2021 KTM 450 SX-F | First Test!
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Presented by OGIO Powersports
The KTM 450 SX-F is traditionally one of the strongest and best-handling bikes in the 450 class and for 2021 the big orange bike received some well-calculated refinements that actually yield more gains than one might expect after seeing the rundown on paper. We threw our leg over the new KTM at Cahuilla Creek MX Park last week and our guys Pat Foster and Mike Sleeter ended the day quite impressed.
Test rider Mike Sleeter.
We’ll start with the powerplant. The KTM has a distinctively different powerband than last year, thanks to revised EFI mapping and a new connecting rod bushing that was incorporated in an effort to allow the bike to rev more freely and thus, build revs quicker. On the track, the KTM still has that massively powerful feel, but as KTM had hoped, the bike does seem to build rpm quicker and enjoy a freer-revving feel with a sensation of less internal engine friction. While Foster declared that this is the most he’d ever liked the 450 SX-F powerband, Sleeter noted that he still wishes for an even quicker-revving character.
Test rider Pat Foster.
Both riders liked the revised suspension components and the ride they yield, especially since both ends have been firmed up in comparison to 2020. As the only air fork left in current production, the WP Xact fork stands head and shoulders above any of the air forks that preceded it, but it is still hard not to long for a mechanical spring fork on the big KTM, especially knowing how great the accessory WP Cone Valve Spring fork works. Still, suspension performance on both ends of the 2021 bike are improved, with good feel in the small chatter, decent mid-stroke control, and excellent bottoming resistance up front. As always, the KTM corners amazingly well, and the bike has good front-to-rear weight bias and exhibits a predictable ride in all track conditions.
Is the revised KTM 450 SX-F improved enough to move up in the SML 450 Shootout standings? Only time will tell!
