As off-road competition continues to gravitate toward GNCC-, WORCS- and hare scrambles-type events, KTM has aimed its off-road line toward that growth without ignoring more traditional forms like enduro and desert. The result of this retargeting are the XC models. XCs are essentially do-it-all bikes with a visual motocross style that are nearly as capable on outdoor-style MX tracks as they are on a trail. XC-W versions have the same minimalist moto look but with more traditional off-road suspension, engine and transmission character. KTM seems to be addressing the current riding habits of more and more dirt riders. As watered and prepped tracks become more commonplace, even die-hard off-road guys are enticed by the convenience. Our everyday lives have grown more frenetic, and a ride requiring only hours is tempting when compared with off-road outings that often consume a day or more.So how do these retargeted off-road weapons work? KTM pushes the point that its products are ready to race, and the company showed confidence in the new machines by introducing them at the Washougal WORCS round. The WORCS crew uses every foot of the available area to ensure a true off-road challenge, so the only way to test the bikes was to enter a race! The bikes weren’t totally stock: KTM had added hand guards and bar pads. Stock gearing, tubes, tires, jetting and exhaust systems were all considered race-capable. KTM could have chosen a groomed riding area for the introduction, but instead, the company simply turned us loose on a rough, rocky and challenging off-road track in full-race conditions.The freshest models are based on an off-road-converted 250 SX-F motocrosser, but the most important news overall is that all the bikes have new fork internals with a smaller cartridge rod. What you get is a fork that is much more easily tuned and adjusted. The result is far better handling and suspension action across the line. Look for more exhaustive tests with a wider range of conditions to come!What’s New
All XC, XC-F and XC-W models
25O XC-F
The 250 SX-F, with the fastest motor in the Lites class, can’t be beat. That is unless you add a push-button start and make the suspension more versatile by adding some cush initially without sacrificing bottoming resistance. Good for the track, good for the woods-good for everywhere. That’s an XC-awesome! I have one question: The motor is the same as the SX-F with an electric starter and a battery added, but where is the extra weight? I can’t feel it. I almost killed myself laying this thing flat on the Washougal MX track. I’m not a motocrosser, and I don’t lay bikes flat, but I couldn’t help myself on this one! What’s the best part of riding this bike? Picking my own lines! It turns on a dime. Outside-inside-outside lines on the grass track are a no-brainer. The front end sticks like white on rice, or should I say orange on Austrian-made dirt bikes? Short-shift and the motor lugs and pulls through the gnarly stuff like a true enduro bike, or scream it and it runs like a modified motocrosser. However, the jetting at full throttle wasn’t so good, no doubt lean to pass emissions. My 70-minute race on the WORCS course wasn’t enough. I need more! -Derek Steahly/6’1″/215 lb/WORCS A25O XC-F-W
Of the two 250 XC-F models, I got along better with the XC-F-W. The more aggressively set up and equipped XC-F has the MX-spec engine and gearbox, but it felt like the suspension was full-MX as well. That was fine on the MX sections of the WORCS track, but it was far too stiff for my taste on the rocky, ledged-up off-road portions. I was able to be aggressive (for me) on the track with either suspension setup, but the W offered a much plusher and controlled ride in the nasty chop. This W model does not have a full wide-ratio gearbox like the other W models, but rather a semi-wide box that never feels gappy. The carburetion on the W was happier than on the XC-F, but neither was free of hiccups and hesitations. I’m sure that KTM will get the jetting dialed for production, and I think that this little four-stroke will make a lot of riders grin. You can’t even feel the addition of the electric start (at least in terms of engine performance), but it sure is nice when you stall during a race! My only worry is finding a spark arrestor to tone the engine’s bark to 96 decibels. Otherwise, this bike is more fun than any 250cc four-stroke has a right to be.-Karel Kramer/6’1″/210 lb/Senior BWhat’s New
250 XC-F & XC-F-W
2OO XC
Quick, what has the power of a good 250 (four-stroke or two-stroke) with the weight and feel of a 125? A KTM 200 XC! KTM made a bunch of changes to boost the machine’s performance, and this bike has plenty of zip. For me, the power is almost a little too radical for technical riding. On the faster bits of trail and on the track, the engine is magic. In fact, the engine has so much boost that it almost seems like a magic trick. No small-bore should pull like this when it is stock! I like a smoother powerband, so sign me up for a bit more weight and 100cc more, please.-Karel Kramer/6’1″/210 lb/Senior B25O XC
If I ruled the world, this bike would win the 250cc two-stroke motocross shootout (though the 250 SX hasn’t been released yet) and the unlimited-displacement off-road shootout. It’s that good! I think KTM might have built the perfect motor. Super responsive and torquey, with awesome midrange and top-end, it was exceptionally smooth, too. Power is always there when you need it, whether short-shifting, revving or anywhere in between. This motor rips. When I raced 250 SXs off-road, I would gear them up to compensate for the close-ratio gearbox and lack of top speed. That’s unnecessary on this bike. The gear spacing and top speed is spot-on with the all-new semi-wide transmission. Jetting was perfect. The motor is incredible, flawless! The ’07 WP suspension is the best to date. Super supple and very plush. Refinements made to the frame and shock make the linkless rear end better than ever, and it now feels on par with the Japanese bikes. It’s a little soft for my enormousness, so I would have to install stiffer springs to race it; but I have to do that with any bike. Handling is also very good. KTM’s light feeling is alive and well, and the bike is as narrow as ever. The biggest change is in how the bike turns. It cuts like a blade, and I always had confidence in the front end. In some past years that wasn’t always the case. I’ve got $6000 to spend on a new bike for 2007, and I’m spending it all on this bike!-Derek Steahly/6’1″/215 lb/WORCS AThe 2007 250 XC motor is a blast! In my mind, the SX model is the race bike and the XC is the trail bike, so I thought this bike would be sluggish. Wow, that thing is a rocket with its new motor, and I was way off with my trail bike assumption. This bike is light, nimble and responsive, and the power is smooth and usable. The setup allows far less wheelspin than I get with my converted 250 SX. It seems that this is a trait of all the XCs. The 250 XC is a great bike for tight racing/riding. KTM is keeping the two-stroke alive.-Rory Sullivan/5’9″/170 lb/WORCS Pro3OO XC-W
The KTM 300 is my favorite two-stroke of all time, and the ’07 is better than ever. I like to call the 300 a three-stroke, since the engine has such a smooth, strong and tractable delivery. It combines the best of four-stroke tractability and the instant zip of a two-stroke. With its wide-ratio transmission, smooth power and upgraded suspension, the 300 got through the chop and rocks of the Washougal trails with a smooth, unruffled manner than none of the four-strokes could manage. This bike is as light as a 250cc two-stroke, and it feels even lighter than it is. The clutch is insanely easy, with effortless engagement, and I know the engine is as tough as they come. And yes, I know it is an off-road model, but I like the 300 better on the MX track than any other two-stroke. If I wanted to moto one, I’d start with the normal XC, but even this plush W model was great on the Washougal track. This bike is a bit too much for some riders in super-tight Eastern woods, but I live in the wide-open West. The KTM is just one more reason to live on the West Coast!-Karel Kramer/6’1″/210 lb/Senior BWhat’s New
200/250/300 XC & XC-W
400/450 XC-W
Did you know that KTM makes three different off-road 400-450cc four-stroke motors for different models? The 450 XC and 450 XC-W engines are identical externally, but the XC is a 95.0×63.5mm bore and stroke engine and the XC-W has an 89.0×72.0mm bore and stroke. The 400 is a third arrangement using the 89.0mm piston with a 64.0mm stroke. All three machines share heads, cams and valves. As great as the XC is as a track/off-road mount, I prefer the longer-stroke 450 XC-W or even the 400 for serious off-road riding and racing. The 400 has a lighter feel in rapid side-to-side transitions thanks to the shorter stroke. It also has the smoothest and most electric power delivery of any four-stroke I’ve ridden. It is absolutely my choice for challenging East Coast riding. It may not be as exciting to ride as either 450, but it is more tractable and less tiring. The 450 XC-W is just easier to loft the front wheel on, and it requires less clutch for rapid corner exits. It still offers amazingly tractable power and plenty of good torque feeling in the low and middle rpm ranges. The W suspension suits my needs off-road, and I have no problem with the wide-ratio six-speed transmissions. I generally opt for lower overall gearing to make first an emergency gear when my plans for a tough section turn to junk. Plus, I like the closer overall spacing. Both of these engines are super-reliable with great longevity in general and zero valve problems. Did I mention the six-speed? It is so great to have a gear for literally every possible situation.-Karel Kramer/6’1″/210 lb/Senior BCompared to the 450 XC, the 450 XC-W is a gentle giant. The bike is fast and mellow all at the same time. It performed better on a grass track than any other bike I’ve ridden. The power delivery matched with the wide-ratio gearbox made the bike grip the earth like a champion. The suspension is a little softer than the 450 XC, so the whole XC-W package would work really well for smooth vet and tight-woods riders.-Rory Sullivan/5’9″/170 lb/WORCS Pro45O XC
The 450 XC is not as exciting to ride as either of the 250s, mostly because I like to find good lines and pick my own lines out off the beaten path. Compared with the two 250cc bikes, this one felt a little lazy. It was point and shoot, and it liked going in a straight line but didn’t like quick direction changes. In a way it picked the lines for you. It worked well at what it did, but I prefer the flickability of the smaller bikes. It liked the fast, open grass track sections better than the tight and twisties.-Derek Steahly/6’1″/215 lb/WORCS AThe 450 XC is an off-road weapon. The bike works in every aspect of motocross, desert and woods riding. I raced it in the Pro class at the WORCS Washougal round. The electric start is a bonus, and it was all I used. The gearbox is semi-close-ratio, which worked well for me (a motocross racer going off-road). I’m an aggressive rider, and the gearbox catered to that. The power was there in every way, but it was a lot smoother than the SX model. Although I was competing with a field of highly modified machines, the stock XC allowed me to work to third place in the pro qualifier. Then, in the two-hour pro race, I moved up to a solid fifth place. Coming into the final lap, with only factory-supported riders in front of me, I got a rear flat. There was an opportunity to change a rear wheel without losing a position, but I had already made a moto-guy mistake. I figured I was hydrated enough to race without a drink system, but I wasn’t. My race was over, even though the XC was still raring to go. I would recommend the XC for a racing-based crowd. Bottom line: The XC is amazing and will be a blast for any rider who loves electric power. I can’t think of another stock bike I could race so successfully at this level.-Rory Sullivan/5’9″/170 lb/WORCS ProWhat’s New
400/450/525 XC & XC-W
