If you’re feeling the need, the need for speed, let Slider and Merlin fill you in on what the magazine machines have been up to…
The KTM 450SX-F has been put through it in the last year or so. It has tackled the beach at Weston, supercross training in one of the wettest winters I can remember and the mud, dust and rocks of the tracks in the South all in the hands of a few good men. The list of riders who have graced the Orange beauty include Tommy Crunch, Martinez Tuck, Roberto Warner, Aga Doo Poolman and Richie T…
To say the bike has not missed a beat is 99 per cent true as the only smokey moment came when Tommy Crunch went upside down before the mayhem on the beach really got started…
Every fixture and fitting has stayed in good shape except for a solitary subframe bolt which had a little twist up before the bike landed at DBR test HQ. We have been through two sets of chain and sprockets, One FMF Factory 4.1 titanium exhaust system, a tall seat, one set of plastics, one set of Dare Decals, 10 tyres of various grade, one Fox Racing Shox rear shock and fork adjuster/internal working kit, two sets of Renthal Twinwalls, four sets of Renthal dual-compound half-waffle grips and 18 litres of Motorex Motor Oil…
The overall consensus on Big Orange is the real contrast of styles which suit the stock motor and setting. It is a bit of a Marmite machine – it would seem you either love it or hate it…
When riding the bike hard it is at its best and it can also be cruised at a nice pace on track. It’s the middle ground which seems to cause the issue. Martyn Tuck likes a very smooth deep power with no drop off in the mid-range, he requires no top-end rev as he likes to get the motor feeding on gears and let it work. The KTM does not respond the very best to this request as it enjoys being ridden from the mid range to the top. The bike makes great power all the way through but it does not make the power all in one area. It gets through the rev range quickly which can give the bike a lively feel which does not work for all. Personally I like the power delivery as it is great fun to get to warp speed in a heartbeat…
This delivery will tire a human out pretty quickly but let’s face it, fast bikes are something I hear people talk about a lot and if you want a fast bike the 450SX-F is definitely for you…
To round up on our year with the KTM 450SX-F I would say the bulletproof nature and quality of the bike has shone through and no matter what we have thrown at it, the bike has kinda laughed at us with a hint of ‘is that all you got?’.
Specification:
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