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After getting the tmx dialed in and putting a 51 tooth on my 17 150', and getting the clicker settings right on the air forks and coming off a kyb setup the ktm is unmatched.
I guess I just find it hard to believe an 07 250 two stroke is too slow for anyone but a fast pro.
buy the god dam blue one
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The brakes arent that great though tbh. An oversized front rotor wouldve made that bike easier to ride. Vibration, i didnt feel was that bad on the arms but i also have never death gripped the bike so take that for what its worth. Bars help a lot with vibration. But its not unbearable.
The yz250 is also really easy to find parts for as a ton of these bikes have been made and many parts swap from the 125 right over.
I regret getting rid of this bike.
Ktm250 review:
I have about 10 hours of practice time on a 2016 ktm 250. Its a borrowed bike from a buddy who is overseas at the moment.
Suspension is impossible for me to figure out without looking on a million websites and the manual so the suspension is set up for a smaller slower rider. ( only lengthy experience with air forks i have is on this bike) but the bike handles well, and the stroke is smooth and predictable. I wish it sat higher though, i feel like i bottom out a lot in ruts or sand berms.
Motor is solid, fast bike, likes to be ridden a gear low and on the pipe. I have fouled several plugs at 14$ a pop by idling around. Which that is probably my fault. The bike signs off pretty early in 2nd gear imo, a sprocket change would probably help it. Clutch feel is great though so its easy to shift and ride the pipe.
The bike vibrates a little less than the yz i had and a lot less than my kxs that i have. I dont like the stock bars and will swap for windham bend soon. The ktm has amazing brakes but i often get them too hot and they do make a lot of noise.
Also the seat is comfy.
I was comparing the yz to my KX 450 at the time as I wrote. Comparing the sx to my current 450, the gap is not as big.
To all the guys talking about 16 and previous sx250s, the op asked about the 17. It's a completely new bike and unless you've ridden the new frame and new forks, well......you know
The 17 doesn't vibrate. The 17 engine feels almost identical power wise to my 14 with digger jetting and PV specs, PC pipe and silencer.
The 17 chassis is less 2-strokey, steers like a 4-stroke. I wasn't a fan of how it handled. The air fork at the demo day was way smoother than my set-up 4Cs, much less initial harshness.
The 17 250SX would prolly be very good, but its going to take work to get it there, trial and error and lots of testing. Or buy a YZ250 and have it really good right out of the box. That's your choice. After doing all the work to get my 14 250SX where I wanted it, if I went back in time I would buy a YZ250.
I was immediately comfortable on the YZ250. Engine felt very nice - torquey and broad, suspension was very good. If you want a "set it and forget it" bike this is your machine. It is matured, but still very competitive.
On the KTM, vibration was non-existent, power was similar to previous models (but with very bad jetting), and suspension was pretty good. If you don't mind tweaking the jetting/suspension/etc. then this might be a better machine ultimately. One other thing to note: there have been some issues with 125/250/250F transmissions and I'm very interested to see if any crop up with these. And the reed cage issue.
The KTM is my riding buddy's new bike and if it shapes up as I think it will, I'll probably buy one early next year. If not, I will consider refreshing my CR or buying a new YZ.
The four strokes are easier to ride though and have broader powerbands...and that's it. All the new four stroke tech still ain't surpassed the older two stroke performance...That's a fact.
But I agree with you, he's watched too many JS7 videos, as 99% of the posters on here do. Read a magazine, watch a video and then resay it so they can act like they know something.
This is my son, he takes after is ole man, lol
I'd be sure to test the 250's out to see how they feel before going all-in on motor.
Both bikes go faster than you can ride them. Test them out and get which one feels best.
Pit Row
Out of all the bikes I've owned.....this is the best handling and easiest to ride.
I'm assuming you have a dealer of either brand nearby so given that you believe it is not a cut and dry decision, don't forget to include the relationship with either dealer in your decision.
If you keep the yz125, having another yz is helpful for parts (air filters a HUGE plus for my brother and I to be able to share). If you keep the yz125 so that you have a different "ride" experience, then a 250sx may be what you're looking for. Not sure why a 125 is needed for racing if you can run the yz250 in 250 classes in your area.
Ride both bikes before you decide. I have ridden a bunch of YZ's throughout the years and have hated every one I've thrown a leg over. The ergo's could not be more wrong for me. Just very awkward. Engines were all what you expect from a 250 smoker, the SSS stuff is good....but I do not understand this "holy grail" of forks reputation they get. Brakes were just ok on the blue bikes. Clutches are weak and I have seen 3 of them have 3rd gear explode...two of them more then once. But parts are cheap and widely available....and you can spend $8k and get yourself a bike that is 10 years old.
My friend has a 15 250sx with nothing more then a silencer and full MX Tech suspension, and it will eat YZ's in the engine department. Never felt the vibration that these guys belly ache about...feels like a 250 two stroke to me. The brakes, clutch, engine, ergo's are all better IMO.
TMX carbs are fine on the new KTM's.....Japanese 125's used them forever. I have always found them easy to setup if you can recognize rich/lean symptoms.
Have yet to ride the WP air fork, so I cannot help you there....but I never thought of the 4CS as being that terrible. You gotta remember people read things on the Internet and base their opinions off of what they read...not off seat of their pants facts.
Susp.: I would say both bikes are an even wash. I'm 210lbs so no matter what I ride has to have atleast springs. I think susp. feel is more personal preference because most people who ride my bikes think they are super stiff. I will say that my YZ always had a front end push right on turn in that I could never seem to get to go away. One place the YZ did have the advantage was when the KTM had the pds setup it always seemed to kick on square edged bumps, but now that the KTM had linkage it was really close to the yamaha right out of the box, and a stiffer spring will make it better.
Handling: again personal preference but I love the feel of a steel frame. The KTM feels more like a 125 than a 250. Both bikes handle well, but my yamaha always had a very slight front end push
Motor: Both bikes are strong. I'd give the KTM the edge though. A richer main jet and you are set to run on pump gas. The yamaha requires a 50/50 mix of race gas or a timing adjustment to stop the ping. One thing I really like about the KTM is the different powervalve springs. You can take some of the hit out of the bike for hardpack, or go aggressive for a nice hard hit in the sand. I love the fact that the KTM is also stupid simple, no tps carb, no electronic powervalve..
Clutch: Hands down KTM. When I was a chronic clutch abuser I prefered a cable clutch, because when the cable went slack, you knew to lay off the clutch for a lap. The KTM clutch keeps the same feel no matter how much you abuse it...Even a year later it will still have the same easy consistent pull
Reliability/ease of maintenance: I only have 1hr on my new KTM so the jury is still out on it. My '10 KTM and my '11 YZ were both even in top end and crank life. The YZ would eat 3rd gear about every 3 months though. The KTM wins the maintenance category hands down though. Air filter cleaning is way easier on the KTM. The bike also has a lot of open space around the engine so things like spark plug removal or removing the carb are super easy.
A GREAt bike inspires you to go riding. I race a 2016 KTM450SXF because it's a great bike. I get excited to race it and I've improved my results because the bike is such a great bike to race. It must be pushed, however, with the suspension setup and general aggressive nature of the bike. The Yamaha inspires memories of the old days before the 4 stroke. It's the bike that we always wanted back in the day.....an evolved race bike with no flaws. You wind up riding differently because the bike is so different. I never felt inspired to ride the KTM even though it has all the fancy parts. It's a blah bike and the suspension is not as fun by any stretch. I sold this thing with 12 hours. I vowed to never consider a two stroke again until I came across a 2014 yz 250 still in the crate for an excellent deal. I bought it and it makes the easy tracks that I ride all the time a hell of a lot more interesting. It provides variety and has generally made me enjoy the sport a little more.
Get the YZ. Trust me on this.....it's such a great bike that it will inspire you to ride the shit out of it.
When I first got back into riding I had an 07 RM250. On paper the 2012 250sx I replaced it with was better but I liked the feel of the RM better, even though pretty much everything except the forks on my ktm were better
In 2016 when MXA compared the YZ to the husky/ktm they said that on paper the husky/ktm should win hands down. To actually ride though they preferred the yz
On paper the 2017 ktm should blow the yz away, but me personally, the ergo's on the yz just fit me better than the ktm did and if that was still the case I would go the yz
I also prefer the fit and finish on the yz to the ktm as well
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