VOL. 52 ISSUE 24 JUNE 16, 2015 P79
2016 KTM 250 SX-F
Last year's KTM SX-F's claim to
fame was its outstanding (i.e.
"fast") motor. On our dyno, only
one bike last year made more
power than the KTM, and that
was the Husky, which uses the
same motor as the KTM. Unfor-
tunately for the competition, the
KTM only got faster when the
Factory Edition 250 SX-F came
out. Now that bike is the standard
2016 250 SX-F.
Yes, the new 250 SX-F is very,
very fast, which is great, but the
really good news is that it now
has torque and more bottom end!
This motor is going to be tough
to beat.
As important as pure horse-
power is in the 250 class, it's not
everything. Last year, its so-so
chassis and spikey fork held
the KTM back a bit. The KTM's
chassis, however, has—like its
motor—seen a complete overhaul
for 2016. The frame is lighter (as
is the motor) and has new dimen-
sions and flex characteristics,
and the results are a much agile
and quicker-steering motorcycle.
You can feel the difference right
away.
The WP 4CS fork did feel a
little better than it did last year but
was hardly tested on the smooth
Ironman track. It did, however,
soak up the track's large jumps
quite well.
More bottom end and torque
make a world of difference for the
new 250 SX-F.
