also meant I didn ’ t get a lot of time on either machine , with a tight one-day test schedule that included videoing , set track ride times and lots of content capturing . I probably had about an hour all up of actual free riding on each bike , so appreciate that these are real first impressions from a track that is reminiscent of a perfectly groomed and tacky Harrisville - pretty magical .
TF 250-X
Launched in March this year , the 250 offering needs no formal introduction . Its release and subsequent racing results have been plastered all over the internet for the world to see . It has taken heat win races in AMA Supercross , and podiums in both AMA motocross and MX GP . For a first edition , all-new from the ground-up motorcycle , I think you can call Triumph ’ s first step into competitive MX racing a huge success .
FRAME Starting with probably the biggest commitment the brand had to make from the get-go … the frame . Steel or alloy apparently was the big decision to be made - a steel backbone or alloy perimeter . Those of us waiting to find out
thought it ’ d be a 50 / 50 call as to what we ’ d see , but Triumph went in another direction . With the two aforementioned designs being the only options out there that manufacturers are currently using , the UK team , with RC chipping in his multi-million dollars ’ worth , went for an alloy backbone design , something that ’ s not been seen since the 2009 YZ-F range . Triumph said this was to give the bike the best of both worlds and allow the bike to work within a wide window of adjustability and settings . I raced and tested Yamahas during that frame era and always loved how easy the bikes were to ride . I wouldn ’ t say the TF 250-X reminds me of those times , but the ease with which I was able to get this bike into my personal operating window was obvious .
ENGINE Strapped to that frame is one hell of a donk , putting out power that the team claims is bestin-class power-to-weight . The 250F version sees a DOHC design , using a KONIG piston with a claimed 45-hour service life . Apart from Exedy clutch , the rest of the engine is all manufactured in-house , and is sporting an electric start , hydraulic clutch , and a switch
60 KIWI RIDER