Easter Ride Report by Mike Baxter from rec.motorcycles.dirt
The next enduro is looming ahead and I wanted more time on the KTM. I didn't bother inviting anyone along, because I was going to the Santa Clara County OHV park known as Metcalf. My goal was to get in some miles and tweak the suspension a little more. Metcalf is very roughand very small, making it great for testing. It's only 442 acres. Anyway, I was is no hurry to get there as it's only a 35 minute drive for me.
Plus, the weather was awesome and still is right now. I rode all the single track, and most of it twice or three times. I wanted to hit the nasty rough stuff to see how the bike would respond. I was pleased and think that I have a handle on the bike. I did something that I usually don't do very much. I hit the MX track. I think I pounded out about 40 laps before taking a break.
The KTM was working really well on the track and I only bottomed the bike when I over jumped or land in a hole. Never bone jarring. Cool! Back at the truck, I adjusted the handlebars and relaxed for a few minutes. My ICO showed me at 41 miles so far. Wow. Right across from my truck is a CRF250X with alot of oil under it and 3 guys staring at it. So I wander over and introduce myself.
Turns out, the owner, Miguel, dropped it and the brake pedal put a hole in the case. They fixed it with JB weld, but were unsure if they could use motor oil in the gearbox. I said sure you can and that's all he needed to get back out and riding. Miguel is the size of Tami and watching him get going on the 250X is painfull. The majic button sure helps. After pounding out more laps on the MX track withe my 3 new friends we stopped for breather and I bummed a test ride on the 250X.
So, here I am on a CRF250X and it's bone stock. I wanted to take it on some trails, but I didn't want to push my new friend. So, off I go on the MX track. The first thing you notice is that it turns very well and wants to knife in, so you gotta be ready for that.
The power was nice. I can see alot of off-roaders being very happy with it. It's got good bottom and decent mid power. I never needed the top-end on this track, so I have no idea how far it revs out. It hooked up well and flew well over the jumps. The suspension was damn good for a stock motorcycle. Honda is getting it right.
Anyway, if I had tons of money, I would have one of these bikes in the garage. However, the KTM is way more exciting to ride and is working great now. I finished the day with 51 miles on the odo.
I'm looking forward to the Sawmill Enduro. Maybe I can even get a trophy this time. Maybe...
Mike Baxter