2020 K TM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION
R I D E R E V I E W
P54
In 2016, the FE platform added the AER 48 fork and a host of
other weight savings to drop the Factory Edition into a new nor-
mal of ultra-light class-leading statistics. Consider this, in 2017,
when we weighed all comparable 450s, the KTM was more
than 10 pounds lighter (all bikes full of fuel) than every bike in the
class except two—the Kawasaki and Husqvarna. It was eight- and
2.5-pounds lighter than those, respectively. It was 15 pounds lighter
than the Yamaha and the Suzuki, and the Suzuki had an air fork.
If you bought a 2016 Factory Edition, you were riding with that
power-to-weight advantage months
before anyone else. And the rest of
the bike was amazing, too. It's power,
handling and cornering all worked
excellently. And if you're lining up for
Anaheim 1, having the most up-to-
date performance a factory can pull
off for a production run is priceless.
Surely, the rapid manufacturing focus
of KTM's SX-F models had a signifi-
cant influence on their correspond-
ing success on the track.
For 2020, we're in a bit of an in-
between year. Sure, on paper, the
2020 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
doesn't stand out as a big update.
But the main areas it's changed in
are some of the most debated and
bemoaned in media and test-riding
circles. That tells us that KTM is pay-
(Above) This year's
Factory Edition isn't as
technically changed
as some of the past FE
models, but it is still
pretty as heck. (Left)
There is now a very
noticeable difference
between the two stock
engine mapping modes.
"1" is stock and "2" is
(very) aggressive.
