Compare Duke 200 Vs Cbr 250r Engine
Evangelino Cousteau
Had some time to spare on one evening, so decided to take a test ride of the baby Vstrom. If I had to compare this bike with a car from the Indian automobile scene, it would be the Toyota Yaris i.e, jack of all trades but master of none.
Upon entering the showroom, there was this Yellow Vstrom under the lights. And I have to admit, this yellow is a never before seen kind of colour. The one on the older Karizma's is a little different than this yellow. If you're getting a Vstrom, I would urge you to pick the Yellow!
I went closer to the bike and had a good look at it. The build quality is top-notch, everything feels solidly put together and built to last. After spending 5 minutes with it inside the showroom, I asked the SA for a test ride. Had to wait for 2-3 minutes as he was busy with some scooter booking and the other staff at the showroom were minding their own business.
Another guy comes and gives me the key after I ask the SA again. I told him I wanted to go solo, to which he agreed after a slight hesitation. Took the keys, slotted them in position and hopped onto the bike in typical Adventure bike style. The seat felt lower than my Duke and the weight was way less than my Duke. This was something that I instantly felt once I hopped onto the motorcycle.
Started the bike, and it felt familiar. I have faint memories of the Gixxer SF 250, and I remember how smooth the engine was back then. The smoothness hasn't changed one bit. Slotted the gear into position, left the clutch and I immediately notice how much low-end grunt this bike has. Might be lower than the Himalayan, but my Duke feels dead compared to the Vstrom. The Clutch is very slightly heavy but not an issue at all. I hit the main road and then start to work with the gears. This 250 engine was a gem on the SF250 and that hasn't changed here. It is smooth throughout the powerband and delivers power in a very very linear fashion. This is the kind of engine which will impress you but will not excite you (remember the Toyota Yaris reference I used in the beginning?). You can do 100-110 all day long without breaking a sweat. However, I feel 120 will be a bit of a stretch with little reserve power left for overtakes. 100-110 should be the ideal comfortable speed on this motorcycle. The seating position is nice and upright. Should be supremely comfortable for long-distance mile-munching. The brakes were decent, but a little more stopping power would have been appreciated. I remember the bike had a little nose dive when I was braking. I guess this is normal for a bike with a little more suspension travel. The gearbox is smooth and slick-shifting, just like the one on the SF250. No complaints here. I will not comment on the grip provided by the tyres, as I hardly got any chance to cut through corners. The wind protection offered by the windscreen was adequate. I had touched 80 and there was little to no wind hitting my helmet.
Overall, I feel this is a good bike, but not a great bike. Before I bought my 390 Duke, I did take a test ride of the SF250. Back then the bike felt the same: good but not great or impressive but not exciting. Remember that was when I had no idea of how electric the 390's acceleration can get. Now after close to 3 months of ownership of the Duke 390, I am fully used to the addictive acceleration of the 390. Now when I took a test ride of the Vstrom with the same engine as the SF250, I felt it to be boring. Boring would be a bit harsh, it just doesn't excite. This bike or rather this engine itself isn't for youngsters. It is more suited for a middle-aged person or a person who has a very mature riding style. This bike is for the person who likes to cruise along highways effortlessly at a calm speed and not for the person who wants to aggressively accelerate at every traffic signal with a drag scene in mind.
I doubt if this will sell in good numbers, as Suzuki's marketing team will doze off after a couple of months and this engine itself isn't very exciting. Couple that with Suzuki's horrible aftersales, I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone. I will only recommend this if you are really after smooth bikes with linear and predictable power delivery.
2022.5 KTM 250 Factory Edition vs 2022 Honda CRF250R vs 22 YZ250F comparison time! I rode these bikes back to back on a rough, dry, and choppy Grear MX track. Back to back rides are a great way to get a feel for the characteristics of different bikes. My thoughts on each bike....
2022 YZ250F:
Strengths: Best in class low to mid and partial throttle torque feel feel with 2-stroke like quick throttle response. The YZ250F engine is strong and the power character feels like a 350 or mini 450. The free GYTR Power Tuner app allows for quick changes to the engine power character with a smart phone. I like the Hard Hitting and Keefer Free Feeling maps. KYB sets the bar for plush and controlled suspension that works for a wide range of rider weights, skills, and track conditions. The YZ250F chassis gives up some cornering agility for confidence inspiring stability at speed in the rough sections. Brakes are good and clutch pull effort is light.
Weaknesses: Ergos: footpegs feel a little forward and the seat to peg distance is tight for taller riders and the reverse head intake makes the radiator shrouds feel wide. The exhaust and intake noise are both loud.
2022 Honda CRF250R
Strengths: Great engine with good low end and strong mid to top power that is quick revving and free feeling with little engine braking. Map 3 is my favorite. The full Yoshimura exhaust on this bike turns up the throttle response with a little stronger mid range and roll on power feeling. Lightweight, quick responding, and agile feeing chassis with excellent cornering. This bike sets the bar for "fun to ride" in the 250F class. Almost 125 2-stroke like agility. Typical Honda "just feels right" ergonomics. Strong front brake with excellent modulation.
Weaknesses:
The firm chassis combines with too firm suspension setting (mostly the fork) to make the bike feel unplanted and busy at speed especially in dry and hard pack conditions with lots of track feedback felt through the handlebars and footpegs. Seat is thin and hard.
2022.5 KTM 250SXF Factory Edition
Strengths: The all new 250SXF engine finally has excellent initial throttle response and a fun/lively mid range that still pulls strong into the higher RPM range. Map 1 pulls smooth and broad while Map 2 gives more hit but feels flatter up top. I use the quick shifter on my street bike all the time but still not used to using it on the 250FE. The new chassis gives up a little cornering quickness and agility for a more planted and less busy feel in the choppy and faster sections - a good trade off. There is also less chassis pitch under braking and acceleration. AER forks feel plush at the top of the stoke and the new hydro bottoming system resists bottoming even with low air pressures. The new rear shock gives good comfort on acceleration chop with good damping control overall. The new radiator shrouds/side panels/ergos feel near Honda perfect and the new foot pegs are mounted very close to the frame which works with the new plastic and really keeps the rider in contact with the sides of the 250FE. Brembo brakes are strong and clutch pull is light.
The Bottom Line:
The YZ250F has excellent stock suspension and strong low to mid roll on torque the feel for a 250F. The updated CRF and KTM engines and chassis exaggerate the ergo weaknesses and make the YZ250F feel a little heavy and less agile in the corners
The '22 CRF250R is a very fun to ride combination of Power/Weight/Handling in a 250F dirt bike with a great engine and excellent cornering that needs more compliant suspension (and perhaps chassis) especially when riding hard pack and choppy conditions.
The KTM 250 Factory Edition has strong power with a fun midrange surge, great cornering vs stability balance, and compliant suspension that is very tunable but does take time and effort to dial in your settings.
For today's ride in dry choppy conditions the KTM 250FE wins with a more planted/less busy overall feel with excellent cornering followed closely by the YZ250F with the CRF250 taking 3rd. More back to back rides soon.
Finally got my 2022.5 KTM 250 Factory Edition to my buddy's farm for some old school moto and woods loop riding yesterday. I used the myKTM app to come up with the base suspension settings for this ride (AER fork pressure 9.6 bar, C18 R18 and rear shock C21 R20 2.75 HSC). Since I was not using all of the fork stroke I lowered the fork pressure to 9.0 bar and it provided even more front wheel traction and comfort over the small inputs. I would not have come up with these settings without using the myKTM as a starting point. AER forks are very tunable but it does take time and effort to find settings that work for you and the riding conditions.
I like my bikes to work well over a broad range of riding conditions and the 250FE worked great in today's combination of old school GP moto and woods loops. The new chassis felt planted and the suspension was plush and gave me good tire contact patch feel. I am not a Dunlop MX33 fan and they were not the best in the softer sections of the track and trail today. The updated 250FE engine finally has decent initial response that quickly gets into the fun and lively mid range (my favorite part) and continues to pull strong up top. Roll on torque feel is strong. This new engine is fun to ride! I still have not used the Quick Shifter option.
A few laps on my new 2022 KTM 250SXF Factory Edition at Grear MX in Zanesville, Ohio. Finally a KTM 250SXF engine that builds RPM's quickly! Lively low to mid throttle response that leads into a strong mid range and the usual KTM top end pull. This engine is strong for a 250F. The new chassis traded a little steering quickness for a more planted feel at speed in the chop. The AER forks are still polarizing for many riders but with a little time and effort to dial in pressure and clicker settings (use the chassis section on the myKTM app) the forks can be made to work well for a wide variety of rider weights and riding conditions. The rear shock has more damping control feel compared to prior WP settings and combined with the new settings in the AER forks there is less fore/aft chassis pitch under braking and acceleration on the new bike. The all new seat and plastics ergo's and footpegs keep the rider connected to the bike. Brembo brakes are strong.
7fc3f7cf58