Triumph Motorcycles TF 250-X Is Here at Last, Can It Step Up Against the Big Players?

So far, I've ridden several sports bikes, race machines, and adventure motorcycles. Even though I worked in a showroom mainly featuring KTM, Husqvarna, and Gas Gas machines, I still needed to ride one. While managing the Junior Racing program, I saw kids riding Yamaha and Honda bikes. The 250cc motocross market is quite a competitive one. Kawasaki has the KX250 and KX250 X.

Suzuki will try to sell you an RM-Z250. Then there's Yamaha with the YZ250 series and Honda with their CRF two-wheelers. There are plenty of options at KTM, GasGas, and Husqvarna, and seeing Triumph eager to get involved is somewhat unexpected.

The British motorcycle manufacturer has finally unveiled the all-new TF 250-X, which it has been developing for about four years. We all know the brand has been the exclusive supplier of engines for the Moto2 category, and from the looks of it, business is going well. The company celebrated its 120th-anniversary last year by selling almost 84,000 units, and the new motocross endeavor is bound to help it increase that number considerably.

Triumph is marketing the new TF 250-X by mentioning it has a class-leading power-to-weight ratio and the highest specification components. Naturally, we'll have to see a direct comparison to its rivals to determine how good it is. Selling a new product requires the "blessing" of some established figures in the game, and Triumph has teamed up with Ricky Carmichael and Ivan Cervantes to build and promote the new motorcycle.

The two have previously been very successful riding bikes from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and KTM, which means they've got all the insights they need to deliver a solid contribution to new design. Naturally, Triumph is going to race the TF 250-X starting in 2024. Through its partnership with Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, two of these motorcycles will line up at the start of the MX2 class.

It's all just a preview for 2025, when the upcoming 450cc bike will race with the big boys in the MXGP class. I don't expect Triumph to win the championship in their debut year, but we all have to start somewhere, right? And I'm sure people who have had enough of the existing products on the market will be eager to try out the TF 250-X if only to get a taste of a bike that claims to be different from every other one.

There's also the idea that current Triumph owners who want an off-road motorcycle will no longer have to turn to the competition. This motorcycle's starting price is $9,995 before tax, and there's only one color combo: Triumph Racing Yellow/Black/White. You can opt for a complete Akrapovic exhaust system and plenty of other accessories if you don't mind spending some extra cash.

I'm more interested in the advanced engine management and tunability options, which operate via the MX Tune Pro app. We'll have a better view of how successful this motorcycle will be in 12 months. Until then, I hope I'll be able to test-ride it myself and provide some live feedback on how it feels in the hands of a rookie motocross rider.