Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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teristics like that which make for a trade-off that results in a tie. The reason I hate shootouts is because I have to choose a last-place finisher, and this year the KTM is the last bike that I would race at the two sites at which we tested. On the flip side, I'd choose the KTM first if I were going to race it off-road, for many reasons. The SX has the trickest parts, hands down, such as the new daisy-shaped disc brakes, the hydraulic clutch and the nickel-plated pipe, but it also has little quirks that just don't fly at Sunrise and Glen Helen as well as the other bikes. However, as I said before, I strongly believe that an experienced rider would leam to adapt to any of these machines and go on to win races, but before choosing which bike he is going to race, he should consider each manufacturer's race contingency program. That persuades me while purchasing a bike almost as much as the overall performance of the machine. - Matt Freeman Name Weight Height Kit Palmer 160 Ibs. 6'1 .. Age dies great, I feel very comfortable on it, its brakes and other controls are top-notch, and it's bulletproof. If I had to gamble on which machine would still be around and running after a nuclear war, I'd pick the CR. The KX and the YZ tie for third. I felt like I exerted the same amount of energy on either one of these machines and overall rode the same speed. The KX's front brake is sluggish like a wet sponge, but to me the YZ fork is not up to par with the KX's new internal bladder unit. It is charac- 38 Occupation: Riding ability of these bikes possess excellent qualities that shine in every all-important category, such as suspension, power and overall handing. I could race any one of these three bikes and be happy, but, in the long run, I would probably be most happy on the Yamaha. The Yamaha simply just felt right for me, from its exceptionally strong and manageable motor to its stable chassis to its powerful brakes. Even though some riders complained of the Yamaha's somewhat cramped handlebar/ footpeg/seat relationship, I was not one of them. Strangely enough, I thought the YZ fit my lanky frame just fine, as did the somewhat undersprung suspension for my relatively light 160 pounds. Whether or not the YZ is really the best bike of these five is definitely debatable, but I can safely say that the Yamaha is the best for me. Yet, I must admit that it was a tough choice for me between the Yamaha and the Honda. I really liked the CR's narrower profile, more manageable power delivery and improved handling over last year's model, which is far more forgiving than before. But for some reason that I just couldn't pinpoint, I just felt a little more confident on the Yamaha than I did on the Honda. Obviously, there's nothing scientific here. Perhaps the Honda is just so good that I couldn't utilize its full potential, which might explain why many of the riders more skilled than I preferred the Honda. Editor .vet Novice MX/ A Enduro rider For me, three of the five 250s in this shootout stand out in my mind: the Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha. All three eye I e n e _ S • JANUARY 12. 2000 25