VOL. 55 ISSUE 6 FEBRUARY 13, 2018 P87
Yes, KTM saved all of its updates
for the 2018 450 SX-F Factory Edi-
tion. And it got a lot of them. The
engine, which is a full pound lighter,
is for all intents and purposes brand
new. It has a redesigned top-end that
is 15mm shorter for improved mass
centralization and better handling,
and has a more direct flow into and
out of the combustion chamber
for improved engine performance;
the clutch now uses KTM's DDS
(Damped Diaphragm Steel) system,
which eliminates the use of coil
springs, and the five-speed gearbox
is made by transmission specialists
Pankl. It also gets a new exhaust
pipe that can now be taken off with-
out having to remove the shock.
It also comes with a Hinson clutch
cover and that's not just for show.
The Hinson cover is said to be stron-
ger, dissipate heat better and resist
boot wear better than the standard
KTM-built cover. There's also a com-
posite skid plate to help protect the
engine cases and frame from flying
rocks and debris, and to prevent the
lower frame rails from digging into
the ground and throwing you over
the bars in case you come up a little
short over a double or triple jump.
The wheels are stronger, too. The
Factory Edition gets top-of-the-line
D.I.D DirtStar rims.
In the chassis department, the
WP suspension gets new settings, a
beefed up triple clamp and a rede-
sign in frame rigidity. KTM stiffened
longitudinal (front to rear) rigidity
for improved bump absorption. The
aluminum subframe is 40mm longer
and has been strengthened to give
the back of the bike a stiffer feel,
especially when hanging off the
back. The swingarm has a larger
axle slot, which gives you 5mm more
rear-wheel adjustment, a request by
KTM's factory racers. They wanted
the option to increase wheelbase for
better straight-line stability.
Bodywork is all new, too, which
includes a factory race seat and a
Sella Dalla Valle ribbed seat cover.
The icing on the cake are the
orange-colored triple clamps and
rear sprocket.
You'll notice these changes right
away on the track, but they are
subtle. Suspension just keeps get-
ting better and better every year, es-
pecially up front with the WP AER 48
It's hard to find a
bike that hooks
up out of the
turns better than
the KTM.
