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/1541594
I n the 1970s, two-stroke en- duros gave riders two motor- cycles for the price of one. They were fun to ride, easy to maintain, and adequate for on- and off-road use. In October of 1973, Cycle News put two such machines to the test, pitting the Montesa King Scorpion 250 against the Yamaha DT 250 in a comparison battle. With mark - edly different approaches from these manufacturers, the staff soon discovered that one of these motorcycles was better suited for the street, while the other seemed more at home in the dirt. These two motorcycles may have shared the same objective, but that might've been all they had in common. The Yamaha DT had been around since 1968, and it had matured into a stable and dependable mount. An upswept exhaust on a dirt bike was still something to be lauded back in the day, so Yamaha was already plus one in this comparison. The DT waited until it revved high into its rpm range to deliver its most torque, while mild, and trials tires helped it deliver a smoother ride on the asphalt. Six thousand miles away, the Spanish were offering up a slightly different take on the con - cept of an enduro motorcycle, beginning with the downswept exhaust, "which leaves much of the expansion chamber exposed to rocks and logs," according to CN, though a fiberglass skid plate offered some protection. Connected upstream from that pipe was an engine that "is basi - cally identical to their motocross powerplant, with a smaller car- buretor, longer piston skirt and lower compression, the only real differences." The King Scorpion crawled on knobby tires, which likely translated into a rump- rattling road ride. Both machines offered an oil injection system, again, a big deal for '70s two-strokes. You might've guessed that the Yama - ha was better outfitted with the modern niceties of that era, but CNIIARCHIVES P116 BY KENT TAYLOR The Spanish manufacturer Montesa, best known for its trials bikes and motocrossers, also produced enduro bikes, such as the King Scorpion we tested in 1973. EVERYONE'S A WINNER King Scorpion vs. DT 250