2001 KTM 250 EXC

Make Model	KTM 250 EX/C Enduro
Year	2001 - 02
Engine	Two stroke, single cylinder
Capacity	249 cc / 15.2 cu in
Bore x Stroke	67.5 x 69.5 mm
Cooling System	Liquid cooled
Compression Ratio	6.0:1
Lubrication	Two stroke oil, mix: 1:50 - 1:60
Induction	Keihin PWK 36 S AG Carburettor
Ignition	Kokusan digital 2K-3
Starting	Kick
Clutch	Wet, multiplate, hydraulically operated
Transmission	5 Speed
Primary Drive Ratio	25:72
Gear Ratios	1 st 15:29 / 2nd 18:26 / 3rd 19:22 / 4th 21:20 / 5th 23:18
Final Drive Ratio	14:50
Final Drive	Chain, 5/8" x 1/4"
Frame	Central chrome-moly-steel frame
Front Suspension	WP Extreme Ø 50 mm upsidedown fork
Front Wheel Travel	280 mm / 11.0 in
Rear Suspension	WP Progressive Damping System shock absorber, aluminium swingarm
Rear Wheel Travel	320 mm / 12.6 in
Front Brakes	Single 260 mm disc, floating caliper
Rear Brakes	Single 220 mm disc, floating caliper
Front Tyre	90/90 - 21" 54R
Rear Tyre	140/80 - 18" 70R
Steering Head Angle	63.5^o
Rake	26.6°
Trail	114 mm / 4.5 in
Wheelbase	1481 mm / 58.3 in
Ground Clearance	385 mm / 15 in
Seat Height	925 mm / 36.4 in
Dry Weight	108.2 kg / 238.5 lbs
Fuel Capacity	9.5 Litres or 12 L / 2.5 US gal or 3.2 US gal

No matter what year it is, count on KTM's 250 EXC being the best bike in its class. By 1999, the Japanese had given up in the 250 enduro category, leaving the KTM to dominate. The 1999 version actually was faster than the 2000 model that followed..

hroughout the ’90s, Dirt Bike Magazine did a 250 two-stroke off-road bike comparison every year. Back then, this was a big class, with as many as seven or eight bikes. The KTM 250 won every single time. Eventually, everyone else gave up, and by the early 2000s, it was pretty much the only one left. By 1999, the KTM 250EXC (or MXC, as the western version was called) reached a level that wasn’t far from the current version. By then the PDS rear suspension was workable and it was the first year for the hydraulic clutch. We’ll include the KTM 300 and 380 in this same category, but jetting was still hit and miss for the bigger KTMs. What worked on one 300 didn’t necessarily work on another. The 380 wasn’t as nice on the trail, but it was very, very fast. It would still be fast by today’s standards. As the next decade unfolded, the 300 would steal the limelight away from the 250, but both were excellent by any standards.