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Looking at getting a new bike in 2024 and I'm really considering a modern 250 2 stroke specifically a yz250 or husky tc250. I'm a yamaha guy and I currently have a YZ250f and a YZ125 in the garage. I haven't rode a fuel injected 250 before so I'm wondering how they compare to the carbed yz250. Obviously the Yamaha will be a bit cheaper and imo has the better suspension with the kyb spring forks, but I'd really enjoy having fuel injection and not having to mess with jetting all the time and I've read that the fuel injection gives the 250 more of a controllable power curve which I think I'd enjoy. Just looking to get some opinions out of people who have owned/rode both. For what its worth I'm a 170lb vet rider.
YZ250, unless you really just want to be a beta tester for TBI and have to deal with wonky mapping, sensors on the fritz, etc. Since you are already a Yamaha guy and like YZ suspension, pretty much a no brainer. And YZ250's do not require much jetting. They are really close stock and the Keihin easily handles temp/elevation changes without much fuss. Much easier and cheaper than trying to remap a TBI bike. YZ250 is also smooth and easy to control. In stock form they are not a hard to handle rocket ship.
Are they still having issues with the mapping? I knew it was an issue on the 125's but I guess I never heard it was as big of a problem on the 250's. I was hoping if I bought a 2024 or maybe even waited and got a 2025 most of those issues would be worked out
The mapping and running issues seem very hit or miss. Some guys never touch a thing, bike runs clean, and they have 100+ trouble free hours. Other guys have spooge coating the rear wheel, bogging, constant messing with crankcase pressure sensors, TPS setting adjustments, sending the ECU off for remapping, and never quite feeling the bike has enough power. The YZ250 is a very well known, simple, can't miss entity. No electronics to worry about, cheap jets, starts and runs every time. Like a 2-stroke should.
YZ 250. Very simple to jet. Currently running an Apex Mx head. I set the jetting earlier this year and honestly didn't really touch it at all.
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The map released in June (250/300) works pretty well if the TPS is calibrated correctly. There is a range it can be set in and be "ok" per KTM. My dealer went back in and adjusted mine to the lean side of the range and that cleaned up most of the spooge I was getting, and I think it made it easier to ride. They have a lot less engine vibration than the Yamaha and that plus the fuel injection makes the engine feel more refined than the YZ. JD Jetting has a fuel tuner available now. TSP and GET both have something coming out. The GET is supposed to have wifi tuning like their 4 stroke ECU. My 250xc runs so well I don't know what I would change other than maybe doing something to reduce the hit for really slick surfaces.
The 2024 Kymco cylinder is proving to be more durable than the 2023 Elko, but supposedly KTM is warrantying the Elko cylinders that crack. That is mostly a 300 issue though. You cannot skimp on piston changes if you ride hard. There have been some pistons coming apart. It gets blamed on the piston hitting the crank (usually between 10 and 50 hours) but I suspect that KTM isn't kidding about the 15 hour piston change interval at least on the stock piston. For reference KTM specifies 45 hours on a 250f between piston changes so they are not afraid to specify long piston change intervals if warranted. My opinion if you ride hard, change to a forged piston at 15 hours and then extend intervals from there.
It has air forks unless you get an XC model, and they take a while to break in. You have to check the air pressure and bleed the forks before you ride or if the ambient temperature changes during the day. For some reason the air fork is more sensitive to bleeding the damper side outer chamber than a spring fork is. I have also found you need to loosen the fork lugs and recenter the axle more often than on a dual spring fork. That will reduce some stiction and keep the fork feeling free.
KTM has $500 off or 0.99%/36 month financing on all three brands right now.
I forgot to add if you love Yamahas and hate KTMs don't bother trying the KTM/Husky. Also the TC250 has the same lower suspension as the FC250/350/450. KTM and Gasgas have regular height.
I’d pick a carb’d YZ over a KTM. Carb’d Gas Gas would be another option. If you really want a wild girlfriend, look at a Beta 300 RX, Carb’d with electric start. Beta 300 RX hits hard, even in rain mode. I had to go with a green PV spring in mine to tone it down and it will still pull the front wheel at will. I’d bet I bought my Beta OTD about the same or less then a new YZ. Most Beta dealers don’t have the high fees as Yamaha.
The only real advantage the KTM group has is the counterbalanced motor. I've only ridden one TBI Husky and it felt like it was lacking compared to my carbed KTM. I was disappointed to be honest. Like someone else said unless you want to be a beta tester for TBI I'd be looking at the YZ.
FGR01 above said it best.
I vote YZ too and you can go with the Lectron to ease with jetting. I know Lesher is running one in ax and Killroy ran one this fall.
That's the shame of it all really. We as consumers shouldn't have to be paying big dollars for equipment that doesn't run well from the factory, that possibly require ecu reflashing, different cylinder heads etc and questionable reliability.
Fuel injection on the four strokes was pretty seemless transition, not so much on the two strokes.
Rant over LOL
Mine ran well on the June map. It is a little better after getting the tps tweaked by the dealer. I could never jet a carb to run as well as this bike runs.
Does a husqvarna specific dealer have to do the changes? Or could a KTM dealer do mapping tweaks on a husky? My only issue is the nearest Husky dealer is 170 miles away. There are a few KTM dealers near me but none that sell husky's
I don’t know. I bet the same tool will talk to all Austrian bikes. The ktm dealer you didn’t buy the bike from may not want to try and they will probably charge you to do it. The tool may also not let the ktm dealer update the calibration on a gasgas or husky.
Get the Husky dealer to set it up that way when you buy the bike?
Can't answer your question specifically, but some info on this. On the dealer re-maps, KTM/Hus essentially do not announce the updated maps or consider them "mandatory". Essentially because that would be a bad look and would amount to a "recall". Recall implies it is necessary and would be free of charge. Instead, they allow owners to find out there are updated maps by word of mouth spreading on FB and forums. Then when owners take the bikes in, some shops are cool and do it for free, while others expect to be paid hourly labor rates for the shop time and the owner gets hit with a $80-100 bill for a flash that takes a few minutes. I've had quite a few guys tell me about having to pay this multiple times and they were not pleased about it. To make it worse, there is no way to know what map is currently installed on the bike without taking to the dealer and having them hook it up to their computer. There have even been owners who bought brand new bikes and the dealer did not reflash them with the most current map so they had to return to the dealer to get it reflashed after they started reading forums and found out about updated maps. All a bunch of crap that sounds a whole heck of a lot more hassle than a few jets and few minutes to me.
Yz250 for sure! KTM is not Austrian that much, more like made in china .
GEt the YZ250. Have you ever heard someone say they don't like that bike? They run forever and the durability is outstanding. Buy it....put your bars on...an ride. The jetting isn't an issue imo. I love mine
Do the dealers charge every time KTM comes out with a remap? How do you get notified if there is an update? I have a 2023 GasGas and my son has a 2023 KTM 250SX. We have yet to hear anything?
YZ. Jet it and forget it.
I'm a Yamaha guy. Currently have a '22 yz250f and a '23 yz125. Have had yz250's and a '21 yz250x. Had a few affairs with Orange and Red bikes but always come back to blu. For some gawd damn reason I bought a '24 KTM 250xc a couple months ago. I really wanted e start, TBI and the idea of no spooge.
I've got about 10 hours on the KTM and by all accounts its a pretty good bike. Handles great and the spring forks/shock are actually great! Though I've been thinking the efi feels a little dirty or rich in the low to midrange rpms. Cleans out well and flat rips. Very fun engine.
This past weekend I was able to do a 50 mile trail ride on some really rocky technical trails that averaged about 15 mph. At the end of the ride there was so much spooge dripping all over the place and under the rear fender it looks like a two stroke bukkake scene!
Not gonna lie....slight regret over just not getting a new yz250x. Was thinking of adding a TSP head anyway for a touch more low end grunt and now a tune to get things cleaned up.
Pit Row
If you get the TPS leaned out a little most of that spooge should go away.
"2-stroke bukkake scene"
Sorry, I have a TPI with no spooge and I wish it was a little more bukkake.
For what it's worth, I have a 20 YZ250 and I've been contemplating going Austrian as well (300 SX). But based on the reports of the mapping and detonations I'll wait for the 2025 lineup and see how those are...For now the YZ still runs and works great. I have a Lectron and it's great as well.
I love a YZ250, but not as much as I love a CR250. I love an RM250 even more than a CR250 and I didn’t really care for my 19 250sx so we will have to find out where this steed fits in the mix.
I’ve owned multiple yz250’s, currently own a carb ‘22 250sx and ridden a new ‘23 250sx. While the new TBI bikes may have some bugs, the overall package is leaps and bounds ahead of the yz250. I would go with an austrian bike.
I can speak to this is as I have a husky dealer 10 min away and a ktm dealer 3 hours away. Unfortunately the software will not let a ktm/husky/gasgas dealer flash the other bikes. Such a joke, I called ktm/husky/gasgas(same building and phone number) to make the suggestion to let all their brands service all their brands and was given the “great idea I wish we could” response.
has the YZ250 engine had a major redesign since 1999?
YZ250.... get the squish corrected and ride it!
Love my 23 300sx. No issues and I suspect a lot of the issues are that people have to tinker and can't bring themselves to run 60:1.
Unfortunately, some guys have issues even when doing everything right.....
I didn’t realize that I was in the market for an 250 XC, but I think you may have just sold me on one 😂
He probably needs his TPS reset. Mine went from maybe half as bad as that picture to just a little dribble just from the dealer setting my TPS to the lean side of the acceptable range.
I bet a lot of 4 strokes need their TPS reset too. A 4 stroke just isn't as sensitive to the setting. It looks like the TSP tuner is out and gives you a lot of tuning options (fueling, timing, power valve position) similar to the Yamaha power tuner but more cells so better resolution. GET will have the same thing but more expensive. They are getting big gains on the 125s with the GET. The 250/300 already made pretty good power so probably not much to gain there from a GET other than the ability to tweak the fueling and maybe tone down the hit with the power valve setting which can all be done on the TSP tuner which is about half the price.
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