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/128375
ould the KTM 200 EXC be the ultimate off-road bike? It might very well be if light weight, tractability and great handling are what you value most in an off-road bike. As you probably already know, it is for these reasons, among others, that KTM has been the undisputed ruler of the small-bore off-road class ever since the 200 EXC made its debut in 1998, ripping the lightweight class reins right out of the Kawasaki KDX200's hands. And the 200 EXC has never been headed since - not even close. That is because the KTM 200 has continually undergone many updates to keep it at the top of the heap, while the KDX200, and the KDX220 for that matter, has since been content following in the KTM's dust, having taken on little in the way of improvements over the years. For 2005, the KTM 200 EXC has again taken on more noteworthy alterations - mainly to the frame - to make it C even more dominate in its class and even more competi- tive against the 250s, 300s and big-bore four-strokes it will also face on the trail. After all, it's the overall column in the results that really counts, isn't it? HOLD ON Just like it did when it first came out, the 2005 KTM 200 EXC is surprisingly fast, pumping out near 25Occ-like horsepower from its 125 SX-based motor. But over the years, the bike has improved in the tractability department. Despite being quite perky and a qUick rewer, the KTM's motor is remarkably manageable overall, hitting quite hard off the bottom, mellOWing out just a bit in the middle, and then picking up steam again on top. The motor is amazingly adaptive to many varying types of terrain, much of which has to do with it being unbelievably torquey for a small-bore two-stroke. When we rode our test bike over some extremely hilly terrain, the bike would torque its way up almost anything. We qUickly learned, however, to avoid the long, soft and sandy climbs, because sometimes there just is no substitute for pure horsepower. Yet, the little 200 carried us up some of those sandy hills farther than we would have ever guessed. As expected, the KTM's motor is very effective in the technical stuff. It pulls nicely out of the turns and gets you up to speed qUickly, and when things get rocky and slow going, the KTM can chug its way through anything. And you absolutely never have to worry about stalling it. But if you do, kick-starting the KTM is only a tick more of an inconvenience than pushing a button. 34 APRil 27, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS In a nutshell, it's the 200's power-to-weight ratio that really makes it so much fun to ride. At just 214 pounds (Without fuel), the KTM's potent motor has very little excess tonnage to haul around, and that translates into a highly maneuverable machine on the trail. We ran the KTM down some of the tightest, turn-stop to turn-stop switchbacks we know of, and it held its own, chasing a 450 four-stroke up and down the twisties while expending far less energy from its pilot. This thing just plain turns. The KTM is, overall, a good-handling machine. The bike sucks up everything in its path and feels remarkably sta- ble for such a light machine, but its light weight and qUick steering does make the 200 feel a little nervous at times, especially in the sand. Headshake, however, seems to be less of an issue than it did with the early KTM 2005. (It's been awhile since we last tested the 200.) Just for fun (and since we had one laying around),