WORLD’S COOLEST PLAYBIKE: KTM Freeride 250R Ten-time trials champ flogs the world's most fun playbike.

Coming from a trials background, I can appreciate the capabilities of a purebred competition motorcycle. But there are times when free riding I wish my trials bike wasn’t so specialized. Having a seat, for starters, would be nice. I also race AMA EnduroCross and often wish my racebike had some more trials-like characteristics for the rough stuff. With the new Freeride 250R, I feel as if KTM has designed and built the bike of my dreams. Time to take a ride into the future! This new Freeride bridges the gap between a full-size enduro and a trials bike. It has a relatively low seat height of 36 inches and a claimed dry weight of only 204 pounds, which helps make it a great playbike. Most riders will find that the compact size inspires confidence in difficult terrain. The chassis is unique. It uses a perimeter frame made of chrome-moly steel and aluminum. In front, there’s an inverted 43mm WP fork. In back, a link-less WP PDS shock. The controls and brakes are supplied by Formula and Braking, while Maxxis Trialmaxx tires are used front and rear. The torquey powerplant is a carbureted 250cc two-stroke single based loosely on a KTM 250 XC motor. It has electric start only, and there’s no power valve. In addition to being quieter, the exhaust is smaller and tucked away better. In short, the Freeride motor feels very trials-like. It makes mellow usable power early in the range then signs off quickly. It has a smaller carburetor, lower compression, and less horsepower than the 250 XC motor, but it makes great torque and will chug lower than any enduro bike without stalling. Another unique feature: The Freeride 250R has a seat and fuel-tank shroud that is hinged and pops open as one unit to access the fuel filler and air filter. The translucent plastic allows you to see the fuel level in the small, 1.8-gallon tank. The cartridge air filter requires no tools for replacement. I pushed the magic button and the Freeride 250R started quickly. The choke was a bit buried and tricky to reach on this cold-blooded engine, but as soon as the motor lit up the sound reminded me of a trials bike. The controls and general layout were comfortable, but I wasn’t crazy about the tall and narrow bars or the footpeg location. I took off and did a couple of wheelies and nose wheelies; everything worked like it should. Clutch was solid, brakes were strong and easy to control, and the motor felt lively if you didn’t rev it too much. The 250-acre ranch where we rode, which had MX and EnduroCross tracks, featured a good mix of steep technical trails and rock outcroppings. In other words, it was a great spot to test the handling of this new KTM Freeride 250R, and I immediately started searching for obstacles. When I came across some boulders, I had the chance to see if this half-breed had enough trials characteristics to be fun. Verdict? Yes! With its small, lightweight chassis and torquey trials-inspired motor, the KTM Freeride 250R was an absolute blast. The gearbox worked fine all day, as did the plush suspension, which soaked up small and medium-speed bumps like a champ. Want to rip down a trail and then play around with your rock-climbing skills? No problem. Want to explore some new areas without making a lot of noise or leaving an impact? Perfect. Just push the button and smile. Even though this KTM may be considered entry level, it is much more capable than a Yamaha TT-R125 or a Honda CRF150F. In the right hands, with a few mods, the KTM Freeride 250R could be turned into a legitimate extreme enduro bike. Out of the box, however, the Freeride is just a really fun rock-crawling playbike that beginners and experts alike can enjoy. Geoff Aaron is a 10-time AMA Trials National Champion and Red Bull athlete who finished ninth in the 2014 season standings of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross series on a KTM. He is one of the few people on earth who appears to be able to make a motorcycle levitate.

SPECIFICATIONS
	2015 KTM Freeride 250R
BASE PRICE	$7899
DRY WEIGHT	204 lb.
WHEELBASE	55.8 in.
SEAT HEIGHT	36.0 in.
FUEL CAPACITY	1.8 gal.