KTM unveiled the newest Factory Edition race bikes.
The good news is there is still a 250F FE, the bad news is this year’s Factory
Edition racers will not have the radical advances that we saw over each of the
past two years. The ‘standard’ 2017 KTM 450SX-F and 250SX-F are not exactly in
need of much, though. The 250F recently scored a second in our 250F MX
Shootout, and the 450 MX Shootout results… well, we haven’t published those
yet, but the SX-Fs are both very competitive bikes in their classes.
The biggest change on the new Factory Editions is
updates to the suspension. Both machines get some new fork pieces – each side
of the WP separate function fork gets something: a new air piston, air seal and
rebound spring on the left side and a new piston on the damping leg on the
right. In addition to the hardware changes, there are valving updates both
front and rear. These changes are not targeted at pro-only riders, they are
updates to make these bikes better for the same target customer KTM aimed the
2017 ‘standard’ SF-X models at.
In addition to the suspension changes, the bikes get
aftermarket slip on mufflers. The 450 gets an Akrapovic muffler, and the 250F
gets an FMF muffler. They each get their own race team graphics (Red Bull KTM
for the 450 and Troy Lee Designs for the 250), as well as orange anodization to
the CNC machined triple clamps.
A compact SOHC engine effectively delivers explosive
power to the ground, thanks to traction control, launch control and a
two-position map switch. Updated WP AER 48 forks and rear shock elevate the 450
SX-F’s already-stellar handling, while a titanium Akrapovic muffler sheds
weight. Top it all off with CNC-machined orange anodized triple clamps, D.I.D.
DirtStar rims and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing replica graphics and you have a
recipe for success at any level of racing
The combination of a powerful and torquey engine in
a lightweight and agile chassis is the key to its success. A powerful – yet
compact – DOHC engine, refined WP AER 48 forks, orange anodized triple clamps,
an FMF titanium muffler, launch control and D.I.D. DirtStar rims make for a
READY TO RACE machine that has no equal.
If you think the Factory Editions are too
narrowly focused on pro riders, think again, they are just the next step
forward for the SX-F line. That said, right after the bikes were introduced,
KTM did team introductions of their 2017 racers on the Red Bull, Rocky Mountain
ATV/MC, and Troy Lee Designs- backed teams then send them out on the KTM supercross
test track so we could see what these Factory Editions could do.
