SHOOTOUT I 2023 250cc FOUR-STROKE MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P88
quarters of an inch at the seat height. The orange
bike doesn't feel as low to the ground, and our
riders thought they could charge jumps and other
obstacles harder than on the Husqvarna.
The KTM's suspension continues to improve,
but not enough to get it onto the podium's
top step. New trampoline valves and improved
bottoming resistance in the WP Xact fork are
lightyears better than the air fork a few years
ago, but it still doesn't have that coil spring feel
we prefer. With a pneumatic spring up front, the
whole front end feels light and nimble at the
handlebars. This is a huge plus early in the day,
but it can feel harsh as the track wears out. You
must stay on top of the air pressure, just like tire
pressure, if you really want to fine-tune the KTM's
front end. Not a huge deal if you're willing to do it.
The KTM beats the rest of its Austrian
classmates due to the overall comfort that most
of our testers enjoyed.
