Four-stroke comparo: Husky TE250, Yamaha WR250F, Honda CRF250X, TM250

The 250cc dirt bike is very popular at the moment, and for good reason. The modern 250cc four-stroke engine belts out plenty of useable power, the bikes are light and easy to manoeuvre, especially where a day's ride comes down to the mud, the blood and the beer, and anyone can ride most of these things, with a little familiarisation.

The current bunch of 250 thumpers are much faster than old-style 250s like the XR and DR250, though not necessarily superior if all you want is a play bike the family can have fun on. The subjects involved in this little caper are more competition oriented than XR and DRs ever were, although some would say their advanced design comes with a penalty, like an alleged rise in maintenance costs, and what the critics would call a lack of old fashioned reliability.

Frankly, we can't comment on the last point: we don't have a modern 250cc four-stroke in the DTB shed so we wouldn't know if they're blowing titanium valves or are models of reliability.

Still, we haven't 'ranked' them from one to four, like most mags do in a shootout, because we believe that system is old fashioned in itself, and no longer applicable when all modern 250s (and 450s for that matter) are so capable. One is not head and shoulders above the rest. We don't rank for another reason; it's unfair. Any bike that finishes last in a multi-bike shootout is inevitably judged by magazine readers to be a dud and that fails to reflect the reality of the situation. It gives a false impression of what that bike is really like. We do say which bike has the best respective features though, and in our opinion have every right to make that call. If one bike is a standout for some reason our readers should know about it.

The Husky also feels wide, but on the move you don't notice this because it's slim at the front, which is where you sit while cornering.

The Yamaha and TM tie for the Slim Biscuit Award. Yamaha has made a big effort this year to slim down the WR. It succeeded, and you can feel it. The Yamaha and TM also have the flattest seat/tank profile, which means it's easy to get your weight up front on both of them. We reckon the TM pips the WR here, possibly because it's more race oriented.

Who's the most comfortable? The Honda. Soft suspension and a comfy seat make this bike the cushiest if your Sundays involve big kilometres and plenty of rocks.

Who's the raciest? The TM. This bike is dead flat along the seat and tank and in every way possible expresses its racing intentions. 

This is a good thing. With their increased performance, light weight and mild manners they attract a lot of interest, especially from those new to the sport or who aren't as fit as they used to be. These little hum-dingers can be ridden flat out all day and not physically punish you for it. So who has the toughest engine all up?

HONDA: The CRF250X has the strongest engine, and by strong we mean all the way through the rev range. This engine develops power right off idle, and plenty of it, then moves confidently into a healthy midrange. Short-shifting is the way go on the CRF though. Rev it if you want, but you'll get more out of it if you upshift early. When it comes to flat-knacker grunt, you want this baby. Problem though: the Honda's engine easily outperforms its suspension, and for fast guys the suspension needs attention.

HUSQVARNA: Husky's TE250 engine is similar to the Honda engine. Power starts a little later, but once it starts there's a seemless surge to the limiter. It's not quite as strong as the Honda's but there's a huge range of useable power and it's an easier bike to ride on tough terrain. It's a great little engine this. The more we rode it the more we liked it.

YAMAHA: The Yamaha is the revver of the pack. Bottom-end power is unimpressive but once it hits midrange it's Boogie Nights. From there to the rev limiter is a continuous flow of satisfying power. The WR donk is strong and very smooth, and once you get it humming you can pin the throttle to the stops and still get most of the power to the ground. Once you become accustomed to revving the bolts off this thing you can generate plenty of trail speed, but despite its high revving nature it's actually easy to live with.

TM: The TM comes with the reputation as the experts-only bike, and in stock trim it is. The bottom-end is soft, the midrange is huge and the top-end tapers off quickly, but in the right hands, when this bike is set up properly it's a weapon.

We had a problem with it though. DBT testers had ridden this bike before and liked it, but on this occasion it lacked more bottom-end than usual and ran roughly, as if suffering a jetting problem. After the test, Cross-Country Action informed us that a large amount of muffler packing had come adrift early in the day, causing the rough running and lack of bottom-end. We're prepared to believe the explanation because we've ridden this bike before and we know what it can do when it's in the sweetspot. Whether or not it was muffler packing that caused the engine problem, the 2005 TM250 in general is much better than the specimen we evaluated. 

HONDA: The Honda is the softest suspended, it's almost doughy. It's very comfortable over little bumps (what isn't? Well, the TM450 actually) but this thing's steering accuracy deteriorates quickly when the terrain turns snotty or slippery. The CRF fork feels unpredictable and a little scary, likes it's going to dive under you at any moment. What this fork needs is more damping all the way through the stroke. Every test rider commented on it. When it came time to push hard, no-one wanted to try it on the CRF. Paint us pink if we're wrong, but this doesn't feel like the CRF250X we rode on the new model launch last year. To its credit though, with its soft suspension and in-the-bike sitting position the Honda is the best long distance trail bike of the lot.

HUSQVARNA: The Husky confirms our first impression that this is an accomplished performer, in fact this little bike impresses the hell out of us. It looks great, it goes, it handles, and the suspension is compliant and resists bottoming. The Husky will always go where you point it. Combined with the TE's neutral handling, all that adds up to a well balanced package that inspires confidence.

YAMAHA: The Yamaha has the firmest suspension. That's not to say it's stiff, in fact we reckon the front and rear are well matched. Like the Husky, the WR has neutral handling, is easy to move around on and feels one of the lightest of the four. It's a reliable and predictable package. We're not surprised this thing is a national best seller.

TM: The TM is also on the firm side but seems plusher in the first part of the stroke than the WR. It does a good job of soaking up the small bumps and no-one complained about bottoming. It also feels very light, displays neutral handling, and is the easiest bike on which to get up the front while pushing hard through turns. 

n The Husky has the best instrumentation. Its compact digital speedo is light and unobtrusive and easy to use.

n The Honda had the worst instrumentation. It's a reject from the Dr Who special effects department. It must weigh two kilos and sticks out like a skinny dingo's donger. It can't help the handling to have all that weight on the bars.

n The Honda is the best novices' bike. The engine is strong, forgiving and doesn't need to be revved to get it working. The suspension is soft, which gives a Coupe DeVille ride, and beginners won't push it hard enough to make the handling gremlins crawl out of their holes.

n The Husky is the great all-rounder, in fact we believe this is the best bike of the four. We're surprised to be saying that, but hell, if it's true, what are we supposed to do? A novice can get on this bike and not be out of his (or her) depth, while an experienced rider can jump on and push it to the limit. The Husky will do everything demanded of it and won't frighten the crap out of you with any weird shit or temper tantrums. The power delivery is broad and flexible and supported by terrific handling. When the going gets snotty, this is the easiest bike to live with.

n The Yamaha is pitched at more experienced riders. It feels tall and slim, and with firmish suspension and a willing engine it comes across as an Experts-only proposition,. But it isn't. It's actually very easy to live with, although on the first few rides a pure novice might struggle to develop the clutch-dancing skills required to keep this engine on the boil.

n The TM is for experienced riders. With a narrow power delivery, like the Yamaha's, this engine needs constant attention to keep it spinning. On the other hand, the neutral suspension is compliant but never bottoms, and you can trust the brilliant Ohlins setup to get you through any situation. The harder you push this bike the more rewarding it becomes. They should put this suspension on the TM450FSE … And the Honda.