2017 KTM 300 XC vs 2017 Yamaha YZ250X part 1 - Episode 199
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
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Trying to compare the 2017 KTM 300 XC and the 2017 Yamaha YZ250X and pick a winner is a kin to picking which one of your kids is your favorite child. They are both so very good, and both are good for slightly different reasons. These are great enduro racing style bikes that pack a ton of features and fun. In truth, I have never had 2 bikes that were more fun and enjoyable to ride that these two. Sure, the KTM 300 XC is as little more refined, has electric start, has a little better bottom end power, and has less vibration. But the YZ250X revs faster, feels a bit more playful, and might have a slight advantage on overall weight.
Either one of these bikes could be my primary dirt bike and I would be totally happy with it. The first gear on the YZ250X is a little bit high for many guys to be able to be comfortable in the really tricky, rocky, rooty type terrain, but it’s certainly capable and easier to ride (in my opinion) that any of the 4 strokes out there. The fuel tank on the YZ is too small at 2.1 gallons, while the KTM 300 has the 2.6 gallon tank to extend those rides.
In this video, we cover a variety of topics and I’ll be putting out a second part to this very soon.
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did anyone laugh at how sam was at the beginning?😂😂😂😂
Joshua C he was spacin out
He was baked.
Stoned.
.
I have the 2021 yz125x. Love it. Have the acerbis 3.2 gal tank and the lectron with a head and well I just love it. Too much fun.
I just got the Yz250x last month and I've rode a 2016 ktm300 and both bike are great but the yz blew my mind. Its like a regular Yamaha 250 but it just rides super nice out on the tight trail and has enough power in the hills. I've already put a IMS 3.2 gallon desert tank and IMS wider pegs. I already have black Excel pro series rims on the way. after a little engine work this bike is going to be great I can see myself keeping this bike for a while till they bring a newer version out..
I like how Sam is always staring into the distance like "what am I doing here let's go ride" haha. Merry Christmas
Haha!
the choice is a no brainer for me. Definitely the KTM. All the trails in NZ are extremely tight and technical. I own a YZ250 and i've had to change both the front and rear sprocket to get the first gear lower enough. If you want a better choice for trails the XC-W has a lower first and second gear.
Love the Yamaha,but I'm getting old and the e start is the game changer for me, are you listening Yamaha?
It would be nice, right? As long as they can add it without adding 20 lbs like they did on the YZ450FX.
E start is gay. Kick starting is the king, old man. These fucking millenials have ruined 4 strokes with the starting system, but 2 strokes with an electric start? God, I can't imagine that shit. If you're getting old, then just quit motocross and get a v twin and go road biking. Coming from a Gen Z kid, 13 years old. I've rode a Yamaha DT125 with a kickstart, and it makes me happy (In the Philippines)...
@@cockroach5717 shhh child.
@@-tr0n Burn in hell.
@@cockroach5717 Am an old man and still riding.....don't know e-start until you hit 70+ years of age. Road biking? YerAss.....don't need a little old lady with blue hair in a Caddie to take me out now. Used to ride Triumph 650 but motorists are nuts nowadays.
250 X is Better💙
You guys talk about the extra grunt of the 300 & I'm reminded of an old saying "There's no replacement for displacement." Great video as always. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you too.
You're so good at these man, great vid! I'm a ktm man but I love that they've got some stiff competition, it'll drive the innovation that the two stroke world needs so badly
Agreed.
Id like to see the two of you guys ride together...that would be pretty entertaining. Props to both of you guys putting out awesome vids..
Yz does better with big hits. Like log crossings and whoops. It tracks straight over things that buck the KTM sideways
There is one trail I ride where e start is a "big deal". Quartz trail near Pitkin CO, at the top, above the tree line in the thin air, there is an MFer of an obstacle that kicks my ass and features a death on the left drop. While seeing spots due exerting myself pushing the bike at 12,000 feet, just being able to thumb and go sure is nice. A Rekluse would be nice too, but I am just stubborn that way - LOL
Too much money not enough experience boys. I kick start mine and am past everyone within two minutes on a ten man ride. Half the fun blasting past everyone.
Yz250z
been seeing this for years and it hasnt changed lmfao
WOW! I was considering both of these machines and am in the middle of debating which one to get. This video was so helpful and great timing. Big Thank you!
What did you end up getting?
This comment is WAY too suspenseful. You can't just tease everyone. What did you get!!!!???
Yeah, tell us. Jeez.
very informative. Tall 1st gear and grabby clutch is enough to put ME off of the Yamaha. I'm looking for a bike that (I personally) can crawl slow uphill over rocks, then explode into that 2t power band (low 1st, heavy flywheel, wide ratio)
Magura hydraulic kit was the best £300 I’ve spent on my bike and the enduro fuel tank 👍🏻, I’ve had Ktm’s with estarts but give me a yz any day!.
One thing that is important to take under consideration. How long will each bike last over time. I am pretty sure the YZ engine will last longer. I have a ktm as well as a Yz250 2t. The YZ is built like tank. Ktm is chasing low weight, and the enginecases are now very thin and small. WELL DONE WITH THE CHANNEL KYLE AND SAM.
Time will tell.
Yes me to, very thin and fragile metal I think is put into the ktm which is why I stick with Yamaha, but the ktm is more innovated then Yamaha no hating just throwing my opinion...
Tomas Jakan Jakobsson Yamaha YZ engines are tough as fuck. I chipped the top of my piston somehow and the bike shot the piece out the exhaust and still ran. It ran like shit, but there was no damage to the cylinder
Ktm will last much longer. engine cases dont wear lol. Only to wear is clutch and ignition covers and they are cheap. ktm has much better quality on crank and bottom end of the engines. AND ktm has stronger crank than yz, it has heavier and stronger build crank.
@@Tikkikoira if you was a rider long time you wouldnt say this even if they pay you..ktm reliability is near bottom..not even near to any bike coming from japan..ktm brakes more and all cost more for what? after 2002 ktm is near bottom on reliability...last best bikes was ktm520-525 2001 and ktm380 2 stroke...ktm never made nothing better than that
I almost thought Yamaha released a new model because of your thumbnail. It's out there now. Yamaha has to release to yz250z. I imagine it being a supermoto
Just picked up a mint 300 xc love it. Had a drz400s before this night and day. I used to have a 2006 kdx240. Great trails wood bike. But nothing like a ktm
The problem is the ktm is 3000.00 more in Canada. Is ktm worth it for that huge difference? We’re not talking a few hundred dollars.
I absolutely love love love love LOVE my YZ250X the Kayaba suspension is mind blowing my only issue is the false neutrals and no estart need a rekluse and a lectron and she will be perfect but I would rather have the husky 300
Great comparison video! I'm riding a 200XC-w and I love it but I'm starting to get older and feel a bit more fatigued modulating the clutch through the woods so I want to get something with more grunt. I was always a Yamaha fan as a kid, only ever owned zingers up until I got my KTM two years ago. These two bikes were both on my radar and I was leaning more towards the 300, loved the opinions and details you gave on both bikes. In the end the hydraulic clutch on the KTM seals the deal for me. That and the KTM looks more aesthetically pleasing imo.
great video! These two bikes are what i am debating over so it was great to see them compared. can not wait to see part two.
I can't get rid of my yz250. It belonged to a friend that past away. I like riding trails and climb mountains. Always wanted a KTM. My dad owns a KTM 400 or 390. Its a Penton from back in the day. What a rocket. I sent my motor to Eric Gorr. I got the 295 kit, port and polish, and head mod, which smooths out the power band more like a 4stroke, but not thank god. Tractability improved immensely. I love this bike now. Light, torquey and fast. Need to put the taller wr gears in it. Wish it had a e start though.
Don't get me wrong, you do a great job. Had allot of bad luck and reliability issues with the KTM. Probably just my luck. Would love to see a comparison to the KTM 250.
Hi Kyle,
Pls understand I may very well be wrong on this, I do believe the WR250 R case and e-starter setup. Like I say, a lot of this setup with the KYB front front end, is set the sag at .5" inch. For the rear, I would always run about 18-22 psi in both tires. Stock tires will chunk away after about 6 months. Every rider is different. Love you vids too. Dean
I thoroughly enjoy my 2017 KTM 250 xc-w. Magic button, hydraulic clutch, 6 speed and light weight works nicely. But that Yamaha looks like fun!
Interesting to note prices in 2024. KTM 300 xc is now $11,500 and the YZ250x is $8100.00. So the price disparity has changed significantly and as of this writing, almost $3500.00.
Back in the olden days guys would change the clutch perch from another bike to help get the 'feel' they wanted, before hydraulic clutches came along. Not sure which fits what or what one gives the result but might be worth a bit of investigating, also likely only cost about $20
At 3:59 he said that he felt a little more planted on the Yamaha. I sold my Yamaha 450 and bought the '17 300 XC last year. I could not make the air forks work for woods trails. I tried a lot of different settings but ended up being too soft up front with settings that worked just OK on tight single track. I had them converted to KYB (and shortened) and now have the best of both machines. The KTM with the Yamaha (KYB) forks is fantastic! The bike feels a lot more stable in the corners. I'm sure that there are tuners that can get similar results in modifying the AER48 but you still have to deal with the air pressure rise that occurs with a 1 - 2 hour long ride.
B. C. Hollier was that conversion expensive? Did you price out WP cone valve forks?
Great channel, although slightly unfair to the 250X, if you drop a tooth in the front it makes the bike drastically different. it will have more bottom end then needed. Also the price comparison is slightly misleading. i have owned both The KTM and the Yamaha. The cost of parts is ridiculous on the KTM AND Also the maintenance on the starter and the hydraulic clutch components is quite demanding. Only way to go is the YAMAHA 250X . LOL. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.. I look forward to your new videos.
I haven't had a single issue on any of the KTM starters I've owned. Been riding them for 5 years without a single failure. I also haven't had any clutch issues either. The only thing mis-leading about the price is that I under estimated the 300 conversion kit for the Yamaha. They are like 1K to $1200 for those.
Sam looked like he was experiencing some PTSD there for a moment at the start
I seem to recognize some of that trail and not others. Is any of that filmed at Dubinky/White Sand Wash? Some of that REALLY looks like Mary's trail and Red Slot. If I recognize that stuff from here in Paris, France, then all hope is not lost.
You have an eagle eye there sir.
Liquid clutch is the only reason to buy KTM for me.
Magura kits for yz 😉
Dude your reviews are phenomenal. Honest, in-depth analysis. Keep it coming
That is the plan. Thanks for watching.
it would be really sweet if you could get an Athena 300cc big bore kit for the yz25p. That would be a great comparison and no one could say they aren't even. Thanks again for spending time and money for the sake of the rest of us.
The Eric gore 295 kit is around 800$ for the yz but that includes porting and cutting head and new cylinder
Hi,
How would you compare them maintenance wise?
I'm a KTM 450 owner and looking to swap for something a bit more maintenance friendly...
I start thinking the ORANGE is an expensive color...
What's your take on this topic?
By the way, your channel is very interesting!
Merry Christmas Kyle, and can't wait for bigger and better things in 2017.
Merry Christmas.
if I was out for a new bike. ktm 300 other the Husqvarna te300. if I decided to buy a yz250x my reason would mainly be because there is a local dealer so getting parts is not a problem. closest ktm dealer is 3 hour drive. Husqvarna is 5 hours plus.
the dealers around me don't really stock parts for either bike. I buy everything from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC or Motosport.com
Who goes to the dealer these days for parts when you can get them delivered to your door with no tax or shipping?
Lot bigger price spread in Canada. List in USD for the Yamaha is $5900. The KTM is about $8000 with freight and PDI.
Merry Christmas! Thanks for keeping the thrill of riding alive in this off season! Your videos are top notch!
Merry Christmas to you too.
In 2020 there still both great bikes but the Yamaha yz250x still doesn’t use fuel injection.
Yep,,For the $1300 one saves on the Yamaha puts the Eddie Sanders 350cc kit in there...great vid btw!
Merry Christmas.
I havent watched this yet but am looking forward to it. i ride a kittum three hun but have always liked the blue bikes and often tell my friends I am going to switch. I do like that low end grunt though ;) I will reply after I watch.
Nice video and review. Pricey bikes. I just picked up a new leftover 2014 yz250 from a Yamaha dealership for $4577 out the door!
the first face look of this guy in red "hello darkness my old friend"
Haha!
Thanks for the awesome vid Kyle! I have been waiting for this one.
Great reviews. I highly doubt the Beta 300 is at the 2017 KTM/Husky level. I think the KTM is a better value than the YZ250X, but for me-- the Yamaha is more nimble and responsive.
All very good points.
We unfortunally cannot buy the YZ250X in The Netherlands with numberplate , we can with the EXC300 (which is basically an 300XC as far as i know?). I have an 2014 300 which is absolutely a great bike. Light, powerful enough and reliable (with about 35 hours on the motor its basically still brand new).
What I dislike about the 300, compared to my old YZ250 (2003) I mainly used for motocross is the front suspension. Both were revalved and resprung for my weight. The 300 is much better since, but it a little harshe in the first part of the stroke. On motocross tracks it’s better than offroad on smaller bumps. Also the 300 vibrates pretty badly and the stock jetting isn’t great (JD kit solves this).
It’s a little waste of money to now upgrade to a 2017 (with much better front suspension and less vibrating engine), maybe I will get the 2018……
Got a great deal on the 2014 and payed about 1500 euro under sticker price, but bought 2 bikes together with my brother.
At 65kg and 175cm I’m a featherweight, choose the 300 on purpose because of it’s light weight. A 200 or 250 would have been sufficient but they are hard to sell. Most people prefer the 300 on the sand in the Netherlands, and having some more power is always a good thing.
RudyW xc and xcw/exc have so e major differences in the states its linkage rear for 17 the xc gets air fork, xc had no lights but is worrd for them, closer ratio gear box i the xc, different triple clamps, on the other side of the pond the exc is road legal and equipped for it our xcw is not nor is the xc.
0:36
Dude's got that stare D:
Would be very interesting if you fitted the optional 300 kit on the yamaha and compared them then.
I have buddys that have katooms and under lots of clutch slipage rough stuff they have had there hydrolic clutch really stop working because of heat never see anything mentioned on this
Really good video. Love YZ's but agree the KTM is good value at the end.
Overall you did educate me alot. I never noticed the weight difference and gear ratio no wonder my bike stalled and had to hold the clutch off n on in Walker Valley
man you guys ride some fun places!
What oil are you mixing in the YZ? Also, are you going to upgrade the tank? Just bought a YZ250X and enjoy your videos.
In Canada, The YZX saves you about $,4,000 after taxes.
great vid Kyle, love the terrain when you were on the trail's that look like moab that drop into the bowl looked like an ass pucker situation.lol. the KTM is the best bang for the buck.or for less money than the Yamaha is new there is a lot of good used 300's out there for sale.like mine the guy had over $17,000 into his 2012 300xc and I got it for $6,000
Another awesome vid, Kyle. Looking forward to getting a 300. Looks like some interesting riding terrain down there, we were ripping around in the snow yesterday. Merry Christmas!
Nice.
Goddamn I love this channel. Such quality content all the time.
Thanks for watching Resto.
Thank you for your video ;) and what about the maintenance? witch one is easyer to work on?
Love the opening shot, another great video!
Bike reviews are cool and all. But personally I would love to see more equipment reviews and even just trail guide videos. The bike reviews are getting a little repetitive. Love the channel! Just want to be excited to click on the next video hahaha
There will be more gear reviews coming. And there are been a bunch this year :)
Add a hydraulic clutch the YZ for $300? or just put in a Rekluse for $600?
Been waiting for this one! thanks for the present.
Merry Christmas.
Hey Kyle in your picture for this video you put yz250(Z) instead of yz250(x)
Wrong. Those pictures are from my camera showing my bike :) I was a hobby photographer before a CZcamsr...
Hey Kyle I'm about to buy a yz250. I'm coming off a 350sxf. The yz I'm buying is locked up an this first thing I'll do is send off the top end to millennium. Should I stay with 250cc or do you think the 300cc would be easier to ride an transition? It's a tough call but watching all your videos I wonder if you ever think about boring out your yz. Any feed back is greatly appreciated. Love your videos man!
I have an E-Start for my 2004 Yamaha TTR 250. So yeah yamah does have E-Starts
So what kind of seals do they use to keep the compressed air in the ktm air forks? Are they going to go like regular oil seals ?
Yamaha is attempting to go in the right direction for the enduro market with the yz250x
Although it sucks kuz it adds extra weight and if your batterys dead well your stuck. Unless you put a kickstart on it youd be fine. But i dont have one on mine
if your quick with a kickstarter its not slower then a electric start, i know this for certain
Great job love your videos!!!!
would the 300 be a good beginer bike
can you pls make a quick vid about what you must do to rebuild a 2 stroke engine and if its hard to build
Similarlobster 8- there is a shit ton of those CZcams
Similarlobster 8 if youre asking that question than let a mechanic do it
really good video..just bought 2017 yz450fx yamaha is coming up...
Run a Li-ion battery with e-start . You hardly add any weight . First time I rode the 300XC I sold my '12 YZ250 and bought the '13XC . If and when Yam puts e-start on the YZ250 , i'll be back on Yamaha . The bikes are easy to kick but they're right, ya cant beat eStart when u make a mistake in a hill, corner or awkward spot just hit the button ...usually u dont even have to stop. Wake up Yamaha
@Louis van der Merwe I assume because the Yamaha handles better and has more top end power, if you get the recluse clutch, it is better all around?
Just wondering, was your pricing in the video OTD? or did you have other fees on top of the price in the video? Merry Christmas and thanks again for all your vids!
No, those are not the OTD price. That will depend on your local taxes and state registration fees, so it's kind of irrelevant to show that IMO.
Thanks for sharing what you paid, having never bought a bike brand new it's nice to see an example of how much wiggle room there is
Yeah, some dealers will deal with you. Find one that will :)
I had electric start on my duel sport it didn’t have a kick start for back up so if something happened where the battery died had to try and bomb start or walk out same thing on my brothers ktm has electric start no kick start back up and I know he had the same problem where he had to bomb start his bike just lucky every time it happened to him he was in an area he can bomb start it I know for me in the future the electric start is nice but if the bike doesn’t have a kick start back up I’d stay clear of it I’d rather go with out electric start than getting stranded somewhere you can’t bomb start it also my brothers electric start caught fire this year and he’s been having many problems with the electric start ever since he bought the bike
Can you share your jetting specs you used on your 2016 KTM 300 XC. I have the same bike and ride the same trails I see in the videos. Im trying to dial my carb in. Great Videos I dig them!
Send me an email and I'll share some specs with you. kyle@dirtbikechannel.com
I'm not sure if it's true or not but I heard there is a recall on the brembo brake's on the 2017 KTM and Husqvarna's might want to check into it Kyle
I haven't heard about that one.
Where are you testing these bikes at? Looks similar to Utah...
I'm at a loss on a few things in the video
The price you mentioned for the YZ 300 doesn't line up with what I see available
You talk about the Yamaha being lighter as well. Have you put the bikes on a scale? The spec sheets on those machines don't seem to show that, even when adding fuel weight to the ktm numbers.
Are you talking about perceived weight while riding?
If you haven't weighed the machines and are commenting on perceived weight I can somewhat understand the opinion.
Lastly you speak of setting your fork air pressure and comment on the dampening characteristics? those don't relate anymore than coil spring rate in a standard coil spring fork.
Your fork springs (air spring or coil spring) set the bike's fork sag and give it a balanced stance with the chassis' rear shock spring. The fork's valving and your compression/rebound clicker settings effect how your ride feels for the most part with regard to dampening impact felt on edges etc
Some of the heavy feeling you're referring to regarding the orange 300 is possibly your chassis being out of balance
I feel there's a lot of subjectivity in some of your shootout/review videos but I appreciate your channel for the quality of videos you put out
I hope somewhere in the future you put out a shootout video with the bikes being set to their most optimal settings for your test track and let us know how they compare there
Those are the prices of the bikes as listed and those are the exact amounts I paid. I have put both bikes on a scale (after filming) and I'll do a video on that. The Yamaha is lighter, but since it doesn't carry as much fuel, that is the main reason. Of course there is subjectivity :) It's my opinions. Thanks for watching.
Love the YZ. Would be nice to have both better get a second job
Do you wear a chest protector, if you do what one do you wear?
Where was this video taken? Nice riding terrain!
Would have loved a shout out to the dealer who gave you that great deal on the KTM! I have more! Call me again on anything you need, I will always give you a great deal. Love your channel!!!
love the video. thanks. where were you riding in the first of the vid with the drone footage?
Utah.
Great video you are doing a great job. Merry Christmas everyone
Thanks Clell. Merry Christmas.
I'm all about that yz 250Z
are you going to put a 300 big bore kit on the yamaha
I will take the YZ, the KTM steering don't agree with me or my bro. We will just get another YZ for him. Great vid.
Good plan. The YZ is awesome.
Were you using the same tires, pressures, tubeless(?), Etc... for this comparison . If so, what tires and specs?
Same tires, same TuBliss setup, same tire pressures. Dunlop AT81.
I'd like to see a review of both bikes at the bottom of a gnarly, thin single track trail, and see which one will climb out of it better. Hands down I bet the KTM will dominate, but again, I'd love to see if the yammi can hang
No need. The 300 wins on that front hands down every time :)
Tight gnarly single track the 300 is a tractor which is hard to beat. However, we have a riding buddy that rides the gnarly tight stuff better than us on a KTM250sx and in fact, he just bought the YZ250x from DBC. So, it really comes down to the rider but when it comes to my bike skills I would choose the 300 over the YZ250....
about the clutch on the yamaha. heavier springs from the yz250 mx bike might give you more modulation. i realize this will make the lever even harder to pull.
A magura clutch moght help this but wont be the same as the KTM since the ktm slave acts directly on the actuating rod and the best a yamaha and magura can do os turn the rod lever.
your also forgetting the yamaha has no lighting coil like the xc does. for us night ridrrs thats a big deal.
You make a good point about the coil for lights.
I have a 2011 200xcw and a 2009 yz250f. both bikes are amazing
Brandon Hoover does you're 200 have e-start? I have a 2007 200xc and I wish I had it.
I think they got it in 2009, it does
Ethan Ginter I have a 2009 200 XC and I really wish I had estart. I'm 5'3" and in those gnarly woods situations, what I wouldn't do for it!
Well the xcw has it I think. I just know that mine has it
200 didn't get e start till 13. 250/300 got it in 08 or 09.
What kind of fuel mileage are you getting on the ltm 300
You forgot to mention the easy air filter access and the light readyness on the ktm
True, you don't need tools to swap air filters on the KTM. On the Yamaha you need to take off the seat with a 10mm socket.