Motocross and Off-Road Motorcycle Reviews, Tests, and Comparisons https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/reviews/motocross-off-road-motorcycle-reviews/ Motorcycle Reviews, News on Motorcycles, Specs, Test & Race Results Tue, 02 Jul 2024 01:17:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cropped-UltimateMoto_Circle-512x512-1-32x32.png Motocross and Off-Road Motorcycle Reviews, Tests, and Comparisons https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/reviews/motocross-off-road-motorcycle-reviews/ 32 32 2025 Honda CRF250R Review [National Track Test] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/07/01/2025-honda-crf250r-review-national-track-test/ Tue, 02 Jul 2024 01:17:22 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=284008 Well, here we are, folks. It’s summertime, and you know what that means. New bike season is upon us, and this is a big year for Honda motocross bike fans. For 2025, a new CRF450R and CRF250R come out simultaneously, and we also see a Works Edition for both models—the first Works Edition for the […]

The post 2025 Honda CRF250R Review [National Track Test] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> Strider 12 Sport Review [Balance Bike For Kids] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/30/strider-12-sport-review-balance-bike-for-kids/ Thu, 30 May 2024 08:01:56 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277929 When I was a kid back in the 1900s, almost everyone rode a bicycle. The bike racks at elementary and middle schools were social centers, and the preferred after-class location for fisticuffs to settle disagreements among boys. Those days are over, and schools no longer have bike racks—kids either walk or are chauffeured to school. […]

The post Strider 12 Sport Review [Balance Bike For Kids] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Kawasaki KX450 Extended Test [14 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/22/2024-kawasaki-kx450-extended-test-14-fast-facts/ Wed, 22 May 2024 23:06:17 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277772 It’s always exciting when a new generation model comes out. Of course, we all wonder how it will compare to the previous generation and how it will compete with the rest of the class. This year, Kawasaki went all in on redesigning the KX450 platform, giving it a new motor and chassis design. We also […]

The post 2024 Kawasaki KX450 Extended Test [14 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Triumph TF 250-X Review [18 Fast Facts From Gatorback] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/12/2024-triumph-tf-250-x-review-18-fast-facts-from-gatorback/ Wed, 13 Mar 2024 03:15:05 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275703 How exciting is this? We have a motocross platform coming to the market that is brand-new from the ground up. It’s not a KTM. It’s not a Yamaha. This thing is all Triumph! The pre-release chatter claiming this new bike is a reiteration of existing platforms is 100 percent false. Inside and out, the all-new […]

The post 2024 Triumph TF 250-X Review [18 Fast Facts From Gatorback] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Honda CRF110F Review [Kid Tested On the Trails] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/12/2024-honda-crf110f-review-kid-tested-on-the-trails/ Tue, 13 Feb 2024 06:32:00 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274924 There’s nothing like learning to ride a motorcycle as a kid, and the 2024 Honda CRF110F is a great place to start for a young rider. Now in its 11th year, with a significant revamp in 2019, the CRF110F continues to inspire new youngsters to ride motorcycles. Plus, it’s Green Sticker legal in California—just like […]

The post 2024 Honda CRF110F Review [Kid Tested On the Trails] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Kawasaki Ridge Side x Side Review [15 Fast Facts; 40 Pics] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/02/04/2024-kawasaki-ridge-side-x-side-review-15-fast-facts-40-pics/ Sun, 04 Feb 2024 09:38:23 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274748 As John Cleese used to say between Monty Python skits, “And now for something completely different.” At the recent Kawasaki Dealer Convention in downtown Phoenix, we were testing the new 2024 Kawasaki Ninja e-1 and Z e-1 electric motorcycles. Later, when I spotted the specialist press driving the new 2024 Kawasaki Ridge side-x-side four-wheelers at […]

The post 2024 Kawasaki Ridge Side x Side Review [15 Fast Facts; 40 Pics] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Beta 250 RR Review [14 Fast Facts From the Trail] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/01/15/2024-beta-250-rr-review-14-fast-facts-from-the-trail/ Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:27:51 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=274038 In the world of high-performance two-stroke trail bikes, the 300s have ruled the roost for a while—and with good reason. Two-stroke 300s offer abundant torque in manageable dollops, making them easy to ride anywhere you want to take them. The advent of electric starting makes the 300s even more appealing. For those who don’t prefer […]

The post 2024 Beta 250 RR Review [14 Fast Facts From the Trail] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Honda CRF250F vs. Kawasaki KLX230R S Comparison Test https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/31/2023-honda-crf250f-vs-kawasaki-klx230r-s-comparison/ Sun, 31 Dec 2023 09:17:07 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273596 When we were formulating this 2023 shootout of fuel-injected quarter-liter four-stroke trailbikes, the immediate pairing was the Honda CRF250F and the Kawasaki KLX230R. However, a closer examination of the spec sheets revealed that the low-seat KLX230R S is a closer match to the CRF250F, so that’s what we have here. The first thing we can […]

The post 2023 Honda CRF250F vs. Kawasaki KLX230R S Comparison Test appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Kawasaki Elektrode Review [A Dozen Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/30/2024-kawasaki-elektrode-review-a-dozen-fast-facts/ Sat, 30 Dec 2023 09:16:32 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273563 In a world dominated by rebranded Stacyc electric balance bikes, the 2024 Kawasaki Elektrode offers an alternative for youngsters wanting to get started on powered two-wheelers. The 2024 Kawasaki Elektrode is a battery-powered balance bike for kids 37 to 55 inches tall and 3 to 8 years old. Ultimate Motorcycling drafted my son Henry to […]

The post 2024 Kawasaki Elektrode Review [A Dozen Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Kawasaki KX450 First Ride Review: Glen Helen Tested https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/11/18/2024-kawasaki-kx450-first-ride-review-glen-helen-tested/ Sun, 19 Nov 2023 06:29:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=271857 This new model year marks an all-new generation of the KX450 motocross bike, as the 2024 Kawasaki KX450 has been redesigned from top to bottom. The new KX450 also boasts the latest technology—selectable engine maps, traction control, launch control, a smartphone app-based engine tuning—plus an updated frame, new top-end for the motor, updated Showa suspension, […]

The post 2024 Kawasaki KX450 First Ride Review: Glen Helen Tested appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 Suzuki RM-Z250 First Ride Review [Pro Circuit Equipped] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/09/30/2024-suzuki-rm-z250-first-ride-review-pro-circuit-equipped/ Sat, 30 Sep 2023 07:44:12 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270186 The media convened at Southern California’s world-renowned Fox Raceway for the Suzuki RM-Z Media Ride Day for our first ride aboard the 2024 RM-Z250. You are probably wondering what is new this year, right? Well, (almost) nothing—the RM-Z250 platform remains the same. The model year 2024 marks another unchanged continuance of Suzuki’s RM-Z platform. The […]

The post 2024 Suzuki RM-Z250 First Ride Review [Pro Circuit Equipped] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> GasGas Spice It Up Festival – Two Days of Riding and Rockin’ https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/17/gasgas-spice-it-up-festival-two-days-of-riding-and-rockin/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:23:45 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269008 GasGas turned up the heat with the first-ever Spice It Up Festival to reveal an all-new generation of motocross, enduro, and cross-country motorcycles. Over 60 motorcycle journalists and influencers from around the globe arrived in Città di Castello, Italy, for the official launch of the 2024 GasGas off-road motorcycle product line, and it was an […]

The post GasGas Spice It Up Festival – Two Days of Riding and Rockin’ appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 KTM XC-W Lineup Test [300, 250, and 150 Reviewed] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/07/21/2024-ktm-xc-w-lineup-test-300-250-and-150-reviewed/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 09:04:10 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=268299 After getting my foot in the dirt bike door with my early-1960s Honda C100 (aka the Super Cub 50) beater that featured a knobby rear tire and a hard-as-rock ribbed front tire, the larger world of off-road motorcycles opened up to me. All of a sudden, I noticed that there was a Husqvarna and Penton […]

The post 2024 KTM XC-W Lineup Test [300, 250, and 150 Reviewed] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Honda CRF250R Review [Long-Term MX Tested] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/06/10/2023-honda-crf250r-review-long-term-mx-tested/ Sat, 10 Jun 2023 08:15:26 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=266972 The 2023 Honda CRF250R is a continuation of the company’s latest-generation motocross bike introduced in 2022. With an all-new motor and chassis package, this generation of the CRF250Rs shares its frame with the CRF450R, which is said to add rigidity. Along with suspension updates of the new CRF250R era, we have a lot to focus […]

The post 2023 Honda CRF250R Review [Long-Term MX Tested] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2024 KTM 450 XCF-W Review [15 Fast Facts; GNCC Tested] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/06/05/2024-ktm-450-xcf-w-review-15-fast-facts/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 22:03:02 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=266685 The 2024 KTM 450 XCF-W features an all-new chassis and electronics updates, and it is now the lone four-stroke in the enduro-friendly headlighted off-road lineup. We provided an exhaustive rundown about what’s new on the latest 450 XCF-W, so we won’t be repeating ourselves in this test. Instead, we took it to Millfield, Ohio, to […]

The post 2024 KTM 450 XCF-W Review [15 Fast Facts; GNCC Tested] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Beta Xtrainer Review (18 Fast Facts From The Trails) https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/03/28/2023-beta-xtrainer-review-18-fast-facts-from-the-trails/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:21:45 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=265013 Introduced eight years ago, the Beta Xtrainer has always been the red-headed stepchild of the boutique Italian brand’s dirt bike lineup. Designed as something between a trials bike and an enduro bike, featuring a more compact frame and lower seat height, the Xtrainer never lived up to its potential as a novice-friendly trail bike capable […]

The post 2023 Beta Xtrainer Review (18 Fast Facts From The Trails) appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Beta 300 RR Review [Single-Track to Desert Test] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/03/11/2023-beta-300-rr-review-single-track-to-desert-test/ Sat, 11 Mar 2023 10:07:37 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=264576 If there’s ever been a cheater motor for trail riding, it’s a modern 300-class two-stroke. Rather than being rip snorting beasts, they are torque monsters that make it easy to ride anywhere at a wide variety of speeds. Updates are few for the 2023 Beta 300 RR, limited to new fork internals and narrower radiator […]

The post 2023 Beta 300 RR Review [Single-Track to Desert Test] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition YZ450F Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/02/10/2023-monster-energy-yamaha-racing-edition-yz450f-review/ Sat, 11 Feb 2023 06:39:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=263809 Without an initial deep dive into the technical specs of the all-new 2023 Yamaha YZ450F, I walked up to the bike for the first time with great anticipation and excitement to see what this new platform has to offer. We met Yamaha at Glen Helen Raceway, and they surprised us with the very sharp-looking 2023 […]

The post 2023 Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition YZ450F Review appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Kawasaki KX250X Review [16 Trail-Tested Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/01/23/2023-kawasaki-kx250x-review-16-trail-tested-fast-facts/ Tue, 24 Jan 2023 06:37:03 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=263466 Yes, we know the Kawasaki KX250X is designed to be a cross-country racer. However, we do what many demanding trail riders do—buy a high-performance dirt bike and go riding for the pure fun of it. So, we loaded up the updated 2023 Kawasaki KX250X—read our coverage of the improvements here—and rode it on everything from […]

The post 2023 Kawasaki KX250X Review [16 Trail-Tested Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 GasGas MC 250F Review [Red Bull A Day In The Dirt Tested] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/12/30/2023-gasgas-mc-250f-review-red-bull-a-day-in-the-dirt-tested/ Fri, 30 Dec 2022 10:11:25 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=262796 To sum up the 2023 GasGas MC 250F in two words, I would say “fun bike.” Of course, all dirt bikes are fun to ride—no doubt. That’s why we do what we do. But what makes me call the MC 250F the “fun bike” is that this 250 machine is so comfortable and offers such […]

The post 2023 GasGas MC 250F Review [Red Bull A Day In The Dirt Tested] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2022 Beta 200 RR Review [Off-Road Motorcycle Test] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/12/10/2022-beta-200-rr-review-off-road-motorcycle-test/ Sun, 11 Dec 2022 02:56:05 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=262366 I guess I’m a tweener, and that makes it hard for me to settle on the kind of dirt bike I think works best for me. I enjoy the power of DOHC 250cc four-strokes, yet milder 250 and 300 four-stroke trail bikes are so much fun to ride hard. However, in both cases, the four-strokes […]

The post 2022 Beta 200 RR Review [Off-Road Motorcycle Test] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 GasGas MC Factory Edition Lineup First Look [13 Fast Facts] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/12/01/2023-gasgas-mc-factory-edition-lineup-first-look-13-fast-facts/ Fri, 02 Dec 2022 07:51:59 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=262212 Fans of the GasGas brand will soon be able to get Factory Editions of the 2023 GasGas MC 450F and MC 250F motocross bikes. There is an impressive list of high-end goodies on the Factory Editions, so let’s roll up to the gate and let it drop. The frame is all-new. The main frame is […]

The post 2023 GasGas MC Factory Edition Lineup First Look [13 Fast Facts] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2022 Yamaha TT-R50E Review [Youth Off-Road Motorcycle Test] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/11/30/2022-yamaha-tt-r50e-review-youth-off-road-motorcycle-test/ Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:26:34 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=262170 There is nothing like a youngster’s first motorcycle. Although youth motorcycles don’t get much in the way of development, and that’s because they don’t need it. Although the demands for experienced riders evolve, beginners remain beginners. The 2022 Yamaha TT-R50E is pretty much the same motorcycle it was when introduced 16 years ago, yet it […]

The post 2022 Yamaha TT-R50E Review [Youth Off-Road Motorcycle Test] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Suzuki RM-Z450 and RM-Z250 Ride Day Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/11/17/2023-suzuki-rm-z450-and-rm-z250-ride-day-review/ Thu, 17 Nov 2022 22:25:36 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=261753 As the Suzuki RM-Z250 and RM-Z450 remain unchanged for 2023, we wanted to rediscover the suspension and power characteristics of the RM-Zs and how they serve different rider styles. We gathered to test the 2023 RM-Z250 and RM-Z450 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino. Easily one of the roughest tracks in Southern California, Glen […]

The post 2023 Suzuki RM-Z450 and RM-Z250 Ride Day Review appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]> 2023 Kawasaki KX250 Review [20 Fast Facts From the MX Track] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/09/14/2023-kawasaki-kx250-review-20-fast-facts-from-the-mx-track/ Thu, 15 Sep 2022 01:31:55 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=253401 Hot on the heels of Jo Shimoda’s run of moto wins and podium in the 250MX class at this year’s AMA Nationals on a Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX250 comes the 2023 Kawasaki KX250. We ripped some hot laps at historic Perris Raceway in California’s broiling Island Empire to check out the latest version of this […]

The post 2023 Kawasaki KX250 Review [20 Fast Facts From the MX Track] appeared first on Ultimate Motorcycling.

]]>