trait , while great tractors of engines , they weren ’ t always great at race pace . Conversely , some prior KTM four-strokes were all extreme revs and no guts which made them a handful to ride , particularly on high traction terrain . So , the upshot is – good high revving throttle response and engine inertia is a fine balance , which KTM has nailed with the 250XC-F .
CHASSIS There seems to be some trickery going on with the new frame and suspension linkage . The WP XACT shock is 15mm shorter than before , but wheel travel remains the same at 300mm . The forks are 48mm USD WP XACT items , have 300mm travel and new internals for better compliance . The chromoly central double cradle is stronger with thicker steel walls in places and the aluminium / polyamide subframe is redesigned to allow a lower rear seat / guard height to improve ergonomics . So , while the shock is shorter , rear axle travel the same , and the subframe lower , ground clearance is still an excellent 359mm . Some engineering type definitely got the slide rule out here - let me know if you know what one of those is . Oh well , moving on ... I found the new ergo ’ s to be clearly felt as an improvement – it has a lighter , more manageable feel while being a similar weight to the previous model at 101kg dry . The fuel tank holds nine litres . The steering head angle is a sharp 26.1 degrees , making the bike an excellent turner while still remaining stable at speed . This is a great handling machine . The Brembo braking is essentially the same as last year with a twin piston caliper and 260mm disc up front and a slightly altered rear single piston caliper to accommodate the smaller diameter axle . The rear disc is 220mm in diameter . Braking performance is excellent in all conditions .
KIWI RIDER 63