The mid-’90s steel-framed Honda CR250s are probably some of the most popular machines to restore for a few reasons: there are lots of them out there, aftermarket parts are found fairly easily, and Jeremy McGrath just made them cool. With this 1994 CR250 build we wanted to do something a little different, so we steered clear of going down the McGrath-replica road and came up with this “White Lightning” project.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Although a lot of these machines were sold back in the ’90s, it’s very hard to find one that hasn’t been abused into submission over the last 30-plus years. This bike was found by Managing Editor Mark Tilley back in 2016 and purchased for a couple hundred bucks. Of course, immediately the engine locked up and the fork seals started leaking. The bike sat in his backyard until midway through 2019 when it was dug out and, just like thousands of other bike builds, the process began. 

Two-strokes are easy to tear down. In one afternoon, the bike was disassembled into a several piles of parts and was ready for stage two. The engine was shipped off to Brad at Parapros to find out just how much damage was done when it locked up. Fortunately, only the cylinder was damaged and in need of repairs; the cases looked great. 

Parapros split the cases to inspect the crank and transmission, and it’s a good thing they did, because we never would have known the crank bearing was bad. A Wiseco Garage Buddy complete engine rebuild kit, which contains a complete gasket set, complete crank assembly, main bearings, top end and all the seals needed to put the engine back together, was added. The cylinder and top-end were sent off to Millennium Technologies to get repaired.

While all that was happening, we discussed the suspension with the crew at AHM Factory Services. Handling on the 1994 CR250 was pretty good, but we wanted to step it up to the next level. We found a complete front end off a 2008 Honda CRF450R just waiting for us on Facebook Marketplace that we happily paid way too much for. The steering stem was pressed out of the 1994 stock clamp and pressed into the 2008 clamp with new ProX bearings. We had to modify the steering stops slightly to accept the newer-style lower clamp, but because the front end was purchased complete, we already had the braking system, axle, wheel spacers and front wheel. 

With the front wheel off a 2008 model and the rear wheel off a 1994 model, we sent both of them over to Colin at Faster USA for some TLC and custom coatings to make everything look and feel brand new. Faster USA replaced the bearings, coated the hubs black and then laced up a set of black D.I.D Dirt Star rims. They even installed the Dunlop MX34 tires for us.

The main frame and swingarm received a black textured powdercoating from Chris Johnson’s crew at San Diego Powder Coating. Of course, all the bearings were replaced using kits from ProX. Clarke Manufacturing saved the day for us on this project with the stock tank that started out white, had turned yellow over the years, and was definitely not going to match our white color scheme. Lucky for us, Clarke makes a direct-replacement tank in white for the ’92–’96 CR250R steel-framed machines, and it is a quality piece that mounted up perfectly and looked completely stock. 

Nick and the crew at Decal Works topped off the White Lightning build with a set of semi-custom graphics with a ’90s old-school vibe to them, and the custom gripper seat from Motoseat complemented those graphics.  

FINAL RESULT

It only took a few hours to tear the bike down, but it would take over five years to get it back in working order. Sometimes here at the magazine we take for granted exactly how many man-hours go into making a project like this successful until we are elbows-deep into it. Yes, there is the actual labor involved, but we always forget about the time looking for parts, arranging the build list, e-mailing companies asking if they want to be a part of the build, and then there are always a couple surprises that weren’t expected along the way. White Lightning checked all those boxes and a few more, but now that the bike is complete, we can show up at an event and cherish the joy it brings others. We gotta give a special thanks to Jay Clark for all his help hunting down parts for this build, and Chuck McCarty for spinning the wrenches and getting this bike ready to rip.

The post TWO-STROKE PROJECT: WHITE LIGHTNING appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Action photos: Mark Kariya

Kawasaki is back on the West Coast off-road racing scene, and they are bringing some heavy hitters with them! The newly formed Precision Coatings Kawasaki team has backing from Mitch Payton at Pro Circuit and have hired former world champion Giacomo Redondi to race the entire NGPC series along with other selected events throughout the year. Team owner Billy Fullmer gave us an exclusive first look at Redondi’s 2025 race bike and here is what we discovered. 

THE GOODS

Just like the factory MX/SX race team, Fullmer and the race team’s head mechanic, John Braasch, started with a 2025 KX450SR (Special Racer) model and then tore it completely down to the frame to start the build process. The 2025 KX450SR model features upgraded suspension, Xtrig clamps, ECU, head mods and other bolt-on performance parts, making it a perfect platform for a race bike build. 

When it came to engine performance modifications, the team took the less-is-more approach. The SR models already feature some head work and more aggressive ECU settings than the standard KX450 with race settings already programed into it. In the beginning of the year the team used the stock SR mapping, but are now using custom maps dialed in by Pro Circuit. 

Internally, the only modification that would be considered major is all about durability, and that is the addition of an older-style, complete Hinson billet-proof clutch that uses heavy springs. The clutch pull is noticeably stiffer than the 2025 bevel-style system that comes stock. 

Although it looks the same as what comes on the SR, the Pro Circuit exhaust is different internally, having a larger diameter core similar to what Pro Circuit uses for AMA amateur racing. No changes were made to the head pipe. A complete Twin Air Powerflow system increases the airbox volume, and the slightly larger surface of the high-flowing air filter allows more air into the engine. 

The team really focused on Redondi’s riding style when it came to setting up the chassis, because he had been racing steel-framed Austrian bike for many years, so the switch to an aluminum-framed machine was a bit of an adjustment. Luke Clout, who now runs Pro Circuit’s suspension department, had to find a balance of making the suspension stiff enough to handle the demands of a rider like Redondi at higher speeds, but also soft enough to provide enough rider comfort for him to hold onto it for the 90-plus-minute events he races. 

Even legendary suspension tuners agree that setting a bike up for off-road racing is one of the hardest things to do. A big component in the suspension setup is a complete Pro Circuit rear linkage system that is designed to be softer in the initial part of the stroke to provide a plusher feel on smaller hits and then ramps up the stiffness as the shock goes deeper in the stroke. This change allows for the use of softer high-speed valving lessoning any harsh feel and minimizing deflection. 

Works Chassis Lab’s top engine mounts are also said to improve overall rider comfort in the handling department. To our knowledge testing was never done, although Redondi says he was very pleased with what he was currently racing on, but thinks he and the team will be able to make it better with more testing.  

Surprisingly, Redondi does not currently use a stabilizer system like most top pro racers on the West Coast. Most of the other bolt-on items have to do with protection, the rider and bike. Acerbis’ K-Linear hand guards mount to the clutch and front brake reservoirs, directly saving important handlebar mounting space and protecting Redondi’s hands, while a full-coverage Acerbis plastic skid plate offered protection of the frame and engine cases. 

A Zip-Ty Racing rear shark fin provides rear rotor protection. The Kawasaki rear chainguide mounts and the guide itself are definitely an area that requires attention, and the PC team strengthened this up substantially after having an issue early in the race season. John Braasch handled reinforcing the swingarm mounts, while a Pro Circuit carbon fiber rear chainguide replaced the aluminum stock unit. This is the same guide that Pro Circuit’s SX/MX race team uses, offering additional adjustability features that allows for clearance when using larger rear sprockets and a replaceable wear pad. 

Speaking of larger rear sprockets, Redondi’s race bike is equipped with 14-53 gearing. If you do the math, that’s very similar to the stock 13-50 that the bike comes stock with, but during testing the team felt it gave it more torque where it needed to produce more usable power.   

OUR THOUGHTS

Just like any professional-level race machine, they are highly personalized to the rider racing it and oftentimes are the complete opposite setup to what the average guy would want. Giacomo Redondi’s Precision Coatings/Pro Circuit Kawasaki is somewhere in the middle of that scenario. Everything on his bike is available to the public either through Pro Circuit or the team sponsors, and you can even purchase the race-team graphics from Throttle Syndicate. That’s huge for everyone trying to replicate this build. Power-wise, Redondi’s setup is more aggressive than the standard model and a slightly toned-down, more rider-friendly version of the SR model. Then, on the handling side, it’s definitely stiffer all around than other stock KX450 platforms, but not completely unrideable by the average person. Honestly, after doing the research on this race bike, we have a few items that we want to try on our off-road KX450 build that is currently in the works. Thanks to the Precision Coatings/Pro Circuit Kawasaki race team for the insight.

The post OFF-ROAD RACE BIKE: REDONDI’S PC KX450SR appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Beta proved something to the world last year. The tiny Italian company took on the giants of Supercross. They built a motocross bike, assembled a pro racing team and scored points with a budget that was a fraction of what anyone else spends. They haven’t yet sacked the city, but they’re at the front gate making noise and causing a commotion.

The Beta Liqui Moly Pro Supercross team is still making progress, but the company is careful not to forget the riders who got them to this point. Beta’s base is in the off-road world—enduro, trials, trail riding and cross-country racing. Accordingly, the company has added a new bike to the lineup for 2025. The 450RC falls into the closed-course cross-country category, which includes bikes like the KTM 450XC-F, the Honda CRF450RX, the Yamaha YZ450FX and the Kawasaki KX450X. Each manufacturer changes the formula slightly, but all are closely related to motocross bikes from the same maker. The idea is to serve off-road racers who might otherwise be forced into a full-blooded motocross bike in events like WORCS and the National Grand Prix Championship.

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE

The core of the 450RC is the new Beta 450RX MX bike. Of all the manufacturers offering these hybrid MX/off-road bikes, Beta makes the fewest changes between moto and off-road. That makes sense when you consider that the company already has off-road four-strokes coming out of its ears. The 480RR and 430RR Race Editions are very off-road-oriented, so the RC offers some true separation. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the array of similar bikes offered by Beta.

There are only a few significant differences between the motocross model and the new RC. The fuel capacity is greater; the new bike uses the 2.4-gallon tank from the RR line instead of the 1.8-gallon MX tank. It also has an 18-inch rear wheel with a 140/80-17 Maxxis MaxxEnduro tire. Hand guards come as standard equipment and that’s about all. The engine mapping and suspension valving are straight out of the motocross bike, which has been updated for 2025. So is the five-speed gearbox. There’s no kickstand, and the price is exactly the same as that of the MX bike—$10,999. Zane Roberts is the current National Hare & Hound champion and he rides a Beta. As of right now, he’s riding a modified 480RR, but that’s mostly because race teams are reluctant to change when something works. His bike is already something of an RR/RC hybrid.

When the motocross 450 arrived last year, it was mostly a new bike. The 480RR off-road bike was clearly a starting point, but it had more compact engine cases and a beefier frame. Now, all of Beta’s four-strokes have the new engine cases and many of the other features that we first saw on the MX bike. Still, the RX and now the RC are in a much spicier state of tune than any of the off-road bikes. The exhaust is louder, the compression ratio is higher, the valves are larger and the throttle body is 46mm instead of 42mm. For 2025, both the RX and the RC have larger rear axles, lower final gearing and a larger battery. The 450RC has many of the components that we are used to seeing on Beta competition bikes, like Nissin brakes and KYB suspension.

TWIN BROTHERS

Not surprisingly, the new RC reminds us of the 450RX. That’s a bike that we really enjoyed when we tested it last year. To provide a quick review, it had great overall handling for motocross, the steering was quick, and it was surprisingly stable. The suspension was good but oriented towards the novice/beginner end of the sale. The power was smooth, but it needed more low-end and less glitchy mapping. It was a very large motorcycle, and that intimidated some riders. 

You would think most of those attributes would make for a great off-road bike. For the most part, that’s correct. Handling-wise, it’s perfect. It’s a lighter bike than the 480RR by around 8 pounds, and that certainly doesn’t hurt. The big question that anyone will have to answer is, “How off-road does it have to be?” Several races in the NGPC series have extended motocross tracks, and some have real singletrack. By using the same suspension as the motocross version, the RC is perfect for the more MX-oriented courses. The bike is soft compared to most full-fledged motocross bikes, and that works decently at places like Blythe and Delono, where the speeds are fairly high and the whoops can be enormous. At Glen Helen, on the other hand, the bike is too stiff for the rocky trails that make up the back sections. This is a problem that off-road riders are very familiar with. It’s impossible for Beta to know which kind of track you prefer, so they simply backed away to allow the end user to set up the bike as needed. 

In outright power, the Beta will crush almost any off-road bike. It has more sheer output than a Yamaha 450FX or a Honda CRF450R—by quite a margin. The only bikes in this class that can outperform the RC are the ones with KTM-based motors. KTM, Husky and GasGas use full-blooded MX engine tuning and mapping, and those bikes are at the top of the 450 class right now. In Beta’s case, the MX-style mapping does have its drawbacks. On a motocross course, most riders don’t dip into low-speed range below 10 mph very often, so you might not notice that the 450 has a tendency to flame out. In extended low-speed off-road sections, the 450RC can stall without warning, and that can be frustrating. The traction control or mild map don’t seem to help. If you ride at slow speeds, it also can overheat quickly, although that issue can be handled with the optional radiator fan from the Beta accessory department. 

Compared to the off-road four-strokes, the RC has bigger valves, a bigger throttle body and bigger output numbers.

THE WISH LIST

Last year we did an all-Beta comparison between the 350RR, 390RR, 430RR and the 480RR off-road bikes to help provide insight on why the company offered so many similar motorcycles. In that story, we actually wished for one more model: this one. Thank you, but it’s our nature to always want more. Right now there’s a vast difference between the RC and the RR lines. In order to really fill the gap, the RC needs to calm down just a little. We would gladly sacrifice some of that top-end power for smoother throttle response down low and less stalling. The six-speed gearbox from the RR line would help, but it’s not mandatory. A radiator fan would be a nice touch.

If all that’s asking too much, then we can make do with just one item. Please give us a kickstand.

The post FULL TEST: BETA 450RC CROSS-COUNTRY RACER appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

The Monkey’s Paw taught us well. When you make a wish, you have to phrase your request very carefully. A long time ago, we all wished for a dual-sport bike that was a true dirt bike; one that was capable of riding to the racetrack, competing and then getting home. Poof! Suddenly, the Husqvarna FE501s is a reality. It’s an incredible machine that, at its core, isn’t that far removed from the bike that Malcolm Stewart just used to win the Tampa Supercross. There are only a couple of problems: First, we forgot to include the word “affordable” somewhere in the wish. Two, we forgot to wish for a less stringent set of federal requirements that regulate all dual-sport bikes.

Both of those wish addenda are probably outlawed in the fine print of the three-wish handbook. The 2025 Husqvarna FE501s Heritage sells for $13,499. It is unofficially the most expensive off-road bike that Husqvarna offers. On top of that, if you want to unlock its true potential, you have to spend more—way more.

HERITAGE AND MORE

Don’t get us wrong, we love the fact that the Husky Heritage 501s exists and wouldn’t want any part of a world where it didn’t. It’s simply a frustrating reality that dual-sport bikes of this level aren’t more accessible. What makes it the Heritage edition is a blue cosmetic treatment that adds $300 to the price of the standard FE501s, which is the second-most-expensive Husky in the off-road line. There are no mechanical differences. The FE501s got a major change last year. The frame was redesigned, the angle of the motor was altered and a long list of other changes brought it to the same page as the 2024 motocross bike. When we say this bike isn’t that different from the one that Malcolm Stewart rides, that’s not just hyperbole. It’s perfectly conceivable that the Rockstar Husqvarna team could use an FE501s as the platform for a Supercross bike. A lot of parts would need to be swapped out, but that’s true of any race bike used by a factory team. The stock parts that must be retained are the frame and engine cases, as per AMA rules, and the frame on the 501 was, in fact, inspired by the 2022 Rockstar Edition.

The federal government has a long list of specs that are required of any street-legal motorcycle, starting with noise and emissions. The FE501s has a well-hidden charcoal canister, a reed valve in the intake boot and EPA-approved mapping (with no map switch). The Continental TKC 80 tires were chosen because they are less noisy in the drive-by sound test. Aside from DOT equipment like the horn, reflectors and lights, the FE has items you would want on any off-road bike, like a six-speed gearbox, hand guards, engine guards, a radiator fan, and, of course, a kickstand. It has a key ignition and a fork lock that have a distinct afterthought look.

Weird fact: the FE501s dual-sport bike has more rear-suspension travel and a taller seat height than the FC450 motocross bike. Why is that? The motocross bikes in Husqvarna’s line carry the distinction of having reduced suspension travel compared to KTM and GasGas MX models. This was done to lower the seat height and provide brand differentiation. That distinction does not extend beyond the motocross models. The Husky has the same suspension travel and seat height as the GasGas EC450F dual-sport. To confuse matters a little more, the KTM 500EXC has a dramatically taller seat height than any of them because it has PDS rear suspension without linkage.

Up front, the FE has a WP Xact coil-spring fork. This replaces the earlier Xplor fork and is a hit. Many riders even prefer it to the Xact air fork that comes on the FC450 motocross bike. It is, of course, set up for off-road riding. Also, the Braktec brakes and hydraulics that came on earlier Husqvarna dual-sport bikes have been replaced with Brembo components.

OUT OF THE CRATE

If you transported the current FE501s a few years back in time, it would make a great race bike. Heck, even today, you could take it right out of the crate and be competitive in a National Enduro with nothing more than a change of tires. It’s a phenomenal bike. It’s actually lighter than a first-generation YZ400F—mirrors, lights and all. On our scale, it’s 253 pounds without fuel. Dual-sport riders of 15 years ago wouldn’t believe this was possible. The biggest advancement is in fuel injection. Even with EPA mapping, the FE runs clean and crisp. There’s no backfiring, no hesitation and very few of the glitches that define bikes with U.S. emissions equipment. It will occasionally cough if you run the motor too low for too long, but it’s otherwise very smooth.

The only real penalty for EPA blessing is outright horsepower. For a bike with 511cc of displacement, the 501 isn’t especially powerful. A 250 four-stroke will take it down in a drag race. The 501 peaks around 40 horsepower, whereas a 450 race bike approaches 60 horsepower. On the trail, of course, no one wants a full-blown motocross bike with that kind of output; it would be unrideable. The 501 is sweet, smooth and friendly. It all boils down to the kind of riding that’s on the agenda. If you take the Husky trail riding in the woods, it has all you need. If you go hill-climbing or desert riding, it could use more steam.

Husqvarna was wise to set up the suspension the same way. The fork and shock are perfect for brisk trail riding at moderate speed. The previous generation was far too soft, particularly in the front. It was good for plonking through rocks in first gear, but beyond that, it would dive and bottom. The new coil-spring Xact fork is still pretty good at the low-speed stuff, but its true calling is apparent when the pace picks up and you start play racing with your buddies. The current chassis compliments the suspension by providing a very level platform. Among the changes that came last year was the repositioning of the countershaft sprocket relative to the swingarm pivot. This reduces the seesawing that comes with acceleration and braking.

Another characteristic of that chassis is increased vertical rigidity. That doesn’t sound like something you need for a dual-sport bike, but if you compare the new 501 to the previous one, the increase in overall stability is undeniable. Is it too stiff? That’s impossible to say, because the new suspension is so much better that the chassis rigidity is effectively hidden. The production motocross chassis has actually been altered once more since this generation to offer a little more flex. Husqvarna says they won’t update the FE until the next major model change, which is years away. For now, this FE501 has a far better chassis/suspension setup than any previous generation.

THE NEXT MOVE

Since the beginning of time, dual-sport bikes have been the subject of intense modification. Nowadays, it’s a little weird because the government pays attention to such things. The state of California, in particular, can punish dealers and aftermarket manufacturers who encourage any changes that affect noise or emissions. That stops absolutely no one at home. The very first thing that most owners do in the privacy of their own garage is swap out the street-oriented stock tires. Full knobbies (DOT approved or not) make for a dramatic improvement in off-road performance, but the stock wheels do not have rim locks. They must be installed, or the increase in traction will tear off the valve stem. A single rim lock in each wheel will throw the wheel balance way off, so you have to use wheel weights to counteract bouncing on the pavement.

It gets a little more complicated if you want to increase motor output. There’s almost 20 more horsepower locked up in that motor design depending on how far you want to go. Riders often make a change in the exhaust system and/or remove the reed valve from the intake, and find that it just throws the mapping out of balance. There are several ways to alter the mapping. One is to install a piggyback fuel modifier from JD Jetting. That can alter fuel mixture but not spark advance. Replacing the entire ignition with a Vortex or Athena product can alter both mixture and advance, which can provide a little more performance. Or, if you don’t mind diving into the dual-sport underground, it’s possible to remap the stock ignition, but you have to find a technician who really knows what he’s doing. They don’t advertise. All of these methods are frowned upon by the government and technically turn the bike into a closed-course competition vehicle.

THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE

The real danger in attempting to build the ultimate Husqvarna FE501s isn’t the Feds. It will be your family and loved ones when they learn you started with a $14K motorcycle and then spent thousands more in modifications. There are, however, some secrets that make for a better relationship. Our first line of advice is to save up for a Husky FE501s, leave it as stock as possible, and be content knowing that it is a far better dual-sport bike than anything that came before it. But, if you absolutely must take it to the next level, our second line of advice is to burn all the receipts, go riding and don’t overthink it.

The post FULL TEST: HUSQVARNA FE501S HERITAGE EDITION appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

The Secret 2024 National Enduro Championship-winning Bike

Manufacturers are not shy about their national championships. Ad campaigns, special editions and general hype can boast a National Enduro Championship for months and years. And yet when Josh Toth won the 2024 National Enduro Championship, there was surprising corporate silence. For the record, he rode a GasGas EX350F. There were no GasGas logos on the bike, no GasGas ads in the media and no GasGas factory mechanics in the pits. 

The backstory was that Josh rode a bunch of different venues in 2024 and did it on a bunch of different bikes, including GasGas, Honda and even Stark Future. The GasGas that he used to win the National Enduro Championship was supplied by Enduro Engineering and was not even a current model. It was a true private effort.

THE BIKE OF CHOICE

For 2025, the EX350F is the flagship off-road race bike for GasGas. The model line has been trimmed down somewhat, and the EX450F is no longer offered. That’s probably okay with most GasGas fans; the 350 was already the bike of choice for the GasGas factory riders, including Jordan Ashburn, who finished third in the GNCC XC1 class. Ashburn, Toth and virtually all off-road riders on the right side of the U.S. prefer the 350 because it’s so much easier to ride than a 450 in the woods. The twist to the story is that Josh actually liked the 2023 version best. The 2024 EX350F was a one-year model. It had a notoriously stiff frame, whereas the motocross bikes of that year were updated with a more compliant frame. Ashburn’s factory bike had the new MX frame installed by the Coastal GasGas team. But Toth, without factory support, simply used his old bike.

With the arrival of the 2025 model, all that is ancient history. Toth has moved on to a factory Kawasaki, and Ashburn rides a standard EX350F with the Flat Rock GasGas Factory Off-Road Team. The newest version of the production EX350F has all the most current parts, including the updated frame with more compliant flex characteristics. It doesn’t look that different. The geometry is unchanged, and all the bodywork is the same. If you look carefully, you can see that the new chassis has less material around the top shock mount. There are also changes around the steering head, and that’s enough to give the bike a different feel. 

All of the other updates that the bike got last year are still in play. The front suspension is now the coil-spring WP Xact fork. The rear is the WP Xact shock with linkage. A common theme throughout the GasGas line is to go bare bones with accessories. It doesn’t have hand guards, a map switch or a volume chamber in the head pipe—all items that come as standard equipment on the KTM 350XC-F and Husqvarna FX350. Those bikes are in the family of brands owned by Pierer Mobility and are otherwise very similar to the GasGas, just more expensive. Other differences are the bodywork, the brakes (Braktec on the GasGas, Brembo on the others) and the triple clamp (forged on the GasGas, machined from billet on the others). The motor itself is the same on all three. It has the motocross top end on a six-speed gearbox. The tires are Dunlop with an 18-incher in the rear.

THE RIGHT COMBO

GasGas got it right for 2025. Like always, the motor is ideal for off-road racing on any side of the country. It has enough power for faster racecourses out west, and it’s still manageable and easy to handle in the tight stuff back east. It’s an even more versatile motor than it was just two years ago. Last year’s model, despite its much maligned frame rigidity, had a number of motor updates that gave it more bottom end. If you ride the new model back to back with the 2023 version, it’s throatier down low. Some riders think it lost revs on top, but that turns out not to be true; it has the same peak around 50 horsepower, but it carries that peak longer. With more bottom, you simply don’t spend as much time at high rpm because you don’t have to. Whether you like screaming or not, the amazing thing about this motor is how wide the powerband is. It has an incredible usable range, far wider than a 250 or 450. You can ride it at low revs because it has less of a tendency to stall than a 450, and it’s still capable of spinning all the way past 13,000 rpm. No other bikes have a range like that.

It’s worth pointing out that it’s not the same bike at 13,000 rpm as it is at 6000 rpm. At high revs it’s an animal. It makes more sheer power than a first-generation 450 MX bike, so it hits things hard and can hunt for traction. It also has more engine braking. At low rpm it takes on the character of a trail bike. The power delivery is smooth, and traction is easy to find and manage. Stalling is still a clear and present danger, but nothing like a 450. It’s a powerful four-stroke, so you learn to do most of your hard braking with the clutch in. The clutch, by the way, is hydraulic with a Brembo master cylinder. It has a light pull and an excellent feel.

FRAME FOLLIES

How about that frame? There’s no doubt that the 2025 frame has a more compliant feel than the one-year 2024 version. In truth, however, the entire industry learned to deal with that generation of KTM, Husky and GasGas frames through careful suspension setup and by simply giving the bike time to break in. For those riders who are thinking of trading in their 2024 EX350F for that reason and that reason alone, it’s not worth it. Spend the money on a good suspension job. You will still be able to feel the difference when you’re seated, but it boils down to nothing more than a comfort issue.

If you are thinking of finding a 2023 model like the one Toth rode, that’s not a great idea, either. Among other things, the new bike has far better suspension. The fork on the current GasGas off-road bikes might be the best product that WP has ever offered on a production bike. It’s a coil-spring fork, so it might not have the versatility of the earlier air fork, but it also has none of the drawbacks in stability and consistency. Like any off-road bike, the initial setup is a guess on the part of the factory. For off-road racing, it’s a very good guess. It can still absorb rocks and roots at trail-riding speed, and it doesn’t dive or collapse in high-speed scenarios. It’s also excellent on sharp edges where WP forks have always been harsh. Same goes for the rear. The bike is well balanced and can even deal with sportsman-level motocross.

Between the 2023 version and now, the EX350F gained some weight. On our scale, the current test bike is 233 pounds without fuel. That’s not much lighter than a current 450 motocross bike. As usual, the smaller motor of the 350 makes it feel lighter because of various physical laws. Conversely, most 300 two-strokes feel lighter than the EX350F despite being the same weight.

THE RIGHT SIZE

Among amateur off-road riders in the U.S., the verdict is overwhelming. The 350 four-stroke is the right format for racing. Even out west, where speed and power are most valuable, it’s often wall-to-wall 350s in every class up to the Pro ranks. For some reason, the Japanese have opted out of that engine configuration, so it’s a KTM versus Husqvarna versus GasGas contest. The GasGas is a little cheaper and has a few different components, but otherwise offers the same engine, frame and overall performance. It’s one of the few bikes that has equal appeal from the novice ranks all the way to the very top of national championship standings.

The post OFF-ROAD TEST RIDE: 2025 GASGAS EX350F appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Old school and proud of it – the Beta 300RR X-Pro is for the off-road purists

The Wizard of Oz told the citizens of the Emerald City that his journey into the stratosphere was “technically unexplainable.” Almost immediately, he lost control of his balloon and shouted, “I can’t come back! I don’t know how it works!”

Most modern off-road bikes are on the brink of becoming technically unexplainable and leaving us behind. The Beta 300RR X-Pro, on the other hand, is perfectly explainable and traditional. It’s a carbureted two-stroke with a mechanical power valve and a distinct lack of wizardry. It’s a bike meant to appeal to off-road purists who don’t want to contact a service center every time a check-engine light comes on.

At the same time, Beta isn’t sitting still. This is a bike with a long list of upgrades and changes for 2025. No matter how much respect we might have for old-school technology, no one really wants to ride a motorcycle from the last century.

MOVING FORWARD

The “X-Pro” moniker is new for 2025. Beta wanted to make sure everyone knew it wasn’t the same old thing, even if its description sounds old-fashioned. It’s still a case-reed engine with a Keihin PWK 36mm carburetor and Moto Tassinari reeds. The power-valve design uses a centrifugal ball-ramp actuator and limited mechanical adjustment. The suspension is manufactured by Sachs, and the frame is steel with a central backbone. This year the frame was redesigned with input from Beta’s motocross team. It has a larger backbone with less flex. It also has a lower seat height and a new single-spring Sachs ZF SHC fork. That fork is considerably lighter than the old one and contributes to an overall weight loss. On our scale, the 300RR X-Pro is 233 pounds without fuel. Beta has made steady progress in the weight department over the past few years, and now the 300RR X-Pro is within a pound or two of the current KTM 300XC-W.

The other changes for 2025 include re-valving of the Sachs shock, a bigger Nissin rear brake caliper, XTrig elastomeric handlebar mounts, a coolant overflow reservoir and a rescue strap on the front fender. The bodywork is new this year as well, and a new color scheme gives the bike a very different appearance.

Some things haven’t changed. The Beta X-Pro models take the place of the standard RR trail bikes, so the two-strokes all have electronic oil injection. There’s an oil reservoir under the seat, which can be removed with a push of a button. There are two ignition maps available on the handlebar pad, which alter spark advance alone. If you want to adjust the power valve, you do it the old-fashion way by physically tuning a preload adjuster down on the power-valve governor. 

CARB LOADING

The Beta 300’s power delivery is the stuff of dreams. It makes smooth, usable torque from the very, very bottom, where most four-strokes won’t even run. In the middle, it’s smooth and throaty, and on top, it’s respectable and clean. There’s no detonation, it doesn’t load up, and it never misses a beat. If carburetors had always worked this well, no one would have even thought to invent fuel injection. The stock jetting is spot-on, at least for our testing conditions. We rode it in temperatures ranging from 50 to 80 degrees and at altitudes between sea level and 4000 feet. It ran perfectly everywhere. In the old days, we never had two-strokes that worked so well in such a wide variety of conditions. What’s different? Part is probably because of evolutionary advancement in the Beta’s ignition system, which is made by Kokusan. The rest is simply good engine design. A long time ago, the Beta was criticized for being a copy of a KTM two-stroke to the point that it used many of the same top-end parts. That’s no longer valid. The 300RR X-Pro doesn’t even have the same bore and stroke as the KTM.

In outright power, the 300RR X-Pro is decent but not overwhelming. The map switch offers a choice between a sunshine emoji and a rain cloud, but when you switch back and forth, you only notice a change in peak revs. The power characteristic down low doesn’t change much. If you absolutely feel the need for fiddling, you can focus on the power-valve preload adjuster. Ours came set to a half-turn clockwise from flush with the case. You start noticing changes when you change the adjuster a full turn in either direction. Either way, it seems the motor only develops a harder hit; you just end up moving that hit around. We eventually returned to the original setting.

TALES OF THE TRAIL

Benny Bloss is in his second year on Beta’s factory Supercross team. He’s 6-foot-6 and has no trouble touching the ground on any motorcycle made. Someone at Beta realized that most trail riders are not Benny Bloss. Between the new frame and new suspension components, the seat height has come down. Beta says it’s 20mm lower than last year’s model, and while that number might be a little overstated, there’s no question that the new bike is a touch lower than the average dirt bike. That helps boost anyone’s confidence in tight, slow trails. If Benny was a trail rider, we would bet that even he would appreciate it. 

Some of that height difference came out of the suspension travel, but for trail riding, no one will notice and no one will care. This is a bike with deliberately soft, cushy suspension. It’s at its best in slow, technical terrain where rocks, roots and holes are the main issue. It’s well balanced and the action is good, but it’s not made for jumps, big whoops or high speeds. It will bottom and dive when you venture out of its designated comfort zone. For racing, Beta has a completely different line of Race editions. Those bikes have KYB suspension, a little more travel and, yes, more seat height. The two-stroke Race editions also ask you to mix your own oil and gas, and sell for more.

BE WHO YOU ARE

There’s a very real pushback against bikes that are too sophisticated, too complicated and too specialized. The 300RR X-Pro is none of those things, but to call it a trail bike sounds dismissive, as if it’s made for kids who can’t handle a real bike. That’s the wrong picture. In truth, it’s a very high-performance off-road motorcycle and isn’t that far removed from the bike that Max Gerston rode in the 2024 EnduroCross Pro class. But, by having a separate line for racers, Beta had the freedom to make the 300RR X-Pro more comfortable, more convenient and more friendly. In truth, it’s the kind of bike that almost all racers would prefer to ride, whether they are racing or not.

The post OFF-ROAD TEST: BETA 300RR X-PRO appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

You don’t have to be a card-carrying member of the Tom Vialle fan club to drool over his bike. It’s based on the standard edition of the KTM 250SX-F, which is the bike that won the 2025 Dirt Bike 250 Motocross Shootout. And, it’s outrageously cool looking. It could pass for the very bike that Tom rides, with its Red Bull graphics, Akrapovic exhaust and cosmetic features. There isn’t always a 250 version of the KTM Factory Edition. The last two years have been an exception. The 250 has joined the regularly announced 450 as a late addition to the current model line.

The KTM Factory Editions are a tradition that started in 2012. Back then, Ryan Dungey was a new acquisition for the Red Bull KTM Factory racing team, and they wanted him on the bike that was scheduled to arrive for 2013. The solution was to come out with a limited run of bikes just to satisfy AMA homologation regulations. Since then, the 450SX-F comes out like clockwork whether or not the bike has any changes, and it’s sometimes joined by the 250. This year’s KTM 250SX-F Factory Edition doesn’t have any major changes to the frame or engine cases, and from that we surmise that the 2026 standard model will be likewise unchanged. Still, it’s a wicked-looking machine with a long list of Factory Edition upgrades:

—Orange frame

—Red Bull KTM Factory Racing graphics

—Orange Selle Dalla Valle seat

—Connectivity Unit Offroad (CUO) with GPS

—LitPro compatibility 

—Hinson outer clutch cover 

—Akrapovic slip-on muffler

—Orange-anodized split triple clamps

—D.I.D DirtStar rims

—CNC-machined orange-anodized hubs 

—WP holeshot device

—Carbon composite skid plate

—Gray ODI lock-on grips

—Orange rear aluminum sprocket

—Carbon-composite brake disc guard 

KTM’s Factory Edition program has now been duplicated by other manufacturers. Their special editions are, however, slightly different, and Honda has the only other 250. KTM doesn’t necessarily call the 2025 250SX-F a Vialle replica, but it does have a big number one as a reference to his divisional Supercross title. In Europe, they call it the Adamo Edition as a tribute to Andrea Adamo.

Right now, the KTM Factory Editions are the only production motocross bikes that are being watched by satellite. The Connectivity Unit Offroad is a multi-function feature that has both a Bluetooth transmitter and a GPS receiver. The unit connects to your smartphone through the KTM Connect app where you can use two separate functions. The first is tuning. This is akin to the Yamaha Power Tuner, and it lets you adjust engine parameters. Unlike the Yamaha, the KTM app doesn’t let you alter spark advance, fuel mixture and throttle position individually. Instead, it gives you generalized terms. You can choose between Smooth, Standard or Aggressive power delivery. Then you get to choose between five levels of throttle response, traction control, launch control and Quickshift sensitivity. Downloading your new parameters to the bike can be a little frustrating at first, but eventually it cooperates.

The KTM Connect app has several other tabs that don’t alter anything on the bike. There’s a Suspension tab that gives you guidelines on how to set up the fork and shock, but in the end, you have to do all the adjusting the old-fashioned way. There are other tabs where you can log service and download manuals. But, what really sets this system apart is the Rider tab. This is a subscription service through Litpro that provides data through the GPS connection. Once you sign up, which costs $11.99 a month or $69.99 a year, every ride is logged. The amount of information provided is stunning. After a race or riding session, you can see a map of the track on your phone. Hover on any part of the track and you can see your speed on individual laps, segment times and so forth. LitPro users are familiar with that kind of information, but the KTM app goes a step further by integrating GPS data with telemetry from the bike itself. You can see what gear the bike is in and what rpm the motor is turning. This gives you another tool to improve your performance. Is it better to shift early or rev it out? Is starting in first gear better than starting in second? How early did you get on the gas in that turn? All those answers are there if you want to take the time and analyze your performance. It is information overload, and it’s not for everyone. If you’re young and ambitious, this is a tool that might soon be essential.

Setting aside the telemetry, the look and the prestige of the Factory Edition, the bike is, essentially, just like the bike that won our 2025 250 Motocross Shootout. The only performance-oriented change is the Akrapovic slip-on silencer, which provides slightly improved performance in the upper midrange. Overall, though, that’s already where the KTM excels. The Husqvarna FC250 and GasGas MC250F use the same motor, and those three bikes were the most powerful in the class when we ran them on the Pro Circuit dyno. Most of the others were almost 2 horsepower down on peak. That’s a big advantage in the 250 class, where horsepower takes on disproportionate importance. 

We will have more on the KTM 250SXF in the June Print edition of Dirt Bike, so check it out.

PHOTO SHOOT MANIA

I still love doing photo shoots. That’s what got me into the magazine racket 45 years ago and that’s what keeps me going. Here are a few of the photos in upcoming issues and how they came about.

Most of the photos we run in Dirt Bike have some level of artificial light involved. Fran Kuhn started doing that back in the ’80s when he worked for DB, and our boss Roland Hinz liked the look, so it became something we all had to learn. Today it’s much easier than it was in Fran’s time, but it still involves a great deal of set up. For this shot I had to place the remote light on top of my truck’s roof in order to shoot Jared Hicks at Glen Helen on the Husky FC450 Factory edition.

We often have to combine photo shoots. There are about eight or nine test bikes or projects in each issue and time often runs short. The bikes aren’t always particularly well suited for the same location. For the 1994 Honda project CR250R and the Beta Alp X–two bikes that couldn’t be more different–time ran out so we hit one of our secret (read: illegal) spots in Corona. The two shots above are in the same turn. Mark brought a change of clothes and we converted a motocross location into an adventure bike shoot. It’s magic.

The story on the Beta Alp X also featured the Alp 4.0, which was in the possession of Cycle News.  Kit Palmer at Cycle News is one of my oldest friends, so sharing a bike was no big deal. Getting the photo was. Kit has a place on a tiny private airport in Borrego Springs, way out in the low desert. I flew there in a light airplane wearing my gear, rode the bike, shot the photo within sight of the runway, and flew home. Riding the bike more extensively would have to wait.

Carson Brown lives up in Washington and makes frequent trips down here for various projects. When he’s here, I try to get the most of him. The KTM 300SX shoot was done the day after the Glen Helen Two-Stroke Championship. The shot below was him just riding the TM 300 for fun. His wife Claire is heavily involved with his social media posts and she often gets right in the middle of the action.

That’s all for this week!

The post RIDING THE KTM 250SX-F FACTORY EDITION: THE WRAP appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

“I’m finally doing something with my education!” says Cody Webb. He is, after all, a bona fide mechanical engineer with a Bachelor of Engineering from San Jose State University. The focus of his most recent labor is impressive. It’s a 2025 YZ250X like no other. Cody had joined Yamaha before the start of the 2025 U.S. Hard Enduro season with the express intent of crafting his own race bike using the 250X two-stroke as a starting point. Some riders wouldn’t do anything at all to the bike. It’s only been around since 2016, and it received a long list of changes two years ago. But, the platform for the bike is much older. It has a frame that was originally designed for the 2005 Yamaha YZ250 motocross bike and a motor that goes back even further. Plus, it was never intended to be a hard enduro bike. That world is dominated by European 300cc two-strokes. Some of those bikes are fuel-injected, and all have much more current electric-start motor designs. Cody’s transformation of the YZ250X into a bike that could compete at the highest level in the most demanding off-road event was a big project in a short time frame

CODY THINK

Cody might not have ever worked in the engineering field, but he’s no stranger to big projects. For his senior project in 2016, he built an electric dirt bike, long before anyone ever heard of the Stark Varg. “It was probably pretty dangerous,” he admits. “But, it didn’t electrocute anyone, and I learned a lot.” After that, he set his diploma aside and worked to earn his third EnduroCross title and the 2018 FIM Superenduro World Championship. Now, he’s balancing family life with racing and trying to stay healthy.

For the Yamaha build, the first step was identifying what the bike needed and didn’t need. “I feel like the 300cc two-stroke buzz is fake news,” he said. “I specifically wanted to keep this bike a 250. Yamaha gave me the green light to do anything I wanted as long as it was still blue and kept their logos in place. I did two different race bike builds. This one has the Fisch e-start kit with a lithium battery under the seat. 

“There was a guy from Japan with an e-start Yamaha 250 two-stroke two years ago at Erzberg, and Yamaha was real secretive about it, but I did get to see the spec sheet. I know that Yamaha’s accessory division is working on one, but it might be too expensive to make it into production.

“In testing, I didn’t really have any issue with the cable clutch until I got into that last 5 percent of extreme stuff. When you’re going up nonstop creek beds and rocks, the clutch is going to heat up, and I can’t really pivot. So, on this bike, I have a Magura clutch. On the other bike, I have a Brembo hydraulic clutch. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one in North America with that. The Brembo one works phenomenally, whereas the Magura is almost too light, and that’s kind of a weird feel.” Cody combined that with a pre-production Rekluse clutch, although it’s not based on the automatic version; it’s an updated version of the manual TorqDrive.

The power delivery took some hit-and-miss testing. Cody ended up using the Boyesen Rad Valve after experimentation with almost everything available for the Yamaha. That gave him a lot more torque right off the bat, which is really what he was after. Some jetting changes were necessary. The compression was upped with the Two Stroke Performance (TSP) performance head and the medium dome. A company called Hitlis makes a reconfiguration kit for the YZ power valve that makes the power delivery more linear. Cody has the “Woods” setup as opposed to the “Desert” configuration offered by Hitlis. On the bike without the electric start, Cody uses the GYTR flywheel. The electric-start model has additional mass of its own.

The exhaust system that Cody finally settled on is the FMF Fatty: “Everyone online told me to run the Gnarly, but I felt it just numbed the power a little. The Fatty is more playful.” FMF made him a special silencer that’s about 2 inches longer than the off-the-shelf version.

ENDURO-PROOFING

Another necessity for hard enduro is keeping the bike cool. Just upgrading the radiator cap wasn’t enough. Cody got some help from Yamaha to fabricate a mount for the electric radiator fan from a WR250F enduro bike, but had to bypass the automatic off/on switch. His bike uses a total-loss electrical system, and it will run the battery dry if the fan is on all the time. So, he has two separate batteries—one for the starter and another for the fan. He still has to manage when the fan goes on and off through a handlebar-mounted switch. Mounting that battery wasn’t difficult, but he discovered there were some unexpected issues. “I posted a photo of the battery before the King of the Motos, and there were comments that I would have to safeguard it from creating an explosion,” he said. “Apparently, it’s a BLM rule. So, I had to put it in a fire-proof bag.”

Cody is very picky about his handlebar and mounts: “I have the Renthal Twinwall 996 bars with XCGear clamps. I’ve injured both wrists now, and the mounts have some cushion to take away some harshness, which is perfect for vet riders like me.” Crash-proofing is, of course, essential. The levers are ASV unbreakable; Yamaha style on the brake side and either Brembo or Magura on the left. Bulletproof Designs makes the radiator guards and disc guard. BRP makes the chain guide, which has reinforced mounts, as well as a Bulletproof protector. The skid plate is an SxS design with the linkage protector. 

The wheels are the subject of considerable testing. An IRC JX8 Gekkota gummy tire is on a Dubya wheel with a pre-production version of a new Nuetech beadlock system in the rear. There are multiple skinny rim locks every four spokes. A foam material prevents air loss through the spoke holes, so with sealant and a half-mousse, Cody can run without a conventional tube. In front, he has a Nitromousse with a non-gummy IRC tire. The suspension was reworked by Cody’s long-time partners at Applied Technology with Race Tech Gold Valves.

LET’S GO RACING

Cody got the bikes from Yamaha on December 13 and had to get them race-ready by January 26 for King of the Motos. Between those two dates, he let us take the e-start version for a spin. First of all, starting a Yamaha two-stroke by pushing a button is going to make anyone smile. The electric motor spins the engine at a crazy-fast rate, so it pops to life instantly. 

As far as riding, it’s not like any Yamaha two-stroke we’ve ever ridden, but it’s certainly not like a Euro 300, either. Where the stock YZ has a slow ramp-up and a hard hit, Cody’s bike is much more linear. Compared to a 300 KTM or Beta, though, it’s much more playful. There’s just enough of a kick to be fun, even on a motocross track. But, most of the feats that Cody performs are just absurd. We have no appetite for hopping from one gigantic boulder to another or riding straight up vertical hills. Cody makes all that stuff look absurdly easy. For him, it probably is. We will take his word that the bike is amazing in those situations. It certainly looks that way. 

The post YAMAHA TWO-STROKE PROJECT: CODY WEBB’S E-START YZ250X appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Beta has added a new bike to the line-up for 2025. The 450RC falls into the “closed-course cross-country” category, which includes bikes like the KTM 450XC-F, the Honda CRF450RX, the Yamaha YZ450FX and the Kawasaki KX450X. Each manufacturer changes the formula slightly, but all are closely related to motocross bikes from the same maker. The idea is to serve off-road racers who might otherwise be forced into a full-blooded motocross bike in events like WORCS and the National Grand Prix Championship.

The post 2025 BETA 450RC CROSS COUNTRY TEST VIDEO appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Ready to make a little history of its own

Last year Josh Toth became the first rider to win a GNCC overall from the second row, and he did it on a Honda CRF250RX. It was a milestone in GNCC history, but should we be surprised? Probably not. Kailub Russell won a number of overalls on a KTM 250XC-F from the first row, where it was wall-to-wall 450s. It just took a convergence of the right rider, the right bike and the right event to make it happen at the General GNCC in Georgia.

The real surprising part is that 250s don’t beat the 450s every time. In the mud, ruts, rocks and trees that are the norm in GNCC racing, you don’t have that much space to let a 450 get up and run. That’s why Honda made the 2025 250RX a priority for 2025. It should be the bike of choice in eastern off-road racing.

THE FORMULA

This is the cross-country version of the CRF250R motocross bike that was introduced last fall to overwhelming approval. It got all the same updates. The most significant of those is a new, more rigid frame. Honda engineers also paid attention to how and where the subframe connects to the main frame (in a more centralized location) to reduce energy transmission from the rear of the bike to the front. The fork, triple clamp, steering stem and linkage are also more rigid, and then there are considerable suspension changes to compensate. In the power department, the R and the RX both got a more free-breathing airbox, a new exhaust pipe and new mapping. It also has a more rigid crankshaft.

These days, cross-country race bikes put a lot of emphasis on the word “race,” so most motocross bikes and off-road bikes are more closely related than ever. The RX got the SCHMOKT treatment (Suspension, Capacity, Handguards, Mapping, O-ring chain, Kickstand and 18-inch Tire). Outwardly, you can easily spot the RX because the R’s 1.6-gallon titanium fuel tank is replaced by a 2.1-gallon plastic tank. And, of course, it has a kickstand and the 18-incher in back, complete with a Dunlop Geomax AT81 tire.

Going a little deeper, the suspension is significantly different. It’s softer than the R model, using what are essentially the R’s optional soft springs as standard equipment. On top of that, the valving stack is off-road-specific, and for 2025, there are a number of detail changes, like new seals and a different valving configuration.

The star of the off-road show, though, is mapping. The Honda has a map switch on the left side of the handlebar that gives you three different power modes. One flash of the LED light is the standard map. Hold the button down for two flashes and that’s the mild power delivery. Three flashes is aggressive. You also have a button for traction control; you can choose between three different levels there as well. And, if you hit the starter button while the engine is already running, it activates launch assist. Again, three levels are available. All of the electronic power delivery aids are different from those of the motocross bike. What aspects of the RX are the same as the MXer? Almost everything else, but most notably the five-speed gearbox, the muffler and the frame.

TRAIL BIZ

For trail riding, the Honda CRF250RX has the best off-road power delivery of all the cross-country 250 four-strokes. That’s saying something, because 250 four-strokes, in general, have super-broad, smooth powerbands. You can tell it’s a blood relative of the CRF250R because that bike has excellent bottom end. If you check out the dyno chart in our “250 MX Shootout” in the February 2025 issue, you can see it clearly. The Honda is the horsepower and torque king below 7000 rpm. That doesn’t necessarily help it on a motocross course where you rarely dip down that low. On the track, all of the bikes are more typically bumping off their 14,000-rpm rev limiters. On technical off-road trails, though, 7000 rpm is where you spend most of your time, and the RX is excellent down there. It’s smooth and has no tendency whatsoever to stall, cough or flame out.

When the trail opens up and you can get on the gas, the RX pulls almost as hard as the motocross bike. In fact, the aggressive map on the RM feels almost exactly like the standard map on the R. If you get into a drag race against a motocross 250, the RX might have the slightest disadvantage. Peak power is about 3–4 horsepower shy of the fastest bikes in the class. But, the power down low is so sweet and gentle that it more than makes up for it. And, it will rev forever. You might think that you have to shift a 250 more often than a 450, but that’s not the case. The operating zone for riding a 450 off-road is actually very narrow. If you rev too much, you have a monstrous and unmanageable surge of power. Too low and you’ll flame out. The 250RX, on the other hand, is free to operate at any rpm level. With just a little clutch work, you can ride all day in one gear. The clutch, by the way, has a super-easy pull. Unlike the Honda 450, it’s a cable clutch, and accordingly it will fade if you abuse it too much. If you’re determined to install a clutch slave cylinder on the 250, it would require machine work and a lot of determination. It isn’t like Yamaha, which offers a hydro clutch as a bolt-on accessory.

The fact that the RX has the exact same five-speed gearbox as the motocross model shouldn’t worry anyone. The overall gearing and spread between ratios are perfect for trail riding. All too often, manufacturers overthink off-road gear ratios and try to install a granny gear at the bottom. Most riders never use that gear in a normal trail ride. We would, however, love a tall sixth gear on top just so the motor isn’t buzzing when it’s time to cover ground on a fire road. 

THROUGH THE WOODS

We historically like the way the Honda 250 handles, both on the track and on the trail. Even though it has always used the same frame as the 450, the two bikes have very different personalities. Last year, the 450 had a temper. If you got out of shape, it was difficult to reel in. We never felt that way about the 250, which was always sweet and well behaved. The frame changes for 2025 were primarily aimed at the 450, and the 250 was swept along for the ride. A more rigid frame doesn’t sound like a good move for a 250 off-road bike. No worries. Chassis rigidity is a complicated subject, and the new frame flexes almost as much as ever on a vertical plane. It’s still a fairly plush bike overall. As usual, off-road suspension has an impossible mission. What works in the woods at 15 mph can’t work in the desert at 50 mph. Accordingly, the Honda CRF250RX is about right for a biggish rider (170 pounds) riding at a moderate trail pace (24 mph). It’s going to be too soft for motocross or desert and too stiff for light riders on tight trails. It will always be well balanced and free of wicked tendencies. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD WANT

The 250RX is an excellent platform for a general-purpose off-road bike, and it can still be raced. That’s a combination that’s hard to find. At the extreme ends of the off-road spectrum, the RX isn’t necessarily unbeatable. If a hard enduro is on the agenda, a 300 two-stroke is still the king. And, on a high-speed GP course, a 450 MX bike is hard to beat. But, the CRF250RX can at least make a showing in each of those environments and everything in between. That’s versatility, and that’s the very definition of what an off-road bike needs to be.

The post 2025 HONDA CRF250RX CROSS-COUNTRY OFF-ROAD TEST RIDE appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.