P98
RIDE REVIEW I 2024.5 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION
a top-notch job of packing the power of a 450 into an
ultra-usable spectrum. Its most standard setting doesn't
feel like it will rip your arms off but still has the juice to
clear any jump from the inside rut. And that's before you
dive into the phone app. More on that later. In a way,
the motor is deceivingly fast while also being velvety
smooth. I'd find myself casually riding down a straight
before looking down and thinking, "Holy crap, this is way
faster than I remembered!"
Along with the motor are the new tuning
capabilities from the KTM Connect App. The
app allows you to set the bike up for specific
conditions and adjust key engine characteristics
within a designated map. I almost immediately
turned the engine braking down two clicks while
bumping up the throttle response by one click.
I wanted a touchy throttle while keeping the
engine free when off the gas going into a turn.
As mentioned, the engine is butter-smooth, and
these adjustments allow you to find and save set
-
tings without hurting the bike in any way. Within
the app,
you also can change traction control,
launch control, and quickshift sensitivity on a
five-position sliding scale.
The final chapter in the app is the "Rider" fea-
ture. Essentially, it packs the full LitPro capabili-
ties into your phone alongside the engine tuning.
After a moto,
the CUO auto-log syncs the engine
data to your app and labels it every time you start
and stop the bike as its own individual session.
Once you dive into the app, you'll see interesting
data like laps completed, lap times, rpm and gear
position, top speed, longest jump, number of
(Above) The new
fender-mounted
Connectivity Unit
Offroad (CUO) system
replaces the old bar-pad
-mounted phone app
that came and went.
(Below) Most of the
changes to the frame
revolve around rigidity
and compliance.
(Above) As usual with
the Factory Edition
models, you get a lot
of parts upgrades, like
the Akrapovic muffler.
(Below) Changes to
the steering head are
designed to
help enhance the
frame changes.
