The new KTM Freeride is all about having fun. Photography by Justin Dawes
The KTM Freeride has been available to the European market for a couple years now in both street-legal electric and 350 four-stroke forms. But in 2015, for the first time, the U.S. will see an off-road version of the Freeride—a 250R two-stroke model. And we couldn’t be more excited!
So what exactly is the Freeride 250R? It’s a non-street-legal two-stroke that is part enduro and part trials bike that is designed for both the beginner and experienced off-road rider. It does, however, tilt a little more toward a trials bike with a seat, because of its quick power, slim build and lightweight design. It weighs in at just 201.8 pounds without fuel, according to KTM.
The Freeride’s engine is based off KTM’s 250 XC-W but is 4.4 pounds lighter and has a few significant changes. For one, it has no exhaust power-valve. Since this bike is designed for slower speeds and not racing, it doesn’t really need one. Revised ports, a new combustion chamber and piston, however, add up to an early arrival of peak horsepower, right around 4,500 rpm.
Transmission is a six-speed but has shorter ratios through the first five gears compared to the XC-W, and has an extra-tall sixth gear (a lot like a trials bike). Similar to the 250 SX motocross model, the Freeride uses a Coil Spring Steel (CSS) clutch with a steel clutch basket. It has a new clutch pack and springs that are softer than the SX’s. It’s designed that way to give the Freeride’s clutch a light pull and a solid bite.
The Freeride features a lightweight 250cc two-stroke motor with electric starting and no exhaust power-valve. It’s all about bottom-end and torque.
There is no kickstarter, but it gets an electric starter instead.
It has a unique-looking exhaust system. It’s tucks close to the engine to prevent damage, has a header pipe that looks more like a four-stroke before widening up at the midsection. It’s fitted with a lightweight aluminum silencer that does not incorporate a spark arrestor.
A small 28mm Keihin PWK carburetor is in charge of the fuel/air mixing, and it gets its fuel from a 1.9-gallon tank that is made from a clear plastic material, making it simple to monitor fuel consumption. Since this bike is designed to be ridden at fairly low speeds, the recommended fuel/oil mixture is a rather lean 80:1.
Flip up the seat and a small TwinAir foam filter is revealed. The entire airbox system has been designed for easy maintenance and cleaning. No tools are needed, just fingers.
Like many higher end motorcycles, the Freeride comes with variable riding modes for the motor. You have two choices—“standard” and “traction.” In traction mode, engine response is tamed down a bit to reduce the chance of wheel spin in wet or lose terrain.
A lightweight, slim single-aluminum radiator is located toward the front of the frame, and it is fitted with an external radiator fan and redesigned thermostat to help keep the Freeride running cool at low speeds.
At just over 200 pounds, the Freeride inspires confidence.
The Freeride has a slim build with a rather short 55-inch wheelbase. Seat height is 36 inches, which isn’t exactly low but isn’t all that high either. The frame is made up of a perimeter steel cradle specifically designed for the 250R’s engine, and there is generous 15 inches of ground clearance. A bolt-on forged aluminum midsection and a lightweight polyamide/ABS plastic composite subframe also make up much of the Freeride’s chassis. The extra-wide footpegs have mounting brackets that can be flipped, which repositions the pegs back 8mm if so desired.
Wheels consist of Giant silver aluminum rims (1.60×21-inch front and 2.15×18-inch rear), machined hubs, black spokes, aluminum nipples with soft compound Maxxis TrialMaxx 2.75×21 (front) and 4.00×18 (rear) tires made specifically for the Freeride. They look a lot like trials tires but with wider spacing of the knobs for better self-cleaning.
KTM didn’t skimp when it came to the Freeride’s suspension. Forks are fully adjustable 43mm closed-chamber units divvying up 250mm worth of wheel travel. You’ll find in the back KTM’s single-shock non-linkage, PDS system. Rear wheel travel is 260mm.
The Freeride features CNC-machined triple clamps with 20mm of offset and four-position adjustable aluminum bar mounts. In the back, the swingarm might look familiar to some—it’s based off the KTM 85 SX and is super light but very strong.
Brakes are also based after the 85 SX. It uses Formula master cylinders but have radially mounted front and rear calipers with 260mm (front) and 210mm (rear) pedal-type brake rotors.
The Freeride has a headlight and taillight, so the fun doesn’t have to stop after the sun goes down. There’s also a TrailTech speedometer unit that also functions as an enduro timekeeper, with mph, trip and time features.
For now, only 500 of the KTM Freerides will be produced for the U.S. market and will carry a $7899 price tag.
The Freeride is meant for both beginners and experienced riders.
Riding The Freeride
Just like the brochure says, the Freeride is definitely a fun ride. KTM gave us a chance to ride the all-new Freeride and let us loose in an area of San Diego County that provided a little bit of everything so we could test the Freeride’s versatility. We climbed mountains, navigated through narrow rocky goat trails, rode up and over large rocks, and even tried a little EnduroCross, and the Freeride handled it all without wincing, from both a slow and moderate pace.
The power delivery is more trials-like than a traditional enduro bike and took a little getting used to. I was forced to re-train my throttle hand. But after a short time on the bike, I was able to figure the bike out, and that’s when the real fun started. Slow and steady is the name of the game here. The bike really shines when the trail gets technical. Like a trails bike, the Freeride has tons of bottom-end power and torque and is nearly impossible to stall. It’s not much of a revver, or a go-fast bike, but that doesn’t mean that it’s any less fun.
The Freeride is extremely easy to maneuver, thanks to its slim build, light weight and somewhat low seat height. The bike’s design allows the rider to go places that you might not even consider on a standard enduro bike. Its small size, torquey motor and agile handling gives you tons of confidence and the courage to try anything, like steep hills, tight trails, long drop-offs and even boulder hopping. Throw in a solid suspension package and ultra grippy tires and you really do get the feeling that you can conquer anything on it. And you pretty much can, except public roads, of course. Dang it.
It’s the go anywhere machine.
We just scratched the surface when it comes to getting to know the Freeride, but we certainly like what we saw and felt so far. We can see way this breed of motorcycle is popular in other parts of the country, because you can have a lot of fun on it in a relatively small area, and both beginners and experienced riders can find enjoyment out of the Freeride. The newbie will like the Freeride for its ultra-controllable motor, low seat height, lightweight and electric starting, and the expert rider will like it for…well, the exact same reasons, and then some. Plus, both category of rider will like the KTM for its high performance and build. It’s definitely not a foo-foo bike. It’s a serious playbike that we certainly want to get to know better.
