Dirt and Trail MARCH 2021

• The standard clutch cover comes off and is re
placed with a stronger Hinson unit.
• Once the wheels are on, Kevin removed the
standard chain. It’s a good brand, so we asked
why he would do that. “The standard is
an excellent choice, but we like the gold anodized
chain by DID. It looks the part – and we find that
it rolls easier than the other chains we’ve tried.
Less rolling resistance equals more speed.”
• Once the wheels are fitted – another box arrives
from the warehouse containing a gorgeous iridium
FMF slip on. “The standard pipe for the KTM
450SX is perfect, but the FMF just looks the part,
and the pipe gives the bike just a little bit more
bottom end” says Kevin.
• He then turns his attention to the radiators and
drains all of the pre delivery coolant and removes
the right hand unit. “We like to run a fan on
Tristans bike, and KTM has a plug and play unit. I
set the fan in such a way that the moment the
bike reached a certain temperature, the fan kicks
in to keep things cool.” We
asked about the chances of the fan getting
knocked off in a moto or getting snarled up during
a really muddy race. “No chance. It sits really
well tucked away behind the radiator and to date
we have never had one get snarled up.” The bike
comes pre wired to accept the fan, so it
was a pretty quick fit. The radiator is replaced and
Kev tops up with Motorex Coolant. He then fits the
fins and covers the whole lot with some
netting bags. “It’s a KTM powerpart that does a
great job at keeping muck out of the radiators and
it does not block airflow at all. MX or Enduro,
everyone should use them.”
• While this is all going on, Tristan is messing about
with handlebars. “I like Renthal bars. I like the
bend and I have been racing with the same type
since I was a kid.” The guys remove the
rubber dampers in the triple clamps and
replace them with aluminium units. “Sure – we
sacrifice a bit of damping, but changing the inserts
just makes it all a bit stronger for national level”
says Kevin. “Tristan likes a more aggressive
stance, so we mount the bar clamps in the forward
position – it suits his riding style.” The stock ODI
grips and all of the switches are transferred to the
new bars.
• Remember we told you about KTM’s Bluetooth
app for adjusting power curves via your smart
phone? That unit is mounted in the handlebar
pad for the standard bars and plugs into the dash.
With the Renthal bars, they tuck it in behind the
number board.
• It’s time for the finishing touches. Out of another
box, another set of blank plastics appear
and are fitted to the bike. Fitting decals is just
about one of our worst jobs – these guys dressed
the bike in about 15 minutes flat with a custom kit
from the guys at Bandit signs.
It takes about ten minutes and once activated, the bikes warranty
starts.
“OK all done let’s see.” He tickles the starter and the big 450
rumbles to life. Such a cool feeling, a brand new bike – as close to
factory as you’ll get in SA.
Running the bike in takes about an hour – and during that time,
Kevin and Tristan swapped notes and played with all of the
suspension settings to get optimal drive. And it was fascinating to
watch. Tristan goes out, does a lap or two and comes back in, the
screwdrivers come out, Kevin fiddles a bit and off he goes. Another
lap or two – and back in. Constant feedback and testing like this
takes time, but he is grinning!
An hour in, the assembly oil is replaced and then the fun really
starts.
“There is always something special about a new bike – and this one
feels really, really good!” “I cannot wait for the first national!”
www.ktm.com
We asked if they touch the engines. “Nope. The SX 450 is
perfect out of the box.”
“Should we start her?” asks Kevin. Well – you can’t sit and
watch a four hour odd build without hearing the final result.
“Ok hang on a sec” – and he wanders back into the warehouse,
returning with a laptop like jobby. You cannot just
start a new four-stroke KTM out of the box. It needs to be
activated by your dealer. All of the information about your
bike is stored “In The Cloud”. Once it’s plugged in – the fuel
pumps etc all start kicking in.