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/126801
The KTM 250 MX is the lightest 250cc motocrosser for '85 at 212 pounds dry. New gas tank holds 2.4 gallons. (Above) Suspension needs a little work. (Below) The KTM's engine is very powerful and pipey. Carburetor is a 38mm Bing. We never had any problems Slarting the KTM. When cold, raising the choke knob and a couple of kicks with a small amount of tmoule brings itto life. Even though the short kickstarter is mounted on the left side, it is easy to use whether siuing on the bike or stanaing alongside. The KTM runs very cleanly even when cold, and it requires a short warm-up period. It sounds healthy and has a slightly-higher pitch than the Japanese 250s. Usually two hard runs through the gears brought the KTM up to racing temperature. Riding the KTM is a blast- it has tons of power and is very pipey. There is so much power that the front wheel loves to come off ~he ground when the throttle is wicked open. Mid-range and top-end are the motor's strongpoints; low-end is lacking some punch. However, the mid-range power 'comes on so early and strongly, that it almost makes up for that. Exiting tight, first gear turns, though, more low-end is needed. and the problem is worse becaus,e the clutch lever is hard to reach and pull in. This means the KTM will bog just enough to give the rider some problems in race situations. But once into the powerband, the KTM hooks up harder than moSl 250s and will make up for lost time. Most of the test riders who rode the bike like the KTM's power very much and felt it was one of the fastest 250s to date. A Pro-level rider thought the KTM was definitely faster than his personal '84 CR250 Honda at high rpm. Getting the KTM off the starting gate cleanly requires a lot of practice and finesse, especially when there is from KTM technicians that the transmission oil must be replaced after every race to help eliminate the shifting problem. They also recommend using Torco oil for the job. The transmission gear ratios are tight - there are no gaps between gears. The KTM can be short-shifted comfortably, but it works best when each gear is wrung out to the maximum before clicking up another cog. While the KTM's strong point is the motor, its weak point is the suspension; however, that doesn't mean it is bad. The rear suspension - in stock form - is okay for the Beginner The upside down White Power 4050 fork works well. good traction. If the clutch is just dumped of( the line the front end will come straight up; it's the same i,f the bike is given a heavy dose of throule when it is barely rolling. The rider must keeps his weight over the handlebars and use delicate clutch work to do it right. If it is done right, holeshots will be a dime a dozen on the KTM. Back to the cI u tch. One of the reasons the clutch lever was so hard to pull in on our KTM was because the cable was slightly tweaked, but even when it was brand new, the clutch was still too hard to disengage. However, we were told by KTM spokesmen that shortening (not lengthening) the clutch actuating arm would help out a great deal. Lighter clutch springs would also benefit. The last problem we had with the clutch happened only when the motor was cold - after dropping the transmission into first gear at a stahdstill, the clutch would drag. Even when warm, it is best to wait until the lasi possible moment before putting the KTM into first or second while waiting for the green flag, or the starting gate, to drop. We were never too happy with the KTM's transmission. After a few hours on the bike, missed shifts were becoming more common. Under a full load. the KTM would not shift very well at all when using the clutch - it shifts 100% better without the clutch and with the gas completely of(. Even then it didn't shift all that smoothly. To make things worse, after a missed shift it usually took a couple of healthy jabs at the shift-lever to get it back into gear. In a race this would waste a lot of time. We found out .. 'i ..•.> CAN-AM HONDA or Novice rider, but for the Intermediate and Pro level rider, we found the rear suspension needs work. At slower speeds, the rear end soaked up the bumps quite well, and it rarely swapped. Even in fast trail-riding the KTM had a positive feel, but on a rough motocross track, the KTM's back end would bottom harshly and do an occasional swap. When it bottomed, the rear tire would kiss the fender and leave a nasty black rubber mark. Over rolling whoop-dee-doos, the rear suspension held a straight HUSQVARNA (Contilwed to page 28) M-STAR 12 12 11.8 11.8 --Front • .I: :I-R••r 13.8 13.5 12.6 1 218 218 212.8 1---------------------$2 95----t-----------$2803----------'-= _ _ _ 82498 16 _ KTM