My first reaction to the
original KIM Freeride 350 was to greet it with a hearty yawn. This might seem
unfair, but the 350 four-stroke Freeride concept instantly made me think of
plodding around on a machine that, though fun looking, would ultimately have its
limitations when compared to a full-on enduro machine like the KIM 350 EXC. In
my opinion, the soft power delivery of the original Freeride 350 (released only
in Europe more than 18 months ago) coupled with the concept of a
hybrid-trials-based bike has confused people as to its use. But with the
introduction of the new Freeride 250 R in Europe, I had to take a second look
at this platform to see if the addition of a two-stroke motor could allow this
bike to stand alone and compete with the enduro bikes as an everyday, multi-use
machine.
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IN THE FLESH
The simplicity of the
Freeride 250 is evident from the first glimpse. The 250cc engine is
particularly simple in design, with electric starting and no power valve. A
small exhaust port and timing aimed at bottom-end power are both key to the
trials-type delivery. The six-speed, two-stroke engine is nearly 4-1/2 pounds
lighter than the enduro engine, and the torque figures produced from this
simple and seemingly bulletproof design go beyond those of the Freeride 350.
By:
The 250 runs with
close-ratio gears from first to fifth, with a wide-ratio sixth gear for longer
sections of flowing trail. A 28mm Keihin carb delivers the fuel, which is mixed
at an amazing 80:1 ratio! This means that 80 parts of fuel need just one part
of two-stroke oil. Smoke is virtually eliminated at this kind of mixture, so
the clean-burning nature of the bike is another positive point from an
environmental side of things. The capacity to carry the mixed fuel is about 1.8
gallons and the tank is clear so you can check fuel level easily. A tunable
ignition with soft, normal, and more aggressive power choices allow for some
tweaking of the power delivery.
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The motor is cooled via a
single radiator with a fan, while the exhaust pipe is well tucked away. Other
cool chassis points include a WP 43mm fork, a PDS rear shock, adjustable
footpegs, and a polymer subframe. Trail Tech provided the new digital
"dash," while the tires are the all-new Maxxis Trial-Maxx pattern.
These resemble full-on trials tires and feel like chewing gum, but the
difference is the higher knobs and spacing for greater mud clearance and
all-round grip in the terrain the bike is aimed for.
IN THE DIRT
With the Italian home of the
infamous Hells Gate extreme enduro in beautiful Tuscany as my playground, I was
keen to experience the gnarly terrain on the 250. As with every bike I test, I
look for a blend of power versus handling, and the light feeling of the
Freeride came across with every flick of the throttle. The two-stroke response
from the super-sharp motor and chassis encourage attack on absolutely every
type of terrain, and the only time traction was a slight issue was straight
after a rainstorm in some slick mud. Iran the motor on the soft power setting
to begin with, and it soon became clear that my trail riding pace was going to
be a little hot for this setting. I'm sure there is a place for this lovely,
smooth power mode to be used, but I don't want to go there--that would bring
back the yawn. Back on the normal power mode, the difference is very pleasant
as the bike creates a feeling of strength from below the lowest rpm range I
have felt on any two-stroke. There is a massive amount of smooth torque that
continues throughout the powerband.
By:
The bike sits higher than
the previous Freeride due to stiffer springs, so it even felt comfortable for
my 6-foot-2 human form. A high handlebar with just the correct amount of sweep
adds to the initial feeling of comfort, and the transfer from seated to
standing is not too much to handle. The early going was wet due to the previous
night's rain, and the feedback from the bike was balanced both in the motor and
the chassis. Taking into account that the suspension on the Freeride is a
slightly modified KIM 85 fork and shock, the setting is actually pretty good
for most normal-sized riders. Descending is the most fun thing to do on the
Freeride; it's like a turbo-charged factory downhill mountain bike, with the
added pleasure of taking you straight back up the mountain for another go.
However, the Freeride 250 still feels twitchy, and without some trials
background it would definitely be a bit difficult to ride well in the really
nasty, snotty terrain.
CONCLUSION
So to answer my own question
as to the ability of the Freeride to stand as your only bike, I believe that
for the hard-core off-roader the Freeride 250 would not be enough on its own.
Don't get me wrong; the bike is superb, and the fun and experience of riding it
in the correct terrain is amazing. But from a personal point of view my choice
of a Freeride would be as a second playbike to hone and develop high-level
skills or to use it as a learning bike for less experienced off-roaders. Of
course, the difficulty and expense of buying a Freeride in Europe and shipping
it to the United States may make this a moot argument, but it's still fun to
explore what's out there and to see what the boys in Austria are doing to
advance two-stroke technology. These bikes are at the beginning of their
journey, and the fact they can be used by every level of rider to improve and
enjoy themselves is a testament to KTM and its quest to offer its customers
something fresh and exciting.
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