KTM 450SX

Lots of riders steer away from big-bore motocross bikes because they don't think they're good enough to ride them, but I reckon they're mad. Even though the KTMSX450 is a full blown race bike designed to take titles, it doesn't mean a rider with less than pro skills can't own one. If you can ride a 250 or 400 enduro bike then you could ride one of these. The best thing about the SX450 is that it's versatile and you could ride grasstrack, motocross, supermotard (with a few mods) or even go trailriding on private property.

I was actually lucky enough to have two of these rockets to test, one an 03 model and the other an 04. The 03 bike belonged to Inverell Motorcycles head honcho Mark 'Turbo' Turner, and the 04 belonged to one of his sponsored riders Pete Horwood. Interesting things about Turbo that relate to this test are that he's over forty, has a wife with a couple of kids, and could choose any KTM model off his showroom floor but still goes for the motocross model. The point being, a lot of older guys still have plenty of life in them, they know how to ride a bike and just aren't satisfied with a trailie.

Big-bore four-strokes can be beasts to ride but the SX450 has smooth roll-on power. You don't have to slip the clutch, hammer the throttle or do anything weird to get this bike moving, just roll on the juice and the SX450 engine does the rest. The best thing about this engine is that it doesn't pull your arms out of their sockets, even when you're on the throttle stops. The power is smooth and easy and the bike starts consistently, hot or cold.

The next day was spent doing some bush riding, outdoor motocross and about two thousand runs at an uphill jump that was just too much fun to leave alone. What was my impression? Well the bike is easy to ride, especially for an older bloke like me, and I'd love to race it on a nice tacky natural terrain motocross track.

Because a lot of club riders will want to use this bike for an occasional trail ride, I did a bit of bush bashing as well, to see how the big katoom felt in the scrub. The verdict, yeah you could do it, but it's not the best bike for trail-riding. First gear is to high and fourth too low, but for the occasional punt in the bush it'd be okay. Just make sure you ride on private property as these things are loud and unregisterable. A five-speed gearbox would be better for trail riding, and I reckon it'd be better for motocross as well because you could gear the bike down and still have a decent top speed.

Even though they're top notch in quality, I wasn't too keen on the handlebar bend. "Too low and too straight" were my complaints, so it's easy to see why KTM have fitted a taller bar to the 04 model.

I never quite came to grips with the suspension on the 03 model. The front deflected off little bumps coming into corners under brakes, and as an overall reflection I'd say that the suspension was too soft for me.

A couple of days after riding the 03 bike I got hold of Turbo's 04 model and was able to compare them. The first thing that hit me was that the suspension felt heaps better, and the higher handlebar, combined with the lower rear end, gave the bike a more balanced feel. The motor updates aren't really noticeable and Pete's bike still had that nice roll-on power that allowed me to either rev the engine or short shift to the next gear. Both bikes had strong brakes, and for a big bike that should be carrying some serious engine inertia it stopped well.

Would I like to own this bike? I reckon I would, and even though I'm an older bloke, I still mainly ride on tracks, with a little bit of trail riding, and this bike would suit my needs. If you want to buy an SX450 new, you'll be pleased to know that due to a recent price drop from KTM you could have an 04 model sitting in your shed for $10,400, as apposed to last years price tag of $11,740. A pre-loved 03 will set you back about $8500.

WHAT DAVE LIKED:

NOT SO MUCH:

The clutch has been updated with a new pressure plate and clutch plates and second gear has been reinforced. Apparently there were a few head and gearbox failures on the 03 model, so these mods should sort those little gremlins.

The SX450 feels quite small and agile for a big-bore four-stroke. The plastics and tank look as if they could belong on a 125 and the wheelbase and overall size of the bike make it nice and compact.

There are plenty of features to like. Starting at the front you get a Renthal oversize bar, Renthal grips, adjustable bar mounts and a hydraulic clutch.

The tank is nice and slim and the seat is a 'gripper' style. Down below you get Excel rims with fancy disc rotors, and a polished alloy swing-arm fitted to a non-link rear suspension, which makes life easy in the maintenance department. No linkage to disassemble and grease. Beaudy!

Several chassis mods for 04 make the bike lighter, stronger and a better handler, if that's possible. Probably the most important change was lowering the rear-end by 20mm. This was achieved by shortening the shock by 2mm, the idea being to get away from the 'stinkbug' rear-end on the 03 model. Team KTM used this modification on their race bikes last year to good effect.

The frame wall thickness has been reduced to lower weight and the steering-head has been beefed up to increase strength and reliability. The fork and shock have internal changes to give a softer and more sensitive feel to the suspension action.

QUIK SPEX:
KTM 450SX:

ENGINE:
Type: liquid cooled single cylinder four-stroke;
Displacement: 449cc;
Carburetor: Keihin MX.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Rear suspension: No-linkage WP shock;
Front suspension: 48mm WP fork;
Front brake: Twin-pot Brembo caliper, 320mm rotor;
Rear brake: Single-pot Brembo caliper, 220mm rotor.

DIMENSIONS AND STUFF:
Seat height: 925mm;
Fuel capacity: 7 litres;
Price: $10,490;
Colours: KTM Orange.