VOLUME 59 ISSUE 11 MARCH 15, 2022 P117
Get in the rut and pin it, the
KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition
does what it's told.
dence for everything on the fast layout of
Fox Raceway, where we rode the bike for
the first time. Overall, the KTM's suspen-
sion feels more compliant than ever.
In my case, at 175 pounds, I'm admit-
tedly on the far end of the spectrum for
riding a 250, but the KTM's suspension
worked as expected or better for our first
few motos. Also worth noting is that WP
has incorporated new tool-less adjust-
ers on the shock to make adjustments
easier than ever. These plastic dials have
been a mainstay on the WP fork and now
come standard on the shock.
We noticed big-time changes in the
engine department. The KTM and the
other Austrian brands are known for their
ultra-long powerband that carries from
mid-to-top, arguably stronger than any
other bike in the class. Bottom end has
been a bit lacking, but if you ride these
bikes up in the revs and carry momentum,
you'll probably be fine. Well, the new Fac-
tory Edition took a different approach, and
you can certainly feel it. A larger bore and
shorter stroke give the bike some better
grunt down low while still maintaining that
strong 14,000 rpm rev limiter. You can feel
a difference in the pull as the low rpm's
tractor you out of an inside rut and into the
meat of the power without sacrificing that
top-end scream.
The two maps are also updated to work
cohesively with the new engine package.
Map one is still the standard map, with
map two being the more aggressive op-
tion. Previously the two felt very similar in
nature, almost hard to tell the difference to
an unfamiliar rider. Not anymore.
The hard-hitting character of map two
brings the small-bore KTM to life with
added punch down low and through the
mid-section of the power curve. Prior
generation KTM's tended to feel like a
