Ttoks
Posted 13 December 2008 – 01:23 AM
well as of today i’ve spent a bit of time on each, all 09 modles.
the bench marks are an 08 RM 250, 07 KTM 250 EXC-F and and 08 450 EXC-R, just quickly the 250 4 stroke is quite an agressive little engine, weak bottom end that build’s very smoothly into a screaming top end with plenty of over-rev, deseptivly fast little bike, very easy to move quickly on with decent suspention, the 450 on the otherhand is a very versitle engine, plenty of bottom end, but builds up into a good very user friend,y mid range, with a strong, but kinda pointless top end, good for long powerslides but your better off short shifting then revving it, quite a heavy feeling bike as well, war’s me out very quickly when riding it, and the RM 250 is what you’d expect from a 250 2t mxer, snappy, very responsive, an hit’s powerband very hard if your not ready for it, but is surprisinly strong on the bottom, not great in stall resistance without a FWW but if your quick on the clutch it can be quite good in ST.
so onto the KTM 2 strokes
the 200 was an alright little bike, but to be honest it didnt feel all that much more powerful then the 250 EXC-F, a little more mumbo up top but the bottom end felt quite similar but with better stall resistance, the handling was supurb in tight stuff, very light, but the forks would deflect off of roots, and the steering felt quite heavy (stock PV and ignition settings) i came into the ride very optimistic but it didn’t really WOW me like i thoguht it would.
the 250 i must admit was almost brand new, only 30 miles on it when i took it over (dealer demo bike), had the red PV spring in it, a pipe gaurd on it and some bark buster. but otherwise stock, the engine was interesting, the bottom end is quite strong, very easy to lug through the tight stuff or ride off the pipe, but the midrange was dead, just hit a flat spot, at this point there were two options, clutch and get her revving into the massive top end, or click up again and lug it, either way it made it very hard to flow on it, the ignition mapping set to the less agressive setting helped but was still left with a midrange hole, the suspention however, evan though not evan broken in was much plusher and easier to live with then the 200’s (which had 40 hours one it when i rode it), i feel the yellow PV spring would do this bike wonders, but as i have it atm it’s a bit awkward.
and the 300, i absolutally love this bike, the particular bike i rode belongs to a friend of my fathers, as i rode it had the yellow PV spring in, a hyde pipe gaurd/bashplate, barkbusters and rad gaurds, the bottom end is very powerful, it’s very smooth. will lug down below idle and pull away without a hastle, but i love the deivery from this point on, it just builds, very liniar, the midrange had a bit of a hit which i liked, but notihng like my RM 250 (which i also like), and built into an awesome powerful top end, but with less overrevv then the 250 EXC-E, and with nothing on my RM 250, the suspention was very plush compared to what i’m used to, i could wheelie over bumps and whoops and hardly feel them or hit them and full speed with the front and glide over them without a hastle, i imagien that the 250’s suspention will build into something very similar once properly broken in, i very much like the suspention once the sag’s set, the 300 is without a doubt my pick of the KTM’s.
all out seat of the pants power wise, i feel the 200 EXC is only slightly more powerful then a 250 EXC-F, the 250 EXC-E is a step above, but not out of this would more powerful, a lot more bottom end then the 200, but the 200 rev’s like a banshee, the 300 would be next, my favurite of all i’ve ridden, and really quite similar to my fathers 450 EXC-R, the 450 has a littler more snap just off idle, but doesnt lug as lower as the 300, and once the 300 get’s into the midrange theres little in it, and on top end the 450 dies off while the 300 keeps pulling, and finelly as the benchmark my RM 250 is similar in bottom end to the 250 EXC, but it’s hits band like a ton of bricks and pulls right up top to a massive over rev, not very user friendly, but still more all out umph then the 300 or 450 has to offer, great on open tracks, and with a fly wheel weight excellnt in tighter track, but doesnt have the same feel of the 300.
opinion of a 135 pound 17 year old off roader, terain is a lot of single track, technicle hills and some fire trails to conect trails, my next bike will be a KTM 300.
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