VOL. 52 ISSUE 13 MARCH 31, 2015 P93
KTM didn't forget about the airbox,
either. There is more volume, and the air
boot between the filter and the throttle
body is made out of a new, lighter and
much harder material to prevent deform-
ing during changing air pressures. (KTM
thought of everything.) And to make your
life a lot simpler, they added two slots for
aligning the TwinAir air filter element onto
the cage during installation; this makes
it easier to install and, perhaps more
importantly, reduces the chance of miss-
alignment, which could have disastrous
results. All of this can be accomplished
without tools.
Although the radiators share the same
capacity and surface area as before,
KTM claims that they were able to
improve cooling efficiency 10 percent
by simply redesigning the radiator guard
for better air flow. The guards are also
sturdier and now double as braces for
the radiators.
The 250 SX-F Factory Edition bor-
rows its 44mm Keihin fuel-injection
system from its 450 SX-F FE brother.
Compared to the standard model, the
throttle cables connect directly to the
throttle body's butterfly valve, doing
away with linkages.
The benefit? Less weight and more
accurate throttle modulation.
To help reduce weight and improve
center of mass, the exhaust muffler is
40mm shorter and positioned 60mm
closer to the middle of the bike.
The 250 SX-F Factory Edition, like the
450 FE, features three-way engine map-
ping adjustments (stock, soft and hard),
two of these settings can be adjustable
via a switch on the handlebar. It also has
a programmable launch control system,
though it was not operational on our
early-model test bike.
The Factory Edition retains its electric
starting system but uses a lighter lithium
iron phosphate Samsung battery, which
is a significant 2.2 pounds lighter than
the previous Yuasa lead acid battery.
The new motor sits in an all-new
chromoly-steel frame that is nearly a
pound (13.4 ounces) lighter and features
20 percent increased torsional rigidity
and 30 percent decreased longitudi-
nal stiffness. KTM claims that these
changes help the frame to better absorb
energy created from rear wheel loads,
thus improving overall handling.
Head angle is steeper and the wheel-
base is 12mm shorter, as well.
The KTM's aluminum subframe is
slightly smaller and weighs 250 grams
(8.81 ounces) less. Other chassis
changes include larger and lighter
footpegs that are also self-cleaning
(they're designed to scrap away mud as
they move up and down, as does the
new shift-lever tip), and rubber-mounted
(Right) Much of the
Factory Edition's weight
savings comes via the
motor, which weighs 2.4
pounds less than the
standard motor.
(Left) The Factory Edition
has plenty of high-revving
power to pull you out of
the soft turns.
