VOLUME 59 ISSUE 26 JUNE 28, 2022 P105
bly was evened out by adding
a battery and e-start system.
The biggest advantage
we feel with the fuel injected
two-strokes, aside from no
jetting, is the crispy throttle
response. There's hardly any
lag or bog and the throttle
is practically connected to
the rear wheel, similar to the
four-stroke machines. The 125
feels incredibly torquey for a
small-bore two-stroke but fell
a bit flat towards the top. The
250 has a strong bark down
low, and that meaty two-stroke
sound is guaranteed to put a
smile on your face. The techs
did revise the EFI settings after
the KTM RedBud intro, and
we didn't feel as comfortable
on either of the Husqvarnas.
Both TCs felt more pingy and
less girthy in the mid to top
and needed to be shifted more
often. But remember, these
bikes are still in the final
testing stages and don't
go into full production
until September.
DIFFERENCES/
WRAP UP
In year's past, differences
between the Husqvarna and
the KTM have been obvious.
Different components like
brakes or clutch highlighted
one brand over the other. The
Husqvarna has been seen
as the more premium offer-
ing with the higher price tag,
while the KTM was the flag-
ship "Ready To Race" brand.
Now in 2023, the two bikes
are more similar than they've
ever been and it's almost hard
to tell the two apart. Aside
from the lowered suspension,
which makes the Husky feel a
bit more planted, there's only
a few small differences be-
tween the Austrian machines.
The Husqvarnas are spec'ed
with ProTaper bars (Neken on
the KTM), a smoother seat
cover, sealed airbox,
and different shaped/
colored bodywork (the
KTM has more aggres-
sive-looking shrouds,
and the Husqvarna has
a plastic shock cover panel).
The Husky is geared more to-
wards the vet rider who wants
something not quite as tall, or
a smoother power delivery.
With only $100 more for the
white bikes, it will likely come
down to which color fender
you like looking at most.
CN
cover, sealed airbox,
and different shaped/
colored bodywork (the
KTM has more aggres
sive-looking shrouds,
Husqvarna offers
two MX two-stroke
models (TC 125
and 250) and both
are fuel injected.
