2017 KTM 450 AND 350 SX-F
FIRST RIDE
P72
Again, the major change that
separated the 2016.5 Factory
Edition from the 2016 450 SX-F
was the addition of the WP AER
48 air fork. And, as the past has
proven without fail, the KTM Fac-
tory Editions are a crystal ball
vision into what the next model
year will feature, meaning the
2017 KTM 450 SX-F no longer
uses the 4CS fork. It now comes
standard with the 3.5-pound
lighter WP AER 48 air fork. The
KTM 450 SX-F was already
the lightest production 450 on
the market and now it weighs a
claimed 222 pounds. As a refer-
ence, that's about a whopping
25 pounds lighter than a Suzuki
RM-Z450.
So, do the revisions KTM
made before going to production
on the 2017 450 SX-F make a
noticeable improvement? Yes.
Aside from a completely new
fork design, the tweaks and
changes to the 2017 KTM 450
SX-F aren't radical, but they do
add to an already great pack-
age. New handlebar mounts
(one-piece solid top) and a
redesigned top triple clamp dial
in added stiffness on every 2017
KTM. The outer fork tube thick-
ness decreased 1mm (from the
AER 48 that came on the 2016.5
Factory Edition) for increased
flex in the fork. This reduction of
1mm of thickness also knocked
off a little more weight to the
already-light AER 48 fork.
Valving in the AER 48 fork
is also revised with a different
internal piston. Out back, revised
valving and a new shock spring—
down one rate to 4.5 Nm—helps
boast overall balance of the
bike. The aluminum head-stays
(aka upper engine mounts) are
more rigid and 60-grams lighter
than last year's steel head-stays.
When it comes to engine perfor-
mance, the base map is revised
and all KTM four-strokes come
with a new map switch/control-
ler, featuring two maps, stock
and aggressive, plus a button to
The already-light 450 SX-F
got even lighter for 2017.
