Cycle Torque Jan/Feb 2017
The combined January and February 2017 issue of Cycle Torque features heaps or road and dirt bike tests, features and much, much more - there's something here for every motorcyclist, absolutely FREE.
The combined January and February 2017 issue of Cycle Torque features heaps or road and dirt bike tests, features and much, much more - there's something here for every motorcyclist, absolutely FREE.
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<strong>2017</strong> KTM<br />
450 EXC-F<br />
CYCLE TORQUE TEST<br />
cycletorque.com.au JAN/FEB <strong>2017</strong> I 35<br />
Character Assassin<br />
N TEST BY TODD REED, PHOTOS NIGEL PATERSON<br />
N TODD WEARS A BELL HELMET, OAKLEY GOGGLES,<br />
THOR JERSEY AND PANTS AND ALPINESTARS BOOTS.<br />
Every year the motorcycle<br />
manufacturers of the world roll out<br />
their shiny new bikes, and tell us<br />
about how cool their new stickers<br />
look, how their new suspension offers<br />
a ride like no one has ever experienced<br />
before, and how their engine is at the<br />
forefront of modern technology.<br />
Yeah, yeah, got it. We’ve heard it all<br />
before.<br />
Introducing the <strong>2017</strong> KTM 450 EXC-F,<br />
with all new WP Xplor forks, new<br />
chromoly chassis, and redesigned<br />
450cc four-stroke engine...<br />
Now, the manufacturers might have<br />
the full intentions of making new<br />
bikes better than their old ones. But<br />
seriously how much better could the<br />
<strong>2017</strong> 450 be when compared to 2016<br />
model?<br />
OK, so maybe we’re being a bit<br />
dramatic here, and probably a bit<br />
numb at times to the latest new bikes,<br />
as we get to ride bikes every other<br />
week. But leading up to the day of our<br />
KTM 450 EXC-F test it felt like we were<br />
heading off for a ride on yet another<br />
new bike.<br />
Well… weren’t we proved wrong!<br />
Spec it up<br />
KTM got the message loud and clear,<br />
the open cartridge forks are well<br />
beyond their ‘best before’ date, and<br />
the WP 4CS forks which graced the<br />
Six-Days model for the past few years,<br />
are simply not up to scratch. Enter<br />
the all new 48mm Xplor forks. Simply<br />
put, the Xplor fork is a collaboration<br />
between WP and KTM which<br />
maintains the split fork concept from<br />
the 4CS forks, with compression in<br />
one side, rebound in the other, and<br />
springs in each fork leg. Inside, the<br />
design and material coatings are<br />
quite different which contributes to<br />
the massive improvements claimed<br />
by KTM. The PDS rear shock systems<br />
WATCH<br />
VIDEO NOW<br />
Continued on next page
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