VOL. 55 ISSUE 6 FEBRUARY 13, 2018 P85
THE LATEST
EDITION
WE RIDE THE ALL-NEW KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION
K
TM is a company never known to rest on its lau-
rels. It will often make changes to a motorcycle
despite not needing any. Even if that motor-
cycle sweeps all of the magazine's shootouts, you can
bet it will be significantly changed somehow, some
way the following model year, usually for the better,
but not always. You've got to hand it to KTM, though,
for continuingly trying to come up with new things
every year. However, this year was a little different, at
least when came to the standard 2018 KTM 450 SX-F.
When we first saw it, we were somewhat surprised
that it was so similar to the previous model, but hey,
we understood. After all, it was already the lightest,
fastest and one of the best bikes in its class—and had
been for a while—and we knew that the Factory Edi-
tion model would be coming shortly after it. Surely, it
would be different. And it is.
In a way, KTM's Factory Edition models are works
bikes that we, the public, can buy, but KTM only
makes a few of them—just enough to comply with
homologation rules so its Red Bull KTM Factory Team
riders can race the Factory Edition models legally
during the current race season. Chances of you being
lucky enough to get your hands on one are slim but at
least you'll know what the 2019 production KTM 450
SX-F will be like and can start saving for one, because
the Factory Edition models are traditionally next year's
SX-F production models without the Factory Edition
label and crazy graphics.
BY THE CN STAFF/PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
