ktm 250sxf VS. crf250r

[lucahemi]

Which one?

[pjg351]

Neither, Go Green!

[ktm_cody_199]

If you can,ride both and see which one you like better.What do you want to do with it? What do you want out of a 250f?Ive rode all the 07's and most 08's

[lucahemi]

i pretty much want it for the track. Maybe a little off road here and there. what do you think of your sxf compared to the others youve ridden. And no , green isnt an option. Red or orange only.

[deuceshigh7]

well... how is accessibility for them? can u get parts for them both pretty easily? second, have u ever ridden a ktm? they have way different ergonomics than the jap bikes... i happen to feel comfortable with them but some feel weird....
and if all else fails pick a color and don't worry about it
just throwing some stuff out there....
-nic

[KKXR400R]

Originally Posted by lucahemi

Which one?

Being that I own a KTM and a CRF250 I'll give my opinions here. Keep in mind I have a 2-stroke so I'll try and be as general as possible. Choosing between the 2 is like deciding which of the 2 evils you want to conquer. If your riding a Jap bike now then switching to a KTM is going throw you through a loop. The suspension on the katooms are kinda tricky and NEEDS to be balanced front to rear. They oversteer, understeer, pack and push. The setup is somewhat strange at first. With the right tuning you can get it right but it does take a little time to dial it in. The Honda has great suspension is easily tunable and the ergos are 2nd to none.

Motor wise...If it's pure power your looking for, hands down the KTM will blow the Honda out of the water. Although I have heard "rumors" of the KTM 4-strokes grenading quite often. Like I said...rumors. My wife's CRF has been sitting in the shed for about 4 months now...does that tell you what I think of that motor?

The orange bikes are a little more "exotic" and take a different mindset when working on them. One bolt to take the seat off and one bolt for the tank. My bike was sent with 2 power valve springs to adjust the "hit" and I have the choice between 2 different power curves. Excel rims, v-force reeds and twin air filter. 6 and 13mm sockets, linkless suspension and strange torque settings. Like I said it's not that either bike is good or bad...just different and they both have their challenges.

-Kevin-

[ktm_cody_199]

The ktm is like the lambo or ferrari of the moto world,handles funny and only can be ridden by some one with experiance on ktm.Unless you get the suspension tuned right you will hate it,but once its set it is great and will out handle and power any 250f.I have been running my sx-f for two and a half years now and I finnaly need to rebuild my motor,so as far as my bikes concerned......grenading isnt an option.I ride my bike hard to and can ride it bouncing the rev limiter all day Great bike and for the money,there motto of being "race ready" is true once the suspension is set to the rider.Honda motors arent as fast or reliable,but the chassis is GREAT and they have perfect handling right out of the box.So if you would settle for average easy to ride performance,buy the honda.But if you cant stand knowing someone else ktm is faster and more exotic, buy the ktm.The ktm's hold up better then the honda but they are more expensive every where you look.
Make sure you can get parts for them and make sure there is a dealer in your area or else you will hate yourself for going orange

[ktm_cody_199]

Forgot to add that ktm is THE BEST in the trail,thats why david knight and the rest of the top riders ride them.The no-link stomps off road,the linkage is just not right in the trail.

[lucahemi]

i think ill go honda!

[billy_ktm]

Ive riden both and the Ktm Has more mid to top end and the honda has more bottom But I would Choose the KTM

[billy_ktm]

Thats not true about being more expensive all around Ive brought parts for my 250 sx-f and there were way less then what a honda kawi or anything was but I have brought some parts that where more expensive...And rebuilding them they all cost alot

[ktm_cody_199]

My sx-f is a high maintanence bike and likes to be pampered.I change the oil evey two rides and go over the whole bike every month and replace any worn or parts,never really replaced anything serious just had things like fork seals and fluids,bushings,bearings and that kind of stuf replaced.Now after such a long time on my motor,a complete total top end with valves and everything is ganna cost me about $750 bucks.Honda parts sit on the shelf for so long that they end up being knoked down but most ktm dealers, at least the ones I use, dont keep parts in stock and everything ends up being ordered.I heard soon that is ganna change because ktm is building a new plant in like ohio or something

I like to keep my bikes running at their utmost tip top performance so I can have a perfect ride and feel comfertable with it.

[lucahemi]

im getting an 07 250f because of the reviews i read about it being soo comfortable the first time you sit on it. And because lots of people say you have to do ALOT of dialing in with the ktm. Honda also has better build quality in my opinion. Ive alsways loved honda and i guess i still will!??!?!!!!!!!!!!!

[lucahemi]

an 07 honda whoops

[ktm_cody_199]

Have fun replacing piston every 30 hours. Thats what honda recommends,its all on personal preference.Some people are just lazy and want to ride a bike right off the showroom floor at a mx track without doing any pre-race maintanence.When you get the honda,make sure you take the linkage apart and lube it all with a teflon based lube,lube your steering head bearings too because honda uses grease very sparingly.Make sure you change the engine oil after every other ride and the filter every 2 oil changes.The tranny fluid can go longer then the engine oil.Take care of it and it will take car of you providing you with many hours of fun,unless you ride the limiter all the time,then you are looking at some serious cash

EDIT:From recent experience and my friends all ride crf250r's and one has a crf-x,the build quality is like swiss cheese.Every weekend they break levers and clutch perches,the stock fork seals dont last to long,air filter is a pain in the arse to get to,handlebars suck,no adjustability in the clamps,weak valve train and LOUD.Did I mention how hard it is to change the spark plug?You need to take the whole bike apart and use a spark plug wrench with a LONG extension,mines on the side of the motor.But it rides good,besides the harsh fork.

[lucahemi]

As far as i know alot of people have been telling me that there ktms blow up all the time, so they switched to honda and havnt had a problem yet. Ive heard alot. but it sounds like the honda is a more complete package.