On the other hand the Zip-Ty Husky had smooth power and made up for its stiff suspension and heavy weight surprisingly well. The Christini AWD bikes showed moments of front-wheel-pulling goodness while being held back by setup issues; clutch fade on the KX450F version and clutch engagement trouble on the Rekluse-equipped KTM XC version.Topping it all off was the brilliant performance of the Am-Pro WR450 with a low time of 2:14 with some kid on it. It was smooth, had some riders thinking it was a WR250, and the suspension, even though a little stiff, worked just right. Yes, a Yamaha WR450 smoked the Extreme Test.Sound Test
The cat-and-mouse adventure of the day had to go to Chris Real and his stationary sound test that was anything but. He was like a ranger, chasing down team bikes and pulling them aside for a very official 20-inch sound test. Most teams complied, but some were running scared. At least we caught most of them with a 50-foot pass-by at wide-open throttle during our radar run to calculate the bikes’ sound vanishing distance to a 60 dBa sound level. Look at the numbers on page 53, they tell a story on how a better muffler will go a long way, 1600 to 2400 feet to be accurate, in keeping riding areas alive. Personally, I was disappointed in this disrespect for our sport. I gave an inch in not posting a sound limit for the test, and some people took a yard making bikes too loud for most riding. There were bikes here that passed and still ripped it up on the track and trail, so noise responsibility isn’t a performance detractor.
www.dubachracing.com; 877.382.2241Hourmeter and bracket kit: $49.99
Hot-start: $48.95
Radiator lowering kit: $49.99
Complete SS/A system: $549.95
Pro-packing system: $39.95
Full motor mods: $549.95AP Racing: www.niksindustries.com; 562.945.1098
Brake pads, rear: $35.99
Brake pads, front: $35.99QTM: www.qtmi.com; 714.575.5000
Wheels with oversize front disc: $299
Rear wheel, black/red: $594.95
Front wheel, black/red: $594.95Hinson Racing: www.hinsonracing.com; 909.946.2942
Complete clutch basket: $294.99
Clutch cover: $159.99CV4: www.cv4.net; 888.707.9977
Radiator hoses, red: $NAZip-Ty Racing: www.ziptyracing.com; 760.244.7028
Axle pullers: $21.95
Chain adjuster blocks: $85
Zip-Ty sharkfin: $130Ride Engineering: www.ride-engineering.com; 949.722.8354
Air fuel screw: $21.95
Timing plugs: $39.95
Oil plug: $19.95
Kill switch: $49.95
Brake clevis: $44.95LightSpeed: www.lightspeedperf.com; 714.990.5767
Wraparound skid plate: $199.95
Fork wraps: $55.95
Carb heat shield: $55.95
Front fork guards: $109.95ARC: www.arclevers.com; 714.543.0362
RC-8 clutch perch and lever: $179.95
Brake lever: $59.95
Slipper clamp: $19.95GPR Stabilizer: www.gprstabilizer.com; 619.661.0101
Version 4 lowboy Pro-kit: $650ODI Grips: www.odigrips.com; 951.786.4755
Cush soft grips: $12.95Applied Racing: www.appliedrace.com; 800.853.0555
Applied Racing CRF450X vent block-off kit: $39.55
Vent kit: $21.94Universal Bars: www.universalmotocross.com; 877.278.7000
Fat Bars: $100Precision Concepts: www.precisionconcepts.net; 951.656.5949
Fork revalve with springs
Shock revalve with springsFactory Effex: www.factoryeffex.com; 800.866.0709
Complete custom graphics kit: $189.95Dunlop Tires: www.dunloptires.com
773 rear tire
756 front tireHonda Pro Oils: www.hondaoils.com
Assorted Honda oilsIMS Racing: www.imsproducts.com; 800.237.9906
Pro series pegs $96.00T.M. Designworks: www.tmdesignworks.com; 541.535.1612
Front slider: $49.95
Rear guide: $79.95The Elimination
We can’t really talk about what happened next. The Dirt Rider editors and loyal test riders holed up in our secret meeting location to determine the fate of the 20 survivors. OK, what really happened was we all gathered around and discussed what we’d each found in the morning tests. Then we broke the bikes into groups of vaguely similar machines that would best fit the different teams of riders we had. Instructions were simple. Ride the wheels off of them for the next three hours and come back with a winner. Three hours later we needed more gas! We needed some fresh test riders. And we needed to swap bikes to make sure our assumptions and findings were correct. We traded bikes, we sent some to the pits for tuning, then we rode them for another two hours straight before some decisions had to be made. After all, it was dinnertime and we weren’t going to miss the food again. We are magazine editors, understand.The bikes were lined up, dinner filled our bellies, and we rolled six of the bikes forward to signify they were in the final round.It was pretty silent, and I’m sure it was as tough for some of the teams to take as it was for our group to cut loose a lot of these bikes. They all had a place and they’d all fit different riders for a lot of different reasons. We were looking for a certain level of perfection, and at the same time there could be no rough edges, especially with more than 20 opinions weighing in on the fate of each bike.Charts explained
Here is what our radar gun tells us about our six finalists and the fastest and slowest bikes in the Torture Test. The top chart is the best performance each bike made in front of the radar gun in a full pull going up an inclined 775-foot dirt drag strip. Aside from the KLX160 and its massive horsepower disadvantage, traction plays a substantial role in any dirt launch, and if it had been included, the Christini AWD KX450F would have looked the best until 35 mph. Right at about 30 mph horsepower really starts coming into play, and as the speeds increase, the bikes’ engines show what they’re made of. The fastest bike in our run, the Zip-Ty Racing Husky 450 just edges out the Am-Pro Yamaha WR450 in pull. Interesting is the difference between the stock KTM 250 XC and the modified Pro-Action 300 XC dancing back and forth. The top speed shows the peak achieved during the run-great information for bench racing, we’ve heard.
Photographer Drew Ruiz on the wrong side of the camera and one-handing his life’s savings of lenses.
The Final Six
Left as finalists to be tested here in the magazine were the Am-Pro FMF Yamaha Tucker Rocky WR450F, a pair of Hondas-the Pro Circuit CRF250X and the Dubach Racing CRF450X-plus three KTMs: the 250 XC and 450 XC along with the Pro-Action 300 XC.To get here was tough but interesting nonetheless. The stock KTMs, we thought, would be shoo-ins and they were. They work so good at being all-around bikes and fit such a wide variety of riders, the goal of a stock bike. Both have good standard power, proper suspension and an equipment list that includes everything you need and nothing you don’t. Yes, when we were narrowing down the field, our test riders resorted to nitpicking but the KTMs were impervious to it. Things like missing kickstands or hand guards, not geared low or tall enough, not being electric start all helped make the test riders’ decisions easier (though it was tough losing out for such trivial matters, no?).The Pro-Action 300 XC was an easy choice since its mods enhanced the XC goodness, but without a minor clutch adjustment and some slight suspension tuning it would have missed the cut. Enhancement can turn to decreased performance so easily when it is not done just right.The Honda CRF250X, a virtual brother of our favorite modified 250cc 24-hour champion of a few years ago, slid in on the fun factor and its suitability to the lesser-skilled rider.The Dubach CRF450X had a lot of fans and a lot of us needed to ride that light at night! Then, there was the astonishing Am-Pro Yamaha WR450, which had a lot of guys thinking it was a 250. It feels this light and the power is smooth and docile on the bottom, it just has way too much torque for this to be true. But anyone who got the throttle open past half (shows how tight some of our trails were) had a clear understanding that this was a 450 and then some.So we strapped on Baja Designs battery-powered Diablo lights to the bikes that couldn’t light their own way and rode off into the night. Good thing we had a poker run to keep us in check; I’m still baffled by how few guys stick around to ride at night, as this is truthfully the best time of the event. Sure, a lot of the riders were exhausted or even hallucinatory (a gorilla out on the trail? C’mon! Maybe it was true…). Dubach Racing’s Terry Beal got the best poker hand despite our trying to cheat him out of it. At some point, bikes were parked and beers were opened and we tried to make sense of what had just taken place over the past 16 hours. The conclusion: We needed to do some more riding over the next few weeks.So we did. It didn’t take long the next morning to quickly run through the six bikes at the Rynoland facility to check out any lingering questions, whether on the track or the trail. Then we headed out to our regular ride places to see if anything more surfaced. It was quickly becoming clear there was indeed a pecking order. Like before, it wasn’t performance issues that wrote the story, it was quirky stuff or a bike lacking a feature. If one of these bikes had, say, no kickstand, we would have used that against it.Our first issue was fuel capacity. Now this may not be a big issue to some, but when you really like to ride, you need a certain amount of gas. Whether to extend a pit stop in a long GP or to make it to the next available gas, whatever you’re doing. The Hondas and their stock 1.9-gallon tanks bit us here. There are options, but these bikes were not equipped for more than 40 miles. Add to that the 250F’s power deficit in this field and guys were a little quick to write off the little Honda, yet always coming back to that one thing: “Man, that is a fun bike, it’d be great for (insert the name of your lesser-skilled friend here).” Take it from experts who know this stuff, this is the kind of bike that makes pros happy and lets most other skill-level riders improve since they are not fighting the bike. Its modded-up performance, especially the suspension, takes it to a level that can challenge anything you throw at it. And it is downright affordable. Ranking as high as second for a couple of riders, it nevertheless wasn’t a threat for the overall so we put it in the back of our minds. Yes, we kept riding it and, yes, we have a larger IMS tank on it now!In the same category regarding gas and beginning to show its GP-racing-specific setup, the Dubach Racing CRF450X was getting picked on. First, by the KTM riders who had to give up gas, then by everyone for not having a kickstand. The suspension was a bit on the loose (or faster on the rebound) setting for a lot of us. This was great for traction on a rough course but not the best feeling on the trail; adjustments helped but the bike was still a little hyper. The motor followed suit. Mildly aggressive and with too loud of an exhaust note for most of us, the quirks were stacking up against the Dubach bike. If it had only grown dark earlier, this bike could have shined.With four bikes left, it was rough going. Every one of these finalists could easily have won. And if I tell you how far just having a kickstand on the WR might have helped it out, you might think we are idiots. But in our all-around world, we look at everything. If you know you don’t need something like that, look deeper into what else the bike has; you know what you’re looking for, not me.The Yamaha went way too far in this “best general bike” comparison for being Thad Duvall’s GNCC race bike, but we have never ridden a WR this good. It takes off from a platform we’re already familiar with. Our own WR450 from the DR 450 off-road comparison rode on similar Factory Connection suspension and was lightened up with an E-Batt, only Am-Pro “lowers” that weight even further by placing the battery in the skid plate. An offset triple clamp aids this feel even further. Then there is the motor. Forget the price tag on that baby for a moment; it is as close to a works engine for off-road as we’ve ever ridden. Mentioned earlier, it has the ability to disguise itself as a strong WR250 on the bottom, and that is a compliment of the highest order. Then as you turn the throttle it goes deeper and deeper into where a WR450 lives and surpasses even that. It isn’t YZ wild; it doesn’t spin up that uncontrollably. But when you want to unleash the ponies, it does that as strong and as hard as you’ll ever need-one look at the radar chart confirms that. This engine has become some sort of Jekyll and Hyde WR/YZ that is better than both of them, especially off-road. The power defines “long pull”; the jetting is seamless, throttle response instantaneous and about the only issue we have with the engine is that it grew a little loud for our tastes; we’re pretty sure a muffler insert went missing. And then there is the suspension goodness of that FC setup. Good enough to go fast on-just look at the times for the Terrain, Moto and Extreme tests. It also didn’t raise a criticizing eyebrow with any of our riders on the trail.What held this bike back? We tried to ignore the price, but couldn’t when stock bikes were playing in the same game. Yet for every individual we could find a better setup, and this is where the modifications come into play. If we were able to build any of these modified bikes for a specific person, we’d likely change them again, just like a stocker evolving into a personal bike. So that is how we balance out the cost issue. And every modification has a clear and defined purpose, especially on the WR. When ridden back-to-back with the two-strokes you feel the weight of the bike. Here the handling can be a little slow, but conversely it is more stable and more planted to the ground. Depending on what type of feel you like from your bike, it can even be easier to ride. This bike has the right protection and a layout and setup that will easily get GNCC podiums if not outright wins, and there it won’t need a kickstand, either.On the other side of the same four-stroke fence sits the KTM 450 XC. Pretty much stock with hand guards, an adjustable fuel screw and a dual-position ignition map switch, it rivaled the WR for top four-stroke honors by being completely different and just as good. It feels lighter than the WR, especially in the steering, but then it feels less stable and twitchy to some. The fork is also asked to do a lot and a few riders felt it was just a little on the soft side, making the turning sensitive. But the setup allowed fast times in all of our tests, and considering it was set up for “everybody” and the valving came with the cost of the bike, it is really good. On to the motor, and the XC has the same differing style from the WR. Less torque feel but a quicker burst and a faster-revving nature to the top-end where it feels just the slightest bit down on power in comparison.What hurt the XC was, as we rode it at different locations, the fuel screw was unable to keep the throttle response spotless; it needed some tuning with a leak jet adjustment. All of our other four-strokes were not as picky. But consider that stock, this bike does what it does, with a hydraulic clutch, a perfectly spaced gearbox, plenty of fuel capacity, a decent sound level and, yes, a kickstand that tucks out of the way. Blue or orange? At this level, it’s all blueberries or oranges.Now we move on to the two-strokes. Surprisingly nearly a quarter of the bikes entered were smokers, a breed some feel is headed for the history books. But don’t write them off so fast because it was obvious from the first spin right down to the last test ride that these bikes perform as well as, and in a lot of places much better than, anything in this test. Yes, even some of the ones that didn’t make the final cut.The Gas Gas has a motor that is incredible on the toughest trails and a chassis that works there, too. A stock Yamaha YZ250 was, as you’d expect, versatile on the motocross track and the trail. About $1000 in mods to the bike and most of us could have had it sitting right next to these KTM XCs, only lacking an electric starter, but lighter for sure. Even FMF’s 2005 Suzuki RM250, totally affordable by anyone’s standards, was just edged out of our final bikes. And it had a large gas tank! Sure, four-strokes are great, but two-strokes are great, too.The nearly stock KTM 250 XC is a bike that can do just about anything anywhere. Almost every letter I get asking, “What bike should I buy?” is replied to with “KTM 250 XC” for a reason. It is like going with vanilla ice cream, buying mid-grade gasoline, driving in the middle lane and having a fixed-rate mortgage that you can afford. You can’t go wrong. OK, you can. Regulations, not the bike’s performance, might dictate that this, or any two-stroke, is not for you, but you voted for the guys who make the laws; remember that. (You voted right?)
www.dirtrider.com/reviews/02/dirt_bike for the rest of the best, because there are a lot of choices out there and you can learn tons by checking out all these bikes.Pro Circuit 2009 Honda CRF250XParts And Modifications:
American Honda Motor Company: powersports.honda.com
2009 CRF250X MSRP: $6699Pro Circuit racing: www.procircuit.comwww.procircuit.com; 951.738.8050
High-compression piston $264.94
Pro Circuit camshaft: $411.95
Valve spring kit: $164.95
T-4 slip-on muffler: $424.95
Rejet carburetor: $99.95
Fork revalve and setup: $179.95 + parts
Shock revalve and setup: $149.95 + partsBaja Designs: www.bajadesigns.com; 760.560.2252
55-watt stator rewind: $150
Baja Designs headlight: $94.95
55-watt bulb: $21.95Scotts Performance: scottsonline.com; 818.248.6747
Scotts steering stabilizer: $479.95Acerbis: www.acerbis.com; 800.659.1440
Multiconcept Enduro hand guards: $82.95
Swivel mount: $39.952009 KTM 450 XC-F
Parts And Modifications:
KTM North America, Inc.: KTMUSA.com
Map switch: $44.99
Hourmeter: $48.99
Bar pad: $19.99
2009 450 XC-F MSRP: $8698Pro-Action Suspension & Motors: www.pro-action.com; 724.846.9055
Fork revalve with Pro-Action valve body: $225
Pro-Action subtank assemblies: $275
Fork springs: $110
Shock revalve: $225
Pro-Action bladder kit: $140
Shock spring: $110
Cylinder and head modifications: $300
Vortex carb mod: $90KTM Hard Equipment: www.tjsktm.com; 800.570.4079
Radiator guards: $99.99
Hourmeter: $45.99
Works gas cap: $54.99
Soft seat: $99.99Dunlop Tires: www.dunlopmotorcycle.com
80/100-21 front 756: $105.99
110/100-18 rear 756: $110.99FMF Racing: www.fmfracing.com; 310.631.4363
Fatty pipe: $229.99
Turbine Core silencer: $149.99Cycra: www.cycraracing.com; 800.770.2259
Powerflow plastic kit: $139.99
Stealth hand guards: $35.99MSR Hard Parts: www.msracing.com
Ironman front sprocket (14T): $33.99
Ironman rear sprocket (50T): $108.99
Axle pull, front: $19.99
Axle pull, rear: $19.99
Brake Snake: $4.99Repsol Oils: www.repsol.com
2t premix: $12.99
2t gear lube: $10.99Powersport Grafx: www.ridepg.com; 800.903.6764
Complete custom graphics kit: $199.99Rekluse Motor Sports: www.rekluse.com; 866.735.5873
Z-start Pro clutch: $750ProTaper: www.protaper.com; 800.840.3040
EVO bar: $89.99
Soft white grips: $8.99ProClean 1000: www.proclean1000.com; 281.814.5557
Plastic shine: $8.95
Bike cleaner: $8.99Engine Ice: www.engineice.com; 877.806.9377
Coolant $19.99Wiseco Pistons: www.wiseco.com; 800.321.1364
Pro-Lite piston kit: $167.13
The Pro-Action KTM 300 was herded by Pro-Action’s D.J. Korzen and the guys from TJ’s Cycle.
Pro-Action/TJ’s Cycle 2009 KTM 300 XC
Parts And Modifications:Pro-Action Suspension & Motors: www.pro-action.com; 724.846.9055
Fork revalve with Pro-Action valve body: $225
Pro-Action subtank assemblies: $275
Fork springs: $110
Shock revalve: $225
Pro-Action bladder kit: $140
Shock spring: $110
Cylinder and head modifications: $300
Vortex carb mod: $90KTM Hard Equipment: www.tjsktm.com; 800.570.4079
Radiator guards: $99.99
Hourmeter: $45.99
Works gas cap: $54.99
Soft seat: $99.99Dunlop Tires: www.dunlopmotorcycle.com
80/100-21 front 756: $105.99
110/100-18 rear 756: $110.99
FMF Racing: www.fmfracing.com; 310.631.4363
Fatty pipe: $229.99
Turbine Core silencer: $149.99Cycra: www.cycraracing.com; 800.770.2259
Powerflow plastic kit: $139.99
Stealth hand guards: $35.99MSR Hard Parts: www.msracing.com
Ironman front sprocket (14T): $33.99
Ironman rear sprocket (50T): $108.99
Axle pull, front: $19.99
Axle pull, rear: $19.99
Brake Snake: $4.99Repsol Oils: www.repsol.com
2t premix: $12.99
2t gear lube: $10.99Powersport Grafx: www.ridepg.com; 800.903.6764
Complete custom graphics kit: $199.99Rekluse Motor Sports: www.rekluse.com; 866.735.5873
Z-start Pro clutch: $750ProTaper: www.protaper.com; 800.840.3040
EVO bar: $89.99
Soft white grips: $8.99ProClean 1000: www.proclean1000.com; 281.814.5557
Plastic shine: $8.95
Bike cleaner: $8.99Engine Ice: www.engineice.com; 877.806.9377
Coolant $19.99Wiseco Pistons: www.wiseco.com; 800.321.1364
Pro-Lite piston kit: $167.13
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