2003 KTM 250 SX Classic Bike Review

[@scottpeters8640]

My brother had 2 of the 2004 200 SX models and they were fun. I think this eras of KTM MXers were exceptionally good looking.

[@christhomas2644]

Both the Hot Wheels and Bud Light graphics kits for MC looked so awesome in my view.

[@Lancealittle33]

I have this bike… I don’t know what everyone’s problem is. Lol maybe I’m sentimental …

[@smokedoutwolverine8208]

Same lol you just gotta have a sack to ride fast bikes

[@danw9946]

I was lucky enough to own one of Kenny Bartram’s 2003 250sx. Wish I never let it go.

[@smokedoutwolverine8208]

I have the 03 I love it and it's fast asf but I will say the suspension could be a little better but a little adjusting and it's fine I'm a ktm fan and owning a part of history is a bonus and it's neat to know this bike tammed one of the best dirtbike riders in the world.

[@ktmcrush2290]

I have a 1998 ktm 300 mxc absolute beast

[@JakeHughes-oo7gy]

Some of the best bike reviews on KZbin!

[@TheMotocrossVault]

Glad you like them!

[@jcs480able]

My buddy bought one. It was extremely strange feeling but he managed to make the thing go fast in the woods. I rode it one time and just couldn't get comfortable with the cornering. Out in the open you certainly didn't want to catch roost form it. Very fast. The no- linkage rear suspension was a godsend up in the muddy pacific northwest.

[@joshalger6059]

I had one too and strangely after always riding nothing but Japanese bikes my whole life it just worked for me and worked well particularly in the woods it was a weapon! The suspension did lack a little bit for the mx track but I even put a lot of track time on the bike! Motor was absolutely amazing. Out of all my bikes even to this day has lasted longer than any other bike motor wise. It went 5 years and that’s 5 hard years of riding absolutely all summer long and it never had a lack of power and I decided to freshen up the top end just for peace of mind. Piston and cylinder was still in good shape. None of my Japanese bikes lasted to that much riding or even half without the need for freshening up so that’s one thing I liked a lot about it

[@jcs480able]

@@joshalger6059 yeah, definitely the most amazing engine. I saw a guy on a 250SX edging out a CR500R in an Oregon dunes hill climb. Just crazy power

[@brianpatterson5058]

I raced one that year. Had a pro circuit motor they said it out out 54hp. I ran a flywheel weight and it was a holeshot machine and I won most of my faces in vet A that year. Suspension wasn’t great and the rougher the track the more I struggled with arm pump. Spent quite a bit of time trying to dial it in but it was never better than eh. It handled well for me tho after some triple clamp changes with different offset.

[@kalleankaa7536]

What offset did you use and what exactly did PC did to the motor?

[@kanesaw7456]

YEh same thing with me . graet motor, hardpack track wasnt the best bike.

[@jakobvang3032]

i have an 03 sx 250 its amazing, love the bike the trick to riding it is to not fear it a whole lot but just enough that you contain yourself and really just be comfortable with the idea of crashing

[@user-rj8xb4me1i]

I raced this bike and liked it quite a bit. Like most guys a few easy mods made it lots better than stock. The suspension was never great even after revalve work but certainly raceable I struggled more on rough tracks. Flywheel weight on a pro circuit motor it was the fastest thing on 2 wheels. Cut the subframe 10mm to lower the back 18mm offset clamps n it was good to go. Reliable

[@kalleankaa7536]

hmm doesnt make sense here. the HP was well OVER 52-55 HP stock on this thing and alot of people that had this swears by it. it was also the fastest reving bike ever that it had lighter single ringed piston and lighter crankshaft stuffings (plastic bits on the halves).

[@brianpatterson5058]

I raced 03/04/05s and had pro circuit do 2 of them. They said it put out 54hp Motocross action dyno it and said 49.9 which was 3 more than most of the other bikes.

[@craigsteinman9807]

Hey blaze..just gotta 03 250sx..i noticed the bike is extremely narrow..alot more narrow than my yz250x.. Making it difficult to grip at the seat/tank junction..do u think this the reason it doesnt handle?

[@bidenisgod6978]

I have a 02 125 love it

[@paulmryglod4802]

I raced against this bike on my 97 cr250. This bike was a rocket but my bike handled better after factory connection did my suspension.

[@jameskoskinen6763]

While not a fan of the 03 KTM SX for motocross my friend has one as a sand dune bike and it's a really good set-up for that. KTM developed rapidly from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s and experienced some inconvenient growing pains along the way...heck I'd say my 97 300 EXC was a better track machine than the much newer and twice revised 03 250SX because of the conventional forks and ohlins shock soaked up everything I encountered at the novice speeds I rode at. I'm thankful to have my modern KTM tpi two-stroke though!

[@VitaliyKhomich]

How would you compare the power of 97 300 with the TPI 300?

[@ronaldtravis970]

MC should have known better, he should have just been a brand rep like He does now with Kawasaki.

[@craigcooper7837]

Mines just fine, has like a couple grand in suspension up grades though

[@dnrg62]

On the pds shock were they using a linear or progressive spring ? Thanks

[@paulmryglod4802]

Both depends on the year

[@alankelter9416]

I liked mc, however one thing I never ever cared for was him complaining about bikes and manufacturer politics. He spouted off about bikes under Honda, Suzuki, and KTM. And I blame him for all the riders that followed that blame bikes to current. Look bottom line is any pro rider is going to at some point ride a bike that don't fit their likes where another rider may love it. Point being riders like wardy understood this and also understood he was being payed to sell bikes as much as win races. Wardy ran the best he could on what he was given and never complained to the public, often winning and sometimes a top 5 I'm sure that often was a bike issue but you never heard that from him. Personally I feel mc really screwed KTM over. Their was nothing wrong with the bike MC was having a hard time facing he was past his prime it happens to us all. I lost some respect for MC at this time because I was excited for him to run KTM and guess what I did not expect to see him win on it knowing his best at that time was top 5. And I was stoked for him to put KTM consistently in top 5 and I believe that's all KTM wanted as well. It was MC that could not face the reality at that time. I get it, it's hard to face but is just that. The "practice" races he ran showed the bike and him were very capable top 5 and their to fight in times of opportunity for a win or if someone got him fired up. Instead he did the mc insulted the bike crushed ktm and bailed on us that were prepared to continue cheering him on even past his prime. Oh well

[@D3F3ND3R86]

Isn’t that an 04? 03 in uk have different side panels

[@TheMotocrossVault]

I don’t know about the UK but in the US the 2003 250 and 450 SX got the new bodywork. All the other models kept the old rear section until 2004.

[@D3F3ND3R86]

The Motocross Vault yeah my 2003 sx125 had the old side number plates, they never changed until 04

[@maxwellbrown7294]

Pretty sure Magura made the bars back then

[@TheMotocrossVault]

According to my tests on the bike from 2003 it was a Renthal Fatbar in 2003. Maybe they used Magura other years?

[@D3F3ND3R86]

Was definitely Renthal Fatbars

[@jonruger]

I’m with MC not having a linkage made these bikes feel so weird to me I never liked them.

[@VlogEpicness]

The bike that ended MC’s career. I still have a hard time getting on the KTM band wagon because of this bike.

[@bdub5369]

I think there was alot more to it than just the bike itself, MC was way past his prime, he barely made the podium in 2002, Yamaha pulled his factory support for 03 so he had to go elsewhere, he had already stated 03 would be his last year regardless of bike or team and who is going to go to a completely new bike and factory in the tail end of their career when they are on the biggest losing streak of their entire career? KTM had a new model they were working on but it would not be able to pass the fuel regulations in time for the start of the season so they had to go with a half ass version of what they were planning to build for MC (these are all his words from a 2009 interview, not word for word but all this came from an interview with MC him self with racer x) He had clearly fallen off the pace in 02, he couldnt have been confident going into 03 regardless of the bike he would have been on, he was 30 and had not won a race in almost 2 full SX seasons. IDK why i took the time to ramble about this lol i just thought i would share some thoughts u didnt ask for, anyways ride safe!

[@eholm522]

This guy is such a goober.

[@TheMotocrossVault]

Thanks, I love Goobers peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

[@mattdurham5683]

Way over analyzing

[@TheMotocrossVault]

over analyzing is what I do...

[@michaeltrower6792]

That bike was pure junk

[@bdub5369]

I think there was alot more to it than just the bike itself, MC was way past his prime, he barely made the podium in 2002, Yamaha pulled his factory support for 03 so he had to go elsewhere, he had already stated 03 would be his last year regardless of bike or team and who is going to go to a completely new bike and factory in the tail end of their career when they are on the biggest losing streak of their entire career? KTM had a new model they were working on but it would not be able to pass the fuel regulations in time for the start of the season so they had to go with a half ass version of what they were planning to build for MC (these are all his words from a 2009 interview, not word for word but all this came from an interview with MC him self with racer x) He had clearly fallen off the pace in 02, he couldnt have been confident going into 03 regardless of the bike he would have been on, he was 30 and had not won a race in almost 2 full SX seasons. IDK why i took the time to ramble about this lol i just thought i would share some thoughts u didnt ask for, anyways ride safe!

[@Equinsu_Ocha]

Suspension was junk. Motor was a monster.

[@robinhall3725]

Over priced crap....

[@maxwellbrown7294]

ha ha

[@Equinsu_Ocha]

All dirtbikes are nowadays. 10k+ for a 450! They can keep that sht