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/487891
2015 KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION FIRST RIDE P94 handlebars, which are made by Neken. Speaking of the handle- bars, they are now attached to reversible mounts, giving you fore and aft adjustability. WP, of course, handles sus- pension duties. The WP 4CS fork has been revised with more progressive valving, while the WP shock took on new settings to complement the new chas- sis and motor. It also has a new body with a larger reservoir, new piston and shock shaft, and it is overall 12mm shorter in length. However, new linkages, includ- ing a longer pull lever, results in 10mm more wheel travel. The swingarm is all-new, too. It has been designed with new flex characteristics and is a half- pound lighter than the standard's swingarm. Ergos have changed a bit. KTM dropped both the height of the handlebars and seat 10mm, and the footpegs have been lowered 4mm and moved back 5mm. Finishing touches include things like Excel rims, Galfer Wave brake rotors, CNC-ma- chined hubs, Dunlop Geomax MX32 tires, ODI lock-on grips, a gripper Selle Dalla Valle seat cover and factory Red Bull KTM Race Team graphics. T H E R I D E After just one lap on the 250 SX-F Factory Edition, a few things quickly came to mind—the high-revving and powerful motor, and its overall light weight. And when you put these things all together, whoa! The KTM is an impressive motorcycle. It's fast, light and handles extremely well, but it's the motor that grabs your atten- tion first. It revs like a 125cc two- stroke but with far more torque and pulling authority; you can easily tell this bike was designed for the pro—it's a revver. It's not meant to be ridden at slow speeds or to be putted around on—no, not this bike. It wants to be flogged and ridden hard, that's how it works best. After riding this bike for the first time, it doesn't surprise us seeing the new 250 SX-F Factory Editions getting holeshots in Supercross at the hands of factory racers Marvin Musquin and Josh Hill (and Andrew Short on the Fac- tory Edition 450). But, the motor is still somewhat forgiving; after all, it's still a 250F and the power is still rather linear and easy to control, so even novices will still enjoy this bike once they get used to not having a ton of power off the bottom to bail them out of trouble. It will certainly teach the beginner or novice how to use the clutch and to carry momen- tum through the turns. Luckily, the clutch is strong and has a light pull with good feel. Our one and only ride so far on the bike was on a fairly natural outdoor MX track with elevation changes, and the KTM felt right at home. It pulled the hills like they weren't there, and in the early-morning loam, the KTM ripped. When things dried out and became more hard-packed and slick later in the afternoon, The 2015 Factory Edition is a limited-edition model but will return much like it is now as next year's standard model.