Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

CN 00 O'l Impression: KTIf 250/" XC . , Austrian all-rounder By Karel Kramer Many of us have suffered the consequences of the "big brother" or "big sister" syndrome. You know the one: Your less than favorite school warden/teacher peers over her spectacles at you, a difficult task with her nose as far in the air as it commonly resides in your presence, and informs you ". 28 that .when your older sibling was there, they were everything that you. in her opinion, aren't. '. KTM's new 250 Pro-Lever cross country has it' worse than you ever did. With the advent of KTM's 495 (Lookee, Harold, the same frame and twice as much motorl) the lowly 250 has all but faded from the view of the potential buyer. The overshadowing . is a shame, because KTM still builds a fine 250. Our test bike is one of the three models of 250s that come from the Austrian factory this year. Ours was a six-speed, wide ratio cross country or desert and off road model, designated the 250/11 Xc. Also offered are a five-speed ProLever motocrosser and a twin shock enduro bike. The MX and XC models share the same frame. There are few bikes on the market today that have tJie all around aplomb that the KTM has. In these days of specialization, here's a bike that can compete satisfactorily in motocross. enduros, desert races and crosscountry ' - where its strongest suit lies - and still make a fine trail bike, On top of its other talents, th e KTM comes equipped with the ,, ~~ of arrrsvwies and a variety of options are availahk to help it lead such a dual life.. On the negative side of the slatr ~ a high price tag and some small poblons like those that come SIOdr OIl aU bikes that come from manufaaURl'S that use a small, elite desi~ tram. F.....-. Whro the KTM first rolled out o f the van. it was a very striking motorqdc.. Whitr bodywork is set off by ~ that coats the fork sliders and fr.unc.. early everything else on the bUr is finished in simple aluminum in its polished or cast state. Ben eath the or.mgc Paint is a chromoly steel tubular fr.unt: that appears, and is, light and soong_ The frame is very spartan. housing no excess brackets 01' gussdting. and has a removeable RaJ' frame subsa:tion. SirKr the coming of single shock sn5J'"'~ JCU' frames have been Rduad in purpose and strength to ~ as SClt aDd airbox supports. Conwquently they are frequently bent up in the life of a normal dirt bike. To be able to R1Dove it and straighten it srems to be a plus. The rear frame can also be loosened, rotated back and the airbox washed out at the car wasIL , p front., a Marzocchi telescopic .. _f~ ~.~Iy 1O!i.~ ~rr, t~~~ .trav- els 300mm, around 12 inches. Our forks got better with use and fiddling. We went to five weight oil, five and a half inches from the top of the tu bes with the fork compressed. We got the action working well to soak up bumps, but rebound was a bit too quick. In the rear, a single Fox Factory Twin-Clicker shock controls the action of the aluminum swingarm. The shock also worked much better after break-in. Travel in the rear is hair short of 13 inches. A black-painted handlebar wit Magura controls sits atop the tripl clamps. KTMs come with Magur shorty levers. We fitted longer ones t aid in pulling the stiff clutch and t help put the squeeze on the rath limp-wristed front brake. While on subject of brakes, the brakes at bot ends had good feel and the back w strong enough. Both wheels prove . strong and are very light, contribu ing to an overall feathery feeling t our 250. It felt like one of the ligh te ' 250cc motocrossers we have encou tered in recent experience. Wrapped around th e Sun rims a a pair of the tire industry yardstick MetzeJers. As expected, they we excellent. . We tested our bike with two g' tanks. For motocross we used t standard two and a half gallon mode which was good for tw o 45 rninu r Expert motos , and for cross-country desert and enduros we used the 0 tional three and a half gallon mod e We don 't like to check fu el eco nom y at the risk of walking in the desert, sc we can only say that the KTM did 4C mile loops on what ap peared to be less than a half tank of fuel. The XC has the same basic m o to r as other 250 KTMs but is fitted wi th a six-speed, wide ratio gearbox. A lig h ting coil and heavier external flywh eel ignition are also different and th ese items together are what make th e KTM such a fine all-rounder. The transmission has very well spaced ratios that accommodate most cross country and off-road situations. The engine pumps a fine brand of horsepower through the six -speeder. It comes on very smoothly and will actually work down low with a bit of throttle control. Hills of pretty fai l grade can be climbed out of the powerband. The power curve drops off on the top, but stir the gearbox and keep the XC in its healthy mid range punch and prepare to mov out. : In power robbing situations yo realize that the KTM is not makin the 43 horsepower that they claim Most of the Japanese motocrosser have more power, but none seem t pull it noticeably unless in a situa tion where the gear spacing is wrong In a tacky mud race, the power differ ence was noticeable. The engine is small and breathe through a Bing carburetor. The sin Specifications Engine Type air-cooled. single-cylinder two-stroke. Bore and stroke 71 x62mm. Displacement _.245.5cc. Performance 43 hp (DIN) @ 7800 rpm. Clutch Multiple disc clutch in oil bath. Transmission Six-speed slaw actuated. Ignition system. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Solid-state thyristor ignition system. Carburetor 38mm Bing Type 54. Frame Type Central chromoly steel tubular frame . Front suspension/travel Central Fox Twin-Clicker shock absorber with Pro Lever linkage to rear swing arm with needle bearing/12.9 in. Front tira/brake 3.00x21 Metzeler/internal expanding shoe type. Rear tire/brake 4.25x18 Metzeler/internal expanding shoe type. Dimensions Overall length Overall width Wheelbase Steering angle , Fuel tank cap.city Suggested retail price 3.6 gallon fuel tank , ; : . 1 " ••, . 85 in. 34.25 in. 57.87 in. 27 degrees. 2.2 gal. $2703. $99.95 ., .. .. e • •• ~

• Cover