The newest dirt bike in the world is the 2010 KTM 450SXF. And right away on the track you can tell this is an improvement. Our introduction to the new KTM 450 was held at Perris raceway and we got some great laps in. Here's our first take on the newest orange ride.
KTM made some pretty big improvements for 2010. That should make other manufacturers nervous. After all, the 2009 received more than one first place vote in our 450 Motocross Shootout last year.
KTM focused on two areas for 2010: versatility and handling. Versatility comes with the addition of a new-for-SXF five-speed gearbox. Based off the popular transmission in the XC line of KTM off-road dirt bikes, the SXF gears are shortened up a bit for MX. In our first ride, we loved the change.
Perris Raceway has both tight turns and long sweepers. We didn't feel stretched out or cramped in the gears either. A lot of that has to do with the great motor turning those gears. Even last year, with the four-speed, the bike could pull a tight corner but its rev to the moon is what delivered the excitement. This year, that way-up-top pull is spaced out with an extra cog delivering another option to enter, go-through or exit corners with.
Did you notice the header pipe? How could you not!? The Noise Resonance chamber stuck on the header is the first inclusion of race-team exhaust technology into production bikes we've seen. This is straight from the Akrapovic factory and, as stated from KTM, its primary purpose is to reduce sound while not affecting power. KTM claims it's not a power mod delivering more or altered power output.
Across our field of test riders, the KTM motor really shines. This year is no different with a great helping of strong, traction-hungry power. It's always one of our favorites.
Other motor updates include a leak-jet equipped carburetor for 2010 (with jetting updates to match) and a piston with a .5mm thicker crown (to the underside). There's also some big-end crank bearing coatings to help longevity.
Why no fuel injection? Well, for KTM slapping EFI on their bike isn't their style. They'd rather build a bike around a major change (like when they added the electric start) instead of the other way around. Also, they're not about to bolt on the extra weight of the EFI kit just yet. They like the carb and are sticking with it...for 2010, at least.
Handling changes outnumber the motor updates for 2010 on the KTM 450 SXF. New triple clamps are now fixed at a 22mm offset. Those clamps are also re-designed to keep the clamp area around the upper fork tubes from ovaling over use. KTM hopes to eliminate some of the twitchy-ness on the KTM front end some experienced at high speeds. They want a more stable, less affected by impacts, chassis as well. That's why they dropped the frame on the head-tube 10mm. This, combined with a 4mm shortened shock gets the whole KTM chassis closer to the wheels and lowers the center of gravity. Also, the backbone from the shock tower to the head tube becomes less straight-lined and more curved. The flex character is supposed to absorb more rear shock impacts and keep the bike going straighter, longer.
The fork receives a re-valve with stiffer settings and some low-friction/stiction seals and bushings.
KTM has a history of amazing brakes. And for 2010 they up the bar with the SXS Factory-style Brembo front caliper. We've tested these in the past and love them. The power and progression is great but can be a bit much for some riders.
On the track during our two-hour test the bike did nothing but impress. We fall in love with the KTM motor every time we ride it and this was no difference. The added benefit of increased stability on Perris' faster-paced corners was a bonus! The bike still turns great in the ruts, too. We did have to shift more but the bike builds such great power that even as the gears are running out, the bike is still accelerating. It doesn't sign off with a "shift me" warning, it just pulls until it's obvious you should drop the revs in the next gear.
We had pro-tester Ryan Orr on hand and this is what he said after his first day on the bike.
At first glance the new 2010 KTM 450 SXF looks almost identical to the '09. Except for maybe the Red bull can-looking thing strapped to the top the header. That's for sound, we heard. But when you ride the machine there is definitely a difference than last year's bike.
The first thing that I noticed was the turning characteristics. For me, last years bike had some front wheel tucking issues on flat track turns as well as the front-end feeling busy. This year's bike is a lot more stable and has really good traction control and feedback in the front end as well as the rear. Another thing that I noticed was how well the rear of the bike tracked under a load on acceleration bumps. Very confidence inspiring when you're approaching those doubles through massive acceleration chop! The other thing is the new five-speed transmission. I feel that this made the bike more versatile. The motor on the KTM 450 has always been super strong and easy to ride. It has good response and delivery as well as great top end over-rev. But I felt that having a 4-speed transmission hindered the bike on certain tracks. It was great on more wide-open tracks, but it was a lot of work trying to use the horsepower on the smaller, tighter tracks. With the new five speed it was easy to control and trim the endless horse power that the KTM motor puts out--even on tighter tracks such as Perris Raceway. Over all, my first impression of the 2010 KTM 450 SXF is that it's a definite improvement!
-Ryan Orr