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/126454
E • ~ E o 00 0') r-I Impression KTM's potent 25 By Terry Whytal The first thing you notice about the 1980 KTM line of MXers is the all new color scheme and modern style graphics. Even from a distance the bikes really stand out and, despite the overly iarge engine and obtrusive rear fender, could be considered quite pretty. Motocross raceS aren't won on lTopl With the umk anclsaat removed. the heavlly-reinforced frame is quite apparent-IAbovel Bllmin shocks mount on extruded aluminum •. swingarm.IBelowl Engine contains plenty of top-end zip. 10 looks however, so we were very inter· ested when KTM America service manager Rod Bush offered to bring the new 250cc model out from Ohio for us to test. After unloading the bike Rod showed us the KTM's new features. The air/spring front forks are Mar· zocchi witlT 38mm tubes and new damping rods. The damping rods have an all new oil passage design and are also one inch longer, which brings the suspension movement up to a respectable 11.8 inches. KTM brought the steering head angle half a degree inward, compen-sating for the longer front end and keeping the wheelbase the same at 56.8 incbes. _ Bilstein gas-pressurized shocks suppoT! the rear end of the bike and provide 11.8 inches of rear wheel travel but are not rebuildable, The Bilsteins are mounted on an allnew extruded aluminum swingarm and laid down in the standard canti· lever manner. The frame is all chromoly and the main tube members are a healthy 2mm in wall thickness. All pans of the frame are triangulated and gusseted. with fairly decent machine welds. The engine displaces 245.5cc and is fed by a 38mm Bing carb and fired by Motoplat electronics. The new barrel has three boost ports and huge finning, per KTM tradition, The engine weighs in at only 57!-2 pounds with carb, helped in part by an all aluminum clutch hub and basket which saves two pounds from the old steel model. The hubs are cast magnesium laced to Sun rims and help keep the total weight of this Austrian-made beauty down to 218 pounds dry, a drop of eight pounds from last yea r's model. Fine attention to detail is shown in the use of nylock self-locking nuts everywhere on- the bike and folding brake and shift levers keep the bike up to date. Top quality Magura levers adorn the handlebars as does the new Magura circular throttle assembly. Bush reassembled the bike, topped off the 2.1 gallon tank and we headed for the track. When getting on the bike, one immediately notices that it is a tall bike and the rider sits quite high, deSpite the fact that KTM lowered the seat one inch from last year. It is not quite as tall as the new Honda or Suzuki RM, but higher than a Maico or Yamaha. The transition from seat to tank is smooth and the rider can easily slide forward onto the tank for tight inside turns. Which, incidentally, is what the KTM liked to do best. The bike would feel uncomfonable using the big. outside monorail type berms and always try to turn to the inside. If the rider chose the tight inside line through the turn the KTM would go exactly where aimed with the front end steering precisely and the Metzeler tire ~ipping