Following a successful outing in our 2009 Torture Test, the KTM 250 XC unofficially joined our test fleet and became roped into some extra Long Haul duties around the shop. When the bike wasn't being raced around enduro courses by Ziegler or torn through the dark by Lewis, it served as my unofficial practice bike for the Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rally. Several long rides and hours of GPS navigation practice uncovered no flaws in the hardy little two-stroke, though I'd be lying if I said the radiator didn't boil over on more than one occasion. The machine saw little by way of modifications, save for a Rekluse EXP auto-clutch that made it a dream to ride in the rocks. The big test came in the form of the brutal opening round of the Geico EnduroCross series, which was deflected by the KTM with quiet confidence. The bike quietly tore the track up with its FMF Q Stealth silencer, and except for some Pro Moto Billet/Fastway footpegs and hand guards and a new set of Bridgestones, the orange machine remained relatively stock. Overall, this machine impressed everyone who rode it, and we're already trying to figure out how we can get another unit of the same model for the duration of 2010.