America Just Got Two Italian Dirt Bikes To Make KTM And Honda Sweat

The dirt bike market might not do five-digit sales numbers, but it’s still a hot market with plenty of takers in the US. As a result, we keep seeing new off-road entries each year. For MY26, Italian bikemaker Fantic wants to join the party here. The company has announced its plan to bring two new dirt bikes to America via import specialists at Central Powersports Distribution in Texas.

The XE 300 Will Spearhead Fantic’s Two-Stroke Lineup

For starting things out, Fantic is planning two enduro-type dirt bikes in the US. The first is the XE 300, which comes armed with a 292cc, single-cylinder two-stroke engine. It is developed, tested, and manufactured in Italy by Motori Minarelli in Italy. Notable features include an electronic exhaust valve, dual injectors, and liquid cooling, all of which help Fantic claim this is the most powerful mill in the segment today. The output is unreleased, though.

The mill sits in a double-cradle chassis, built out of aluminum. This is accompanied by an aluminum subframe and an aluminum swingarm. Suspension is courtesy of KYB, which supplies 48 mm USD forks and a monoshock–both fully adjustable. 21/18-inch spoke wheels complete the package while housing petal disc brakes.

Fantic XE 300 Specifications

The Four-Stroke XEF 250 Completes Fantic’s Lineup (For Now)

The second bike is the XEF 250. It has a four-stroke, 250cc engine, complete with liquid cooling, four valves, and a compression ratio of 13.8:1. Further innovation includes an inverted head and backwards sloping cylinder for mass centralization. Power is unreleased, but we do know all of it reaches the wheel via a six-speed transmission.

Like the 300, an aluminum double-cradle chassis houses the mill. It suspends on KYB suspension, including 48 mm USD forks and a monoshock, where the former has a pressurised closed-cartridge SSS (Speed Sensitive System). All this, plus the spoke wheels and an exhaust derived in collab with Arrow, helps limit the curb weight to just 233 pounds. It’s also worth noting Fantic claims the XEF to be its most successful machine with 11 titles in 3 years.

Fantic XEF 250 Specifications

The Fantic Dirt Bikes Will Reach America By June 2025

CPD claims the first batch of Fantic XEF 250 and XE 300 will reach American dealerships by the end of May or early June 2025. Pricing remains TBA for now, although we expect the bikes to sit at the premium end of the segment. There’s no shortage of rivals for either bike, some of which include:

• KTM 250 XC-W
• Honda CRF250R
• Kawasaki KX250X
• Yamaha WR250F