2 0 1 6 2 5 0 F M O T O C R O S S S H O O T O U T
P70
SHOOTOUT
O
kay, here's when things
start getting weird. When
it gets down to it, the 2016
Husqvarna FC 250 and KTM
250 SX-F are essentially the
same motorcycles. They roll
off the same assembly line
at the KTM factory in Austria
and perform identically on
the track; well nearly identi-
cally. When our Husky test
bike arrived, it already had a
few more miles on it than our
brand new KTM test bike, so
there was a bit of that fresh-
ness difference in feel, which
might explain why some riders
felt the two bikes felt a little dif-
ferent on the track, but when
it gets down to it, these bikes
are the same—except, for a
few minor things, the most
notable being the Husky com-
ing fitted with Dunlop MX52
tires, the KTM with MX32s;
the Husky having a composite
subframe, the KTM's alumi-
num, and the Husky having
a different airbox design.
They also have different
brake rotors, different clutch
manufacturers and, of course,
slightly different plastic and
colors. On the scale, the
Husky weighs about a pound
and a half more than the KTM
because of the heavier tires,
subframe and plastic. Plus,
the Husky has a tick more
peak power than the KTM,
which has to do with the dif-
ferent airbox and subsequent
airflow. (Both bikes share the
same muffler, which isn't the
case with the KTM and Husky
450s.)
So why did the Husky get
fourth and the KTM third?
Because ties are no fun! Even
hockey doesn't have ties
anymore (well, at least hardly
anymore). Basically, it came
down to tiebreakers, which
are very minor: We like the
MX32 tires on the KTM a little
better, the KTM is a pound
and a half lighter and costs
$100 less! Hey, it has to boil
COUNTDOWN
4
TH
PLACE
HUSQVARNA FC 250
down to something, right?
Yes, the Husky makes a wee
bit more power at ultra-peak
levels, but we'll take the lighter
weight and smaller price over
the tick extra power at a place
in the powerband that you'll
never really notice.
For the sake of repeating
ourselves, jump ahead to the
KTM spread and read why
these bikes tied, well, almost
tied, for third place.
