Bob, Doug, Scott and Smitty...
Bob, Doug, Scott and Smitty tell it like it is.
These three bikes are very different, and so is the way we tested them. We asked for reader suggestions on how to test our 2010 off-road bikes a few issues back, and you responded with tons of letters and one resounding request; "Come test them at my place, and I'll be glad to help!"
Well, Dirt Rider responded to a few of the more interesting and well-put-together solicitations, and due to a large number of factors-including time, budget, variety of terrain and predictable weather-we ended up in Arizona. I know, I know. Anyone who lives in a climate where trees grow would have you think that Arizona is just as much wide-open desert as anything we have in California. Sure, the DR guys must be afraid of turning. Well I say, "Pricks!" Yes, I'm describing the spikes, spines, needles, thorns and daggers present on every bush fit to live in the harsh environment that the trails in Arizona wind through. The single-track there can be as tight as anything in Jersey, Michigan, Washington or Alabama, but you just can't bounce off the stuff in AZ or it will stick to you, try to kill you and-at the very least-punish you for weeks afterward. So yes, despite the desert climate, we tested the bikes in a wide range of conditions. And by we, I mean our crew of real readers, too.
Bob Theobald, Scott "Trumpy" Truempi and Doug Hoffer came in from Arizona, Minnesota and Nevada, respectively, to help us with the testing chores. Along with Smitty, a retired schoolteacher and vagabond rider from Oregon or Arizona (depending on the time of year), these four spanned the size scale of American off-roaders and brought tons of enthusiasm, loads of ideas and plenty of stories, plus just enough local trail knowledge to show us around and keep us lost the whole time. We had a home builder, a Wal-Mart store manager, a traveling salesman and a retiree all possessing the ability to describe what a bike was doing for them.
In the end, our testing was similar to all the bike testing we do, just with some new friends made along the way. We switched around on bikes and compared and contrasted how each worked, good or bad. We spoke about it around the campfire and reevaluated what we thought we knew on a second day's ride. Then, like all test riders, they sent me some solid opinions and we piled it all together for this comparison. We even dressed them up and made them do photo passes.
Since this is a comparison, I tried to word the story in a similar way the bikes were collectively talked about in our campfire sessions. But in a much more organized platform since the late-night talk bounced all over the place and ran off track at every turn. You know how it goes.
The Bikes And Equipment
All three of these bikes are excellent machines and pretty much do the same things, interestingly enough, through three completely different packages. They all have the entire complement of off-road features most riders deem mandatory. Eighteen-inch rear wheels, wider-ratio gearboxes, larger gas tanks good for an easy 50 trail miles, kickstands, electric starting and quiet mufflers are found on each. Then they really began to differ: A carbureted two-stroke, a carbureted four-stroke and a fuel-injected four-stroke. The four-strokes varied further in engine placement and even with similar bore and stroke configurations; the Berg acts like more of a short stroke, the KTM a little longer. All ride on similar WP suspension components and without a linkage in the rear, yet the ride of each, as will be explained later, is different too. Then we get to more specifics. Six-speed transmissions grace the thumpers, while the two-stroke has only five speeds. All have brilliant hydraulic clutches. Both the four-strokes are green sticker-legal in California, with the Husaberg being the sole contender to come with lights, though the KTMs are wired for them and even have the on/off switch already. Hand guards come standard on all the KTMs, and a trip/odo/timer/hourmeter is standard on all three.