Comparison test of 250 sports enduro bikes

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Comparison test of 250 sports enduro bikes

Fuel

The Honda CRF 250 X had to prove on red-hot coal whether it was an alternative to the four-stroke engines from Husqvarna, KTM and Yamaha.

The earth is on fire. At least that’s what the French say. Allegedly, here, near Belfort, on the spoil dump of what was once the deepest coal mine, it is still glowing underground for several years after its closure. Nothing of it can be felt. Black earth around us as far as the eye can see. Millions of tons piled up tens of meters high. Undulating ranges of hills merge into huge plains, steep slopes divide rugged training. As if someone had modeled a gigantic playground for off-roaders.
An ideal area to start the enduro bikes of the small four-stroke class-
to really feel it. The current occasion: The new CRF 250 X, after decades Honda’s first series-produced sports enduro. Which of course
from the in-house four-stroke crosser-
direct, electric starter, lighting system and low-
are docile interventions on the engine interior
the main differences. However, the little Honda does not come to the dealer ready to race: It lacks the registration and many of the necessary parts. For the individual purchase, a few hundred euros must be added to the basic price. KTM, Husqvarna and Yamaha come with approval. For sports use are available
especially KTM and Husky optimally prepared. All you have to do is climb up and
To give gas. The only question is whether
loud Akrapovic exhaust of the tested Sala version survives the acceptance. The Honda is either quiet or ?? after removing the silencer insert ?? crosswise loud. The WR is rather too quiet for sport.
In practice, the five-valve engine suffers
but by no means short of breath. It starts spontaneously and lively in every speed range. With around 36 hp, it marks the clear top performance of this quartet. And, what is particularly important in the small class, it continues to turn lively beyond the rated speed, gladly too
up to over 13,000 turns. The slight sagging that the test bench diagram shows in the middle area cannot be felt when driving. On the contrary, the WR packs a punch in every situation
, can also be controlled excellently in tricky passages thanks to perfect coordination.
The Husky engine, also controlled by two camshafts, comes to that
quite close to the Yamaha in power and maneuverability. If the TE is kept in the upper speed range when chasing times, things are really moving forward. The tuning of the Mikuni carburettor in the partial load range was not optimal. What was already noticeable with other TE models also plagues the 250: occasional swallowing difficulties that can only partially be brought under control by changing the nozzle and fine-tuning the carburetor. With optimal engine management, the Husky drive of the Yamaha could seriously stand up.
A similar problem is annoying with the KTM, the EXC also only reluctantly and slows to accelerate in the lower range of the rev range. Here the reason seems to be less the jetting than a fundamental management problem. At least the two-valve engine has enough power at high speeds with around 31 hp not to lose touch entirely. However, a wider usable speed range and more revving would be desirable. Especially when you don’t hit the stopwatch. The testers also criticized the hooky circuit.
Honda proves that even with just
a camshaft higher speeds are to be created. Not outstanding, but decent 30 hp ?? Incidentally, no more horsepower with an open exhaust? are applied over several thousand revolutions, and below this plateau the CRF 250 X has pressure. The lack of performance is compared to the Yamaha WR 250 F, however, is noticeable. At least the Honda shines in contrast to the two European models with clean throttle response.
So the engine classification goes to Japan, but what about the driving-
work out? Here the Europeans counter with a suspension designed for sporty enduro use. Especially the
Husky convinces. The suspension responds excellently to fine bumps and swallows the rough things without complaint. MOTORRAD tester Didi Lacher was enthusiastic about the unbelievable traction of the TE, the rear wheel seems to stick to the ground. In addition, there is neutral steering and solid stability: the TE cannot be disturbed by anything. The KTM acts more nervously, there is more and more unrest in the framework. Less because of the suspension tuning than the geometry trimmed towards handiness. Concentration is particularly important when turning into bends. The WP fork works cleanly, the shock absorber lacks a bit of sensitivity when driving over edges.
The Japanese go completely different ways. The Yamaha is designed to be soft? nothing else is known from the WR series. This makes handling easier in many situations, and the WR drives itself
extremely comfortable. When accelerating hard, however, the soft suspension gets into trouble from time to time, and a tighter set-up would be required for racing. Nobody misses that at the cross-like hard-tuned CRF. Looked out-
The Honda copes best with bumps in the road. The other side of the coin: Bei
When it comes to trial insoles and enduro hikes, the Honda rider wants both better responsiveness and comfort. It may be that the lack of comfort has something to do with the stiff aluminum chassis.
What else did you notice? That Husky and KTM with their six-speed transmissions
are at an advantage. That the brakes are consistently at a high level, with the Japanese systems doing a touch better. That the ergonomics are quite different on all four, but basically okay. Only the Honda seat was a little soft and anyone would replace the Yamaha steel handlebars immediately.
The bottom line is that there is an imaginary, undisputed test winner: the Yamaha engine in a Husky chassis with Honda weight and KTM equipment. So there is still plenty of room for improvement for all manufacturers.

1st place – Yamaha WR 250 F

Yamaha WR 250 F There are certainly approaches to criticism:
The suspension is comfortable but soft, the steering precision could be a little better. In the end, however, only one thing counts: power.

2nd place – Husqvarna TE 250

Husqvarna TE 250 Almost everything is right with the Husky:
Suspension, chassis, ergonomics. Almost, because only the moderate one
Fine-tuning the engine ultimately screwed up the targeted victory.

3rd place – Honda CRF 250 X

Honda CRF 250 X Best systems, not yet optimal
used: Honda’s first sport enduro undoubtedly has potential, it lacks top performance and an enduro-compatible suspension setup.

4th place – KTM 250 EXC Racing

KTM 250 EXC Racing Even in the Sala version, the KTM cannot work miracles. The ohc engine lacks speed
and strength. The perfect sports equipment is a role model.

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