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.

A full serving of the Honda 450 with an extra helping of Jett sauce 

Be happy that talent can’t be bought. If it could, then motocross tracks all over the world would be filled with guys named Bezos, Musk and Gates. It would be a terrible sport for spectators and riders alike. 

With that in mind, Honda has released the 2025 CRF450RWE, aka ““Works Edition, aka “Jett’s Jett.” The guys at Honda aren’t dumb. They know that they have something special in Jett Lawrence and are hoping to sell a little bit of it to the public. Thus, the RWE has the look of a factory Honda and some of the parts that make it special. It can’t make you ride like Jett, but it can certainly help you look the part. To be fair, the Honda RWE’s history goes back to 2019, long before the Jett age. Back then, it was made to capitalize on Ken Roczen. It was also designed as a counterpunch to the KTM 450SX-F Factory Edition. The KTM, however, started with a very different genesis and motivation. In 2012, it was seen as a one-time move to get the latest motocross bike into the hands of newly signed Ryan Dungey. AMA homologation required 400 bikes, and that number sold quickly and for a good price, so it became an annual tradition. Today, almost everyone sells special editions, not so much as a means of giving their race teams any kind of advantage, but rather as a tribute to them.

THE WORKS TREATMENT

So now the 2025 Honda CRF450RWE has arrived, but as far as AMA homologation rules are concerned, it’s the exact same bike as the standard 2025 CRF450R. Honda started there and then put together a package of upgrades designed to give it the works look:

• Hand-polished cylinder head ports

• Hinson clutch basket

• Hinson clutch cover

• Twin Air filter

• Throttle Jockey graphics

• D.I.D DirtStar LT-X rims

• Yoshimura exhaust system

• Kashima and titanium-oxide-coated lower fork tubes

• Re-valved suspension

• RK gold chain

• Revised ECU settings

• Black triple clamps

You also get an upgraded price. The 450RWE sells for $12,599, which is $2900 more than the standard version. For the balance sheet that you probably are seeing in your head, here are some aftermarket prices to get you started: Yosh RS12 exhaust system, $1089; Hinson clutch basket, $299; Hinson clutch cover, $199; head porting, $400. The suspension upgrades are hard to put a number on because they typically come with personalized valving, which you might need anyway. Plus, Honda doesn’t put the stock parts in a milk crate for you, so if you are trying to justify the price to your parents or spouse, give up now. You pay extra for an unquantifiable cool factor and the hope that some Jett magic will come with the bike.

UNDER THE HOOD

To back up a little, the bike under the RWE makeover has some substantial changes for 2025. The standard CRF450R got a new, more rigid frame, as well as some more rigid parts in the linkage, fork and subframe. The airbox and intake were completely revised to provide a straighter shot into the throttle body and eliminate the upside-down filter along the way. The Nissin front brake caliper is new, and all the bodywork was redesigned to provide a little more gripping surface for your legs. Even before the RWE’s re-valving and premium coatings came into play, the suspension got some mechanical changes. Same goes for mapping. The standard model had changes, and those were further altered to support the pipe and port polishing for the RWE.

For the standard bike, all that added up to what we consider the best Honda CRF450R in 17 years. Honda has long been hunting for an identity for this bike. At times it has been preposterously powerful and virtually unrideable. Other years it has been a virtual enduro bike. All along the way it has had very quick steering that teeters on being downright nervous. For 2025, the standard Honda had the best combination of all. It gained power over the 2024 model (one of the enduro bike years) and the handling settled down. Best of all, the suspension was right on the nose for a typical sportsman rider—an intermediate in the 175-pound range.

GIMME THE WORKS 

When you ride the RWE back to back with the standard version, there’s a bigger difference than you might imagine. First of all, there’s a distinct improvement in power. It’s still all about low to mid-range, but with the pipe, porting and mapping, it’s all more linear. The surge down low is smoother, and on top when the power tapers off, the end isn’t a sharp decline. It tails off and gives you a moment of extra time to find that new gear. It still works best to shift early and take advantage of all that low-end power. The Honda makes more torque below 6000 rpm than any motorcycle on the track. On top of that, the mapping is smooth, and free of pops, coughs and hiccups. You can safely ride the bike at low revs without the fear of stalling. You still have to be ready on the clutch just like any other 450 motocross bike, but if you’re careful, you don’t have to do all your braking with the clutch in. On a side note, we still love the Nissin hydraulic clutch. The Honda always needed this, going all the way back to 2002. The engagement is predictable and the pull is reasonable. The standard 450 has this as well, even though the standard CRF250R doesn’t.

There is also a noticeable difference in suspension, although it’s not what you might think. Mechanically, the fork and shock are the same as those of the standard edition right down to the spring rates. The valving is different, and both the fork and shock surfaces have Kashima and titanium nitride coatings. On the track, you get the initial impression that the suspension is softer. That’s because the fork in particular has less friction and moves more quickly. This can feel like more dive under braking. We compensated with more damping, bumping up both compression and rebound. The only riders who might have issues with the standard settings are those who are on the faster/heavier end of the bell curve. Those riders are precisely the ones who are in the target market for the RWE. 

Overall, though, the suspension for this bike, like the stocker, is outstanding. The new frame removes some of the lateral flex that gave the 2024 model a reputation for nervousness. Now, the Honda turns and handles as well as ever, but you don’t get the occasional “what was that?” On the pro level, Jett and Hunter started the season chasing settings for the new frame. That was probably because they had already cured the frame-flex issues, and now they have to start all over again. For the riders in the real world, the new chassis is nothing but better.

BE A JETT

The bottom line is that the standard 2025 Honda CRF450R is a great bike and the RWE is just a little bit improved. Whether or not it’s a $2900 improvement is a question that you and your banker can deal with. The Honda CRF450RWE is motocross jewelry that exists at the elite level of the sport. If you believe that buying one is somehow going to save money, then congratulations, you win the award for best attitude. And, your prize is one of the best-handling and coolest-looking bikes in all of motocross.  

The post 2025 HONDA CRF450RWE WORKS EDITION REVIEW – FULL TEST RIDE appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

No modern motocross bike generates such diverse reactions as the Yamaha YZ450F. Some love it, others love it a lot. There are some dissenting votes in the mix as well, even among recent teammates on the Monster Energy Star Yamaha racing team. Last year Eli Tomac was a true believer, while Dylan Ferrandis listed it as the primary reason he left the team. Tomac, it should be pointed out, rode the bike exclusively in Supercross, while Ferrandis almost entirely rode outdoors. Could the bike be that different in the two settings? Maybe. Even among Dirt Bike’s most seasoned test riders there are wildly diverse opinions.

The standard version of the YZ450F sells for $9999. The Monster Energy Edition sells for $10,199.

The Yamaha YZ450F was the subject of a mega redesign in 2023. The engine and chassis were revised, and the bottom line was a much lighter, more agile machine. The broad concepts remained intact; the motor retained its reverse, rearwardtilting cylinder head, and the chassis was once again wrapped around that design with a high-boy airbox and mid-frame fuel tank. Everything was new, and it was said that only a few part numbers were carried over from the previous year.

Then, Yamaha turned its attention to the 250 in 2024. It got the exact same treatment in the chassis department, while the 450 was unchanged. Now, the 450 is back in the crosshairs with subtle revisions. The motor received a few extra oil passages in the clutch inner hub. The chassis got new linkage, changes to suspension valving and a lighter rear shock spring (from 5.8N/mm to 5.6). The lower motor mounts were also altered. Previously, two motor mounts were sandwiched together. Now, they are single width and have a slightly different shape. Other changes are very detailoriented, things like a beveled area on the footpeg mount, a new throttle tube and so on. Essentially, it’s been the same motorcycle since 2023 when it lost weight and had a major personality transplant. Our 2025 test bike weighs in at 232 pounds without fuel, which positions it as the lightest Japanese 450 and only 3 pounds heavier than the Husqvarna FC450 we tested last month.

IT’S GOT PERSONALITY

That personality is first and foremost defined by horsepower. The YZ450F makes a ton of power and isn’t exactly subtle in its delivery. You twist the throttle, and it moves out hard and fast. Most riders love it for that reason alone. Even though we know that few riders can use that kind of power effectively, we all like the feel and the reward. It’s a thrilling bike to ride. Those of us who run out of talent before the YZ runs out of power generally want to tame it down through the use of Yamaha’s Power Tuner. This is the smartphone app that Yamaha introduced four years ago to the delight of hardcore engine tuners. For weekend riders—i.e., the riders who needed it most to calm down the bike’s manners—the original Power Tuner was too difficult to use. You could change parameters easily, but there were no guidelines on the results you should expect from those changes. Now, it still allows intricate tuning through changes in fuel mixture and ignition advance at different rpm and throttle openings for the hardcore guys, but there is also a dumbed-down thumb slider to go from smooth to aggressive. You can also adjust traction control and launch control on the app. The handlebar switch lets you swap between any two maps on the fly. Weirdly, there’s no dedicated button for turning traction control on or off. You do have one for launch control.

The only problem with that slider is that it doesn’t differentiate between top end, midrange or low end. If you want more specific control, the Power Tuner app has three preloaded recipes: Smooth Linear, Hard-Hitting and Linear Torque. You can actually see those formulas represented on a chart. For the most part, we chose Smooth Linear and left it there. The possibilities are endless, and there’s a healthy community of Yamaha riders who freely share maps for different purposes. One example is Mammoth Mountain MX, where the track elevation is 8000 feet MSL. Forums like ThumperTalk, Vital, and Reddit have maps galore for that location and others. Even though the Mikuni fuel-injection system has sensors to compensate for air density, there’s much to be said for real people who have done real-world testing.

VERSATILITY

If you like the stock power delivery, fine. If you want to calm it down, fine. No matter who you are, you can tailor the YZ motor to your liking. It turns out that it’s much easier to take performance away from a fast bike than add it to a slow one. Most riders like the way the Yamaha handles as well, but you need to understand that the new YZ isn’t like the ultra-stable Yamahas in the old days. It has very quick, responsive steering. That’s been a trend across all makes and models in recent years. We chalk it up to Supercross influence. The Yamaha is still very stable in a straight line, but once you chop the throttle and lean over, the front wheel isn’t as planted as the YZs of past years. The solution, as contrary as it sounds, is more throttle. Despite the quicker steering, the YZ still likes you to be aggressive in turns and “steer with the rear.” It’s a tough combination to get used to, but once you get it, you get it. We have found that most riders like to slide the fork tubes down in the triple clamps; 3mm makes a big difference. That raises the front end of the bike just enough to increase stability. This isn’t quite the same as running less preload on the shock, because that compromises suspension action slightly, and suspension remains the Yamaha’s greatest asset.

The suspension changes for 2024 are aimed at making the bike more level as you enter turns. It’s a good move, and the YZ will probably be the overall suspension champion once again. The rougher the track, the better the suspension works. Keep in mind, though, that the YZ is designed with elite riders in mind. If you’re a 40-something intermediate and you expect the YZ to deliver a plush ride on your over-prepped Saturday practice track, you might be disappointed. Other bikes are cushier when the bumps are small and the landings are smooth. Our advice is to come back at the end of the day. The Yamaha loves crummy conditions.

ROUTINE EXCELLENCE

We still love many of the changes that came in 2023. Tops on the list is the layout. The YZ450F is a truly comfortable motorcycle. Gone are the days when most riders found it cramped and thick. There are only mild complaints from short riders. They love the bike once they’re moving, but when stopped, the seat height is a bit excessive. Other items that everyone likes include all the controls, the brakes and the clutch. Yes, that’s right, even the clutch, which still has an old-fashioned cable. Tomac loves cables. As a side note, Yamaha does offer a hydraulic clutch as an accessory and, for us, it’s excellent. The pull is lighter, the actuation is consistent and it never fades. Tomac is simply a different kind of human.

For many riders, the Yamaha YZ450F has no real weakness. It’s incredibly fast, the suspension is outstanding, it’s light and it’s reliable. Once upon a time, that combination of assets would have made it unbeatable. Today, however, we live in an age of everyday miracles. The field of outstanding 450 motocross bikes is deep and getting deeper as more players come to the table. Yamaha will once again have its hands full, staking a claim at the top of the class. It’s a great time to be a motocross fan.

The post 2025 YAMAHA YZ450F: FULL TEST appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Dirt Bike Magazine was invited to the Moto-X Compound in Georgia for the release of the all new 2025 Triumph TF450. This bike is an all new model for the crew at Triumph featuring aluminum frame, traction control, wifi connectivity, Dunlop tires, Brembo components, and more. Hear from the crew directly here in this video about all the details on this all new 450!

The post 2025 TRIUMPH TF450 RC-EDITION VIDEO : WHAT’S NEW ? EVERYTHING ! appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Dirt Bike Magazine was invited to the PNW to test the all new KX250 and KX250X. THIS IS A VLOG! A behind the scenes look at 2 days of testing with Carson Brown and having some laughs. This isn’t a test video..just a behind the scenes look at the Dirt Bike staff having fun on two wheels!

The post DIRT BIKE VLOG #20 WITH CARSON BROWN AND TWO ALL NEW KX250 MODELS appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Dirt Bike Magazine tests the all new Kawasaki KX250 at Washougal MX Park. The KX250 is all new and if you want to learn about all the latest and greatest check out our other video. We invited Carson Brown out for the day and let him put the KX through its paces. Carson delivers on track feedback for you in this video. You don’t have to wait for the end to find out his initial impressions on the all new KX250. Enjoy!

The post 2025 KAWASAKI KX250 TEST VIDEO WITH CARSON BROWN appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

Dirt Bike Magazine tests the 2025 Yamaha YZ250F at Fox Raceway. The YZ250F isn’t all new but does have some significant updates. New linkage, new throttle tube, new suspension settings, new mapping, new map switch button, and more. Did we like the changes? Is the bike that much better? How does it compare to the other 250Fs in the class? We answer those questions and more in this video.

The post 2025 YAMAHA YZ250F VIDEO : FIRST TEST DAY IMPRESSION appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

You are correct in thinking that Suzuki hasn’t produced a competition two-stroke motorcycle in almost two decades now, and the last time we asked, they said they had no plans in firing up production. Twisted Development decided to show Suzuki’s engineers what a modern-day RM two-stroke should be, and then let defending Two-Stroke World champion and Dirt Bike Magazine test rider Carson Brown showed the world exactly what it can do. We first laid eyes on this Twisted Development creation at last year’s event. The project had just been completed, but without the opportunity for major testing, the machine was not raced in the Premier class and was put on the back-burner.

The post TWISTED DEVELOPMENT SUZUKI RM300 WITH CARSON BROWN : VIDEO STORY NARRATION appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

The staff at Dirt Bike Magazine spends the day comparing the all new KTM 250SXF to the new Triumph TF250X at Glen Helen Raceway. We bring out a few test riders and gather their feedback to give a raw comparison on these two motorcycles. The KTM and Triumph both have good qualities to them. Which one is better? Well that’s up to you but we hope in this video you are able to gather enough information and make a choice. THIS IS A VLOG! Come have some laughs with us at the track and enjoy this completely behind the scenes day of testing with the crew. Thanks for hanging with us!

The post TRIUMPH TF250X & KTM 250SX-F COMPARISON : DB VLOG 17 appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

We have the 2025 Kawasaki KX450 in our hands! Is it better? What’s changed? How does it perform on track? Our editor Mark Tilley answers everything in this raw style video we uploaded. This is a “first person” “pov” style video. Enjoy

The post 2025 KAWASAKI KX450 VIDEO TEST : EDITORS POINT OF VEIW appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.