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TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: 2006 KTM 250SX FULL TEST

KTM used to be the smallest of the Big Five, but it didn’t have the massive output in scooters, golf carts, power equipment, automobile engines, oil tankers and airplanes. Small isn’t necessarily a bad thing

FIRST LOOK! KTM’S FULL-SIZE TWO-STROKE MOTOCROSS LINE UP INCLUDES THE 125SX, 250SX & 300SX

KTM saved the two-stroke when Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki dropped them, and Yamaha chose benign neglect for the YZ125 and YZ250.

MXA’S TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: THE NAKED 2005 YAMAHA YZ250

The most advanced two-stroke motocross bike of its time was just one step in Yamaha’s drawn out two-stroke plan. It worked. The YZ250 is still in showrooms today

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY: MXA’S 250 TWO-STROKE SHOOTOUT: HUSKY, KTM & YAMAHA

The battle of the New Old Japanese Stock Versus the newest and Jazziest European concepts

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY: INSIDE SECRETS OF JODY WEISEL’S 2015 KTM 250SX

As a man who has tested motorcycles his whole life, I have a vast reservoir of worthless knowledge that can make any simple task more complicated.

MXA RETRO TEST: WE RIDE CHAD REED’S 2004 YAMAHA YZ250

In 2004 Team Yamaha invited MXA to ride Chad Reed’s Supercross-winning Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke — That was a day to remember

MXA RACE TEST: 2025 YAMAHA’S LEGACY TWO-STROKES: 2025 YZ125 & YZ250

Today, only Yamaha, the KTM Group and Beta still make competitive motocross two-strokes. Honda gave up in 2007. Suzuki quit in 2008 & Kawasaki’s final run of 250 two-strokes petered out in 2007.

WE RIDE MX-TECH’S HONDA RESTO-MOD CR125, CR250 & CR500 TWO-STROKE TIME MACHINES

MX-Tech is a small suspension manufacturer out of Bradley, Illinois, and they specialize in making their own high-end A-kit suspension for all brands of bikes—from modern to vintage…and in our cases, Honda two-strokes.

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY: 2015 MXA 250 TWO-STROKE SHOOTOUT

Husqvarna TC250 versus KTM 250SX versus Yamaha YZ250… and the winner is!

MXA VIDEO: 2025 YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE TEST

It’s not strange that the 2025 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke is considered to be too old, but, surprise of surprises, its 2006 bones are good enough to make it as good as any two-stroke on the track today

MXA RETRO TEST: TESTING THE LAST KAWASAKI TWO-STROKE

Given that Kawasaki has announced that they have plans for two-strokes in 2026, here is MXA’s test of the last Kawasaki KX250 two-stroke. It is from 2007.

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY: 2015 TM 250MX MOTOCROSS TEST

The small Italian company is the “little train that could.” TM bikes are hand-built in Pesaro, Italy. There are no robots grinding away on the cylinder.They are supra exotic

RETRO TWO-STROKE TEST: 1999 SUZUKI RM250 RACE TEST

Suzuki resurrected itself from the ashes of the rather mediocre 1998 engine in 1999. The ‘99 powerband was a KX250 clone

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: THE 2004 CR250 WE BUILT TO KILL THE FOUR-STROKE

A scary fast bike that only the gifted could ride. But was it enough to beat out the four-strokes?

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: THE KTM 250SX THAT RAN LIKE A 125

What was wrong with the 2000 KTM 250SX engine? Just about everything

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY! 2015 MXA 250 TWO-STROKE SHOOTOUT

If the powers-that-be allowed two- and four-strokes to compete at equal displacements in the Pro ranks—it would be a two-stroke world again.

TRUE STORY OF RICKY CARMICHAEL’S 2005 SUZUKI RM250 TWO-STROKE

RC, DeCoster & Goose tell all about the bike that everyone who was anyone in 2005 remembers

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: MYSTERIES OF 2005 KTM 250SX SOLVED

“The worst business decision that KTM ever made was to buy the Dutch-based WP suspension company”

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: WORLD’S FIRST CUSTOM-BUILT FREESTYLE BIKE

Do you remember the Aloop XMX Freestyle bike?

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY! 2004 HONDA CR250 VERSUS YAMAHA YZ250

Time has a way of blurring the rear-view vision of motocross fans. What’s better a 2004 Honda or 2004 Yamaha? We not surprised that you don’t know the correct answer

20 YEARS AGO TODAY! UNEARTHING THE EPIC 2004 250 TWO-STROKE SHOOTOUT

You may have owned one of these in your youth because the 2004 CR250, KX250, YZ250, 250SX & RM250 were in their glory 20 years ago

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY ABOUT THE 2000 YAMAHA YZ250

The 2000 Yamaha YZ250 was a seamless blend of usability, thoughful choices and maybe, just maybe, a few key components borrowed from their competition

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: THE 2004 CR250 BUILT TO KILL 450 FOUR-STROKES

A scary fast bike that only the gifted could ride. But was it enough to beat out the four-strokes?

TWO-STROKES BONANZA! KX112, YZ250 & KX315 TWO-STROKE CHRONICLES

Three uniquely different two-stroke for uniquely different riders— a full-race Kawasaki KX112 for a future star, a well thought out Yamaha YZ250 & a full-on, one-off Kawasaki KX315 big bore

MXA RACE TEST: THE REAL TEST OF THE 2024 KTM 250/300SX TWO-STROKES

The 250SX has a 66.4mm bore with a 72mm stroke, while the 300SX shares the same bottom end, but its bore and stroke measures at 72mm x 72mm. The bigger bore adds up to an extra 43cc to make the 300SX a 293cc.

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY! MXA’S 2014 YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE TEST

Two-strokes are not approved by the powers-that-be at the AMA, MXsports, FIM, BLM or EPA—which wins us over instantly

FIRST LOOK! 2025 YAMAHA MOTOCROSS MODELS FROM 65 TO 450

What’s new? Updated rear linkage, new fork and shock settings, a lighter spring rate on rear shock and new delta-shaped piston shims in the fork and revised engine mounts

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY! PULLING BACK THE BLUE CURTAIN OF JODY’S PERSONAL 2014 YZ250

Why would an MXA test rider want a 2014 Yamaha YZ250 when he could just race MXA’s 2024 YZ250? Read on

FIRST LOOK! 2025 GASGAS TWO-STROKE & FOUR-STROKE MODELS

GasGas adds two new two-strokes to the lineup while the other five returning motocross models receive a facelift

BIKES YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE: THE 2000 ALOOP XMX 250 FREESTYLE

A special kit designed in 2000 to transform a CR250 motocross bike into a freestyle bike. First step, buy a hacksaw

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: THE BEST & WORST TRAITS OF THE 2007 HONDA CR250

The 2007 Honda was a victim of its own two-stroke success, the Honda engineers thought they were infallible. The 2007 CR250 prove them wrong

MXA BUYER’S GUIDE TO THE WIDE WORLD OF 2024 FOUR-STROKES

With the 2025 models just peeking over the horizon, it’s a good chance to catch up on the bikes that are still on the showroom floors—the 2024 250, 350 & 450 four-strokes

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY!: 2014 HUSQVARNA TC250 TWO-STROKE

It’s not the source material, but what you do with it and guess what? Ten years ago two-stroke work a lot better than ten year old four-strokes

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: FIRST YEAR OF THE ALUMINUM YZ250 FRAME

Yamaha spent millions of dollars on the development of the most advanced two-stroke motocross bike in motocross history at the exact moment when two-stroke sales hit the dumpster

20 YEARS AGO TODAY! WE RIDE TRAVIS PASTRANA’S 2003 FACTORY SUZUKI RM250

Team Suzuki’s 2003 RM250 was one of the best race bike we ever rode‚ without a doubt. How can we make such a bold statement? It was true!

2024 YAMAHA YZ125X VS. YZ250X: WHICH OFF-ROAD YZ-X TWO-STROKE IS BEST FOR YOU?

Yamaha offers two four-stroke cross-country models & two two-stroke models. MXA breaks down the differences between the 2024 YZ250X and YZ125X

MXA VIDEO: 2024 YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE TEST

Our tune has changed… Thank you, Yamaha

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY! MXA’S COMPLETE 2014 KTM 250SX TWO-STROKE TEST

The King of 250 Two-Strokes had no rivals for the throne in 2014

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: 2004 HONDA CR250 VERSUS YAMAHA YZ250

No offense to Kawasaki, Suzuki and KTM, but their combined motocross bike sales didn’t equal one-half of the numbers put up by Yamaha and Honda in 2004

Ride Engineering Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke

MXA VIDEO: WE TEST RIDE ENGINEERING’S PROJECT YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE

This Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke was purpose-built to be crisp, clean, light and fun. It has Ride Engineering triple clamps, linkage and brakes, Twisted Development engine and carb mods, Enzo suspension and more

IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR! THE WRECKING CREW’S FAVORITE YAMAHA TWO-STROKE PROJECT BIKES

There is no time limit on the love between a man and his first two-stroke—and when a two-stroke has been in production since 1974, like the YZ125/YZ250, it has a devoted congregation hoping to pay homage to the past with their own Yamaha project bikes

WE RIDE A PROJECT 2003 SUZUKI RM250 TWO-STROKE

A project bike that harks back to the glory days of Travis Pastrana, Ricky Carmichael and the Suzuki RM250

WE RIDE A HOT-ROD YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE

The Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke is a timeless testament to, “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”

MXA RETRO TEST: TIM FERRY’S “UNFACTORY” 2000 YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE

Tim Ferry and Jeremy McGrath may have been on the same Mazda/Chaparral Yamaha team, but they didn’t get the same bike

MXA RETRO TEST: COMPLETE TEST OF THE 2001 KTM 250SX

Let’s go back 23 years and see what the 2001 KTM 250SX two-stroke was like—the great, the good, the bad and the awful

MXA RETRO TEST: NOT YET READY FOR PRIME TIME 2000 KTM 250SX

We don’t think the new 2001 engine was motocross ready. If the 2000 KTM 250SX came with the 1999 engine and right-side-up forks, it would have been a runaway hit

TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: WHAT A 2024 SUZUKI RM250 WOULD LOOK LIKE

If Suzuki never stopped making two-strokes, they would have a bike that would be in demand in today’s marketplace

WE RIDE LUC SANTOS’ FACTORY MX VACATIONS FC250

Luc realized he wasn’t going to have a career racing Supercross , so he took a hard look at his skills and found a way to make a living utilizing his talents while staying heavily involved in the industry he loves

MXA RETRO TEST: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2006 KX250

To drop a 250 two-stroke from the product line is a much bigger hurdle for the marketing men to jump than a dropping A 125

RESTO-MOD OF THE WORST KAWASAKI IN HISTORY? THE 2006 KX250

You can throw lots of money at a bad bike and maybe, just maybe, make it better—or you can just start with a better bike and save money and time

FIRST LOOK! 2024 KAWASAKI KX250, KX112, KX85 & KX65 MODELS

The 2024 Kawasaki KX250 is available now for $8799

MXA VIDEO: WE TEST THE FUEL-INJECTED 2023 KTM 300SX TWO-STROKE

The 300SX is made for riders who want a two-stroke with the lug-ability of a 450 four-stroke

WISECO’S BEAUTIFUL YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE PROJECT BUILD

A clean looking, well-prep, 2023 YZ250 two-stroke, that doesn’t have any crazy mods, just stuff that can be set-up to be better than what comes stock.

MXA RACE TEST: THE REAL TEST OF THE 2023 HUSQVARNA TC250 TWO-STROKE

This is just the start of a whole new era of two-stroke technological leaps, but we’re not sure that we are fully onboard with the weight gain and locked ECUs

MXA RACE TEST: THE REAL TEST OF THE 2023 GASGAS MC250 TWO-STROKE

We had hoped that GasGas would be smart enough to recognize that the two-stroke faithful don’t want a more complicated, more expensive, heavier, fuel-injected smoker. Two-stroke guys aren’t the same as four-stroke motocross racers; they love their carburetors! But, this is the last carbureted GasGas MC250