This bike is nimble and handles
superbly, the air forks and shock
have handled every bit of abuse
I have given them without doing
anything unexpected
Most of the time I don’t notice the TC. Instead
of using a sensor on the rear wheel (illegal
under racing regs), the traction control analyses
throttle input against sudden increases in RPM
relative to gear selection, and the bike retards
the power if necessary. So the traction control
isn’t very noticeable at full throttle, and is more
noticeable with small throttle movements on
unexpectedly slippery patches of ground. I
run traction control on all the time as I believe
that it does help. Ultimately traction control is
a hard component to test, as it is designed to
go unnoticed and it occasionally tricks you into
thinking you’re better than you are.
The launch control works by lowering the rev
limiter, allowing you to hold full throttle for a
start; rather than trying to guess the throttle
position. Being honest, the first time I tried
launch control it freaked me out a little as
the rev limiter is significantly lower. After that
I loved it. It takes throttle control out of the
equation, allowing you to focus on accelerating
with the clutch. However, as I become more
accustomed to the power characteristics of the
44 KIWI RIDER
bike, launch control is becoming less important
as my throttle control improves as I get better
at predicting how much throttle I will need.
Also, I am still a bit confused about when
exactly the bike will and won’t let me engage
launch control.
This bike is nimble and handles superbly,
the air forks and shock have handled every
bit of abuse I have given them without doing
anything unexpected. I have been able to
transfer my settings over from my old bike
reasonably well, and I can’t see myself needing
to make any valving modifications any time
soon; I’m happy with it stock.
Ultimately, this bike handles predictably,
regardless of speed. I believe that is the key to
a good handling bike, and it explains how I got
confident so quickly when I rode it at the demo
day. I found that day that although the EXCs are
certainly plusher at lower speeds, I just wasn’t
as comfortable to push them hard into corners.
Above all, the 250 XC-F is a fun, exciting bike to
ride that likes to be ridden hard.
JAKE WIGHTMAN