KTM XC or Yamaha FX? And The Magazine Reviews Confuse Me…
DBT,
Simple question, how does year-after-year the KTM 250 SX-F rank so low magazine shootout rankings for handing and chassis issues, yet the XC-F always seems to get such rave reviews for it all, including being a great choice for a motocross bike? I’m looking at this and the new YZ250FX as I want a close course woods bike that I can have a great time with on the track too.
Thanks,
Dan
Dan,
I can’t speak for what other media outlets do, but I can speculate since I have been in that game for over 20-years. The motocross KTMs are stacked against the Japanese brands who have a much longer tradition of winning comparisons and it is easier to play it safe and go with what is familiar when picking winners. Whether you are a test rider with one vote or an editor writing the whole thing compiling results. There are very few regular riders who have had the experience of riding the KTMs year after year. They have been and still are different. Good or bad, chocolate or vanilla. I’ve noticed in a comparison setting, different is often bad. But that is changing quickly especially since KTM has been so dominant in the racing arena lately.
Then you have to factor in that there is very strong competition in the motocross market with every brand having a very strong machine. Until this year the KTM XCs really had no competition. They were compared to Honda CRFXs and Yamaha WRs, both basically neutered by regulation of meeting sound and emission standards. The KTM XC is sold as a competition bike, just like a motocross bike.
Yamaha basically built the YZ250FX just like the KTM XC, since it is a proven sales success and it is what riders really want. It is no secret that most motocross bikes never see a real track but are ridden as trail bikes, and horrible ones at that. It is the American way to buy the “best, fastest, most powerful….” The motocross machine on the sales floor is that bike. So why not give the riders what they really want, even if they don’t know it. The XC and FX models look just like the motocross bike and the reason they still works so good on the track, lots of times even better than the true motocross bike, is that the suspension settings are more in line with the speed of lesser skilled riders. And good suspension is the first step in proper handling, just don’t expect very many of the current crop of “magazine experts” to be able to explain handing to you let alone understand it themselves. The luxury of electric starting is never bad. Do you really care if it has a 18-inch rear wheel? On the track only high-level riders can notice the difference in weight and feel.
Truth be told, it would be tough for you to go wrong with either bike, they are both excellent. But they each have some unique characteristics. Hopefully our tests and comparison of those bikes give you enough information to make the right choice this side of getting a test ride on them. And if there are questions unanswered, feel free to ask them directly to us in the comments area at the end of each test.
JIMMY
If you have a question about dirt bikes, dirt bike products or life in general, send it to us and if we think it is worth posting up for everyone to enjoy, you may see it here next week. Send letters to: Jimmy@dirtbiketest.com.
