Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1113817
2019 K TM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION F I RST REVIEW P124 UPGRADES EQUAL UP-PERFORMANCE? We enlist many test riders to bust out our reviews. It helps root out bias and personal gobbly-gook and gives us a chance to tell readers what they like or dislike about a bike much better. As usual, we let the fast guys go first, and our pro-level tester (and photo monkey) Derek Kelly was happy with the direction the KTM Factory Edition develop- ment is going for all-out speed. Even so, from his pro-level speed perspective, the 2019 KTM FE isn't as hard-hitting as he'd like off the bottom, but the midrange and top- end is nothing but sweet and actu- ally seems better than ever. To him, it has a bit of a mellow initial deliv- ery, and in reading KTM's press materials and riding it myself, this makes sense. KTM has developed a horsepower-making machine here, but they've been conscious of delivering that power to the masses in the most efficient way possible, and they want the engine to be less obtrusive to riding and more effort- less to enjoy. That means the bars aren't ripped out of your hands at the first crack of the throttle and the midrange and up is where the money is made without as many herky-jerky habits. For ordinary people, this is pretty awesome. It allows the rider to drop into first and second gears in tight corners without the bike getting upset when your cornering talent or concentration fades away. Power delivery can really disrupt a rider's momentum in the turns if it picks the front wheel up or spins and slides the rear out. In KTM's case, the bike seems to be made to carve turns with complete control at the rear wheel. It really allows the rider to focus on attacking the corner with the chassis and handling char- acteristics and using the throttle as a tool to finish the job. Likewise, if you're really into being lazy, you can just keep the bike in third gear and cruise with the torque through just about every turn on an average out- door MX track. The torque is nice. What you don't get with this KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition (or any KTM for that matter) is an obnox- iously loud ride. These bikes run with minimal excess mechanical noise. The clutches are quiet, and the entire engine seems to hum efficiently without a lot of rattling (Left) We're digging the orange anodized factory triple clamps. The CNC-machined clamps have an adjustable offset of 20mm or 22mm.