FIRST RIDE 2024 KTM 450SXF
24.8 هزار بار بازدید -
11 ماه پیش
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#dirtbike #offroad #motorcycle #sports
We now have our first official 2024 motocross bike in the garage. It’s the KTM 450SX-F and we already love it. That’s a little odd because this is an unchanged bike for 2024, and we didn’t especially love it last year. Not at first, anyway. It was new at that time–very new. The frame had different flex characteristics and the motor was relocated with a lower output shaft in order to provide an anti-squat characteristic. The motor–which didn’t look that different–had significant differences in the head and throttle body. A new map switch on the left side of the bar had dedicated buttons for the aggressive and mild maps, as well as traction control and Quickshift. The shock was completely new, while the fork was still a WP Xact air fork with new valving. Along the way, the bike gained weight–around 6 pounds.The problem was that we were big fans of the previous version. The new frame felt stiffer and we had a hard time getting past that. We thought it was a concession to the Cooper Webbs of the world for Supercross. Then it came out that Cooper Webb wasn’t a big fan, either. Now, we have a very different perspective. In our 2023 450 Shootout, we had the 2023 GasGas MC450F, which had the old frame that we thought we loved so much. It was flexy and squatty compared to the new KTM. It turned out that we had to come to terms with the new rigidity and learn to use it. We also learned to give the bike some time. Both the frame and the fork needed break-in before feeling comfortable. Cooper Webb obviously came to terms with the new chassis as well, but at that level, his issues were more or less irrelevant to the rest of us. It was interesting that when Tony Cairoli came to America, he was forced to use the frame because of the AMA’s production rule. He was shocked at how flexy it was compared to his European works frame. To each his own.he KTM still ranks on top of the charts when it comes to cornering. It’s super easy to initiate a turn and once established, it holds a level, even attitude throughout the corner. It’s still a very light motorcycle; 229 pounds without fuel. That might be heavier than the old version, but it’s lighter than anything else in the 450 class. The KTM still uses the WP Xact air fork on its motocross models. It is an excellent fork in many regards including adjustability and light weight. In terms of outright performance, however, there are more comfortable units on the market. The KTM delivers some feedback to rider’s hands on square-edge bumps that’s hard to eliminate through normal fork tuning. It’s interesting that KTM’s XC cross-country models now have a coil-spring version of the Xact fork. Our initial testing with those forks in an off-road environment has been encouraging. We can’t wait to try one set up for motocross; we understand it performs like the air fork equipped with the WP drop-in spring kit, which has become very popular. We have a lot of testing to do and we are just getting started. The full test will appear in the October, 2023 print edition of Dirt Bike.
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We now have our first official 2024 motocross bike in the garage. It’s the KTM 450SX-F and we already love it. That’s a little odd because this is an unchanged bike for 2024, and we didn’t especially love it last year. Not at first, anyway. It was new at that time–very new. The frame had different flex characteristics and the motor was relocated with a lower output shaft in order to provide an anti-squat characteristic. The motor–which didn’t look that different–had significant differences in the head and throttle body. A new map switch on the left side of the bar had dedicated buttons for the aggressive and mild maps, as well as traction control and Quickshift. The shock was completely new, while the fork was still a WP Xact air fork with new valving. Along the way, the bike gained weight–around 6 pounds.The problem was that we were big fans of the previous version. The new frame felt stiffer and we had a hard time getting past that. We thought it was a concession to the Cooper Webbs of the world for Supercross. Then it came out that Cooper Webb wasn’t a big fan, either. Now, we have a very different perspective. In our 2023 450 Shootout, we had the 2023 GasGas MC450F, which had the old frame that we thought we loved so much. It was flexy and squatty compared to the new KTM. It turned out that we had to come to terms with the new rigidity and learn to use it. We also learned to give the bike some time. Both the frame and the fork needed break-in before feeling comfortable. Cooper Webb obviously came to terms with the new chassis as well, but at that level, his issues were more or less irrelevant to the rest of us. It was interesting that when Tony Cairoli came to America, he was forced to use the frame because of the AMA’s production rule. He was shocked at how flexy it was compared to his European works frame. To each his own.he KTM still ranks on top of the charts when it comes to cornering. It’s super easy to initiate a turn and once established, it holds a level, even attitude throughout the corner. It’s still a very light motorcycle; 229 pounds without fuel. That might be heavier than the old version, but it’s lighter than anything else in the 450 class. The KTM still uses the WP Xact air fork on its motocross models. It is an excellent fork in many regards including adjustability and light weight. In terms of outright performance, however, there are more comfortable units on the market. The KTM delivers some feedback to rider’s hands on square-edge bumps that’s hard to eliminate through normal fork tuning. It’s interesting that KTM’s XC cross-country models now have a coil-spring version of the Xact fork. Our initial testing with those forks in an off-road environment has been encouraging. We can’t wait to try one set up for motocross; we understand it performs like the air fork equipped with the WP drop-in spring kit, which has become very popular. We have a lot of testing to do and we are just getting started. The full test will appear in the October, 2023 print edition of Dirt Bike.
Subscribe to Dirtbike Magazine:
https://hi-torque.com/product/subscri...
FREE APP DOWNLOAD
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dirt-...
Android: https://play.google.com/storeappsdeta...
Amazon/kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009D8V39C/
Follow Dirtbike Magazine:
dirtbikemagazine
Dirtbike Magazine Website:
http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com
Dirtbike Magazine Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/dirtbi...
Dirtbike Magazine Twitter:
Twitter: dirtbikemag
Dirtbike Magazine Instagram:
Instagram: dirtbikemag
11 ماه پیش
در تاریخ 1402/05/09 منتشر شده
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