a couple of small rider-adjustment things. The rear brake pedal was playing on my mind – it sat lower than I’ d like, so I found myself moving my foot around too much to get onto it properly. In the trees, when everything is happening quickly, that can make you untidy. The other thing was stalling. Compared with the TF450-RC long-termer, the 250-C is definitely less tolerant if you get lazy with the clutch and grab too much rear brake. The 450 has enough torque and inertia that it lets you get away with a bit more; the 250 asks you to ride it more correctly. Try to ride it without the clutch and then get heavy on the rear brake, and it will cut out more easily than the 450. I stalled it a couple of times in that second test – nothing dramatic, but enough to remind me that it’ s still a 250F and you need to keep your clutch discipline tidy. Aside from that, the bike still felt really good. By the third test I started to pull it together again. No major complaints, no big setup panic, just a bike doing what I needed it to do. I think on that test I ended up tied for fifth outright, so the pace was still competitive. Across the first three tests, the bike had made a seriously strong case for itself, and we were still right in the mix. At that point, I had no sense the Triumph was holding me back.
HELP A FADING RIDER After the third terrain test, things started to take a bit of a turn; a lack of riding had started to catch up. My fitness hit a wall, and from that point on I could feel my test times dropping away. I wasn’ t riding badly because the bike was doing anything wrong; I was just too fatigued to keep putting proper times in. What stood out, though, was that the TF250-C stayed manageable. That’ s where the 250 actually became a real advantage. When you’ re fresh, a bigger bike can feel exciting
KIWI RIDER 49