2011 250 First impressions

[mikemoto]

Well, First off I would like to say, anyone still riding a four stroke should have their dam heads examined. I have been on the four bangers for years, my last one had about $10,000 in parts and I thought it was the bomb. Now all I want to do is bomb it.
Yesterday I was helping my club work a check at an enduro, so after getting the bike Sat. night all I had time to do was put on Cycra busters and install stiffer fork springs. ( I weight 180 and was told just put in stiffer springs) My first ride was riding down the road to our check. I did notice it cruised nicely down the road. When I got to the check I let it cool for a bit then took it through a 3 mile or so part of our 15 mile section. Bike felt good a little stiff but I have had over 40 bikes and know the suspension needs to break in. Just a note I took all the clickers, went to full soft then went in 5 turns just for break in.
After our check 72 minuets 5 guys a minute it was time to ride the section. Rode the first 3 miles again let it cool just a bit and then it was off to the battle zone. The trail was 15 miles of enduro hell. For anyone who has not ridden in the East you don't know what tight is. I'm talking sections where the trees were 19 inches apart. I dont know how guys were passing in this section. The bike ran great. It took me a little wile to get used to the 2 stroke but not long at all. The bike is amazing, words cannot explain how it turns. Coming out of a bar banging piece, then a small straight their would be a sand berm. The bike felt like it had giant magnets on the wheels and it would just rail the berm. Then the motor would come alive and it was 2 stroke magic. BBBRRRRAAAAAPPPPPP, then a sharp turn railing another berm or rut into the woods. The section was long and hard. Forks felt a little nervous but I still did not touch the clickers. I did however have what i'll call a problem. The clutch squeal. Now I really don't care about the sound, but it was the notchy feeling I got as I was trying to thread the needle. This will have to be addressed. I will say it did go away (and then would come back) and later in the day I did another section that was not as tight but still tuff. After the section sweep was over we came out to the road and were then asked to pull down arrows (NOT) I volunteered to come back next week to pull them down.
So I asked were the last section of the day was and then made my way there. This section was a little faster with lots of bridges, little humps, fast straights, and tones of bar banging trees. At this point I felt much more comfitable on the bike and started to pick up the pace, maybe a little to much. I went into the section on minute 86 and with the last minute being 72 I thought I would never see anyone. Well, I started to pick it up and before you knew it I was passing guy's 17 miles later I was looking for more. On my four stroke I would have been looking for a barf bag.
Bottom line, The bike is amazing. I hate writing any thing good about the bike because then all the orange bike riders will start to buy them and I'll lose that advantage. The fork was a little harsh in the middle of the stroke but felt similar to my Ohlins ttx stuff in other sections. On straights it was dancing but I haven't put my scoots on yet. I do not like the clutch sound. The shock felt pretty good and I haven't started to turn screws. Breaks felt fine. I moved the bar up to the very front and now I cant get to the adjusters. That needs to be fixed. This bike felt very easy to stand and ride. My Honda I put a tall seat on it to make it feel easier t stand up, but the GG feels so light I was standing all the time riding the bike like it was cr80. Their must have been 75 guys looking at the bike at one time or another. Bottom line, If you don't have one, get one. If you can't afford one start selling crack till you come up with enough money to buy one.
I will never go back to a four stroke in the woods, and after owning every KTM made I can say with confidence this bike is 100% all around a better package. Now how do I fix the clutch noise??? Stay tuned for more. For now I will get the bike ready for a hare scramble next weekend.

[mikemoto]

Sorry for going on and on but if you buy one you will see what I mean.

[mikemoto]

By the way, I thought they were xc's mine says ec. ????

[Cruiser]

Mike,, Happy your over on the dark side!! the lighter bike easier on the ticker? or is the excitement too much.. I could always trade you my 450exc till you think your ready for the GG.. And to think of all the crap I would catch all these years,, riding a gasgas since 99,, maybe you should enlighten Uncle Robert.. He is orange completely thru.. AS soon as I can I'll head down south to see your new ride!! glad your happy!!

[Krieg]

Congrats man! Reading this makes me wanna ride bad!

[mikemoto]

Got a hare scramble near Columbia this weekend.

[Krieg]

I don't compete. But I may break down and buy some winter gear and ride at Carolina Adventure World (North of Columbia) this weekend. I'm tired of walking by my XC 300 in the garage every day. I gotta soon ride it or I'm going to explode!

[john01]

WOW Mike very good write up and it was fun reading it. I was wondering how you felt it compaired to your X now I know. Thanks for posting up on your new EC 250 which BTW is the US XC. Hey Krieg ride that bike! We went riding this past Sunday, it was 45, and after a few minutes it felt like 75.

[urnuts]

Originally Posted by mikemoto

By the way, I thought they were xc's mine says ec. ????

I thought they were XC's and the Trail Rider article said "EC"?

[john01]

They are XC's in reality but they are called EC's over here in the USA. We don't get an XC bike over here they are EC's without turn signals, horn, brake light, etc. thus they are XC's but for now it was easier to keep the EC grafix and call them EC's. Clay is working on the change for the future.