Success in the 250cc four-stroke motocross bike division has a lot to do with a powerful engine, and that’s one reason why KTM’s 250 SX-F is a high achiever year after year. The 2026 model’s fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke 250cc single-cylinder engine produces class-leading figures of 41.8 hp and 19.7 lb.-ft. of torque, as measured by our in-house Dynojet 250i rear-wheel dynamometer. For comparison, that’s 1.0 hp more than Triumph’s TF 250-X and 0.2 lb.-ft. of torque more than GasGas’ MC 250F, which are runner-ups in peak horsepower and torque, respectively.
“KTM’s 250 SX-F is a frontrunner in engine performance,” test rider Michael Wicker said. “It’s smooth from low-end to midrange, likes to be ridden at high rpm, and is slightly stronger than its model-equivalent Austrian cousins, the Husqvarna’s FC 250 and GasGas’ MC 250F.”

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