Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

00 (j) Impression: ~98~ KTM 495 MXer The 1;tiggest bronco 01 'em all By Tom Mueller Man's quest for power will .never end. Whether it be the Presidential election, a skirmish in Iran or a motocross race, the pursuit of maximum and paramount power is where it's at for many. That's where the KTM 495 MX comes in. Though much theory in state of the art big . bore MX machmery centers. around more useable. power. less weIght and bett~~ handlln~, the ~~M ~as an a?dlt1o~1 selhng pomt. It s the bl~t dIsplacement two· stroke MXer avaJiable. Brute horsepo,:,er. Hol~ot heaven. Berm blaster s paradise. These. are some .of the thoughts that c?me mto the mmd of t~e Open class n~er who relates to the bIggest, and to hIm the best. What happens wh~n you get a chance to seIze massIve pow~r? Do welts pop out all ove.. your skll~? Do your arms pump up and feel tingly? Does your tongue dry up and fall back into your throat? If any of these symptoms befall you, stick with us through this impression. You're the type of guy that just might be a born dancing partner for the 495. If you can master this monster, John Travolta and his mechanical bull have nothing on you at-..II. Changes in '81 Last year, KTM offered the Open class nGer the' 420-. That'displacement bike is still available for th05t' who got used to its power characteristics. A h~ty 92.25 .millimeter bore coupled with a 74 mIllimeter stro~e. the same stroke the 420 uses, provIdes the 495 with its displacement. The large bore created a need for a twin plug head which ignites the fuellair mixture in the combustion chamber more evenly. Compression is down from the 420. Gasses escape the 495's engine via a newly designed exhaust pipe. A power jet Bing carburetor sends a mixture into the power plant that offers cleaner low and mid range power, and also top end power that doesn't lean out. A conical air filter offers more space for air to flow in the airbox, and the back of the breather box has been opened up for better air intake. . . . A chan~ed pTlmary gear gives higher geaTlng overall on the 495, and angles on the engagement dogs on ~he gears have been altered so the engine shifts easier under power. The shift drum used to be forged but this year is cast for less weight while retaining strength. Primary kick starting is a big plus. Engine head stays were offered on the 42010wards the end of last year, and all 495 s will be equipped with them. Frame geometry and rear suspension changes make the 495 a better handler. Distance from the swingarm pivot to the center line of the steering head is 40 millimeters greater, which distributes weight more evenly for neutral handling. Thirty millimeters have been added to the' length of the steering head for a different leverage ratio to keep the bike down in berms and corners. Piggyback reservoir Ohlins shocks are bolted to a shorter swingarm than last year. Half an inch of extra travel is gained, bringing the rear end to 12.8 inches. More travel, and also more progressive action from the shocks. They're softer at first and then get stiffer as big bumps are encountered. Front end remains the same with 12 inches of travel. Last year on the 420 riders would land from a jump and find their feet blasted off the pegs, as the pegs hit the ground when the suspension compressed. In 1981 the pegs are moved back and up one inch on the 495. What it felt like KTr-t National Service Manager Rod Bush prepped the 495 and warmed it up for our tester, and right from the start we realized the biggest KTM is for an experienced rider only. Starting the monster is the first major task. It takes a good shot with a heavy foot. If you can relate to a 500cc single cylinder BSA. you're on the right lJ'ack. Keeping the front end down in the first couple of gears is hard. but a rider doesn't have any business being in first or even second gear much of the time. From corner to corner through short or meroum length straights, there is no need to stir the shifter. The 495 can handle a turn in third gear and can be left there until it's time to turn again. It revs well and makes more than enough power. Long life will also be an asSet of the 495 motor, as short shifting the bike works well and takjng the bike to around 4,000 rpm produces adequate power. There's no real need to take the KTM to its 7,000 rpm, 5g horsepower limit, that is, unless your head is into that sort of speed rush. If you are into a bunch of shifting, go right ahead. The 495 clicks from gear to gear with ease. Shifting is tight and close. Part of our test track was under water from a recent rain, so our 495 got a waterproofing test as we slogged through. No problems with the stock intake system; our bike never missed a beat, and brakes weren't bothered. Once the powerplant was sorted out we went on to comfort in riding. Handlebars are too high while sitting and keep one back on the seat too far. It is hard to get up over the bars corners, the place to be with that much juice going into a turn. While standing the bike feels right. so the bars end up a personal preference item. We encountered a sore butt when the high parts of the integrated number plates in the rear fender rubbed us the wrong way. Since it was new, the 495 was tight and a bit stiff, including the throttle assembly. The engine stays rod their thing and kept the KTM from vibrating like earlier models rod. We'd replaced the grips. All stock controls are fine as is. Stock footpegs are exceptional. Bumps. jumps and ruts are no problem for the big bore. The suspension works well and gives the bike an overall light feel. We received our bike with no air in the Marzocchi fork assembly. It worked well as is. Metzeler tires are as fine as any and worked well in hard packed areas or sand. We'd prefer a 5.50 rear tire instead of the 4.50. but Metzeler doesn't make a 4-ply 5.50 rear so KTM opts for a 4·ply 4.50. Progressive. well responding brakes are up to snuff. We were careful at first. but as. fast as the 495 accelerates m . 4

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