Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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2014 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION RIDING IMPRESSION P68 ly have the tendency to stand up or washout. I found it to be over- all very predictable in the turns. I was very impressed by that." This was our second opportu- nity riding a 450 fitted with Dun- lop's new MX52 tires. The first was a few weeks ago on a Ya- maha YZ450F, and this time con- firmed our initial opinion – they are amazing tires. "I thought the KTM stayed ex- tremely planted to the ground throughout the day," Abbott said. "The track was kept well watered but there were a few times when it got a little dry, but the tires stuck to the ground well on the KTM in both conditions, like they did with the Yamaha, even right after the water truck finished its job. The rear hooked up great coming out of corners and helped produced good forward momentum down the straights." We're not sure why, but the Factory Edition seemed much smoother than the standard SX- F. Even though the Factory Edi- tion we rode had quite a bit of time on it, we felt a lot less vibes through its handlebars and frame than we remembered with the standard model. "Yes, there was definitely a lack of vibration when hard on the gas," Abbott said. "This is some- thing that I've never really liked with KTMs in the past, even with this year's standard model, which had a noticeable amount of vibra- tion, but the FE for some reason did not." But, like the standard, the FE's motor is fantastic. It makes tons of power overall, yet delivers it in an ultra-smooth manner. "The motor itself has a super- smooth power delivery from one end of the powerband to the other. Very rider friendly," Abbott said. "It's very fast, too. My only complaint is that it could use just a little more hit off the bottom. Otherwise, all is good with the KTM's motor. They didn't need to touch it." Like the standard, the FE does many things well. It has brakes that all other bikes wished they had, and clutch pull is wonder- fully light while still offering excel- lent feel and control. Ergos are outstanding, the handlebars are comfortable and the seat is firm but not overly hard. And we love the KTM's e-start. Not ready to spend the extra money for the Special Edition yet or just can't find one? No wor- ries. If history repeats itself, this year's KTM Factory Edition will most likely be next year's stan- dard 450 SX-F (2015) without the Red Bull graphics or maybe some of the special parts like the titanium Akropovic exhaust and gold-anodized triple-clamps. But you never know when it comes to KTM. Heck, maybe they will sur- prise us with a 350 SX-F Fac- tory Edition "Cairoli Replica." Or, 250 SX-F "Musquin Replica." Wouldn't that be worth drooling over? CN SPECIFICATIONS 2014 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition ENGINE TYPE: .......Liquid-cooled, 4-valve, SOHC, 4-stroke, single DISPLACEMENT: ........................... 449.3cc BORE/STROKE: ..................... 95/63.4 mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ......................12.6:1 STARTING SYSTEM: .......................Electric BATTERY: ......................................12V 3Ah TRANSMISSION: ............................5-speed FUEL SYSTEM: ........Keihin 44mm throttle body EFI LUBRICATION SYSTEM:............... Pressure lubrication with two oil pumps GEAR RATIOS: ............. 16:32 18:30 20:28 22:26 24:24 - PRIMARY RATIO: ................................32:76 FINAL DRIVE: ...................................... 13:50 CLUTCH: ........ Wet multi-disc DDS-clutch, Brembo hydraulics IGNITION/ENGINE MANAGEMENT: ..... Keihin EMS FRAME: ..........Central double-cradle type, Chromoly steel SUBFRAME: ................................Aluminum HANDLEBARS: .........Renthal, aluminum Ø 28/22 mm FRONT SUSPENSION: ......... WP-4CS USD, Closed Cartridge, Ø 48 mm REAR SUSPENSION: WP-Monoshock with linkage FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ................. 11.81 In. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ................. 12.99 In. FRONT BRAKE: ...............................260mm REAR BRAKE: .................................220mm FRONT RIM: ................. 1.60 x 21-in. Excel REAR RIM: .................... 2.15 x 19 in. Excel STEERING HEAD ANGLE: ......26.5-degrees WHEELBASE: ................................58.86 in. TRIPLE CLAMP OFFSET: .................. 22mm GROUND CLEARANCE: .................. 14.61 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ..............................39.06 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ...........................1.98 gal. CLAIMED WEIGHT: .....................235.3 lbs. (without fuel) MSRP: ...............................................$9899