Bike Tests

Search the News:

IT'S FINALLY HERE! MXA'S 2012 450 SHOOTOUT: WE TELL YOU THE THINGS THAT EVERYONE ELSE PUSSYFOOTS AROUND We can't tell you what to buy, and we would still be happy if you bought the slowest, worst suspension or ugliest bike in this shootout, we just want you know know what your hard-earned cash is buying	THE BEST MOTOCROSS BIKES OF THE PAST 32 YEARS: DID YOU OWN ONE OF THESE? Have you ever wondered how your trusty but rusty 2003 Kawasaki KX125 ranks in the grand scheme of things? Find out here
MXA'S 2012 KTM 250SX TWO-STROKE MOTOCROSS TEST: KING OF ALL SMOKERS KTM plans to produce 56,000 offroad motorcycles in 2012. Read that again: 56,000. And, 14,000 of them will be two-strokes	MXA'S 2012 KTM 150SX MOTOCROSS TEST: IF A LITTLE DAB'LL DO YA, THEN AN EXTRA DAB'LL DO YA BETTER If you ride motorcycles because they are fun, nothing is as fun as a flat-out assault on a motocross track on a KTM 150SX
MXA'S 2012 HONDA CRF250 MOTOCROSS TEST: HONDA TRIES TO WORK ON THE FLAWS Honda took the electronic fuel-injection plunge in 2010 by opting for the Keihin 50mm throttle body (with 12-hole injector) from the CRF450. It was a smart move, because EFI eradicated the dreaded bog caused by the massive 40mm Keihin carburetor in 2009.	MXA PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO THE 2011 KAWASAKI KX450F We give you a complete breakdown of what we did to enhance our KX450F. It’s all the information you’ll ever need for living with and loving the 2011 KX450F
THE MXA WRECKING CREW BUILDS A HONDA CRF264 PROJECT MOTOCROSS BIKE A $570 Mod That Fills In The Holes In The CRF250 Powerband; How To Make The Perfect Vet Class CRF250 For Motocross	MXA'S 2012 YAMAHA YZ250F MOTOCROSS TEST: THE LAST 250 FOUR-STROKE WITH A SPRITZEN-PUFFER For 2012, Yamaha was just a pop fly shy of hitting for the cycle. It would have been a home run if they had released an all-new engine. However, that fact doesn’t discount the imporved performance of the 2012 YZ250F
THE MXA WRECKING CREW BUILDS A YAMAHA YZ144 BIG-BORE MOTOCROSS BIKE: We asked Yamaha to consider building a YZ150 version of the YZ125. They refused, but offered us a kit to turn our YZ125 into a YZ144; Best of all, it fits all 2005 to 2012 Yamaha YZ125 models	MXA'S 2012 SUZUKI RM-Z250 MOTOCROSS TEST: IS IT JUST ANOTHER REHEATED 2011 MODEL? But, it was so good when Suzuki first cooked up this souffle that it still delivers flavor as a left-over
EXCLUSIVE LOOK INSIDE THE BIKE THAT RYAN DUNGEY WON THE PHOENIX SUPERCROSS ON! THE KTM 450SXF FACTORY EDITION MOTOCROSS BIKE IS COMING TO A DEALER NEAR YOU There will only be 400 KTM 450SXF Factory Edition motocross bikes made—KTM needs 400 to make the bike legal for the 2012 Supercross series—especially now that the bike is a winner	TWO-STROKE VERSUS FOUR-STROKE: 2012 KTM 250SXF VS 2012 KTM 250SX Back by popular demand! The MXA wrecking crew answers the age-old question one more time—what's better, a 250 two-stroke or a 250 four-stroke
MXA 250 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT: 2011 KTM 250SX VS. 2011 YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE Although MXA is currently testing the 2012 KTM 250SX, the 2012 Yamaha YZ250 is a few months away—so we decided to test the 2011 250SX against the 2011 YZ250	MXA'S 2012 TM MX144 MOTOCROSS TEST: THE ITALIAN TWO-STROKE ANSWER TO THE AUSTRIAN KTM 150SX The TM MX144-2T rolls off the Pesaro, Italy, assembly line as though it is headed for the Concours d’Elegance. From its shiny aluminum to its billet parts, the TM is very much a works bike for the masses
MXA'S 2012 KAWASAKI KX250F MOTOCROSS TEST: DUAL FUEL INJECTORS ARE THE FUTURE & KAWASAKI GOT THERE FIRST The 2012 KX250F powerplant hauls the mail—and it delivers trophies to your mantle	MXA'S 2012 HONDA CRF450 MOTOCROSS TEST: THEY HIRED NEW TEST RIDERS FOR 2012 Who did Honda hire to improve the CRF450? They hired you...yes, you
MXA'S 2012 YAMAHA YZ450F MOTOCROSS TEST: THE MUFFLER CORKS IT UP AND THE MAPPING FREES IT UP On the horsepower front, the YZ450F comes close to rivalling the omniptotent KX450F—plus it is as reliable as a rock and the second lightest 450 on the track	MXA'S 2012 KTM 350SXF MOTOCROSS TEST: HAS THE 350 EXPERIMENT BEEN A SUCCESS? FIND OUT HERE KTM's engineers found a way to get the power situated where it needs to be and that makes this a signifciantly better bike than in 2011
MXA PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO THE 2011 YAMAHA YZ250F We give you a complete breakdown of what we did to enhance our YZ250F. It’s all the information you’ll ever need for living with and loving the 2011 YZ250F	MXA PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO THE 2011 KTM 450SXF We give you a complete breakdown of what we did to enhance our 450SXF. It’s all the information you’ll ever need for living with and loving the 2011 450SXF
MXA PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO THE 2011 KTM 350SXF We give you a complete breakdown of what we did to enhance our 350SXF. It’s all the information you’ll ever need for living with and loving the 2011 350SXF	MXA'S 2012 SUZUKI RM-Z450 MOTOCROSS TEST: IT MAY BE REHEATED 2011 LEFT-OVERS, BUT IT IS REHEATED FILET MIGNON Standing pat with the cards they played in 2011 means that the Suzuki RM-Z450 isn’t going to move up in the rankings—but it's still a great bike
MXA'S 2012 KAWASAKI KX450F MOTOCROSS TEST: AN ENGINE AND A-HALF IN AN IMPROVED PACKAGE You’ll never need to hop this engine up, which is good, because you’ll need that dough to fix some of the Kawasaki’s other eccentric peccadilloes	MXA'S 2012 KTM 450SXF MOTOCROSS TEST: THE BIKE THAT BLOWS HOLES IN THE FUEL-INJECTED THEORY You may think that fuel injection is the end-all and be-all of motocross, but KTM's Keihin carb proves different
MXA'S 2012 KTM 250SXF MOTOCROSS TEST: DID KTM GRAB FOR TOO MUCH OF THE BRASS RING? The Austrian manufacturer is on a major roll, but the 2012 KTM 250SXF isn't their best work	2011 YAMAHA YZ450F MOTOCROSS TEST: THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY MOTOCROSS BIKE ON THE SHOWROOM FLOOR We don’t think that the motorcycle manufacturers have to produce brand-new machines every year—constant changes raise the price, but we do think that the manufacturers should refine their products every year
2011 KTM 250SXF MOTOCROSS TEST: THE BIKE THAT WON THE 250 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP; WITH LINKAGE AND FUEL INJECTION This is the bike and Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin plan to race in the USA in 2011	2011 KTM 250SX MOTOCROSS TEST: NOT A WARMED-OVER BNG BIKE, BUT A TOTALLY NEW TWO-STROKE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION For 2011, KTM’s two-strokes and offroad/enduro models will retain the no-link PDS shock. KTM sincerely believes that the single-sided no-link system is better suited to the weight and feel of the two-stroke’s power delivery
2011 YAMAHA YZ250 MOTOCROSS TEST: THE BIKE WE'D ALL BE RIDING IF THE AMA DIDN'T FAVOR FOUR-STROKES The 2011 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke is like an IQ test for the motorcycle buying public. How stupid are you?	2011 KTM 450SXF MOTOCROSS TEST: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BIG-BORE KTM MOTOCROSS BIKE This bike has an awesome powerband. It offers the all benefits of a manageable low-to-mid powerband with an impressive high-rpm top-end. The power is not scary to use, because it pulls across a very long range
2011 KAWASAKI KX250F MOTOCROSS TEST: KAWASAKI DROPPED THE CARBURETOR AND ONE FORK LEG FOR 2011 Kawasaki's 250cc four-stroke joins the fuel-injected fold; The question is whether electronics made it a better motocross bike than the old mechanically carbureted one	2011 SUZUKI RM-Z450 MOTOCROSS TEST: AFTER YEARS OF BEING DOWN, THE RM-Z450 IS UP Read other tests if you must, but if you want to learn anything, then read MXA's 2011 Suzuki RM-Z450 test
2011 YAMAHA YZ125 MOTOCROSS TEST: THE $6000 BIKE THAT THE SPORT NEEDS MORE TODAY THAN IT EVER DID Four-stroke sophistication, technogical advancement and mechancial one-upmanship just raise the cost of the game—they don't change the game itself	2011 HUSQVARNA TC250 MOTOCROSS TEST: A SWEDISH BRAND WITH AN ITALIAN FACTORY AND GERMAN OWNERS Called the “X Lite,” the 48-pound powerplant is miniscule in size and weight. We’re perplexed as to how Husky packs the valves, cams, piston and rod inside the Vern Troyer-sized engine
2011 HONDA CRF450 MOTOCROSS TEST: THE BIKE THAT ALL OTHER BIKES ARE MEASURED BY (AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO SALES) “Mellow” is the first word that comes to mind. It has a very electric power delivery. The hit is muted, but because the engine produces competitive horsepower below 7700 rpm, all is not lost.	2011 KTM 350SXF MOTOCROSS TEST: THE MOST ANTICPATED MOTOCROSS BIKE TEST OF 2011 IS WORTH READING CAREFULLY...TWICE Surprise! It's not going to wipe the 450cc motocross bike off the face of the Earth. It's not going to bring in a new era of mid-size engines. It's not a revolutionary idea. It's essentially a niche motorcycle that fills a void.
2011 HONDA CRF250 MOTOCROSS TEST: HONDA BETS THE BANK ON A MINI-VERSION OF THE CRF450; WARTS AND ALL After Honda completely redesigned the CRF250 last year, we figured that the 2011 model would be a warmed-over 2010. Guess what? It is, but Honda made several refinements in the engine tuning, suspension valving and muffler design	2011 SUZUKI RM-Z250 MOTOCROSS TEST: SUZUKI BRINGS THE RM-Z250 BACK FROM THE BRINK The 2011 powerband is the complete opposite of the engines that came before 2010-11. It has excellent midrange and a ton of top-end gusto
2011 YAMAHA YZ250F MOTOCROSS TEST: THE LAST 250 FOUR-STROKE MOTOCROSS BIKE WITH A SPRITZEN-PUFFER The 2011 YZ250F is a good bike, but not a great bike. Its biggest plus is that it is a very reliable 250cc four-stroke. It has acceptable handling, a creative frame and great shock	2011 TM MX450FI MOTOCROSS TEST: A BIKE THAT RIVALS THE BIG FIVE IN PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY Not everyone wants to follow the pack. Motocrossers, by the very nature of the sport, are rebels. Thus, the most likely TM buyer is a racer who wants to rebel against the stereotypical Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and KTM sheep
2011 TM MX300 TWO-STROKE MOTOCROSS TEST: A BIG-BORE TWO-STROKE MOTOCROSS BIKE WITH ITALIAN FLAIR As it sits, the TM MX300 competes for attention against the KTM 300XC, Husqvarna WR300, Gas Gas XC300 and kitted YZ250s and 250SXs. As a rule of thumb, the extra 50cc is worth three horsepower over its 250cc loaner engine	2011 KTM 150SX MOTOCROSS TEST: PERHAPS THE BEST BIKE FOR RIDERS LOOKING TO MAXIMIZE THE FUN OF RACING If you can keep the 150SX on the pipe, it will give 250Fs a run for their money; The 150SX Is faster at peak, and when we focused on carrying speed and staying on the pipe, the 150 was great
WE RIDE KEVIN WINDHAM’S GEICO HONDA CRF450 We like testing Windham’s race bikes just as much as we like him. Why? Not only does Kevin have a real-world racing setup that doesn’t take a Greek god to ride, but every year since 1995 he has been on factory equipment	WE RIDE DEAN WILSON’S PRO CIRCUIT KAWASAKI KX250F Dean is a prime contender for the 250 National Championship—if he can overcome his own teammates (after all, they have the same bike that he has)
WE RIDE RICKY DIETRICH’S VALLI MOTORSPORTS YAMAHA YZ450F Do you take the money and forget your dream? If you’re Ricky Dietrich, you choose to pursue your dreams	WE RIDE KYLE CUNNINGHAM’S DNA SHRED STIX/STAR RACING/YAMAHA YZ250F Cunningham’s bike trumps every other YZ250F race bike that we have tested to date. Yes, it’s that good
WE RIDE MAX NAGL'S GRAND PRIX-WINNING KTM 450SXF WORKS BIKE: This might be the last factory-backed 450SXF on the Grand Prix circuit because Max plans to race a 350 this year (along with his teammates)	WE RIDE DUBACH RACING DEVELOPMENT’S KTM 350SXF DR.D was quick to predict that the KTM 350SXF would be embraced by Vet class riders; Doug Dubach set out to make it better
WE RIDE RYAN HUGHES' UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX HONDA CRF450 MOTOCROSS BIKE: With the help of his sponsors, Ryan built a special bike for the 2010 USGP. And, as icing on the cake, the MXA wrecking crew got to test Ryan’s bike the second he pulled off the track	WE RIDE ANDREW SHORT’S FACTORY KTM 350SXF Perhaps no bike in recent history has engendered as much controversy, idle chatter and uninformed speculation as the KTM 350SXF—We test KTM's factory version

More Bike Tests >

Subscribe to MXA's News Feed

ON SALE

MORE STUFF

Local Guides

- All Local Guides
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- DC
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming

	Dirt Bike	Dirt Wheels	ATV Action	MBA	RBA	BMX PLUS!
Copyright Hi-Torque Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. motocross news -motocross bike test - motocross features -motocross product reviews -motocross photos motocross videos Honda MX Tests - Husqvarna MX Test - Kawasaki MX Tests - KTM MX Tests - Suzuki MX Tests - Yamaha MX Tests WARNING: Much of the action depicted in this magazine is potentially dangerous. Virtually all of the riders seen in our photos are experienced experts or professionals. Do not attempt to duplicate any stunts that are beyond your own capabilities. Always wear the appropriate safety gear.