GOING THROUGH HELL

GOING THROUGH HELL

Tackling the hardest dirt bike trail in Utah

ANDREW OLDAR

Off-road motorcyclists are always up for a challenge. You might even say we’re gluttons for punishment. Motocross riders endure the heat of summer to pound laps on brutally rough tracks. Off-road racers race one another through the woods and desert for hours on end. Hard enduro riders put their bodies and bikes through some of the gnarliest terrain imaginable.

We’re no different here at Cycle World. All of the above suit us right down to the hard, dusty ground. So after motocross shootouts were done and dusted last year, we began brainstorming an off-road bike comparison. At the suggestion of staff photographer Jeff Allen, we decided to hit riding areas in and around Green River, Utah. The cherry on top would be conquering the infamous Five Miles of Hell trail, which the Bureau of Land Management claims is “the most challenging single-track dirt bike trail in Utah.”

“The trail connected one gnarly section after another. ”

Challenge accepted. But you can’t invite just anyone on such a trip; participants must be adept testers as well as technically sound riders. Fortunately, I spent my childhood and teenage years competing in motorcycle trials. I called up my longtime friend Kristjan Thordarson who made a successful transition from trials competitor to hard enduro racer; he agreed to come along. The two riders rounding out the team would be 2012 Dakar Rally finisher Ned Suesse, and Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) racer, former pro Supercross and motocross technician, engine builder, team manager, and team owner Allan Brown.

The next question, of course, would be which bikes to take. A pair of two-stroke enduros from Husqvarna were more than suitable; the TE 150i and TE 300i use transfer port injection (TPI), which meant we could leave the Ratio Rite and carburetor jets at home. I had raced a Yamaha YZ250FX at the Last Dog Standing hard enduro in 2017, so we figured it could handle the ordeal. Last, but certainly not least, KTM’s 350 XC-F is renowned for its versatility for both trail and motocross track use; also of note was that its displacement falls smack dab between a 250 and 450. This would be a comparison of a pair of two-stroke enduros and two thumpers designed for cross-country racing. Which would best handle the vast variety of terrain Green River had to offer?

All of these machines are equipped with six-speed gearboxes, but in stock form were missing some exterior off-road-friendly features. An Acerbis skid plate was installed on the 350 XC-F, as it’s the only bike not so equipped in stock trim. The other three motorcycles don’t come with hand guards, so Acerbis provided three sets of its X-Ultimate hand guards for them. All that was left to do before hitting the road was mount fresh tires. We retained the stock Dunlop rubber for each, with Geomax AT81 s on the Austrian trio and Geomax MX33s on the YZ.

After 149 miles of riding in the Beehive State, extra seat time was spent in SoCal to confirm our findings. Testers on that final 35-mile ride were Brown, 30 + A class racer Casey Casper, and unofficial office wheelie king Evan Allen.

Our first day of Utah riding took place south of Green River at and around White Wash Sand Dunes. After a 12hour drive from SoCal the day prior, turning throttles to the stop on a sand track crafted by Mother Nature was just what the doctor ordered. Agile handling made carving lines on the TE 150i and TE 300i a dream, but they had their moments at speed; “An aggressive 26.5-degree head angle and tall handlebar make for quick turning but a slightly twitchy chassis,” Brown said.

Rider position was crucial on the YZ250FX in the sand, which pushed the front wheel several times and had testers sitting on the rear fender to keep the front end light. “Front wheel feel was vague, and a good front tire is probably more critical on the YZ250FX than any other bike in the comparison,” Casper said.

With a nice mix between nimbleness and solid stability, the 350 XC-F established a nice middle ground in handling between the Husqvarna enduros and YZ250FX. “The KTM’s geometry and balance gave me the confidence to be aggressive right away in the sand dunes,” Suesse said. “The front end had enough holdup to avoid knifing, but was connected to allow slides and aggressive turns.”

After we were done playing in the sand for the time being, we began on Dead Cow Wash. We took a brief break at the edge of a cliff overlooking Green River, then found out why this trail is also called The Tubes. The slick rock formation resembled a waterslide, but contrary to what we assumed, the water running through it didn’t affect traction; there was tons of it. This area provided the most technical terrain we had encountered up to that point. Low-rpm riding with lots of clutch use was in order, though we would also find higher-speed sections later in the day.

I was frankly shocked by how incredibly luggable the smaller Husky’s fuel-injected liquid-cooled two-stroke 144cc powerplant was, especially considering its lack of low-end grunt. It didn’t seem to matter how low I let the rpm fall; the bike refused to stall. I felt as though I couldn’t spin the rear wheel if I tried. A hard hit in the midrange was followed by impressive top-end power for an engine of its size. Keep in mind that it made peak figures of 30.8 hp and 1 7.6 pound-feet of torque on the Cycle World dyno.

“In terms of power delivered to the ground, the Yamaha is closer to the KTM than I would have thought.”

-NED SUESSE

Meanwhile, the YZ250FX’s fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke 250cc engine proved to be a handful as the trail became more technical. Brown made tweaks to EFI mapping using Yamaha’s free Power Tuner app, which connects to the bike wirelessly; but the program doesn’t offer enough adjustment to mellow the blue bike’s snappy throttle response and strong midrange hit to the point where it was suitable for technical terrain.

Yamaha still hasn’t fixed the starting issue, either; it takes multiple presses of the electric start button to get it to fire. “Engine-braking was most noticeable on this bike, and the intake noise is just annoying; it’s too loud and right in the rider’s face,” Casper added. The YZ powerplant goes a little flat up top, but still makes a commendable 37.9 hp and 18.3 pound-feet of torque.

Like its smaller-displacement sibling, the TE 300i’s luggability was outstanding, but its low-rpm qualities aren’t perfect. The fuel-injected liquid-cooled twostroke 293cc engine doesn’t idle well and there’s a slight lag when getting on the throttle. Mapping could be improved but there’s still plenty to like. It has just a bit more torque and controllability than expected, the counterbalancer makes it run so smooth that you can barely tell when it’s idling, and its performance range is very broad.

“I could ride this engine on a motocross track without feeling like I was giving up any power,” Brown said. “The worse the conditions get, the better this TE 300i engine shines.” Indeed, 40 hp and 25.4 pound-feet of torque make it powerful enough to get around an MX course, and much more.

Then there was the 350 XC-F, which, like the YZ250FX, had its hiccups in the tight stuff. “The motor cannot be trusted [in technical spots]; it will flame out if you aren’t holding revs and covering the clutch,” Suesse said. Some of this can be attributed to its rather tall 14/51 gearing. However, when given the chance to stretch its legs, the mid-displacement KTM comes to life and does its best work.

With an impressive rev limit of 13,400 rpm, the fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke 350cc powerplant cranked out the highest peak figures on the dyno with 50.3 hp and 26.8 pound-feet of torque. And testers loved it on average to high-speed trails. “The 350 XC-F is so forgiving and easy to ride, it’s like cheating,” Casper said. “The power just rolls on smoothly and continues pulling ’til the cows come home.”

Day two took us northwest of Green River to an area with several unnamed trails, less water, and everything from rocky single-track to whooped-out straightaways: perfect areas for suspension testing. As the softest sprung bike in the test, the TE 150i was balanced, plush, and gobbled up uneven low-speed terrain with ease. However, a faster pace was met with different results from the WP Xplor 48mm coil-spring fork and WP Xact shock. “The Husqvarna’s suspension is divey and does not stay up in the stroke,” Thordarson said. “It’s very easy to bottom and the shock has a tendency to rebound too quickly.”

“Easy to maneuver, get turned around on, and the most rideable when the going gets tough. Husqvarna’s TE 150i is such a great time!”

-CASEY CASPER

In keeping with its GNCC racing roots, the YZ250FX’s suspension had the stiffest setup, making it a handful in the tight stuff. The KYB Speed Sensitive System (SSS) 48mm coil-spring fork and KYB shock deflected in rocky areas, zapping the rider’s energy in the process. “Even for me, at 185 pounds, this stuff was stiff off-road,” Casper said. “It’s not plush, but it’s at least consistent and the most tunable in the test. These are good components looking for personalization and proper setup.”

The upside to having a suspension setting so close to the YZ250F motocrosser is that it enables the components to ride high in the stroke, making the Yamaha the most composed when hauling the mail through rough, highspeed terrain.

Sharing the same WP components as the TE 150i, albeit with firmer settings, the TE 300i’s suspension setup is still much softer than that of the four-stroke cross-country models, and is head and shoulders above them in hard, enduro like conditions. But the faster you go, the less competent it is. “You have a winner as long as you keep the speeds below 5 mph and conditions technical,” Brown said. “Once the speeds increase, the soft setting results in a lack of damping, and the bike can become a little hard to control.”

Because the WP Xact 48mm air fork and WP Xact shock on the 350 XC-F are quite a few levels softer than the YZ250FX’s KYB components, they offer much more comfort and better performance in technical situations. Although they’re not as adept in rocks and other trail like areas as the WP units on the Husqvarna TE models, the KTM’s suspenders are a nice middle ground between supersoft enduro and motocross-stiff settings. “With a good balance between comfort and performance, the 350 XC-F’s suspension is extremely versatile and adaptable; it’s almost unreal,” Casper said.

After two days of testing and 124 miles logged up to that point, we were ready for the grand finale: Five Miles of Hell. The name is a bit misleading. It’s actually 6 miles, which we were delighted to find out ahead of time. This would challenge man and machine and help us learn things about the bikes we couldn’t on the less difficult terrain encountered the two days prior. After a 2-mile ride from the vans to the trailhead, our 6 miles of difficulty began.

“What a great time to be on the TE 150i,” I thought to myself as we approached the first daunting climb. Not only was it the lightest motorcycle in the group at 218 pounds, but the luggability of the engine, plush suspension, nimble character, and a consistent hydraulic clutch with a light pull made it an ideal weapon for the unrelenting terrain. It was awesome, and gave me flashbacks to my days competing in trials, specifically on a 125. I couldn’t help but try to keep my feet up.

The trail connected one gnarly section after another. Everything in between was nonstop rocks, jagged edges, and even a few tree roots mixed in. The only breaks, if you could call them that, were the sand washes, which were deep, bone dry, and pulled the bikes in all different directions.

At the near opposite end of the spectrum of desirable bikes for this grueling trail was the YZ250FX, to the extent that Brown elected to switch from it to the TE 3OOi. As he’s a hard enduro ace, Thordarson was able to rein in the Yamaha’s unruly spirit, but it still put up a fight. The aggressive engine character and stiff suspension were magnified here. It didn’t help that this bike had the least comfortable ergonomics, a vague cable clutch that required adjustment as it grew hot, and the least powerful brakes. And did we mention it’s the heaviest in the comparison at 233 pounds?

It was the TE 300i’s time to shine. There’s a reason why it’s the weapon of choice for so many hard enduro riders. While it’s one of the heavier bikes in the test at 232 pounds, it feels like a lightweight and is easy to maneuver. Advanced-level riders can pivot-turn it like a bicycle. Aside from a relatively tall handlebar bend, ergonomics are agreeable. Braktec binders are shared components with the TE 150i, and while they’re not quite as strong as the Brembo components on the KTM, this is not a huge disadvantage seeing as how enduros are intended to be ridden at lower speeds. Braktec also supplies the hydraulic clutch for the Husqvarna TE models, which offers a light, consistent pull. What a machine.

How would the other four-stroke cross-country model fare on the treacherous trail? Lots of clutch work was required on the KTM, but its Brembo unit was precise and didn’t fade. Aside from its propensity to flame out occasionally at crawling speed, low-rpm torque was abundant. Although there’s a little more engine-braking than we’d like, it definitely has less than the Yamaha. With more hours on the suspension, the components had broken in and it felt noticeably plusher. It still had a tendency to occasionally bounce the rider off-line, though not nearly as much as the YZ250FX did.

At 224 pounds, the 350 XC-F isn’t the lightest, but is the closest to the TE 150i in terms of physical weight. In slow-going areas, weight feel is average, but this decreases as the pace increases. As Casper said, “It turns amazing and is comfortable between the legs. One can almost guide it around like a downhill skier.” Having the narrowest bodywork, most neutral rider triangle, and comfiest and grippiest seat give it the best ergonomics as well. The 350 XC-F isn’t designed for hard enduro, but holds its own in that type of riding better than most offroad competition models.

We signed our names in the finisher’s logbook at the end of the trail, then made our way back to the vans on 13 miles of two-track road. Fist bumps, water, snacks, and bench racing were the order of the afternoon. We had just conquered the most difficult dirt bike trail in Utah, and got through it all with bikes and bodies mostly unscathed. So how did these bikes rank on Five Miles of Hell? And on the three-day comparison as a whole?

2022

HUSQVARNA

TE 150I

Type

Displacement

Bore x Stroke

Compression Ratio

Valve Train

Induction

Clutch

Final Drive

Front Suspension

Rear Suspension

Front Tire

Rear Tire

Rake / Trail

Wheelbase

Seat Height

Fuel Capacity

Dry Weight

Horsepower

Torque

Price

LIQUID-COOLED

SINGLE-CYLINDER

144CC

58.0 X 54.5MM N/A

N/A

39MM DELL'ORTO THROTTLE BODY

WET, MULTIPLATE; HYDRAULIC ACTUATION

6-SPEED/CHAIN

WP XPLOR 48MM INVERTED FORK, COMPRESSION AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 11.8 IN.

TRAVEL

WP XACT SHOCK, SPRING PRELOAD, HIGH-/

LOW-SPEED COMPRESSION DAMPING, AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 11.8 IN.

TRAVEL

DUNLOP GEOMAX AT81;

80/100-21

DUNLOP GEOMAX AT81;

110/100-18

26.574.8IN.

58.5IN.

37.3IN.

2.25GAL.

218 LB.

30.8 HP @ 9,200 RPM

17.6 LB.-FT. @ 9,400 RPM $9,599

2022

HUSQVARNA

TE 300I

LIQUID-COOLED

SINGLE-CYLINDER

293CC

72.0 X 72.0MM N/A

N/A

39MM DELL'ORTO THROTTLE BODY

WET, MULTIPLATE; HYDRAULIC ACTUATION

6-SPEED/CHAIN

WP XPLOR 48MM INVERTED FORK, COMPRESSION AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 11.8 IN.

TRAVEL

WP XACT SHOCK, SPRING PRELOAD, HIGH-/

LOW-SPEED COMPRESSION DAMPING, AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 11.8 IN.

TRAVEL

DUNLOP GEOMAX AT81;

80/100-21

DUNLOP GEOMAX AT81;

110/100-18

26.574.8IN.

58.5IN.

37.4IN.

2.25GAL.

232 LB.

40.0 HP @ 8,600 RPM

25.4 LB.-FT. @ 6,800 RPM $10,999

2022

KTM

350 XC-F

LIQUID-COOLED

SINGLE-CYLINDER

350CC

88.0 X 57.5MM 14.2:1

DOHC, 4 VALVES/ CYLINDER

44MM KEIHIN THROTTLE BODY

WET, MULTIPLATE; HYDRAULIC ACTUATION

6-SPEED/CHAIN

WP XACT 48MM INVERTED FORK, AIR PRESSURE, COMPRESSION AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 12.2 IN. TRAVEL

WP XACT SHOCK, SPRING PRELOAD, HIGH-/LOW-SPEED COMPRESSION DAMPING, AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 11.8 IN. TRAVEL

DUNLOP GEOMAX AT81; 90/90-21

DUNLOP GEOMAX AT81; 110/100-18

26.174.8IN.

58.5IN.

37.4IN.

2.25GAL.

224 LB.

50.3 HP @ 12,000 RPM

26.8 LB.-FT. @ 8,600 RPM $11,199

2022

YAMAHA

YZ250FX

LIQUID-COOLED

SINGLE-CYLINDER

250CC

77.0 X 53.6MM 13.8:1

DOHC, 4 VALVES/ CYLINDER

44MM MIKUNI THROTTLE BODY

WET, MULTIPLATE; CABLE ACTUATION

6-SPEED/CHAIN

KYB SPEED SENSITIVE SYSTEM (SSS) 48MM FORK, COMPRESSION AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 12.2 IN. TRAVEL

KYB SHOCK, SPRING PRELOAD, HIGH-/LOW-SPEED COMPRESSION DAMPING, AND REBOUND DAMPING ADJUSTABLE; 12.5 IN. TRAVEL

DUNLOP GEOMAX MX33; 80/100-21

DUNLOP GEOMAX MX33; 110/100-18

27.274.6 IN.

58.3 IN.

37.7 IN.

2.2 GAL.

233 LB.

37.9 HP @ 12,100 RPM 18.3 LB.-FT. @ 8,800 RPM $8,799

“If someone wanted to try a variety of dirt bike riding but could only get one motorcycle, the KTM 350 XC~F is a good answer. ”

-KRISTJAN THORDARSON

The best bike for technical riding is undoubtedly the TE 3OOi. The more difficult the terrain, the more Husqvarna’s flagship two-stroke enduro shines. It can go anywhere and do anything, but its high-speed capabilities are hindered by soft suspension and a chassis so willing to turn.

The TE 150i is another phenomenal option for this type of riding, but its larger-displacement sibling’s woes are shared and, in the case of the suspension setting, magnified. Less power and torque mean a more attentive throttle hand, active clutch finger, and foot on or near the shifter are required, which can be more work or more fun depending on how you look at it.

It didn’t require a microscope to see the YZ250FX’s motocross DNA; a quick ride was enough. It’s loud, stiff, and aggressive. This is a competition-focused racebike designed to tear up the woods in GNCC racing, or any other fast-paced off-road series for that matter. Like the YZ250F, it would make for an astounding motocross bike. The bLU cRU’s quarter-liter cross-country racer not only loves to go fast, it hates to go slow. Hard enduro-type riding makes it even more restless, and it takes a highly skilled rider to tame it in such conditions. The Yamaha is not the most versatile bike here, but it’s the best at speed and still survived a trip through Hell.

Consistency wins championships, and the same can be said for motorcycle comparisons. You don’t have to win every race, or category, but finishing near the top in each improves your chances of clinching the No. 1 plate or the overall test victory. The 350 XC-F can’t claim it’s the greatest in tight or wide-open settings, but it handles each just fine. With the broadest range of performance, this motorcycle can shred just about anywhere with only minor suspension adjustments.

If you could only have one bike in your garage to ride off-road, enduro, motocross, and even put your technical skills to the test every now and then on a technical trail, KTM’s 350 XC-F is the best option. It’s the do-all dirt bike.