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/658612
2016 KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION FIRST RIDE P68 JESSE ZEIGLER 5'10"/175 lbs/Vet Expert The KTM 450 SX-F has evolved into an ultra-light- feeling, nimble-handling and efficient motocross machine over the past 4-5 years. It's gone from tractor to sports car, NASCAR to Formula 1. The newest Factory Edition is taking that one step further by including the quick-to- impress WP AER 48 air fork front end. That's pretty much what you'll talk about to the curious posses of onlook- ers if you own one of these bikes. Sure, conversations will fade to the shock perfor- mance and engine charac- ter/durability/looks/logos/ brakes and your income-to- debt ratio, but all talks will probably start with the front tubes. Here, it will be your job to tell everyone you meet to throw their preconceived opinions about air fork hassles out the window. This new KTM has none such nonsense thus far revealed. And the bike handles better than the previous generation by a leap. The addition of the plush-yet-strong suspen- sion character and intense front-wheel traction slides itself nicely into a chassis KAI MUKAI 5'5"/130 lbs/Pro My first impression of the 2016 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition is, wow, this bike is light! It now weighs a claimed 221.3 pounds, lighter then most of the 250Fs. The suspension at the end of the day was a little too stiff for my weight even with the shock spring all the way out and lower air pressure in the forks. I went out 4-8 clicks on compression, which made it easier for me to come in to the braking bumps with confidence. It also made the entrance to corners smoother. It comes with an easy to use map switch on the handle bars and I prefer the stock mapping because the 450 has a lot of power and the stock setting provided a smooth power delivery, which made it easier to ride coming out of corners and didn't want to rip my arms off. TREVOR STEWART 6'/155 lbs/Pro My initial impression of the 450 SX-F FE is that the suspension changes are a big improvement. Cahuilla isn't the roughest track out of the handful we are offered in Southern California, but it's no freeway. As the day went on, we made some air pressure changes, going down a bit on pressure and the bike improved. Also, the bike handled great through the loamy sand, and through the hard pack. The bike is very light and easy to throw around. It's safe to say the all-new 2016 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition is a step in the right direction for KTM. WHAT OUR TEST RIDERS THINK already mating stability and precision very well. Gone are the harsh spikes in valving or oil-flow I felt regularly on the 4CS-equipped SX-F models. With the AER 48 I set the pressure down a bit from stock recommended settings. Ride the bike. Small bump absorption is awesome, bottoming out is controlled, in-between is smooth and solid. It also has the benefit of incredible front-end traction so you can carve turns like a go-cart. They're ultra-light, too. So lofting the front end mid-drift to avoid a high-speed roller is completely possible and super easy with a little body english. The rest of the bike follows its lead. Motor character is great. 450s have come a long way from trying to rip your arms off— they're now delivering mas- sive traction and smooth power. So much in the KTM that I actually preferred the aggressive map setting over stock so I could "make up" for some cornering talent deficiencies and wouldn't have to rev the engine—I do the same on the current Honda CRF450R. As an owner, I'd switch back-and- forth, track-to-track and see what worked best where. If I owned this bike, I'd work on replacing the cost in my bank account before I modified a single thing. And I'd buy a lot of gas. Be- cause it's sooooo addictive.