Dirt Rider's bike of the year Christini All-Wheel-Drive.
With an introduction into the motorcycle business more than five years ago, Steve Christini has patiently and diligently worked on his concept, improving the weak links and learning a lot about motorcycles in the process. He was looking to have his heavily patented system gobbled up by a manufacturer, but that didn't happen. So he took already existing bikes, like Honda CRF's and KTM's, and created frame fork kits, complete with gas tanks and pushed on. We've ridden all the bikes, from test mule #1, and actually got the first "production" crf250X. We still have it and ride it weekly as part of our Long Haul testing. We got one of the first AWD-equipped KTM electric start two-strokes, right after it was broken in at EnduroCross, and we continue to ride it all over the place. Literally over anything we can point it at. It redefined what effects extra power has on an all-wheel-drive system. And we like it. We like it alot. Adding AWD to the bike, an electric-start KTM two-stroke that would've likely taken the BOTY award on it's own accord, didn't hurt our judges' feelings, either. Source: DirtRider Magazine
Two strokes took home the Runner-up Bike of the year with the KTM250-300 XC-Ws: Electric-Start Two-Strokes
Whether it's the 250 or 300, was adding something so simple to a bike, electric starting, enough to make it a bike of the year podium finisher? Well, almost. So it didn't hurt that KTM saw fit to completely dial in the off-road mount to become the serious single-track racer that it is. This bike doesn't lag behind favored motocrossers come development time, it gets equal treatment and continued upgrades to keep it ahead of a class that's truthfully almost extinct. So much so that it has the eletric-start button that just makes life simpler. It sounds like a Jet Ski and it adds some weight, but we love the KTM two-stroke off-road bikes so much more now, we never kick them anymore. "Taking overall honors at DR's Torture Test didn't hurt the electric-start two-stroke one bit.
Source: Dirt Rider Magazine.
Editors' personal awards even gave two-strokes some spotlight such as.
Best Moto Bike: KTM 250 SX
Favorite Two-Stroke: Yamaha YZ250
Saddest Farewell: Suzuki RM250
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Christini All Wheel Drive Motorcycles for ride video and magazine articles.