VOL. 55 ISSUE 27 JULY 10, 2018 P97
tures are these days. To me, the
AER 48 is simpler to adjust and
actually less complicated.
KTM slimmed up the body-
work and slapped on a really
nice new seat this year. Our
faster test riders commented on
how they can slide up the bike
much easier now in corners
thanks to the seamless transi-
tions in frame-to-bodywork.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you're in the market for the
lightest, most maneuverable
250 four-stroke motocross bike,
the KTM has to be at the top
of your list. It is still arguably
the leader in the class when it
comes to the highest level
of componentry on board.
It has great racing legacy and
a history of taking the abuse of
competition in stride. For 2019,
transmission components are
all-new and supposedly more
durable thanks to KTM's sister
company Pankl providing the
goods. The diaphragm-spring
(DS) clutch is nice on the big-
ger-bore bikes, so we expect
good things here, as well. And
KTM's common move to update
nearly everything in pursuit of
more performance ensures this
bike is a better 250 SX-F than
last year's.
In the modern motocross era,
no manufacturer has made big-
ger strides in performance than
KTM. There's no reason to think
this 250 SX-F won't continue
that upward trend. CN
The rider controls the
KTM, not the other
way around.
S P E C I F I C A T I O N S
2019 KTM 250 SX-F ($8999)
ENGINE: ............. Liquid-cooled, DOHC,
4-valve, 4-stroke, single
COMPRESSION RATIO: .................14.4:1
DISPLACEMENT: ...................... 249.9cc
BORE X STROKE: ............78 x 52.3mm
STARTING SYSTEM: ................. Electric
TRANSMISSION: ...................... 5-Speed
CLUTCH: .................DS, wet multi-disc,
Brembo hydraulically actuated
FUELING: ......................Keihin EFI, 44mm
throttle body
FRAME: .... Central double cradle type,
chromoly steel central-tube frame
HANDLEBARS: ..........Neken, aluminum
FRONT SUSPENSION: ....WP-USD, AER
48 fork, fully adjustable
REAR SUSPENSION: ........link-mounted
WP shock, fully adjustable
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ..............11.8 in.
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ................11.8 in.
FRONT BRAKE: ..... Single 260mm disc
REAR BRAKE: ....... Single 220mm disc
WHEELBASE: ............................ 58.5 in.
GROUND CLEARANCE: ...............14.6 in.
SEAT HEIGHT: ............................37.4 in.
FUEL CAPACITY: ......................1.84 gal.
CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: .........218.2 lbs.
