2023 KTM 250 XC, What do I think now? 

Glad you found it worthwhile. I can't wait to get this bike in the mountains this next summer.

Its a game changer!

Thanks for the feedback Rob. I agree....and I don't have anything against the 300 (I've owned several), but the 250's are just super fun to ride. In the Sherco lineup I prefer the 300 over their 250 because I didn't feel like the 250 had enough top end, but in the KTM's, I find the 250 super fun to ride.

Thanks. These are just my opinions so everyone can take them for what they're worth, but hopefully some find it helpful.

It's just getting broken in :) Don't be scared to hang on to it for a lot longer. My '17 was a great bike and just barely sold it this past week and I know it will continue to bring smiles to the new owner.

Thank you. I'm glad you found it useful.

If I can get my hands on a 300 and spend enough seat time on it to do a true comparison, then I'll definitely make a video :)

I have a lot of 50 tooth sprockets laying around from my previous 250 (where 50 tooth was stock size). I may give it a try as well, just to see if I notice much difference. I'll be interested in your results as well.

Thank you. Glad you found some value in it. I'm still loving this bike.

@@ridewithmike962 Great to hear! I’m picking up mine next weekend. Super excited

I hope you enjoy your new bike. Sounds like we enjoy all the same types of riding and racing.

Thank you. Glad you found some value in it.

Sounds great. I do a lot of my riding in southeast Idaho and I can't wait to get this bike on some Idaho singletrack this summer.

Kyle says anything KTM is his favorite. That guy's too much of a product pusher for me.

@@panic-revv85 can’t get any better than a TBI 250 / 300 right now. They’re fast 💨

@@stevedouglas1654 I'm not disagreeing, Ill be on one if GasGas goes TBI. Hell, I'll be on one if it's orange as well.

Thanks. Utah is great :)

Glad you enjoyed the Tour of Idaho videos. Those are still my favorite too, because that was such an awesome adventure. I've been following Morgan's videos closely (Highland Cycles) and did just see his video about the fan and light. If you read through all the comments on that video, you'll find there is some good info and advice on how to more accurately test, but I'm much like Morgan in that I wouldn't plan to run both the fan and the light together the majority of the time, so it sounds like there are some options.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds it a little "off". It looks and feels more durable, but the actuation of the button is a bit stiff.

Come and say hello. We are planning to be there. It's my favorite race of the year.

@@ridewithmike962 will do, actually met you guys at the CEC in blairmore BC many years ago. The Idaho race has been on the list for ever...

I’m running about 140 psi. I r also since I my forks revalved by MotoXperts in Spanish Fork Utah.

Your buddy probably has a TPI, not a TBI. The powervalve on the new TBI's is electronic whereas the 2023 TPI's retained the traditional powervalve that can be adjusted externally and with different spring tensions. No need to do that on the TBI's. I always ran the red spring on my previous 250's because I liked more of a hit. You are correct though, on those manually adjustable powervalves, you could really tune the power characteristic.

Stephen, that is a great question. Thanks for the feedback. Did you mean the Beta 300 Race Edition? Although I have not personally spent a lot of time on the Beta 300, I do have some pretty close experience that is relevant that I will share. The short answer is that the Beta is a great bike and if you're seriously considering one, I would be the last person to talk you out of one. Like all bikes, each brand has their issues as well as their strong points. I have 3 sons that are all great riders and each has participated in the ISDE. This past August, my youngest son rode in France at the ISDE on a Beta 300RR. He had been riding and training on a 2022 Beta 300 race edition. He qualified for the ISDE on a Beta 480, but he specifically chose to ride a Beta 300 at the Six Days because he wanted to ride a carbureted two-stroke and he was very familiar with the Betas. The logic behind that was that over the course of 6 straight days of racing, he wanted a bike that he knew he could easily work on and troubleshoot if there were any issues (he had not had the greatest experience with the Beta four strokes due to electrical issues). His choice of a Beta 300 turned out to be great and he successfully completed all 6 days of racing with no major bike issues. He did have an issue with the Sachs shock (it blew a shock seal) and luckily he had a backup shock that was super easy to swap out during his allotted work time. The new 2023 Beta 300's come with a KYB shock which is a big improvement. He has ordered a new Beta 300 (because he was excited to see it had a KYB shock) and it should be here in a few weeks. The Beta is not slower or under powered by any means. If you like the Beta's, then go for it.

@RideWithMike962 isn't the beta considerably heavier though? The 23 200 race edition does interest me!

@@davidgrunklee8407 I don't have specs on the Beta, I do know historically, they've all been a bit heavier than the KTM's.

Hi Dave! Unfortunately I have not had the chance to ride one of those bikes yet for comparison but I really want to. I have ridden my sons Sherco 300, but I specifically want to compare it to one of the new TBI's. I know a lot of people that have the new 300's, but I've just not yet had a chance to ride one.

Funny you should ask, I still have the stock front tire on my bike. My front mousse is getting a bit soft so I will swap the tire when I swap the front mousse, but otherwise I have no complaints aout the front tire.

Thanks Daylin. I've not ridden mine in the white map but I've heard a few similar comments from others review of these new bikes (that the white map seems a bit rich). I'll need to a fuel mileage test between white and green map. The green map is just so much fun, I don't see myself riding it any other way, but I suppose in the summer when doing long days of high-alpine singletrack, the white map may be more useful. Congrats on the new bike.

@@ridewithmike962 im down in st george and have done some tech riding and its definetly nice in the white map. you really only feel a big difference on the top end. there is a slight difference in the bottom but not a ton.

I really like the Midwest Mountain Engineering lever because it's a shorty lever and with the new stock handguards, and bar ends, I find when I tip over, that it's not as susceptible to damage. However, I'm always open to suggestions for improvement. Tell me more about which bikes have the 9mm bore master cylinder and I may consider trying one. Several years ago, we had a '2003 200 SX in the stable (only made for 2 years). For whatever reason, that bike had the worst stock clutch pull of any KTM I've ever owned. I remember that it was suggested to me to buy a different master cylinder with a different bore and it made a big difference.

@@ridewithmike962 nice part of the 9mm is it’s oem, so lever and feel is great, just much lighter pull.. This one is mainly found on the 150’s..works great!

@@jasonstevens4192 Thank you. I just wasn't sure what bikes had the 9mm bore cylinder. I may have to give that a try!

I dinged my pipe in the first hour and half :((( great video

@@CreekLifeTV Ugggh! Sorry to hear that. I absolutely know that it's coming. There's no way I won't ding a bike riding a 2-stroke, but I admit I was completely shocked that I made it through this race with no dings.

Thanks for the feedback. I honestly thought that I was going to use the White Map at the Tecate Enduro because it gets so technical in places, but I got so immersed in race mode that it didn't even occur to me to switch it. However, even though it was technical in places, it was dry and traction was a non issue. I think when I get into summer riding mode in the mountain trails and if I get into wet conditions, the white map could be an advantage.

I've been using Lucas Oil at 50:1. Manual calls for 60:1 but I've not had any issues with 50:1 and I use that in other bikes so it makes it easier for me.

I have a GPR V5 with the Pro Kit which means it has a GPR top triple clamp. My objective with this bike was not to raise the bars from stock height. With the Pro Kit, it pretty much retains the stock height. If using a GPR V5 with the stock triple clamp would raise the bar height a few millimeters. I had the V5 from my other bike so I didn't want to invest in another one, but if I were starting from scratch I would buy the Precision Engineering stabilizer. My son has one on his Gas Gas and I really like it.

I'm 185 (with no gear). My suspension is off to MotoXperts in Spanish Fork right now, being revalved and resprung for my weight. I wanted to ride and race this bike for a few months to have a better feel for what I liked and didn't like about the suspension.

I've done 40 mile loops in racing conditions, so I would say 40 for racing and 50+ for trail riding. Highland Cycles has some good videos where he intentionally ran his out of gas to see how far his range was, and he also recently did the same with a new IMS tank.

I have not experienced that yet. Are you running i the white map or green map. I've heard a few people say it seems to run a bit rich in the white map. I've been riding mine exclusively in the green map.

Hi Chris. I have a riot on this bike in the sand, but there's nothing quite like displacement in the sand so if that's all you ride, then a 450 would be better, but the 250 will absolutely get you around just fine. However, a 450 (motocross version) is terrible for trail riding and the 250 is way better for that type of riding. For me, even though I ride the sand pretty often for racing, my favorite kind of riding is mountain singletrack and so for that the 250/300 is king.

​@@ridewithmike962Thanks. I guess I NEED both! Did you ever try the 50 tooth rear sprocket? Any improvement?

@@OldManWibble I've never tried the 50 tooth. That's what I used to run on my '17 250 XC, but haven't felt the need on this new bike.

I've never ridden a yz250x so I can't really offer a fair comparison. I do have a few buddies that have them and they are great bikes. If they offered a six speed and electric start, I would seriously consider buying one. Yes....they kickstart so easy, but once you have electric start it's hard to go back, and I would miss the 6th gear....but motor and suspension are awesome.

The main reason was that I had been riding a 250 XC for the previous 6 seasons and I've loved it so I thought why not go for another 300. For reference, I have owned 3 other 300's over the years so I really like 300's as well, but I find the 250's more fun and playful to ride, and the only thing you give up is a bit of low-end, but on top, I think they're every bit as fast. Another reason was that it was easier to obtain a new 250 than it was a 300, with all the hype going on with the new TBI's.

The new 300s supposedly rev out like a 250. I would like to see a comparison.

@@tomcorle1400 I would really like to get my hands on a 300 and do a back to back comparison as well. One thing that I've been reading and have observed is how much excitement there is about the 300SX as well by the motocross crowd. I don't think dealers will be able to keep those in stock. Check out VitalMX for a really good 300SX, 350XCF, 450XCF comparison.

Morgan over at Highland cycles has a good setup for a light an fan on these new bikes. Surprised on the fuel mileage on these, my 2018 tpi 250 in the mountains of WV I get 80 miles on a tank. Racing harescrambles this year I hardly use any fuel going 3 laps for me is about 30 miles. I hope when the xc-w model comes out this coming year they have some of that addressed. Track your on looks like alot of fun.

@@hkramer52 Thanks. I have watched Morgan's video and that does give me hope that I can run a small light if I choose to go that route this summer. As for the gas mileage, the jury is still out on that one. A 40-50 mile race shouldn't be a problem, but I'm mostly interested in long trail miles in the mountains.

Even though the frame is new, I found the ergonomics "familiar" because its still a KTM. At times, I ran a bigger tank on my '17 and I also had an underbar mount GPR (the same one I moved to this bike), so the bar height was a bit taller on my '17. With this new bike, I did not want to raise the bars at all, which is why I bought the GPR Pro kit. It made a fractional rise to the bar heights, but it's so small that I doubt anyone could really tell the difference. I like it that way. With this new bike, I feel like I can get up over the tank a bit easier and I like the larger footpegs. The rider triangle itself, feels about the same to me. I would say, it is an improvement, but not a major change in ergonomics.

@@ridewithmike962 gotcha. Thanks for the response. I have an 18’ 250 that’s pretty dialed, and I want a new bike so bad, but I’m finding it hard to justify if the the biggest upgrade is going to be the fuel injection and the assorted gadgetry. Love the vids, looking forward to more 👍🏼

@@simplejackenduro I totally understand. The '18 is the last of the carb'd and kickstart bikes so for a lot of guys, they're the bike to have. I still have my '17 and need to sale it, but I admit it's tempting to hang on to for a while.

@@ridewithmike962 nope 2019 is the last year of carbed bikes

@@gordonstimmel4590 you're right with the XC's...I stand corrected. 2020 was first year of TPI with the XC's. '18 was the first year of TPI with the XCW's.

I had my suspension revalved by MotoXperts in Spanish Fork Utah a few weeks ago. I raced two weekends ago right after picking it up and the race had a few super rocky washes and I can say it was much better. I think most of what I was experiencing that I mentioned in this "final thoughts" video had to do with the specific conditions at that race site (it was loose and sketchy no matter what you were riding), but I feel I have made it even better with proper spring in the rear and revalved fork and shock. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Gc2roRpIf-w.html (26:08) in this video.

@@ridewithmike962 thanks! And nice riding. I'm still deciding between a Beta 200re and the KTM 250XC. Not sure the air forks will be plush enough... I have MX-TECH Lucky carbons I can convert to. You have experience I'm sure with kitted or KYB forks... curious your thoughts beyond what you've shared. Thanks!

I have the stock spring. I don't have the manual in front of me, but I believe the stock spring weight range is somewhere in the neighborhood of 160-180 pounds (maybe a bit less). I have the shock spring in the "Sport" setting, and sag set, but I'm pretty sure I need to go up at least one rate. As for the fork, it's an air fork. I have it at 140psi. I raced it again this past weekend at a local GP, and on the track, I could tell the shock was too soft for me. Now that i have more time, I'm going to have my local suspension tuner (MotoXperts in Spanish Fork Utah) do a revalve and get a different spring.

Steep climbs are not a concern. The 250 is just as capable if not more capable than the 300. It doesn't have quite as much low-end, but it lugs just fine in the slower technical stuff, and if you have to open it up on a fast and steep hill climb it has just as much rev as needed.

@ridewithmike9624 thank you for the information! I'm supposed to pick up my new 2023 ktm250xc this Saturday, I'm hyped because my riding area is filled with technical steep hills, roots, rocks and tight trees. I was riding a ktm125sx so it should be a massive upgrade!

@@kinotroikgames2818 How exciting! I ride a lot of slower and technical stuff too (especially in the summer when rail riding in the mountains). The 250 will be great.

@ridewithmike9624 that's great to hear! I'm so excited to pick it up and test it out this Sunday or next weekend! Have you had any sparkplugs fouling on you?

@@kinotroikgames2818 no fouled plugs for me and no spooge out of the exhaust. I've not had mine remapped yet either (the dealer I bought it from is 5 hours away). I must have gotten one of the good ones.

Although the '23 models (of the XC line) have a stronger motor, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you felt the '22 was too much. If you're thinking the 250 may be better/easier because of less displacement, I wouldn't say that is the case. The 250 spins up a bit faster than the 300, and the 300's traditionally have more low-end torque so for some people they are easier to lug around at low rpm's, even though the difference is minor.

For a first time adult rider I would get a 125 for mx or a 150 tpi bike for enduro/trails.

@@ridewithmike962 Thanks man! I went with a 125sx for track and a 200 beta rr for the trails. Seems to both be good bikes to learn on

@@mattwindell1638 thanks Matt!!

@@AnthonyJay That's great to hear! Both sound like awesome bikes to learn the proper skills needed (for track and trail).

As for size and weight, you would be just fine and would be within the range of stock suspension settings for the rear spring (and you can tune the front based on air pressure). As for the bikes power, it depends on what you mean by beginner. If you want a very capable bike that you can do anything on, then yes.

@@ridewithmike962 ok thanks

It's the Tecate Enduro in Tecate Mexico. It's hosted by the Los Ancianos Motorcycle Club out of San Diego.

Yes, we're pretty fortunate out here in the West, but I admit, sometimes those East Coast trails looking very appealing too.

Yeah....mine was a prototype for the new bikes when I got it. It's been working great, but for some reason Rocky Mountain hasn't decided to make them available yet.