BrakingWhen it comes to stopping, Honda has been a clear leader for more than a decade. Its approach results in brakes that are both powerful and effortlessly controllable, so those stoppers earned top marks here. The KTM has arguably more-powerful brakes than the Honda, but some riders find them too sudden. The KTM's front brake rotor is the same size as aftermarket oversize rotors for the Japanese models. The Yamaha's brakes are marginally less powerful than the Honda's, but they have excellent feel and aren't prone to lockup, so they ended up rating the same as the KTM's. This also happened with the KX and RM. Their brakes are not prone to lockup and have good power, but they require a bit more effort at the lever/pedal to generate the same stopping power as with the other bikes.Fit, Finish and Standard EquipmentThis category is somewhat subjective, and the overall quality and reliability of all the bikes is up from a few years back. Actually, the Honda is as good as ever, but the other brands have stepped up the quality of their fasteners and the fit of various parts. We feel that is particularly true of the RM and the KX. None of the bikes has a chain that lasts. The KTMs usually do, but our test bike's chain kinked up after only a couple of days of use.In addition to having that stout aluminum frame, the CR has a very comfortable seat, a Renthal bar, Dunlop tires and bodywork that stays looking fresh despite hard use. Accordingly, it rates highly here. The KTM comes with Bridgestone tires, Excel rims, a plated pipe, the oversize front brake rotor, a powdercoated frame, handlebar- and offset-adjustable billet triple clamps, an oversize aluminum handlebar and a hydraulic clutch. It came in a strong second and was probably removed from first place by only a chain and a seat. The Yamaha has looked used fairly early when the frame was painted, but now, with the aluminum frame, the bike appears and feels lighter and stays looking new longer. All the hardware is good, and the bike keeps its tight and new feel.At the end of the test the RM felt solid and looked good. It comes with an aluminum bar, not a Renthal as with the CR and YZ. Our crew rated it a hair behind the YZ. The Kawasaki felt very tight and strong at the end of our comparison, but the gray frame and pipe looked dull from roost at Competitive Edge; however, the main reason it rated down was the fact that it was the only bike to come with a steel bar.What Up?Sometimes we feel that life's oldest and most pervasive question is: Which bike should I buy? After this shootout, more than ever the answer to that question depends on other questions you need to ask yourself. What type of power and handling do you like? How important is a roomy riding position? Would you prefer a more-compact bike? Trust us on this one, the traits you want and, perhaps more important, need are here. If this were a race, the KX and the YZ would require a photo finish to determine the winner. The undeniable trend was that our crew leaned toward both bikes. Six of eight riders rated the YZ and the KX either first or second. One rider rated the YZ third, and another ranked the KX third. The RM was the only other bike to earn a first-place vote, and the KTM was the only other bike with second-place votes.So the winner by a nose is the 2005 Kawasaki KX250, and what a step up that is for just one year! It truly is a great bike, as its ranking of never lower than third place shows. But the Yamaha is also a great bike, and one with a near-identical score and an appeal just as universal. Honestly, choose between the KX and the YZ based on a good dealer or a good deal, or simply sit on one to see where you are comfortable. Some riders admitted their choice between bikes came down to seat foam or handlebar bend. The RM finished a solid third, a victim of its polarizing effect. It garnered one first-place vote and one for last. We can tell from the riders in the moto-testing that a test crew with more pros might have rated the RM slightly higher. As it is, the RM, KTM and CR are in something of a pack. They are all unique, but their individual strengths and weaknesses add up to roughly the same ranking—much as Lewis and Sean Finley ranked them! The KTM suffers from a greater case of love/hate than the RM. It really doesn't do well when riders switch right from Japanese bikes with which they are familiar to the KTM. Tall and heavy riders tended to rate the bike higher. It isn't a case of no performance: The KTM rocked in our lap-time testing and was a star in front of the radar gun.As we mentioned, at least two riders from the moto-testing ranked the CR as their favorite. Both are normally Honda riders, so they felt at home on the bike and appreciated the newfound engine performance.You can thank competition—in this class and from four-strokes—for the great suspension and handling on all five machines. You really can't lose with any of them. Riders who want a two-stroke were even more convinced after this test, and some four-stroke riders will consider a two-stroke now. Riders who stay with two-strokes or those who switch back most often point to the reduced maintenance and repair cost of two-strokes and their light weight. As for us, we'll just say that it is great to have both choices.