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/807150
2017 KTM 250 XC FULL TEST P108 their motocross bikes, they are the first to do so in the off-road world and the AER 48 is great on the trail or track. Some feel that they are a little harsh on slap down-type landings, but that is not an issue on the trail. And the rear suspension is equally good in stock form so most riders will not feel a need to modify the suspension out of the box. The XC's also use an 18-inch wheel (better than a 19-inch for off-road traction with more sidewall flex), kickstand and a large 2.6-gallon tank, which is also translucent, making it easier to fill and see how much fuel you have left out on the trail. The stock tank will get most people 50-60 miles of range depend- ing on how fast the pace is. The 250 XC, and we aren't the only ones—so is Taddy Blazusiak. We asked him to ride our bike to give us some of his input; after all, Taddy is a five-time AMA En- duroCross Champion, a six-time FIM SuperEnduro Champion and a five-time winner of the bru- tally tough Erzberg Rodeo Hare Scramble, so he knows a thing or two about riding motorcycles. Although he recently retired, he still loves to ride. "For sure a factory bike is a different level, but this thing straight out of the box is really amazing," he said of the box- stock XC. "The trail today is really good and grippy, so it was great conditions for riding a two- stroke. "I was surprised at how good KTM two-strokes are now actually smoother off the bottom, making them easier to control in technical terrain. Not only is KTM keeping two-strokes in its arsenal, it's also improving them. One of our favorite updates to the 250 XC is the addition of a counter- balancer. dropped the needle one position (moved the clip to the second of five grooves from the top) to lean it out a little. We also set the airscrew at the back of the car- buretor near the air boot at three turns out. KTM recommends a 60:1 oil ratio with Motorex Crosspower 2T oil. That's right 60:1. It feels weird mixing oil that thinly but it works! With all of these settings, the bike was much better than stock. It is still a little rich and more sensitive to altitude and weather condi- tions than the old Keihin but it is good. If you are riding in higher speed conditions, it is not really an issue. Staying true to their lineage, the new XC two-stroke models come with linkage rear suspen- sion similar to the SX (motocross models) and the new WP AER 48 air fork. The stock settings are great for aggressive trail rid- ing and stiff enough to ride on a motocross track for most rid- ers. While KTM was one of the last OEMs to adopt air forks for only off-road item missing is a skid plate to protect the frame/ engine/water pump and this is something you should buy before you leave the dealership. Apparently, everyone else thinks so, because we're done with the test and the precautionary plate we ordered is still on backorder. Luckily, we didn't bash the bike! As you can tell, we are very impressed with the 2017 KTM