Dirt and Trail MARCH 2021

So bright eyed and bushy tailed we were ushered into
KTM’s technical centre where most of the magic happens.
Interestingly – although we have been in the trade
for a good long while, we picked up quite a few tips and
tricks from KTM’s very experienced Race Team
Technician Kevin Tyrer. He has had an interesting career
that includes working alongside names like Tyler Rattray
and time spent abroad working on many of the MX GP
teams.
So he really knows his stuff. We enjoyed the fact that Mr
Purdon was alongside him swinging spanners on his race
bike and a quick four of five hours passed in a blur of
bench racing.
We’ll start at the beginning and try to explain how this
assembly line works – and we’ll feature some of the high
end stuff that goes onto a bike like this.
• KTM Motorcycles arrive with a disassembled
front end in the crate. The first job is to unbox
and the bike is placed onto the workbench.
• Before assembly even starts, the guys removed
all of the standard plastics. These are placed in
bubble wrap and boxed.
• With the bike completely stripped, Kevin pro
duced two WP branded boxes containing very
special suspension components. Up front they
mounted a set of WP AER48 Cone Valve Forks
For the 2021 season. Tristan will be making use of WP’s
very latest high - end tech in the form of new 2021 Xact
Pro shock out back. We asked him about the aftermarket
bits – and why he could not run with the stock equipment.
“It’s all about adjustability” he says. The standard stuff is
excellent for everyone – but these components just make
the bike that much better and more competitive. It’s about
keeping the wheel on the ground and finding maximum
traction.” Something interesting. The WP forks are made
to fit all KTM models. Only the shimstack (washers) inside
the forks differ from model to model. The guys drop the
forks slightly through the triple clamps. “For sandy tracks,
I leave the forks in their usual place. This gives the bike a
slightly longer trail to find traction. But on the hard pack, I
drop them a bit to allow the bike to turn a bit quicker.
• Once the suspension is in, Kevin turns his
attention to the brakes and wheels.
KTM has an amazing variety of products in their Powerparts
catalogue. The standard black wheels are removed
and a set of Factory Edition Dirt Star wheels are rolled in
from the back, complete with orange anodised hubs and
Pirelli sand tyres.
• The rear brakes are left alone – the guys reckon
that they are perfect out-of-the box, but
the front gets a bit of attention in the form of an
oversized Moto-Master floating disc. The floating
tech prevents the disc from getting damaged
because it allows a bit of flex should there be a
bollie. The Oversize makes sense –
more surface area for braking and they cool a bit
quicker than the stock fare.
• Then it’s onto the nitty gritty. The battery is fitted
– a Lithium Ion unit that weighs less than your
gloves. The footpegs are mounted. All of the
stock sliders, chain guide, disc protector, frame
protectors and plastic bits are removed and
replaced with orange components from
the power parts catalogue. This bike is literally a
rolling catalogue for trick KTM stuff.
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Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost. Photo: F. Lackner