Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1187890
2020 K TM 250 XC-W TPI R I D E R E V I E W P100 transmission in the tight stuff. If you race an XC-W with stock gearing, you're going to have a big gap between second and third. First gear is for travers- ing rocky goat trails in Idaho, so you won›t use that much anyway. Second is good, but the jump to third is sometimes just a little too much. That's where the XC transmission comes in nicely as it shrinks some gaps and still gives you the sixth gear. At this point in TPI development, I'd confidently race the XC-W test bike I had, as-is, for an entire season of enduros. The regular gas situation is very convenient when you're hitting remote fuel stops. And it will take you a few races to get over how clean the engines burn—there is no trace of oil anywhere. Plus, as I keep saying, KTM is going to keep developing better performing TPI maps. They've gone from ultra-lean in our first tests back in 2017 to this highly competitive version. They're only going to get better. I love the chassis and sus- pension performance for the tighter terrain, and I can't imagine picking a better journeyman enduro weapon to use. ENDURO BIKE BUILD Enduro racing does lend itself to a bit more spe- cialized setup than most West Coast races do (like the WORCS round we raced). Here, the trees are real, and at times they're really close. Plus, you'll possibly be bouncing over logs and bashing into ditches and rocks, so protecting and preserving the machine is the goal here. Few have more experience protecting and deflecting enduro encounters than Enduro Engi- neering. If you need it for your off-road motorcycle, Enduro Engineering likely makes it. From full sus- pension service for top racers to handguards, they have you covered. Our test bike was fitted with the essentials. We had full-wrap handguards, a full skid plate, and a rear brake rotor guard—all semi-professionally installed by Mike Lafferty. You could ride a stock bike at an enduro and finish. But having these basic bits of protection/ insurance means you have a higher chance of finishing when things go sideways. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2020 KTM 250 XC-W TPI ($9799 ENGINE TYPE: ..... Water-cooled, 2-stroke, single DISPLACEMENT: ...............................249cc BORE / STROKE: ................. 66.4 x 72mm Starter System: Electric, Lithium-Ion 12 V 2 Ah TRANSMISSION: ........ 6-speed, wide-ratio FUEL SYSTEM: .........TPI, Dell'Orto 39mm throttle body LUBRICATION: ...................... Electronically Regulated Oil Pump PRIMARY RATIO: ................................26:73 FINAL DRIVE: ...................................... 13:50 CLUTCH: .......Wet Multi-Disc DDS Clutch, Brembo Hydraulics IGNITION: ....................... Continental EMS FRAME: .........Central Double-Cradle Type 25CrMo4 Steel SUBFRAME: ................................Aluminum HANDLEBAR: ..................... NEKEN, Aluminum Ø 28/22mm FRONT SUSPENSION: ...............WP XPLOR USD Ø 48mm REAR SUSPENSION: ... WP XPLOR Shock with PDS FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ...... 11.8 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ....... 12.2 in. FRONT BRAKE: .................... Single, 260mm disc REAR BRAKE: ...................... Single, 220mm disc FRONT WHEEL: ...................... 1.60 x 21 in. REAR WHEEL: ................2.15 x 18 in. Giant FRONT TIRE: ...........80/100-21 in. Dunlop Geomax AT81 REAR TIRE: ............. 110/100-18 in. Dunlop Geomax AT81 CHAIN: .....................................5/8 x 1/4 in SILENCER: ..................................Aluminum STEERING HEAD ANGLE: ................... 26.5º TRIPLE CLAMP OFFSET: .................. 22mm WHEELBASE: ........................58.3 ± 0.4 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: ................... 14.6 in. SEAT HEIGHT: .................................37.8 in. FUEL CAPACITY: .............................2.4 gal. CLAIMED WEIGHT (DRY): ...........227.9 lbs.