250 SX-F (MY2019)

This generation of the KTM 250 SX-F is a high-rpm specialist, and it makes no secret of it. The 250 cc single makes 46 hp, and it earns that figure near the limiter, not down low. What defines it is clean throttle pickup and an eagerness to keep revving right up to the limiter. The chassis is stiff and precise, built for a rider who charges into turns and carries speed out of them. It is also unusually complete from the showroom floor: traction control, launch control and selectable engine maps are standard. The WP AER air fork and the shock are fully adjustable.

It rewards commitment. Ride it lazily, short-shifting and hoping for grunt from the basement, and it feels flat. Keep it spinning and it comes alive, and so does the handling. The air fork saves weight and gives you a huge adjustment range, but it needs regular pressure checks or it drifts off its setting. That makes this a bike for the racer or serious hobby motocrosser who likes to wrench and tune. The honest caveat is ownership: there is a list of known issues, and a buyer should check each one before handing over cash for a used example.