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Hey guys, wanted to hear some comparisons between these two bikes. Please chime in if you’ve had/rode both. I’ve been on ktm since 18 and have been wanting a kx250. I don’t have any buddies who own one so test riding one is not an option for me. Thanks!
Well I have ridden the 23 kx250 and unless you're 300lbs the forks are too stiff other than that I'll take the KX every time . I have a 22 350 now my son has a 21 kx250 his friend has the 23 kx
I have a 2021 KX250, and it’s hands down one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden/raced.
Everything just seems right on the bike, once you get the suspension dialed in for your weight. It tracks well out of corners, the rider triangle is pretty much perfect, and it definitely has enough power/speed.
You’ll be happy if you go the KX250 route!!
If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a DM. Good luck with your search!
Height, weight, riding ability? Intended usage? What do you like / dislike about your KTM...
6’ 175 lbs faster c rider. Just motocross. the things I don’t like about the ktm is straight line stability. I feel like I get a lot of headshake. I’ve messed with sag and everything and nothing has helped. Coming into bumpy corners and long straights with bumps it gets pretty bad. I’m also looking for a bike that feels more plush. I feel like the ktm is kinda harsh. I even have the KYB conversion set up for me aswell
The Shop
I don't think any of the new MX bikes could be considered plush other than the Yamaha. Maybe an XC model would be a better choice. I agree with what the other said about the KX. A trip to Enzo, an extra tooth and the right custom map (not the one being floated by the magazines), it's spot on
The 19-22 KTm is more compliant chassis compared to the newer kawi.
Either bike will need work done to the fork in my opinion.
but if I had to pick a bike today it would be the older KTm
I've ridden tons of the 19-22 gen KTM bikes and currently have 3 of them. I have literally never felt one bit of headshake on any of them, even riding peoples bikes that are setup for a rider 50 lbs heavier and 70 lbs lighter than me. Seems you'd have to be pretty far off on setup to make these bikes get headshake.
I’m not sure what it could be, I got my suspension revalved and sprung for my weight and have my sag set. Is head shake usually a symptom of stiff or soft suspension
Have you gotten a chance to ride the newer kawi
Yes, I had a 2023 350 for a year then sold it.
. I'm either going to get a YZ450f, 21 KTM 350 or 23 GasGas 350.
I'll be honest and tell you that when I first got on the 23 I said, "People are crazy to think the older bike is better". I do like the 23 engine more, but the old frame is superior to me, when I try to ride hard/fast. I think the 23 chassis is good when I'm riding 80-90%. Orrrrr if lived somewhere with soft dirt or sand, the 23 could be epic! I did everything I could to the 2023, but just could not get confident or excited to ride it.
My opinion, it's not as simple as stiff or soft. It's more a compilation of factors that affect the balance, attitude, and pitch of the chassis. I've felt headshake that stemmed from the forks being too soft and diving too much on decel and I've also felt headshake that was from the forks riding too high in the stroke, deflecting and dancing around. Ever ride a mid-80's Honda? It was as if the engineers were aiming to create max headshake on those! They were downright scary at times.
When does the head shake happen? That should help narrow down possible causes. I have never felt it on a KTM. Hondas on the other hand...there is a price for that super steering although the latest Honda chassis is better than the previous, dual exhaust one.
Usually happens on decel coming in hot into a bumpy corner or straight
The KTM chassis is very stable, I have hundreds of hours on the 19-22 chassis in all sorts of conditions and never have experienced any head shake.
if you’re getting it on decel open your rebound clickers on the forks. How much sag are you running?
105 right now. Should I try moving the forks to the first line at the top? They are at the second now.
I have no valuable input to the OP as I’ve never ridden either bike but you have Never gotten head shake on the bike? Ever? I find that hard to believe. Must be riding some super smooth tracks. You could give me the best stable bike in the world and I can find some head shake. Predictable is what I look for as nonexistent isn’t realistic.
Yes, I run mine on the first line, and I also run 107 sag. Plus my axle back. It’s extremely stable without giving up any cornering.
If I remember right kris Keefer has a video or blog entry that explains headshake and causes, might be worth digging for. Your problem is definitely setup and not the chassis design.
Looking at a '23 KX 250 as a second bike. How is the reliability, how long are you getting out of a piston etc?
The KTMs are generally reliable as a rock and it's nuts how long they'll last without opening the motor, so I'm a bit spoilt by t he Austrian bikes but I really, really want a Kawi sometime soon.
Pit Row
Okay I will try messing with fork height and different sag. Appreciate it
I am mostly riding hare scrambles which get pretty rough and we do have some long high speed sections that require hard braking before entering the woods. I had lots of head shake on my 2019 CRF250RX when I was just starting out. The 2019 Honda was scary at times especially in deep sand. When I switched to KTM I never really worried about head shake again. I did have a 2022 CRF250R that I don't remember having head shake on, but it would lose rear grip if you entered a corner too hot so there might have been some head shake there just not enough to remember. The 2022 Honda had stiff forks so maybe that is why I never noticed head shake.
I don't set my bike up for insane steering, but I consistently run the 2nd from bottom line on the KTM forks. I think that is the 3rd from top if you count the top of the fork tube as a line. If I run the forks up to the bottom line it feels like I am going to go over the bars. It is crazy how just moving the forks up that one line can do that.
I have no input on comparing to a Kawi but on the headshake thing, I did experience it a bit on my 350 ('17.) For me it came on landings where the fork seemed to just drop in mid stroke. And then I would get it on rough corner entry. And I believe it was also because the fork was too far down in the stroke. Eventually through set-up I mostly got ride of it. I've ridden a decent amount of KTMs and Huskys and I don't think the chassis is has an instability problem overall. But if set up is off, I think some issues do pop up and that could be 1 of them. I haven't ridden the new platform yet but overall I like the 19-22s handling when it's dialed in.
I have a 21 and it’s been pretty solid for about 80hrs. Did a piston and cam chain around 40hrs just because I wanted a high comp but the stock stuff was still perfect. Adjusted the valves once. I’m pretty good about my maintenance and I don’t ride it terribly hard, mid pack 30 B guy. If I were to sell it and get a new bike I’d be getting a 23. It’s probably my favorite bike I’ve ever owned.
Wanted to come back to this thread and give some feed back on the kx vs sxf 250 post I made In case someone else was wondering about the differences. So I finally was able to ride a 23 kx250 this past weekend and I was really impressed. Right off the bat the rider triangle is super comfortable and I felt right at home as soon as I hopped on the track. With my ktm I’ve always struggled with stability and I instantly felt that the kx was more stable coming into corners and on fast straights. I was also impressed with the motor. I felt that it had better low end grunt coming out of corners and that it revved a little bit farther than the ktm. I did feel that the ktm corners better but that could also be because I’m used to the bike and have it setup for me. As far as suspension it definitely felt more balanced than the ktm. The ktm feels unstable and squats on acceleration more than I like. The kx felt planted. It was a bit stiff but that can be fixed with a revavlve. I literally just put a deposit in for the new 2024.5 fc250 and now I’m second guessing myself wondering if I should take back the deposit and scoop up a new kawi.
That is a tough call. The 22.5+ KTM is more stable than the old one and feels more Japanese. The power is generally better too. The ergos are a little better for me than the 2019-22. It does feel stiffer than the 19-22 and in general (other than the first ~10 hours) I think that is a good thing but some like the more flexible frame of the 19-22. The 19-22 KTM is down on power compared to the KX250 according to the dyno so no surprise you felt the KX250 was stronger than your bike.
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