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2020 KTM 250 XC | Track Tested

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2020 KTM 250 XC | Track Tested

KTM is hands down, the most progressive, aggressive, manufacturer in the motorcycle game and its no wonder that the Austrian brand has enjoyed absolutely massive market share gains in all off-road and motocross market share in all categories. While other manufacturers have given up on two-stroke development altogether, KTM has continued to develop all of its two-stroke motorcycles and have built motorcycles that we could have only fantasized about in the past. 

The 2020 KTM 250 XC TPI is designed for closed-course competition and is, in the simplest terms, a 250 SX motocross bike with an 18″ rear wheel, a larger-capacity fuel tank, softer suspension settings, handguards, electric start, and a fuel injection system that eliminates the SX’s carburetor and replaces it with a 39mm Dell’Orto throttle body, a cable-actuated butterfly valve, a throttle position sensor, and an oil pump that mixes premix with the air/fuel mixture from an external tank in the chassis before it reaches the internal moving engine parts. By using engine speed and throttle position data, the electronic management system provides a precise amount of premix, ensuring perfect throttle response.

Unless you squat down to take a look at the side of the 250 XC TPI’s engine, you might not notice the lack of a traditional carburetor, especially because the larger 2.25-gallon fuel tank covers much of the engine’s cylinder on the left side. 

Premix oil is stored in a tank built into the frame’s backbone, and capacity is large enough to supply four to five complete fuel tanks of gas. 

The counterbalanced engine offers minimal vibration, while the DDS (dampened diaphragm steel) clutch is paired with the familiar Brembo hydraulic actuation system. A wide-ratio six-speed PANKL transmission handles the shifting. One of the most unique looking parts on the 250 XC is the steel expansion chamber, which has several creases in it for added strength, as well as an ovalized shape for greater ground clearance. The creases are said to add structural integrity, thus rendering the pipe more resistant to impact damage. 

On the Trail

KTM invited members of the medial to join them in McCleary, Washington, for rounds seven and eight of the 2019 WORCS Series, held at Gray’s Harbor ORV, to throw our leg over the 2020 250 XC TPI for the first time. Playing off its “Ready to Race” mantra, our testing would all be done in race conditions. After setting the shock sag and handlebar and lever positioning, we headed out for the Unclassified race, which is held the first thing in the morning and treated like a paid practice session. The 4.5-mile loop included the entire Gray’s Harbor ORV motocross track, plus a grass track area, an interesting wood chip section, and a couple of miles of super-technical singletrack in the Pacific Northwest woods. 

We must admit that while electric-start two-strokes are nothing new, a wide grin crept over our face when the bike came to life with the push of the button. The exhaust note of the 250 XC TPI is somewhat muffled and is nothing like the ferocious bark of the 250 SX motocross bike. And to be honest, thoughts of riding a powerband like that of the hard-hitting 250 SX in a tight wooded section didn’t exactly get our heart racing with excitement…we were hoping that the nature of the XC TPI bike would actually be friendlier and easier to control.

During the Unclassified race, it became crystal clear that the 250 XC TPI is indeed tailor-made for off-road riding, as it is much friendlier and more comfortable than its motocross-bred brother. Though the injection system tames the bike’s powerband down and gives it a much friendlier characteristic as you roll the throttle on, slipping the clutch to get the RPMs up and combining that with a heavy dose of throttle can still make things plenty exciting as the XC TPI seems to have every bit as much power on tap as the 250 SX when provoked. The TPI system is literally amazing, and it allows the bike to be lugged like no other two-stroke we’ve ridden. Even in a tall gear at low RPM, the bike will pull through when the throttle is suddenly chopped open, unlike a carbureted bike that would likely bog or stall. 

During our initial laps on the 250 XC TPI, we weren’t overly impressed with the bike’s cornering abilities in the tight singletrack sections of the track. While the bike felt like a familiar, softer version of the 250 SX on the motocross, grass track and fire road sections, it felt tall and hard to tip into corners in the tight, technical confines. We made a mental note of that and planned to ask for some changes before our second race, which would be scored.

Back at the Red Bull KTM semi, we relayed our frustrations with the cornering traits to KTM’s Media Director David O’Connor, and asked if we could perhaps raise the fork a few millimeters in the triple clamps to help the bike corner easier. Irish Dave agreed that it was a good idea and also suggested that we add a half turn of preload on the shock spring, to help keep the rear end of the bike up and applying more weight to the front end. After O’Connor made said changes, we asked him to put the bike in the second, mellower map setting. (There are two ignition maps programmed into the bike as delivered, and the optional, more linear map can be obtained by unplugging a clip on the wire harness down near the cylinder head. With that, it was a quick change of gear (thanks Moose Racing, for the proper off-road kit!), a drink of water, and we were headed to the starting line for the third race of the day.

From the drop of the green flag, the KTM 250 XC TPI proved to be a blast to race and ride. We say race and ride because throughout the course of the 1:18 event, we both raced (early on) and rode (second half) the bike with equal pleasure. On the motocross section of the track, the bike proved to be a plenty worthy steed. Sure, a bike with firmer suspension settings in the fork and shock would have worked better, but as is the XC was plenty capable. It was in the tight, technical sections of the track that the bike shines bright, as the changes made to the suspension proved to be immensely correct, and the bike took on a more balanced feel with much more control over the front end. Whether we were sitting or standing, the bike carved its way through the trees, over the roots and rocks, and down the drop-offs with great control and predictability. In sections where the front end felt high and hard to tip in during the Unclassified race, the bike leaned over and carved with the fork raised in the clamps and a little less shock sag. 

The mellow ignition map setting also proved to be the right choice, especially in the slippery sections of the course and also on the last lap when fatigue began to set in. The map gave the bike a smoother transition between low-end and mid-range and still allowed the bike to rev out quite far in each gear. We were amazed – later in the race mostly – by the bike’s ability to chug along without stalling. Literally, you can chop the throttle wide open without slipping the clutch, and the bike will pull it. We never stalled the bike once during the race…even when tipping over and/or crashing!

On a motocross track, the KTM’s Brembo brakes set the standard for power and feel. Though we feared the binders would be too aggressive for the trail, we really came to appreciate them as they never heated up or faded, even when we dragged them for minutes on end in the technical downhill areas. Of course, the hydraulic clutch proved even more amazing off-road, as it never lost its consistent feel at the lever, even when abused in the super-tight singletrack sections.

At the end of the day, we found ourselves very impressed with the performance of the KTM 250 XC, as the bike won us over completely during the course of the Worcs race. To be transparent, we initially worried that the bike would be far too violent for use in technical sections and that a 250 four-stroke would be a better choice, thanks to our experience on the 250 SX motocross version. The 250 XC TPI, however, proved to have a super versatile powerband that could be plenty quick when ridden aggressively, yet mellow and easy to control when ridden with a more deliberate style. The chassis and suspension proved to offer a plush, comfortable ride that responds well to rider input, and all of the other amenities that KTM is famous for helped round out the machine that we would have rather been on than any other.

Thanks to David O’Connor and the entire KTM crew that invited SML to participate. We had a blast!

 

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Donn Maeda

Donn Maeda is a 30-year veteran in moto-journalism, having worked at Cycle News and Dirt Rider before launching MXracer Magazine and TransWorld Motocross Magazine. Maeda is the Editor-In-Chief at Swapmoto Live and you can catch him on a dirt bike or in the saddle of a mountain bike on most days.

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