Riding Russell Bobbitt's KTM 250 XC
When comparing two versus four, it goes without saying that two will be easier to talk about. It's less complicated in every way. It even has fewer letters and is numerically half. It's no wonder the two-stroke is alive and well. Especially when it's the defending National Enduro Championship bike.
There is no electric start on Bobbitt's 250 XC. In the days following this test I raced our Long Haul 250 XC with the E-start intact. I can say that I prefer the button to kicking any day but don't really expect it on a full-factory race bike that is as easy to kick as this 250. So I kicked it over and immediately forgot about my leg having to labor for that foot-and-a-half. (Suck it up, Ziegler, you're riding the champ's bike.)
If I could have any factory mechanical talent in the world, it'd be jetting knowledge and skill. I can't describe how well Russell Bobbitt's bike runs. It's perfect and oh so cool. And that's just how impressed I was idling out of the pit area onto the trails.
Out in the thick of it the character of Bobbitt's ride really comes out. This bike is an XC at heart but has an SX inside. The bike grunts and chugs where I ride and responds to my lack of opening the power valve well. It's tuned to run down low when the pilot needs it to and rip on demand. This is the perfect combination of KTM two-stroke bottom-end usability and long-revving top-end pull. In the middle you need to be on your toes and forward or the two-stroke snap will throw you back. But once you recognize where the power comes on, you can prepare accordingly. The best way to describe the two-faced nature of the bike is to imagine a two-stage flywheel. On the bottom, there is a heavy weight slowing the crank and delivering torque. Up top, the bike screams freely.
Through the controls, Bobbitt's bike will clearly fit a wider range of riders. The Renthal 996 bar is great, and the Renthal Kevlar grips are tacky and wonderful. We've tested KTM's Progressive Handlebar Damping System (PHDS) and liked its ability to reduce the harsh impact pre-2009 KTM front ends delivered to our hands. On Bobbitt's '09 the system is used to mount the bar to the factory SXS top triple clamp which holds two stocky 52mm SXS fork tubes. This makes perfect sense with the setup inside that fork.
Bobbitt is a self-admitted aggressive rider. He revs the bike high and rides with a lot of acceleration speed and hard braking. His suspension mirrors that with a pretty stiff feel. Even though I'm heavier and slower, the fork wouldn't get into the off-road plush zone I'd prefer to feel on small bumps, rocks and holes. Thank goodness for the added give of the PHDS. It knocked down the vibration from the two-banger and gave me some relief from a stiff factory fork.
The front suspension wasn't bad. It just didn't soak up the little stuff with my speed. When I hit something bigger or went hot into some G-outs the bike was dreamy. Combined with the totally cool rear SXS shock, the front kept the bike from wallowing through all dips and never let the bike get sideways on rebound. These components have been tested and tested by the staff here at DR, and they almost always come back with comments just like these. The ability to keep a bike up in the stroke without feeling too tall and seemingly adhering the bike to the ground is a factory advantage.
Interestingly, Bobbitt uses a 19-inch rear almost all the time. He's a big fan of the lightness and quick reaction time his 250 gives him and likes the stiffer tire out back. He doesn't worry about flats since he's running foam inserts. I'd like the added bump-absorption of an 18, but I'm not competing for a title.
Russell Bobbitt's 250 XC is simpler than Lafferty's 400 (almost inherently). But it's not for a lack of personalization and trickness. Like Mike and Evan, Russell Bobbitt and his mechanic, Tony Hall, put a lot of time into testing parts that work.
The Rock Pile Enduro gave...
The Rock Pile Enduro gave all types of testing terrain.
How It's Made: Russell's 250 Putting Some MX And SX Into The XC
Russell Bobbitt rides an XC unlike anyone else. That's why he's the defending champion. Surprisingly, major components like the cylinder, piston, bottom end and cases are stock.
On top of the motor his mechanic Tony Hall bolts on an SX head for a harder hit of power. By combining an aggressive power-valve spring setup, a modified CDI box for a higher rev ceiling and a lighter flywheel than stock the voracious top-end is born.
Countering the snap and speed is a modified power-valve height and a custom FMF Q silencer that is longer than standard with a spark arrestor. I tested his bike with the FMF Fatty pipe and Bobbitt was quick to say the Fatty was "pretty snappy"-thus the added inches to the silencer. They really like the hit of the SX-equipped motor, but the team wants a smooth transition between torque and rev. All of their 2-stroke pipes are specially made by FMF out of thicker gauge steel to handle Enduro abuse.
A VForce 3 reed cage assembly adds to the pickup of power. A big deal for Enduro is ensuring you have the right transmission for the job. Bobbitt is completely happy with the stock XC transmission.
Tony Hall (like Evan Yarnell) went to KTM's magical jetting school high in the Austrian Alps and his carburetor's settings are not only secret, they're a work of art.
Russell's 250 XC Parts List
Motor
KTM SX head
Lighter flywheel
KTM red power-valve spring
KTM specially programmed CDI
FMF custom Fatty pipe or SST pipe
FMF custom Q silencer
Complete Hinson clutch
VP C-12 race gas
VForce 3 reeds
Motorex transmission oil
Suspension
Factory 52mm WP fork
Factory 52mm triple clamps
Factory WP shock
Controls
Renthal 996 bar
Renthal Kevlar dual-compound grips
Motion Pro throttle cable
KTM PHDS bar mounts
Protection
KTM HEQ skid plate
Zip-Ty sharkfin
T.M. Designworks chain guide
Cycra hand guards
Drivetrain
RK chain
Renthal sprockets
Brakes
solid rear disk
Floating front disk
KTM HEQ sXs brakes front and rear
Tires/Wheels
Michelin MS3 or the MH3 front and rear tires
Excel rims: 19-in. rear and 21-in. front
Miscellaneous Chassis
selle dalla Valle seat