VOL. 54 ISSUE 18 MAY 9, 2017 P117
250 EXC-F
There isn't another 250cc dual-sport
bike on the market that can even start
to compare to the 2017 KTM 250
EXC-F. No other manufacturer pro-
duces a 250 dual-sport based heavily
on a 250F motocross bike like this.
KTM's new 250 EXC-F is the new
standard for what a 250 dual-sport
can be. The 250 EXC-F is a pleasant
surprise.
Despite its smaller displacement,
it's quite good both on the tarmac
and dirt. It supplies a decent amount
of pep and offers plenty of power
out on the trail. Like its motocross
brother, the 250 produces most of
its power through the mid and way
up into the high-revving top-end. Its
overall light weight and flickable chas-
sis make the 250 EXC-F a pure joy
to navigate in tight, single-track trails.
It has plenty of power to wheelie
when needed. In deep sand and big
hillclimbs, however, the 250 strug-
gles a bit, but that's to be expected.
In these conditions, it just doesn't
have the power when compared to
the 350 and 500. The little 250 also
labored a bit to keep up on the longer
asphalt sections of our 115-mile loop,
especially if there was a headwind.
It will pull 65 mph on flat ground in
no wind, but we don't recommend
battling it out on the freeway with big
rigs and distracted drivers on the 250
The "little" EXC
is most happy
looking for
technical trails.
