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A bullet-point history of the Kawasaki KX250 would miss all the really important facts about the bike. Yes, it would point out that it’s the winningest bike in the modern era of pro motocross; the KX250 (formerly known as the KX250F) has earned 18 championships and 189 wins in pro motocross and Supercross. That’s just […]
Some motorcycles are tools; machines designed with simplicity of purpose to deliver a desired result. A motorcycle like the TM EN250Fi four-stroke is much more. It’s a product of passion and a statement of identity. If the people at TM viewed their products with nothing more than utility in mind, their company would have ceased […]
Some bikes defy being categorized. The 2021 KTM 450XC-F isn’t one of them. It’s actually a very specialized motorcycle. The confusing part is that it fits perfectly in so many categories. For one, it’s KTM’s most adept desert bike, one that has won more National Hare & Hounds than any other bike in recent history. […]
For those of you who remember reading about the Husqvarna 701 Enduro in the May 2020 issue of Dirt Bike magazine, there were big plans to turn that bike into a legitimate adventure/exploration bike . Over the last few months, parts were added to John “Bum” Bumgarner’s 701 Enduro to make that plan come to […]
Over the last decade, we have seen a surge in riders taking interest in the sport of trials. It has never been a huge market in the United States, but it continues to gain popularity among riders looking to cross-train and hone their skills for off-road and extreme enduro. The experience gained is undeniable, especially […]
Honda’s big milestones seem to arrive at irregular intervals in the 450 class, but there were four years that changed everything: 2002, 2009, 2013 and 2017. Now, the 2021 model is another bike to remember. It has a new chassis, a mostly new motor and, most important, it represents a change in philosophy. THE PARTS […]
If ever there was proof that pro-racing results don’t matter in the real world, the Yamaha YZ450F is it. It continues to be one of the best-selling motocross bikes in America. It continues to be wildly successful in the hands of local riders. It continues to be reliable, accessible and effective in the hands of […]
The Kawasaki KX450 received what we call a “ground-up rebuild” for the 2019 model year. They addressed almost every issue we had with the machine in previous years, and it has won the last two Dirt Bike magazine 450cc motocross shootouts. Factory racer Eli Tomac has been very successful aboard the machine as well, winning […]
Let’s get the faint irony out of the way. The new KTM 125XC is not new. It’s actually the oldest bike in KTM’s line-up. Back in 1968, John Penton sold a 125 two-stroke off-road bike called the Six-Day in the U.S. It was manufactured by KTM and it was what got the company started in […]
The machine, a 2017 Husqvarna FE450 dual-sport, was dangling close to the Craigslist kick-off deadline, mainly because its owner—Tom Webb’s friend, the infamous “Realtor” Brian Palmer—had never kept a machine longer than two years. In fact, he mows through machines like tear-offs and replaces his truck when the windshield wiper blades wear out. But, he […]
The KTM 790 Adventure R and the Yamaha Tenere 700 are the result of corporate rethinking. Both KTM and Yamaha figured out what adventure bikes do and made plans accordingly. They both came up with the idea that the light heavyweight twin is the right platform but went about their respective projects in completely different […]
If there’s any one bike that can sum up all the changes that have occurred in the motocross world in the previous decade, this is it. The KTM 450SX-F is the MX poster child of the 21st century. It hasn’t always been the fastest, the most advanced or the best in its class, but it […]
The world of electric-powered motorcycles has exploded the last two years, with two of the original electric motorcycle companies basically shutting down and a host of other companies, such as Cobra, KTM and Husqvarna, entering the mix. Technological advancements in battery capabilities have fueled the progression, and companies like KTM are targeting a smaller portion […]
It is a fact that the 300cc two-stroke off-road machine is the most popular displacement for enduro, hard enduro and riders looking for a versatile trail machine. Beta came out of the blocks with an all-new 300RR machine for 2020. The carbureted, oil-injected and counterbalanced engine mates to a chassis, and handling updates have it […]
They say that winning a championship is much easier than defending one. That’s clearly been the case with Zach Bell and the Wiseco World Two-Stroke Championship. His 2018 title has proven very difficult to duplicate. After a DNF last year, we hoped we could team up with him to capture the 2020 title. Unfortunately, a […]
When it comes to taking gigantic, twin-cylinder motorcycles off-road, the KTM 790 Adventure R has been king since it was introduced a little over one year ago. It’s almost as if KTM looked at the rules of the game and decided how best to cheat. Yes, it’s still big enough to qualify as a full-blooded […]
Trials is a unique sport. Many of the brands that are mainstream in the trials world are unknown to a large percentage of the dirt riding public in the States. Sherco, a French manufacturer, has bolted into the limelight here in America with the signing of Cody Webb, but the company has been a mainstream […]
Fuel-injected two-strokes are here to stay. Now, there are three manufacturers offering transfer-port-injection two-strokes in the U.S., and there are more to come. Here’s the fun part: not all of them are owned by KTM’s parent company. TM is a small Italian company that has proven itself capable of matching any motorcycle company in the […]
Sherco has made a big push world wide in recent years and that’s being felt here in the U.S. We got a chance to see what all the buzz was about with the arrival of the 2020 250SEF Factory off-road four-stroke. One year ago most off-road riders in the U.S. thought that Sherco was a vintage […]
The late ’90s to mid-2000s Suzuki RM250 two-strokes might just be the best used motorcycles out there. They feature a strong engine and a great handling package that makes the bikes fun to ride. This is probably why we don’t come across many for sale; the people who have them want to keep them. Thankfully, […]