The new breed of rehashed coil-spring forks on the Suzuki RM-Z450, Honda CRF450 and Kawasaki KX250 are not much of a threat to SSS dominance. They are the best forks on the showroom floor today. The SSS forks have superb bottoming resistance and very well-thought-out damping. Q: WHAT’S SO HOT ABOUT KAYABA SSS SUSPENSION?Ī: It is obvious that Kayaba SSS components were 16 years ahead of the competition when they were introduced back in 2006. In our opinion, the Yamaha YZ250’s engine is broader, more manageable and easier to ride than the more potent KTM 250SX. It is an interesting match-up-sheer grunt versus over-rev. The KTM 250SX excels at low to mid, and the Yamaha YZ250 excels on top. And by the time the YZ250 gets to its 8800-rpm peak, the YZ250 is actually 4.7 horsepower more powerful. Four horses is a lot of ponies to give up, but once the KTM 250SX peaks at 8200 rpm, it signs off quickly. It hits hard, pulls hard and gives up early. In motion, the KTM 250SX is significantly stronger from low to mid-as much as 4 horsepower stronger than the YZ250 at 7000 rpm. These two powerbands have very little in common. Knowing that YZ250 and KTM 250SX horsepower are within 1 horse at peak really means very little on the track. But, it should be noted that the YZ250 doesn’t hit its peak until a high of 8800 rpm, while the 250SX hits its peak power at a lower 8200 rpm. On the dyno, the KTM makes 47.20 horsepower, while the Yamaha YZ250 pumps out 46.08. The KTM 250SX is much more powerful than the Yamaha YZ250, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s faster. ![]() The 16-year-old YZ250 engine gives up modern touches to the KTM 250SX, but it’s $900 cheaper.Ī: Yamaha and KTM are locked in a battle of old versus new. KTM didn’t want to raise new two-stroke prices to $10,000-no matter how good they would be. To its credit, and proof that the company understands the two-stroke buyer, KTM didn’t want to build 50-horsepower, fuel-injected two-stroke motocross bikes unless it was forced to. KTM knew that an all-in adoption of TPI technology would ruin the “affordability, ease of ownership and mechanical simplicity” mantra of two-stroke ownership. At that point, KTM could easily have fallen back on economies of scale to make all of its two-stroke models-motocross, cross-country, enduro and dual sport-fuel-injected. In response, KTM was forced to release its fuel-injected off-road models. KTM sat on its Transfer Port Injection (TPI) two-stroke fuel-injection system for several years and didn’t release it until European environmental rules threatened to kill the two-stroke off-road market on the continent. It is immune to planned obsolescence.ĭon’t believe us? Think about it for a minute. Motocross bikes are, by design, expendable, throwaway, obsolescence-prone machines that have very short lifespans. They want a worthy competitor, and they don’t want a tech war. They don’t want to be the sheriff of a one-horse-town. KTM understands that the success and growth of the two-stroke market hinges on affordability, ease of ownership and mechanical simplicity. Why would KTM do that? KTM likes that the YZ250 is still around and doesn’t want to unleash the dogs on the YZ250 if it’s not necessary. The YZ250 could use some of the KTM 250SX’s low-to-mid power, but then the KTM could use some of the YZ250’s mid-to-top power. ![]() KTM has been pulling its punches in the battle against the YZ250. Believe it or not, KTM had 50-horsepower 250SXs a few years ago but detuned them to 47 horses. ![]() But, don’t be lulled into a sense of YZ250 security. It is 7 pounds lighter and equipped with a counterbalancer, hydraulic clutch, incredible Brembo brakes and sharper handling, but the YZ250 is still able to hold its own, thanks to the hard work of Pro Circuit, FMF, Boyesen and Moto Tassinari. The 2021 KTM 250SX is a much more technically advanced machine than the YZ250. It wasn’t until KTM began to flex its two-stroke muscles that Yamaha faced a worthy competitor. In a strange twist, Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki made it possible for Yamaha to keep making the YZ250 because they handed over a Japanese two-stroke monopoly. Yamaha’s last Japanese two-stroke competitor said, “Sayonara,” 12 years ago. A: The best thing about the YZ250 is that Yamaha keeps making it.
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