We spin some laps on Kirk Gibbs’ Factory KTM 450SX-F
Story Shane Booth| Photography Matt Bernard
Riding factory race bikes are one of the coolest parts of being involved in the motorcycle media. We recently had the opportunity to ride of the most impressive machines in Australian Motocross – Kirk Gibbs’ KTM450SX-F. For the full test, check out issue 218 of Dirt Action Magazine.
HOW IMPRESSIVE IS THE ENGINE?
This is where this bike stands out for me and that’s not always the case when I ride a factory bike. This engine is what makes sense and what I expect a factory bike to feel like but probably not what the average rider would expect. I think most people assume a factory bike is just an absolute beast that will rip your arms out at the first touch of the throttle, anything less would be disappointing. Well that’s not the case here. This is an engine that has been developed to help a pro racer go around a motocross track as fast and consistently as possible for 35 or so minutes at a time. It is not slow. It is exceptionally smooth and easy to ride and will allow you to carry a number of gears in any given situation. The power delivery comes on in a way that helps you maintain traction, after all what good is power if you can’t get it to the ground? As usual everything about a race bike engine feels tight and new, that on its own inspires confidence. This is a bike that is fast enough to holeshot anything it’s up against yet arguably easier to ride than a standard engine. That is a pretty damn impressive combo to have in a 450.
WHAT ABOUT THE FORKS?
I have really grown to love the 52mm Cone Valve WP forks. I spoke to team manager Jay Marmont quite a bit about the setup and he said he had a fair amount of input in the fork settings, working closely with the team’s suspension guru Danny Apro. They went quite a bit firmer than they had been in the past, getting to a setup that held up much more while still maintaining a plush feel on the smaller bumps. Well it was a direction that suited me, I’m partial to a firmer fork setting and that what this is. Combined with the larger than standard fork diameter and this bike is very accurate when it comes to steering and just never does anything unexpected at the front. It’s a feel that any rider would draw instant confidence from. I never got the front fork to bottom even when I went out with the intention of doing so. These forks are great and the setting they have come up with is impressive.
IS THE TRAX SHOCK AS GOOD AS EVERYONE SAYS?
I think they do a great job. The stand out factor is getting power to the ground. When I rode this bike the track was hard pack and a little choppy. A combination of the engine and the shock result in a 450 that gets power down very well. The track was in a condition that would make for easy loss of rear wheel traction but I never found it a problem. Just like the fork the rear of the bike never kicked unexpectedly or caught me off guard. The Mt Kembla circuit has some steep down hills and big g-outs all of which the bike ate up with no issues. Lesser shocks could potentially pack up and kick or just blow through at the base of the steep down hills but this never did.
SEE IT IN PRINT!
For the full test and more photos check out DIRT ACTION #218!
