Posts
14
Joined
1/21/2014
Location
Agoura Hills, CA, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/24/2014 10:50pm
Hey everyone, I am looking into buying either a 125 or 250 2 stroke. I was curious to everyones opinion on which 2 strokes are the best. I know Yamahas are probably the best with KTM a close second but how are the rest of the bikes, and what are good years? Thanks for the help.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
I also have an older 03 RM 125 and that thing is sweet as well. The motor isn't as strong as the yz or ktm 125 but it handles awesome.
Everyone raves the Ktm engine is better. I think it's because they come with a vforce stock. Slap a vforce on the Yamaha and the bike noticeably picks up equally as strong as the Ktm off the showroom.
I've rode the KTMS. They feel taller, not as much distance from seat to handlebar kinda feeling if that makes sense. They handle well and pull hard.
I love my 06 yz 125. Thing rips. I plan on keeping this bike for eternity. I changed the 7/8 bars to pro tapers with the riser adaptor. Bad idea, the bike handles better with 7/8. The pro taper and risers feel like they offset the bar position way too drastically. But the newer models don't have 7/8 clamps so that is fixed.
I loved my 08 yz250. The bike soaked up high point rough with ease, cornered beautifully, and neer faltered confidence when coming in heavy to hard packed corners. No front end push ever and I used stock triple clamps. Was planning on keeping it for eternity. Until some asshole decided he was gonna take and it destroy it for all eternity.
You can't go wrong either way. The suzukis handle great as well.
Here's a '13 for $6k in Texas. http://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2013-Yamaha-YZ250-107937693
Pit Row
I went with the 2013 ktm250sx
pros-
*Incredible motor, no mods on mine and the thing rips. It's alittle flat in the over revs but that can be changed with gearing or pipe
* Come's stock with upgraded parts (that's what sold me) v force reed valve, good chain and sprokets, billet hubs, and of course the brakes, no jap. bike comes close.
*Good reliability, put over 35 hours my bike this year and the only thing to go wrong was the stock pipe cracked. But that is a common issue. I put a tire and set a rear brake pads on, that's all I did all year. Pulled the piston out and it's still in spec but I got a new on anyway
Cons-
*If you have never ridden a ktm they tend to feel weird at first, they sit tall. My friend who is shorter then me has always had rms. We switched bikes one weekend, and he couldn't get use to my bike.
*Suspension- same as above, I haven't sent mine out yet, I have ridden ktms and huskys before so I'm use to it. I'm going to put presh oil in the forks and mess around with the air gap. If I still cant get it where I want it I will send it out
*Stock pipe will crack sooner or later, get a new one. I got one free from ktm somehow but I will go with a fmf soon
If you prefer the feel of a jap. bike I would say go with the yz, they are much easier to set up.
However, you wont get all the goodies that come with the ktm and also it's been the same for many years.
If I had to pick another 2 stroke besides those two I would def. go with the rm250 hands down.
Regarding prices as mentioned above, when I was looking at 2013s I got my KTM for a few hundred cheaper than anyone would sell me a YZ for.
have you ever owned or worked on your own KTM? what year? and what website have you been following where you read bullshit about the bikes then get on here and talk shit without having the firsthand knowledge for yourself?
my '12 300 is torn down right now going through all the bearings and top-end preparing for this season. i have literally taken out every single bolt on the entire bike for the first time since owning it. i will tell you right now that you are full of fucking shit saying it's held together with zip-ties and wood screws. seriously, where the fuck did you get that information?
after riding YZ two-strokes for years and now my '12 KTM, i will tell you first hand that the KTM is VERY well put together and they use very high quality bolts throughout the entire bike. the standard of bolts and connectors is every bit as quality if not more so than the YZ. i've owned at least 15 YZ's over the years, want to talk about shitty bolts how about the early 2000's steel bolts across the entire bike? the older KTM's may have used lesser quality screws/bolts, but the newer ones definitely don't.
you can be blinded by hate for the brand that's just fine, but talking out of your ignorant ass about a bikes "wood screws and zip-ties" is fucking stupid, and so are you if you truly believe it.
stfu moran
/end rant
What's important to you..how the bike handles or how reliable it is??
Also..how big are you?? Bigger folks tend to get on better with the YZ/KX's while the RM and CR's are better for shorter riders
not sure about the KTM
you can't go wrong with a YZ though..reliable and fast!
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