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/127853
~_I The U ateFACSMachine!
ltim
T
the one thing we did put to the test was
the clutch - and it held up very well.
The wide-ratio, six-speed transmission will keep your left foot busy, but
there 's a gear for every situati on. Shifting action is positive.
.
A steeper steering angle mad e it easier to carv e th e 200 through the tu rns.
Just point it and go.
Overall handling is good and stable.
It' s not nearly as twitchy and overly sensitive as the KDX, which is a real advantage on tigh t, skinny trails with rocks.
The KDX glances off rocks, while the
KTM is more ap t to plow right through
them.
.
Other important items - like brakes performed just fine. The front, dual-pisto n disc b rake had g ood s to p p in g
C
ycle N on the nternet
ews
po wer, as did the sing le-piston rear disc,
bu t the rear was a little touchy, resulting
in more th a n a co uple engine s talls.
Luckily, the new right-side kick design
on the smaller KTM engines made getting the bik e resta rted quickly easily
accomp lished.
The KTM's ergonomics are as good
as they come. However, the bike is a little on th e tall side at a 36.4-inch sea t
height, and the sea t padding itself is
way - and we mean way - too har d. We
certainly wou ld not want to spend six
days o n this brick. Howeve r, KTM
promised us that th e p roduction seats
on the orange bikes will be softer. We
ean only hope.
So, overall, how does this bike compare to the KDX? Without a doubt, the
KTM 200 E/XC and the Kawasaki
KDX200 is going to be the comparison
of the year, and this could very well be
the end of the KDX'. reign.
.."
1997 KTM 200EIXC
LE Jackpiner
enews.com
Specifications
Engine type . . .Single cylinder. 2·strol