Enduro21 takes a deep dive into Josep Garcia’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250 EXC-F, an in-depth look at the details behind the fastest enduro bike on the planet with the men who know it best of all, the EnduroGP World Champion and his mechanic Ivan Pueyo.

Josep Garcia and Ivan Pueyo are a formidable team inside the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Enduro squad. Working together since 2018, they’ve been honing their skills and understanding of each other and the sport of enduro, to the point now where they stand on top of the world with an EnduroGP and ISDE record no-one can match.

Since 2023 their weapon of choice has been the KTM 250 EXC-F a bike after 10 years under KTM’s wing which Garcia describes “the bike I’ve had the most fun with”

Josep’s 250F, which arrives from the KTM factory in Austria via his Farioli race team in Bergamo, is something else when you compare it to other 250 four-strokes in EnduroGP – at least that’s what every other rider on one will tell you!

This 250F flies in the face of every rider who thinks they need more power, but then it flies in the face of everything full stop. It is a rocket and audibly different to other factory bikes in EnduroGP.

Too much for the FIM noise meter

How can we say that? The simple things like spotting Josep carrying one gear for longer in a special test, the way he can launch it at obstacles (noticeable in the recent SuperEnduro debut where Josep seemed able to make his bike fly the same as Billy Bolt’s 350 or Jonny Walker’s 450 Triumph).

Maybe the biggest tell-tale was the FIM needing to upgrade their noise meter because it revved too high for the equipment. They had to get another, the same spec as they use in MXGP.

So what are the details behind this remarkable machine? Enduro21 takes a deep dive into the factory Red Bull KTM 250 EXC-F with the man, Josep Garcia, and his mechanic, Ivan Pueyo, to understand more about the evolution and development, his personal set-up details and try to unearth what’s so special about this orange rocket.

Josep, what makes your 250 EXC-F such a special bike?

Josep Garcia: “Well, honestly, I don’t know, I don’t know… (laughs) In the end, it’s a 250 four-stroke, as people know, the engine has a strong motocross base but it is full factory. It revs very high. And in terms of the chassis, well, we have a chassis that we’ve worked on for many years; it’s the one I’ve felt most comfortable on, and that’s about it.

“The rest is more about personal preferences or riding style, my brake setting, my bar position and what a rider feels most comfortable with.

“I think I’ve found a bike, in terms of its chassis, settings, and overall performance, whose compromises are very well suited to my riding style. I think that’s the key to why this bike also suits my riding style.”

Since you mention it, how do you explain your riding style?

J.G.: “Aggressive riding, always pushing the front wheel hard. I leave the rear end freer in the corners, then on the straights, obviously the position is further back on the bike, but above all, aggressive, and I always ride with my body leaned forward.”

How does your bike differ from the standard 250 EXC-F?

Iván Pueyo, mechanic: “The biggest difference between the bikes is that, being the Factory team, we can modify them to the rider’s liking. We always look out for the rider’s comfort, what they need, what they’re looking for, whether they want it to be more aggressive, whatever... In the end, like Josep said, the big difference between the bikes is being able to find modifications for both the chassis and the engine.

I raced with the KTM standard chassis

How much of the development of this bike over the last 3 or 4 years has revolved around you, and how did you adapt it to your riding style?

J.G: “We switched to the 250 in 2023, which was the new model. That year we had different chassis to test but, and this is the absolute truth, I did the whole year in 2023 with the production chassis, which was a good year. Apart from an injury, I had six EnduroGP victories, but that year I raced with the KTM standard chassis.

“Then for 2024 there was a small evolution of the chassis, and I chose the new one. We had two options [from the factory], and I chose one of the two new ones. And from then until today, I’m using the same chassis.

“The swingarm and everything else is identical to the standard version, but I’d say that’s the biggest change I’ve made since 2023. We’ve had several chassis evolutions, but I went from the standard one to the one I have now, and we’ve stayed with it.”

You were reluctant to switch from the 350 to the 250, how do you feel now?

J.G: “Honestly, I hadn’t planned on switching to the 250, but Andrea [Verona] wanted to ride the 350, and then KTM suggested I try the 250 because it really suited my style. But it wasn’t my plan.

“I tried the bike, and I liked it a lot. I knew I had to work hard on it, because it wasn’t just a change in engine size, but also a change of model. I took it as a challenge, and honestly, after 10 years as a KTM rider, I think this is the bike I’ve had the most fun with and the one I feel we’ve clicked with the most.”

Would you switch to a 350 or another engine size now?

J.G: “Well, in 2026 I’ll continue with the 250. In EnduroGP, unlike other disciplines like MotoGP or MXGP, we’re lucky that we don’t always have to be in the same engine size to fight for the overall classification. Although for 2027 I’d like to make a change. Not because I don’t like the bike, but to have a new motivation, adapt to a new bike, and keep riding for many more years.”

Bike set-up details: tell us about your personal set-up, let’s start with the footpegs...

I.P.: “It has the same ones as the stock model. He tried other types of footpegs and stuck with the stock ones.”

J.G.: “I’m always sitting forward, and it’s the way to always have much more feel for the front wheel. Basically, it’s this: the further forward you have the handlebars, the less feel you have in the corner. I think all riders generally feel that way, and especially in Enduro, you have to spend a lot of time sitting down.”

The handlebar position has always stood out; why do you do that?

J.G.: “The handlebars are stock, Renthal 999s that you can buy; there’s nothing special about them. It’s simply a slightly unusual position that I prefer, given my riding style. As I said before, I always sit very far forward on the bike. I like having a lot of feel for the front wheel, and I found this way to achieve that.”

From the outside, it looks low and set back…

J.G.: “Yes, basically the position is simply set back, and that’s what makes the handlebars look lower. But it’s not because they’re special handlebars or anything. The further forward you position the handlebars, the less feel you have in corners. I think that’s something all enduro riders agree on; we spend a lot of time riding seated, unlike motocross, where this position might be uncomfortable. For me, it’s comfortable, actually.”

Disc guards, not just for protection

I.P.: “We use Power Parts disc guards; you can buy them directly from the KTM Power Parts catalogue. The rear one is aluminium, while the front one is made of carbon fibre.”

J.G: “I use the front disc guard because it keeps the disc cleaner when it’s muddy. It also helps maintain the temperature a bit better when it’s cold, but I use it more for the mud than anything else. And the rear one is to prevent the discs from warping on rocks.”

Grips: soft, hard...?

J.G: “I use Renthal Kevlar grips. Since I started using Renthal grips many years ago, I tried these and I liked them because they’re soft. I don’t like them too small either because I have quite large hands and otherwise my palm touches them. That’s why I like them; they’re soft, and that’s basically it.”

“There’s also the billet Domino throttle housing and super-smooth throttle cables.”

Discs, calipers, brake pumps...

I.P.: “He’s using Moto-Master discs. Starting this year, he began testing the solid, filled disc in the rear and he liked it. Before, he had it with holes, and the problem was that it would fill in. With this new design, he feel it is more progressive braking. He uses the front brake a lot actually so that set-up is important and he’s using a number nine master cylinder also and the rear master cylinder is solid, has no sight glass for strength.”

“As for the gear lever, he uses a different one. Sometimes people ask why he has that end cap. Basically, it’s because it’s a lever with different splines, so it’s in a position that works better for him with his boot.”

J.G: “I like my two fingers pointing slightly downwards, not flat, and not pointing upwards. I like the clutch lever far away to have a long lever throw, and the brake lever is the opposite, I like it to be very direct, and I always keep the lever quite close. I almost always keep my finger on the lever and only take it off on the straights to accelerate.”

Sprocket and gearing: What ratio do you use?

I.P: “He’s currently using a 13-50. For years he changed it, trying 13-49, 13-50. And now, since last year, halfway through the season, he tried the 13-50 and stuck with it. It gives him much more low-end torque, he uses it a lot, and turns in third gear much faster.”

The sprockets are Sueprsprox with the steel tooth rear and the Regina chain is also said to be a “special one” for strength.

Seat like the sole of a shoe

I.P: “He uses the foam and seat cover from Selle Dalla Valle. The only unusual thing about it is that he likes it as hard as the sole of a shoe! And as soon as it gets a little wet, he asks for a new seat.

“There’s also a lower subframe for Josep’s bike. The team make this because he doesn’t have so long legs.”

Finding the perfect bike: Metzeler tyres and mousses

J.G: “We don’t have a preferred compound for the rear. Depending on the weather, if it’s raining, if there’s mud, if the terrain is perfect… It depends on the weather. If there’s a lot of mud, then very soft ones [mousses]. If the terrain is drier and harder, harder ones. It depends on the race conditions. We always use the hard tyre on the front.”

I.P: “There are two compounds on the front, hard and soft, and he always uses the hard.”

Why the hard on the front?

J.G: “It’s a tyre I like on all types of terrain; it’s very versatile. Basically because I feel comfortable with it.”

I.P: “…the tread blocks don’t flex as much, and it doesn’t get as filled in with mud when it rains.”

In terms of suspension… how is it set?

J.G: “These suspension would be soft for motocross and stiff for relaxed enduro or trail riding. You have to find a compromise. Because in enduro, you can encounter all kinds of terrain and special sections, with jumps, rocks… And now I’ve managed to find what I’d call an ideal set-up; I never touch it, not even a click, on any type of terrain.”

“It’s a bike that adapts very well to all kinds of terrain. And I think finding that has made me feel even more that it’s my bike.

“When you find a bike that you can ride in a mud race in Germany without touching a click, and then you go to Portugal where there’s dust and you don’t touch a click, you’ve found a near-perfect bike. In the end, it’s very difficult to find a perfect setup for enduro.”

The FIM’s rev limit was around 14,000rpm, we were reaching 15,000rpm

Do you change the set-up depending on the race or during the race?

J.G: “No. Not at all. We check the SAG and that’s it.”

I.P.: “Nothing changes during the year.”

Can you tell us some details about the engine, at least, what you can reveal…

I.P.: “It uses a five-speed gearbox, a type of gearbox that isn’t a motocross gearbox, they call it a cross-country gearbox, and it has motocross ignition and a motocross regulator. The flywheel is in the middle between motocross and enduro. Basically, they’re leaning more towards motocross.”

“The new exhaust header pipe curve was created that’s a bit more aggressive. But then we softened it at the ECU and rear end, it has the enduro silencer. We have a USA motocross exhaust up front, and an enduro exhaust in the rear. There’s also a special fan which he can switch on.”

We know that the FIM had to use a different noise meter because of how high the bike revs. What’s the rev limit?

I.P.: “The FIM’s rev limit was around 14,000 rpm, and we were exceeding it, reaching 15,000 rpm.”

J.G.: “We don’t know [too much] about the engine; we know it’s based on motocross, but we don’t know any more details. The truth is, we hardly know anything about factory engines.”

You just fit them from Austria and ride, that’s it…

J.G.: “We do tests and decide which engine we like best but basically they produce it in the factory ready to go, the team fits it and we ride.”

I.P.: “Yes, they use Pankl parts inside which are special and for strength.”

Is it true that they have a second fuel injector inside the air filter box?

I.P.: “Well, we have our own special system to add fuel somehow, but I cannot tell you anything otherwise I have to kill you!”

Like in American Supercross bikes?

J.G.: “Yes, there are external brands that do it; they make dual injector kits to add to stock bikes, also in Europe, our system is different.”

Ivan, tell us, are there any particular protection parts fitted?

I.P.: “We install as many protectors as possible. We protect the water hoses with a double hose… many people think it’s for temperature control. Besides the temperature coming from the engine, the double hose is also in case a log or something else hits it and it doesn’t break the hose. It’s for protection.”

“We protect everything that can be protected, whether with carbon fibre parts or plastics to protect the bike, or exposed parts, as much as possible. It has a double starter button, which years ago people always saw under the seat, but now people don’t see it as much. We have it mounted on the frame.

“We also put plastic protectors on the water pump. We use the Acerbis skid plate.”

And custom-made handguards, tuned by Iván Pueyo!

I.P.: “[Laughs] He didn’t like that the stock ones which are quite high; they blocked his field of vision a bit, so he asked us to cut them down. In the end, we found the size he liked.”

Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi + Nicki Martinez + KTM