2011–2016 · Enduro · Buyer's Guide
Race-Bred Two-Stroke Dirt Weapon
The 250 EXC is a competition enduro machine that happens to wear a license plate, not a trail bike dressed up for racing. The liquid-cooled 249 cc two-stroke single makes 49 hp and 31 lb-ft, fed through a six-speed box with enough drive low down to crawl a technical section before the top end takes over and pulls hard. Underneath sits a chassis with 11.8 in of front travel, 13.2 in at the rear, 15.0 in of ground clearance and adjustable WP suspension at both ends. A 21 in front wheel, an 18 in rear, chain drive, nothing surplus.
This generation rewards riders who commit to it. It steers on the front wheel and the throttle, wants to be ridden standing, and the payoff in tight singletrack, slickrock and rocky climbs is a precision heavier bikes simply cannot reach. It ages well because there is very little to go wrong, it is straightforward to work on, and parts are everywhere. The honest caveat is that it asks a lot in return. The 38.8 in seat leaves most riders on tiptoe at best, the 2.5 gal tank puts you on a short leash, and there is no electronic safety net anywhere on this bike.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 49 hp (36 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 31 lb-ft (42 Nm) |
| Displacement | 249 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front tire | 90/90-21 |
| Rear tire | 140/80-18 |
| Ground clearance | 15.0 in (380 mm) |
| Front travel | 11.8 in (300 mm) |
| Rear travel | 13.2 in (335 mm) |
| Seat height | 38.8 in (985 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 2.5 gal (9.5 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Where this KTM 250 EXC pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the 250 EXC is actually built for.
This is your bike for slickrock, ledges and deep sand, where skill decides the day. Plan day trips around that small tank, and accept that multi-day routes are a stretch for it.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
It holds its own on a track and the chassis is up to it. Just know it is tuned for terrain and traction first, so expect to rework gearing and suspension setup for moto.
Made for Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area · Fox Raceway at Pala · Glen Helen Raceway
Straight answer: wrong tool for you. It will out-ride anything on the hard sections, but 2.5 gallons, no luggage and a 38.8 in seat turn multi-day route logistics into a fight.
Made for AZBDR — Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · California BDR South · COBDR — Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2009–2010
The Pure Two-Stroke Weapon
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
