’ m feeling thankful . Blissful times have returned to KR HQ . We ’ ve had a 250 twostroke in to test , for the first time since , well , forever . The bike in question is KTM ’ s 250 SX - without the F bit . A good old-fashioned motocross two-stroke ; a real MX bike . Some of you older riders will already have joy in your hearts at the very thought . Minds wistfully going back to the heydays of pre-mix , castor oil , avgas and the glorious sound and smells of a crisp two-stroke on the pipe . My heart warms simply tapping this out .

THE PERFECT CAPACITY Seriously , it ’ s a 250 MX engine ; the best allround two-stroke motocross engines ever made . Forget any romantic notions you may have of the two-stroke 500s , truth be told , they were pigs of things . Sure , they were amazing fun on the right track , but mostly they were hard work and punished mistakes , often brutally , when conditions didn ’ t suit . Likewise , the awesome 125 engine , but for different reasons ... with a usable powerband about the width of a skinny kid ’ s wrist , they were a real challenge to ride fast too . Fall off the pipe for a fleeting moment and you ’ d lose two places in an instant . The 250 motocross engine had it all – post introduction of power valves that is . Amazing low-end torque and thrust into the mid-range , followed by a searing top end . To say the power delivery was linear would be something of a stretch ... and some were anything but – but despite some having significant power band effect , most were still quite manageable . In essence , 250s are very fast and largely fail safe for the rider . Of course , younger riders might disagree , perhaps finding them a bit of a handful . But then their riding education is sadly lacking , having been spoilt by the current super smooth four-strokes , unfortunately making them very ‘ soft ’. I hear that some brands of the

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