2015 KTM 250 SX-F
FIRST RIDE
P72
It's no secret that FI adds weight to a
motor, but this was also the same year
that the 250 SX-F got linkage rear suspen-
sion and electric starting, which are also
weight-gaining culprits, so that didn't help
matters much. As a result, the KTM went
from being the lightest bike in its class to
the heaviest pretty much overnight. Even
though the bike didn't lose a ton of top-
end power (usually a normal side-effect
of FI), it felt slower and more sluggish on
the track than the 2010 KTM did—mostly
because of the extra pounds it was now
carrying. (According to KTM's numbers,
in 2010 the 250 SX-F had a claimed dry
weight of 216 pounds; that number shot
(Top left) Probably the biggest improvement
over the previous model is the swap to the WP
4CS fork. (Left) The rear suspension received
a fairly significant overhaul. The now-longer
shock gets new valving and linkages that
offer a flatter progression with a higher initial
rate. The result? Better traction and stability.
KTM continues down the
refinement road with the
2015 250 SX-F.
