Power is pretty much everything in the MX2/250 category and to think how much faster KTM can keep getting with the 250SX-F is scary. When I got out on track I couldn’t believe how responsive the power was, the last 250f I rode was a 2020 Husqvarna and this new model blows it out of the water. I know most brands each year try to make their bikes slimmer to give the rider a good feeling of control with their legs but KTM have definitely stepped that up to another level for ’23. A redesigned five-speed gearbox by Pankl is added to the bikes to reduce the operating force of gear changes by having a more optimised shift shaft.Īs you can see the Austrian brand have been very busy over the last few years developing these all-new powerhouses and once I had seen how trick they looked I couldn’t wait to swing my leg over and have a rip around a perfectly groomed Cusses Gorse.įirst up, I hopped on the 250SX-F and initial thoughts were how slim it felt. This change has also dramatically improved the handling dynamics and squat behaviour on acceleration. Filling the gap between the two nicely is the 350SX-F throwing out a hard-hitting 57bhp and only being marginally heavier than the 250SX-F, this machine definitely isn’t to be looked past.Īll three have had the engines rotated backwards in the frame by 2 degrees, this improves mass centralisation. The new engine is close to the centre of gravity resulting in better handling and manoeuvrability. The 450SX-F offers a peak power of 63 hp and has managed to reduce the weight of the engine by 300g from the last model. All major components and shaft arrangements are re-designed to give it an outstanding performance engine with over 47 hp and 14,000rpm rev limit. The 250SX-F now features a more compact engine, reducing its size by 8mm. KTM has gone big when it comes to engine changes, I won’t go too much into all of the details but tell you what you all want to hear. This also applies to the front forks and the air pump needed to adjust them is provided as standard. WP have hooked the 2023 machines up with updated suspension, the 48mm XACT front forks benefit from new hydro stops in the fork legs to improve bottoming resistance and more progressive damping in the last 40mm of travel.Ī major change for the rear shock is the totally tool-free adjustable dual compression control, this allows riders to adjust high and low speed settings in a matter of seconds. All three of bikes (250SX-F, 350SX-F & 450SX-F) now share the same frame and sub-frame so jumping between them is barely noticeable. The footrests have increased in size by 26% and are on a repositioned mount to make them less susceptible to catching in deep ruts or on the face of jumps when you’re laying it sideways. Thicker frame walls are also new to improve reliability and specific rigidity in high-stress areas such as the steering head and the shock mounts. This is thanks to repositioned rotating masses in the frame and the forged head connection, together with an all new shock mount which is no longer connected to the main frame tube. Beginning with the frame, this is totally new to improve stability, anti-squat behaviour and overall dynamics. Before I headed out on track, I found out exactly what had changed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |