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/126014
... ; 11II • ~ KTM 400 RIDING t F.-OBI inlbaidalioD to cOD6deDce in ODe blight "e.-DOOD lC) rO'l ,......; ~ -.:t' ~ Q.) ..0 E Q.) .. By Lane Cam pbell Guest rider Jeff Wright > 0 Z How do you approach an animal like this? If you're the average turkey, you do it the w ay porcupInes do it verrry carefully. If you're already an Expert or " A" rider, you can ride the KTM 400 White Tornado with considerable za p an d crackle. Tricks. Little grain-of-sand lamps w ink at you when you're doing things right and wrong: Speedo (left) reads to 150, calculated top e nd with standard !learing is' about 135 . Glove and tool box seatback (right) has an extra t rick under its bonnet, thumbscrew mounts that let it slip back a nd for th to convert so lo seat t o twin sea t. I II - 36 headers nestle in a notch between the sump and t he crank ends, and the case- wid th overall is at a m in imum. The low C.G. and rel ativel y quick steering combine in the tight stuff to belie the all-up weight of over 500 pounds while the weight balance and lon g wheelbase give it stability at speeds where stability is critical. The only time any compromise becomes noticeable is under heavy braking when, as you begin to layover, ' you get a little high-frequency shudder from the rear suspension , the barest hint of a wobble that comes when the forks are compressed by weight transfer. The brakes themselves, dual Scarab discs front, drum rear, are superlative in performance and feeL Later in the year there will be an optional Scarab rear disc, whether it's needed or not. Based on feel alone, even -a guy who worries about picking up the tab at MeDonaids could grow to lust after one of these. The quick throttle with a hard little roll right under the knuckles feels perfect; shifting is a crisp, close-ratio snick-snick up or down; general engine tune felt razor-sharp from part-throttle to full, with best power coming in from 4000 RPM to 8000. All th e while you're trailing a snarly wail like a Testa Rossa Ferrari of yesteryear, what with the barely-muffled " tru mpet" pipes that come as "spare parts" included in the purchase price. Fo r certification in states like California the machines are kitted with a set of black-crackle finished mufflers that look like they were lifted off a Honda, and have an exhaust note to match. That's d iscounting the m ulti-fre que nc y gear howl that overshadows the muffled 83dbA or whatever. Yes, gear howL The engine is a technical tour-de-force in its own right. As the factory fo lk are quick to point out there's not a chain in the whole th ing; just lots and lots of ha nd -fi tted gearsets. The massive-looking sump tub comes away leaving the cran k nestled in pillow blocks bolted to the cylinder/upper crank case casting. The crank itself is a pressed-together marvel that rides on two outer ball bearings and two in ner split-cage rollers. The gear tower to the cams is a complete assembly that nestles between the inner cylinders. The factory used to make buyers sign a waiver stating they'd never enter the machines in competition. Now they don 't bother, partially because it's obvious that a 525-pound 750 was not meant to race. (They developed a chain drive for the Imola 750s which saves 40 kilos, but that's not released for production.) What it is meant to do , it does well. It turns heads, blows minds, gathers crowds wherever it's parked, and gives its owner an immensely satisfying co nfidence-inspiring ride. As such, it 's motorcycling's answer to the $30,000 flash car and, I might add, a far more honest ba rgain. Specifications Price (West Coast sugg. retail) $6500 Wheelbase 55 in. Seat height 29 in. Dry weight 220 Kg (525 tb .) Claimed horsepower 82 HP @ 8500 RPM Displacement 789cc Bore x str oke Co mp ressio n rat io 67 )( 5 6m m 10 :1 Tires - Metzeler Front - Rille 3.50 V 18 Rear - Racing block 4.00 V 18 Starting . . . . .. . . .. . . . . • .. . . . . ..E lectric Just on spec it's a pretty intimidating package. At rest, it sits tall - so tall a six -footer straddles it tippy-toe - and feels bulky, almost awkward with the suggestive bulge of tailpipe shroud intruding on the right side. The motor makes the whole chassis hum with tingling anticipation after you've kicked it over and cleared its throat a few times (the kickover itself, surprisingly easy) . Enough idle speculation ; grab a handful of clutch, gently stomp it into gear and be ready for anything. With a well-prepped bike (this one was to be set up for Baja as soon as we finished with it) the pleasant surprises start happening right away. It goes into gear quietly, clutch pull is silky as a svelte street bike, the engagement mercifully soft and progressive. Dial a little throttle and move cautiously out to an area with some running ro om . Get the feel of it a bit, then rock yo ur knees forward, grab the tank between th em and nail it! The great gobbets of wheelspin you we re expecting never happen. In fac t, the most dominant impression of this hike is th e ability of the rear end to hook up o n almost any surface, at almost any angle. So he re you are, cli mbing t he tan k, shortshifti ng u ntil you're in about third or fourt h, fron t wheel just kissi ng the high spots, and you finally feel you're in a tall enough gear to let it find the peak of the po werb an d . (The test bike was geared to top out at about 95 mph.) Just when you're thinking, "Ah, it's about out of revs; boy, what a flat , sorta soft powerband," then it comes on the p ipe with a ru sh and it's in s t an t sk ys ho t , Does it in t o p gear, even. It refuses to stereo-type as yo ur average grun t 40 0. Manageable, st utter-free power down low , gemongous power for the m as can use it up high. What a tr ip ! While making fast runs for the ca me ra, J eff also remarked on the great tractive effort at the rear. The other dominan t impression was. considering how physically large a machine it is, and how tall it was geared, th e ease wi th which it could be thrown about at low and moderate speeds. In mo ti on, it's just not the brute handful you think it's going to be. Scary-fast and a tad top-heavy compared to, say, a 250 Pursang; but compared to the o ther big-bore "enduro/lSDT type motorcycles, it rates as o ne of the easiest to ride b ravely. The suspension at both ends, the brakes, the steering geometry are all righ t there and balanced to each other. Every ' time we experience the gas Marzocchis in the laydown application we come away m o re impressed, and the eig ht-inch Cerianis are about the best you can get in lo ng-travel tech nology withou t going to a lead ing ax le. The big KTM went wh er e it was poin ted like a mi ssile with inertial gui dance, yet it can be m ade t o tum quickly by applying the right techniq ues. I t slides co ntro llably on slidy surfaces, but where there's even a hint of traction, it would always rather ho o k up than slide. Overall, the KTM 400 is a very businesslike scooter - built for peo ple with deadly serious ambitions in off-road competition, ye t civilized enough for those who are less serio us bu t rich. We'd have to live with it longer to find fault with it; our brief bright afternoon wi ll have to suffice.