Pre-emptive strike!
By TMX Archives on 10th Aug 04
KTM land the first blow against their Japanese rivals as the '05 bike test season gets off to a flier... BIKE LAUNCHES seem to get earlier and earlier and I've got to say it felt a bit strange flying out to Italy to test the '05 KTMs with '04 only just past the halfway mark. I suppose it's just a reflection of how competitive the market is - the early bird and all that - so with the Husqvarnas already done and dusted (also in Italy) and with Sutty having taken care of the Husabergs at Preston Dock (ha, sucker) I bit the bullet and jetted off to test at the awesome San Severino circuit. The bike I really wanted to ride - the production version of the 250 four-banger Ben Townley's doing the business on in MX2 this year - doesn't exactly exist yet! KTM are not ready to release it to the buying public so it looks like I may have to wait another 12 months. But despite this I was still kept pretty busy with their '05 SX125 and 250 two-strokes and the 450 thumper. So are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin... The track wasn't the easiest circuit I've ridden so it made sense to kick off on the one-twenty-five and work my way up through the range. The results the SX125's had over the last few years speak for themselves. The bike's benefited from the feedback of some of the world's best riders and the kind of development input into the production machine you get from three world champions in four years can't be underestimated. I don't feel that the bike has changed too much from last year, at least motorwise. It's got to be the strongest 125cc motor out there - the minute you get on it feels like a GP bike. The jetting was absolutely spot on for the conditions and the track we were testing on - I was impressed enough to check that they weren't pulling a fast one and running race fuel. They weren't - and this goes for all the Katoomers in the '05 range. There's not one part of the powerband that you can fault. From the moment you pull away the bike's just so positive and within a few yards you already notice how strong the motor is. Mid-range is faultless and real strong - and the same can be said of the top-end. The bike revs very high which I feel is real important for a 125 as most riders tend to over-rev eighth-litre machines because they need to be ridden a lot harder. KTMs come with Renthals as stock which is a good touch - I had a few crashes during the test and didn't bend them, something that just wouldn't have happened with the marzipan stock bars some other manufacturers slap on their bikes. From 125cc upwards all the bikes come with new adjustable triple clamps machined out of billet aluminium and these looks pure factory - they wouldn't be out of place on the startline at a GP. There are four settings on the bar mounts and two on the clamps so there's a big variation of settings to play about with. These days more and more riders are getting fussy about these sort of things and to have triple clamps like this as standard is a big, big plus point. Good pros can go fast with the bars and even levers in any position but for the majority of riders comfort is important and will help them ride faster for longer. Over the past few years I've felt the 125's been designed more for taller riders but options like adjustable triple clamps mean this isn't the case anymore. It doesn't feel much different from this year's model, although they've changed the frame across the range and gone for an oval tubing which is supposed to give the bike a little more stiffness without increasing weight. They're still running with the WP PDS rear shock system which for me works very, very well. It's never caused me any problems. The 250 two-stroke again doesn't feel too changed over this year's model. It's a very strong, clean and crisp motor and the jetting was spot on with no bogging at all over the two days. The 250 comes with three different settings for the power valve - for the track conditions and lay-out they set it on the easiest setting which meant less horsepower but made the power easier to use and more tractable. Obviously, I wanted to experiment a bit so they altered it to the medium setting and, to my surprise, it made a noticeable difference. I actually got on better with the middle setting rather than the one they thought would be better for the track which shouldn't have been the case. But for me I reckoned that the harder I rode it, the better it felt. The riding position was the same as the 125. Obviously, it felt a little bit heavier - especially on the front end coming into some of the turns - but this isn't a fault with the bike and the steering was really positive. It feels very narrow - just like the 125 - despite the bigger engine. It's got to be one of the slimmest new bikes on the market, something that certainly hasn't been the case in the past. KTM have changed the rear shock mount and body which used to protrude and catch your boot. They've obviously received some feedback from riders and listened to it because it's now tucked nicely out of harm's way. I only rode the 450 four-stroke as they're not bringing any '05 525s into the UK. This makes sense as everyone seems to be leaning more to the four-fiddy because of class capacity changes. The 450 again doesn't feel dramatically different from this year's - there are a few changes including a reinforced crank shaft and lighter piston - but the '04 model is very strong and positive so why mess around with it? Again, it's heavier than the two-strokes but for me on the track it feels much more pleasant to ride than on what's basically a very hard and slippery circuit. The four-stroke engine definitely finds more grip and gives a better feel from the rear end. The riding position feels very similar to the two-strokes - in this day and age that's hardly revolutionary but I'm sure there are more than a few readers out there who remember the days when this wasn't the case.