Hello fellow riders, I am on the market for a 250 or 300XC-W (two stroke of course) and can't help to notice that: 1- There aren't many non-current (including 2013) around; 2- If any, they sell for MSRP or very close; 3- There are several 200XC-W leftovers available (even 2012). I have located a 2012 200 that could be had for $1700 less that a brand new 2013 or 2014 300XC-W. Questions: 1. Given that I am weighting in at 205lbs WITHOUT any gear on, is it too much for the bike and will I regret that I did not go bigger (I will do all sort of trail/offroad riding from single tracks to various types of trails/terrains including dirt, sand, gravel, rocks, mud, etc.). 2. Any known issues or reasons why several 200XC-W would still be on the dealerships floor while everything else is gone? Thanking you in advance.
Ive had 4 of them starting on 2001,and a couple 2004,s and now a 2009 that Ive got working really well. Ive weighed as much as 195 with out gear riding the 200's and have never felt under powered. They make around 36hp which over shadows an older 250 easily. In the end its your deal and getting a ride on one would be the best,if I rode desert all the time or did huge hillclimbs Id ride my 530 all the time. But I enjoy throwing the 200 around more. A stock geared 300/250/200 all have the same top speed by the way. The 200's dont sit in the showrooms here long.
The 2003 i bought a year ago just plain flies... I have done everything I can to calm it down. I'm 195 sans gear too. They will haul you no problem.
I bought a 200XCW new in '08 and went from a 520ECX. I do mostly single track and the 200 is much easier to ride. The only downside on my 200 is it doesn't have electric start and it can't do hills like the 520. I weigh 215 without gear. Stock it is undersprung for my size. I had the suspension resprung and revalved, big difference. The other mod I like is the heavier flywheel weight. Now it chugs in first and second gear almost as good as the 520 without stalling. Can't feel any difference otherwise. If you were to be doing more open type riding you might want to go bigger. My friend has a 250 XCW and he is more of a motocrosser and loves his bike. I'm more slow and steady and he is on the gas or on the brakes. Enjoy whatever you buy.
I really appreciate your feedback, guys. It's hard for me to know if I will be riding more open trails than single tracks as I have yet to discover the local trails (new to off-road) but I get the feeling that no matter what, the bike wouldn't be the limiting factor for my speed. I really like the single track but I also like practicing cornering techniques, lofting the front wheel to go over obstacles, power slides, going through whoops, etc. There is also a sand pit nearby. Thanks for your patience guys. It will be my first dirtbike ever and it has become so specialized that it is very confusing, especially that I don't know my off-road riding style. And it's a lot of money too, I don't want to make a mistake.
I ride a '08 200XC-W and I weigh 205 without gear. I have sprockets geared up so I can get greater speeds on open trails and roads, but I still have not problems running extremely tight single track. The front is a 14 and the rear is 45 (which is 3 teeth smaller than stock). Yea, first gear was worthlessly slow, but it is better now. Electric start??? LOL!!! If you just breathe on the kickstarter it starts. Kickstarters aren't for bikes that weigh less than you do. Power! Well, your gonna find that the power range is obviously more narrow than a 300. However, if you keep the power on pipe there won't be a problem keeping up or passing the fastest riders. The only downfall of the 200 in my opinion is transitioning quickly from repeated fast to slow to fast sections. You want to make the most of momentum. The 200 can take corners faster than the heavier bikes, so do it. Can this bike keep up with 250s or 300s? It has nothing to do with the bike, it's all you man.
Like I posted in another thread, the 200 is awesome on trails even with my 200 pounds on board. The only place it falls flat for me is high speed fun on roads. It won't do the freeway speed ass out power slides on dirt and gravel roads that my 640 will pull off. But everywhere else it has more than enough power with an XL size rider on board. For offroad riding being about 100 pounds lighter than my 640 makes up for any power deficit. And if I can kick start it anybody can. My right ankle has been rebuilt twice and the ortho surgeon forbid me from kick starting bikes. He says I am one busted ankle away from a replacement. But the 200 is so easy to kick busting my ankle isn't even a consideration. The fact that it is running on one or two kicks hot or cold certainly helps.
I see this is an old thread, but wanted to get some feedback for size. I weigh 255 without gear and wondering if its not enough motor for me> I will be riding mainly single track in california sierras and southern california single track. When in the desert I will most likely use the 500 EXC.
With a 500 to complement it, the 200 isn't a bad choice. It's really more of a style thing than a weight issue. Do you like to keep the bike on the pipe and slip the clutch when needed? Or do you tractor along and expect to roll into fat power right away? A more "active" riding style can really make the most of the lighter, more nimble 200. On tight single track, the advantage of the 300 is he ability to grunt along just off idle without clutch slipping, and still have a little throttle bring the wheel up or scoot you over an obstacle. If that's your style, you might even prefer a Beta 300RR over either KTM.
i really enjoy my 2004 200, i wish it had e-start but otherwise perfect all around. It loves NM and rockies style singletrack. It really excels at gnarly single track and runs out of steam on high speed road sections at the top end. I have traded with a pal who has a slavens built 300 and it was way too much bike for me. The 200 still has plenty of power to get away from you. FYI i weigh 210ish# w/o gear. I wish it had slightly more ability to lug at low rpm, but it still does a decent job without a flywheel weight.
Reason they're hard to find is everyone rides them and loves them...great bike for tight single track that doesn't involve a ton of hills. Otherwise, bump up to the 300.
The latest 200's have e-start, full sized frames, and plenty of low end grunt. I was blown away by the one that I rode. Imho the 200 feels more like a 300 than the 250. Call it a 300 jr. If I hadn't found my (barely) used 300, I would have bought a new 200 xc-w. 38 hp! It's a bike with a cult following: people in the know revere these bikes
What I found was my 200 was really only fun in a narrow realm. Stupid hard single track was a (good) joke on that bike. It was like riding a trials bike with an MX bike hit. But outside of that realm it just wasn't versatile enough for me. Not even as a second bike. But I am truly a dual sport guy. If all you really want it for really, really is just stupid hard single track then there are few (if any) finer weapons even for big(ger) boys. Just don't expect to keep your buddies on bigger bikes in sight if that single track opens up into two track or fire road type riding - especially if you are a bigger rider. Since this thread first came up, I replaced mine with the 525.
You could make the little bike work, but why? IMO you are a bit out of the weight range for the minuses to make up for the positives of the smaller bores. I'm 100#s less so the 200 is dramatically more maneuverable for me than a bigger bike, but it sure isn't my 500 when on 500-stuff. I'm pretty sure you would be better served with a 250 (or 300 if you want some vibes with that). (fortunate to have a '14 beta evo trials bike, new 200 & 500, 690, hotrod CR250R, etc., so I think I know what I am talking about) cheers
Yeah I hear ya, I have actually looked at the Betas and they look like great bikes, But the ones I have seen have just been way too small in frame size. I'm 6'5 tall, so even with bar risers, It is too crunched; but the reviews sure are good! I used to ride in the mountains at Bass Lake by Fresno and the high mountains in Utah where I used to live, and I loved those tracks. I live in Southern California now but wanted a small woods weapon for when I visit those places again! In my head I am going back and forth on the 200 and 250, but at my weight and the high altitudes I wonder about having enough power for those long climbs. But the 250 is sounding more and more appealing.
Pros on the 250= same approx hp as a 300, cheap for top-end kits, can be converted to a 300 easily (same bottom end). Cons of the 250= Non-linear power delivery. Pipey, goes from zero to hero. Great for a fit, expert racer/rider. Mere mortals find it hard to harness. Check out Motology video "on the pipe". Adam Reimann really does nail the essence of the 250 2-stroke. Watching that will make you want to buy one. Depending upon your riding style, you could possibly be better served by a 200 or 300. I know logic should dictates that splitting the difference in cc's should yield an ideal compromise, but that's just not the case here. A 150xc feels more like a junior 250, and a 200 feels more like a junior 300. Someone wiser than me can tell you why, all I know is seat of my pants feel. **note this applies to current generation ktm's of 2012-2015. Older ones may be/feel different. I don't know
