VOL. 55 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 P97
KTM
450 SX-F
It's been one year since the
450 SX-F was edged out of
shootout victory, finishing a
close runner-up to Honda's
CRF450R. The loss came
down to the fine details, but it
wasn't something KTM took
lightly. Since then, the Austrians
have been hard at work updat-
ing the big-bore SX-F with an
all-new steel chassis, im prove-
ments to the engine's cylinder
head, and revisions to its WP
AER 48 fork settings. Sadly,
KTM's work wasn't enough,
with the 450 SX-F even rel-
egated back to third place in
this year's shootout.
The KTM might come up
short of victory, but there's
truth in saying that the SX-F is
an extremely potent package,
even against this year's com-
petition. In fact, it was voted as
the best of the bunch by some
testers, only being pushed back
by others for the smallest of
details. So, what's keeping the
SX-F off the top step? Its WP
AER 48 front forks failed to gain
the liking of the majority of our
testers, with many wishing the
KTM would come equipped
with a coil-spring package like
the rest of the com petition.
A favorite or not, the changes
made to the WP front-end help
close the gap to its coil-spring
com petitors. Last year's front
end was known for being harsh
at the top of the stroke, hin-
dering the SX-F's small-bum p
PROS
•Lightweight
•Powerful engine
•Traction control option
CONS
•Good, but not great forks
•Expensive
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Actual Weight (full fuel):
235 lbs.
MSRP: $9899
3
rd
Place
