KTM 2009 Toon Army!
Published: 10th July 2008
Author: Words by Tony Marshall and Geoff Walker Photos by Jonty Edmunds and Redeye
KTM let rip with their 2009 range of MX, enduro and XC machines in Sweden where DBR’s crack crash test monkeys are on hand to ride, rag and rate the brand-new Toomers…
When it comes to all things off-road KTM are the undisputed European heavyweights and the Austrian marque have beaten the Japanese Big Four to the punch once again in the new-bike launch stakes.
KTM unveiled their 2009 Orange Army at the end of June in Sweden at the awesome motorsports facility just outside Linkoping, home of the Saab aircraft department. We sent Tony Marshall along to ride and rate the new MXers while Geoff Walker was given the task of evaluating the enduro machines.
Over to you Tone…
125/150SX
KTM’s little 125 has been at the top of its class for some time now so it’s always a pleasure for me to ride. This year I wasn’t expecting any changes or any major developments, just a few minor tweaks - stickers and plastics etc - but how wrong I was.
The bike feels a bit stronger than last year which is a shock. The motor’s so strong coming out of turns it sometimes feels more like it’s over-bored than a genuine 125 – it’s really responsive and the bottom-end hits with a mega punch. The 39mm carb from ’08 is replaced by a 38mm Keihin for ’09 which is more suited to the average rider and I prefer it too as you don’t have to ride the bike as hard and the power is ready and waiting.
The mid-range power picks up where the bottom-end leaves off and is just what you need coming out of faster turns or when you get yourself in a bit of trouble and need some extra braaap on tap.
The track was a good test for the motor with no shortage of places to try out the top-end. This bike pulls so hard and even when I tried to get it to bog on the landing of the jumps it just wasn’t having it. Not once did this motor even think about dying on me.
The chassis feels the same as last year, as do all the controls and also the riding position.
The 150 sees all the same changes as the 125 - and the same benefits too. The new 38mm carb is more noticeable on the bottom-end and for me the 150 is a total weapon – and anyone who disagrees is either a liar or needs a diagram showing them the difference between their arse and their elbow.
125/150SX
Capacity: 124.8/143.6cc
Bore and stroke: 54mm x 54.5mm/56mm x 58.5mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin PWK-S 38AG
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1471mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 91kg
250SX
What a bike! If you’d said to me a few years ago that the bike I felt most comfortable riding was a 250 two-stroke I would never have believed you. The 250cc had always been a handful for me and not that much fun but on this evidence I’d say the ’09 quarter-litre machine has got to be the ultimate clubman bike.
Before the new wave of four-strokes came along all the manufacturers were turning out hard-hitting two-stroke 250s which were hard to ride and took all the fun out of the job for the average punter. This bike has such smooth power you sometimes think it’s slow but it’s not and I could ride the bike harder and there didn’t seem to be any waste of power - it felt like the rear wheel was making full use of all the ponies on offer.
Out of the crate this bike is so suited to my riding style. The jetting is very slightly on the rich side which also flattens out the power a bit which I find makes it easier to ride, especially on the type of ground we tested on - hard underneath but loose on top. I could be a little more aggressive with this bike and take a few liberties – and get away with them - which in the past was never the case with a 250 two-stroke.
With it being a bit rich on the jetting it felt like it needed the needle dropping by one to sharpen it up but it was a lot of fun riding this round this hard but loamy track. Coming into the turns it’s really stable and when hitting braking bumps the rear end stays on line and I never felt like I was fighting it. The front forks felt like they were packing and not returning quick enough so I stiffened the forks up, adjusted the rebound and this was history. With five bikes to test you don’t always get the chance to play with the settings too much but the changes really worked well.
250SX
Capacity: 249cc
Bore and stroke: 66.4mm x 72mm
Transmission: Five-speed
Carburettor: Keihin PWK 36SAG
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 95kg
250SX-F
I personally like the look of the KTM four-bangers but there’s one thing I would do if I had a 250F or 450F in my garage and that’s bin the handguards! They may be handy on a stony track but I think they look very Euro and I hate them.
The 250F was the bike I was most looking forward to riding out of the four-strokes and I wasn’t disappointed once I’d turned a few laps and got a feel for the 2009 model. The rear shock soaks up hard landings with complete ease and under power it tracks in a straight line without the rear ever really feeling like it wants step out. I did have a few moments over braking bumps when the rear wanted to kick me but I didn’t need to change any settings, just my riding position. I moved my bodyweight back a little so it was more central and the kicking stopped immediately which let me carry more speed into the turns.
The front end of this bike is so well balanced with the rear and when cornering it’s very positive going into, through and exiting turns. There were a couple of times I didn’t think I was going to get onto the line I was aiming for - let alone hold it around the turn – but it never let me down. This bike really does make it feel easy. Put simply the 250F puts the fun back into riding for me.
The motor didn’t feel any stronger from last year, just a bit more responsive which I could mostly feel on the bottom. It’s really torquey so there’s plenty of power even when I was a bit lazy with the gearbox at times and should have been down a gear. And that’s the big plus over the 125 - if you mess up halfway through a turn there’s no panic to go down through the box and get the revs up.
With the layout of this track it gave a good test of how strong this bike really does pull and landing from the fast jumps was such a good test for the four-bangers as the revs can die or bog on landing. The KTM hasn’t done this for a few years now - they really do seem to have this right.
The brakes work so well but what else would you expect from a company like Brembo? The partnership between the brakes and front forks works like the perfect marriage with such a progressive feel.
KTM really do bolt on some nice bits and the hydraulic clutch is a stand-out part - I really don’t understand why the Japanese have not looked into this. I just love the way the lever feels and works and I have never lost any adjustment or sensed any sign of fading. The bite is spot on and the whole thing just has a nice and easy feel to it.
250SX-F
Capacity: 248.6cc
Bore and stroke: 76mm x 54.8mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin FCR-MX 39
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 98kg
450SX-F
The test of this bike gets off to a great start – thanks to the electric start (boom, boom)! No wasting energy to get this baby fired up. Restarting from a crash and trying to get a hot 450 fired back up has tended to be a big problem but the electric boot works really well and didn’t miss a beat all day. Just need to remember to stick it on charge after your day’s riding!
A full-on 450 is a bit of a handful – a proper man’s bike - and with the test track really loose and hard I was dreading my time fighting to keep the rear end under control. It took a few laps before I stopped expecting the rear end to break free from underneath me and realised that all this bike wants to do is track with the rear working brilliantly with the front coming out of turns. The riding position feels very similar to the 250 and fitting Renthal bars as stock speaks for itself.
The front forks have a really nice feel to them - no stiff part of the stroke, just very progressive feel - although there were a couple of times when I thought I had bottomed them out as I felt I was using most of the travel. The WPs work so good coming into the turns - not once did it feel like the front wheel wanted to break away from underneath me on this hard ground. Just as with the rest of the range the rear shock soaked up everything I could throw at it and exiting turns and hitting rough sections there was no need to come off the gas to let the bike straighten itself up.
This motor has no silly hard-hitting punch from the bottom-end which makes it so nice to ride and a lot of fun for a 450. I didn’t find myself fighting with the bike to keep it under control, instead I just enjoyed the very progressive power. Mid-range was maybe a bit more aggressive and while still very useable called for a little more respect. And the 450 certainly doesn’t lack power on the top-end – there was loads to spare and all of it was well outside my comfort zone.
450SX-F
Capacity: 449.3cc
Bore and stroke: 97mm x 60.8mm
Transmission: Four-speed
Carburettor: Keihin FCR-MX 41
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 104kg
125EXC
With the baby of the bunch getting a new cylinder to improve low-down power as well as a new piston I was looking forward to taking this little ripper onto the track. The bike is fun and although it is improved in the power department I have to take it on the chin that I am just too big a lump for this little bundle of joy!
The bike cries out to be ridden fast and aggressive but it still responded pretty well to my excess weight. The light feeling to the bike makes you think it can be simply picked up and carried. It really does feel that light. Rock steps and technical sections are a breeze on the 125 and when it was time to cut it loose it wanted to rev to the moon. I’m sure it was laughing at my grimace as I let it rev.
This bike loves to be caned and it was awesome to hear that pure crisp note as it whipped along. Wind it up and cut it loose, this little bike has speed beyond its cubes!
125EXC
Capacity: 124.8cc
Bore and stroke: 54mm x 54.5mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin PWK 36SAG
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1471mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 97kg
200EXC
The 200 never fails to bring a smile to a rider’s face and my comedy Oirish cheeks do tend to head north when I get the chance to cut loose on one.
The 200 shares the newly-developed Magura clutch master cylinder and flex lever with the 125 as well as the higher efficiency intake flange and switchable ignition which appears on all the two-strokes. The 200EXC just feels right and I found the improvements in these details give the bike a faster and more positive feel on the differing conditions of the track. The bike stayed true and the light feel it shares with the 125 makes it a much easier bike to ride for me.
The extra smooth power from the early revs make pick-up out of every turn just a fraction quicker than the 125 when in my hands while the roll-on power makes the 200 an excellent bike for trail riders and those humans looking for a confidence-inspiring bike. This bike does nothing scary and with the smooth roll-on power it will help find grip in most conditions.
200EXC
Capacity: 193cc
Bore and stroke: 64mm x 60mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin PWK 36SAG
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1471mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 97kg
250EXC
Having spent a fair bit of time on two fiddy two-strokes it was no surprise to find the 250EXC handled the enduro loop with no worries. The power delivery on the bike lets you know that you have to be fairly serious about your sport to make the best of the motor.
With two different exhaust control springs provided with the bike and the dual ignition the bike can be tamed but the fun with this bike is its feedback to the rider. It wants to be ridden hard and whether it is set on its softest power setting or most aggressive set-up, the motor and chassis combination make you want to go faster in all situations.
The electric start system which is used on the 300EXC is available to retro fit onto the 250. I believe Juha Salminen used this set up at Erzberg this year so it comes as a pretty highly recommended hop up for the 250EXC.
250EXC
Capacity: 249cc
Bore and stroke: 66.4mm x 72mm
Transmission: Five-speed
Carburettor: Keihin PWK 36SAG
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 101kg
300EXC
The daddy of enduro bikes at the moment? Ask Samuli Aro. The Finnish fun guy is leading the world on one and talking to him about the bike he is certain it is helping him to his healthy results even with the horrific finger injury he suffered a short time ago.
The 300 comes with the electric start as standard for ’09 as well as the switchable ignition and exhaust control spring choice. All this coupled with a chassis which I found to be massively improved by the new front forks and rear shock action make this bike hard to beat. The power delivery in every form is useable and user-friendly. Rolling on the power in every condition I found the 300 to behave and hook up creating awesome forward motion even across the large outcrops of rocks and the flat grassy turns. There is absolutely no break in the linear power to interrupt a power slide or cause a dip when shifting gears in tough going.
The torque produced by this bike is a rider and a racer’s dream. Light, useable, comfortable, smooth and blindingly fast when required. What a bike…
300EXC
Capacity: 293.2cc
Bore and stroke: 72mm x 72mm
Transmission: Five-speed
Carburettor: Keihin PWK 36SAG
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 103kg
250EXC-F
The smallest of the four-strokes receives a few changes for ’09 which include new camshafts aimed at providing another boost in bottom-end power and to make the bike more responsive, the titanium valves have new springs and valve guides which allow for less moving mass and maximum valve lift. The gearbox also gets a beef-up on the shifting gear for third and fourth gears and a modified idler gear for third gear means the durability is improved.
The bike is probably the easiest bike in the entire range to just jump on and ride. It is soft in its delivery and as each year passes in this new era of the 250EXC-F it seems to become lighter in its overall ride feel and more powerful and free-revving. The test bike felt great in all but one situation – it didn’t like being loaded from a slow turn in a high gear. This would cause a cut out so as a quick fix I simply turned the idle up a little on the carb. This eased the problem but a small jetting change coupled with a race exhaust would bring this bike out kicking and screaming.
There is nothing wrong with the power delivery and once the bike was above the first eighth of the throttle movement it would kick on and go. My time on the loop was pretty fast on the 250F and although not quite as quick as the 300 and 530, I was a lot fresher after the laps on the little bike.
250EXC-F
Capacity: 248.6cc
Bore and stroke: 76mm x 54.8mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin FCR-MX 39
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 106kg
400EXC
The new/old kid on the block is back by popular demand. The 400 was a long-time favourite for trail riders and racers due to its easy and ample power and smooth delivery.
The 400 was missing from the range when the new SOHC engine was launched on the EXC bikes last year but KTM have developed the 400 engine to give a super friendly power coupled with easy handling. The motor differs from the 450 and 530 by way of a shorter stroke, a new camshaft and ignition map. The 400, like the other bigger bikes, benefits from a modified and improved auto decompression system which along with the new cold start setting helps with starting in all conditions. The two separate oil circuits in the motor keep the gearbox and clutch oil separate from the combustion tract oil, the clutch is also improved with more oil flow through the outer hub and uprated clutch plates.
The 400 is a joy on the test. The power is nicely delivered and would be easy to handle for every level of rider. The power is inspiring and the new front forks really start to come into their own on the bigger four-strokes. The plusher feeling eases fatigue and this works really effectively on the 400 as the power allows you to ride easier for longer.
400EXC
Capacity: 393.4cc
Bore and stroke: 95mm x 55.5mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin FCR-MX 39
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 114kg
450EXC
The 450 was a pleasant surprise for me at this test as I am not a massive fan of the 450cc power delivery on most bikes. I normally find them difficult to manage when it comes to general grip and keeping the power going to the ground. The ’09 450 KTM is by far the most mellow KTM motor they have produced in as much as the delivery is smoother and lighter in feel to any of the previous 450cc bikes I have tested before from the marque. With this power delivery all the best traits from the bike can come to the surface.
The seating and standing position on the 450 and the rest of the bikes is roomy and comfortable and the bodywork helps you grip the bike with your legs, making your arms and body less fatigued. Turning on the 450 is improved by the power delivery and the grip from the tyres makes life easy. This motor still delivers a punch in the woods but for ’09 that punch is more of a love tap than a knockout.
450EXC
Capacity: 449.3cc
Bore and stroke: 95mm x 63.4mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin FCR-MX 39
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 114kg
530EXC
Less is more? More is more? I am going with the latter. When it comes to a great power deliver KTM seem to have things under control with their biggest capacity motor - the 530EXC-F runs with a 505cc engine and this big boy delivers.
For a big bike the 530 has the feel of something smaller and with the improvement in the suspension becoming more noticeable as the size of the bike increases, I found the 530 to handle and turn incredibly well. The going on the loop made for a fully focussed ride and hitting every rock and root the 530 pushed its way through the tougher stuff. The chassis improvements really do work well on the ’09 models and the 530 proved this to me as I have been spending a bit of time on the ’08 model lately.
530EXC
Capacity: 510.4cc
Bore and stroke: 95mm x 72mm
Transmission: Six-speed
Carburettor: Keihin FCR-MX 39
Front suspension: WP USD 48mm (300mm travel)
Rear suspension: WP PDS (335mm travel)
Front brake: 260mm disc
Rear brake: 220mm disc
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Seat height: 985mm
Weight: 114kg
Strength in numbers!
KTM give you more…
Sales are going strong in the enduro market and KTM are embracing this with more enduro bikes being produced than motocross machines. The total range for enduro and XC racing from KTM for ’09 is 15 different production bikes! Mahoosive! These consist of eight EXC models including the all new 400, six EXC Six Days Specials (125, 250, 300 two-stroke and 250, 450, 530 four-stroke) and the new 505 XC-F.
Some of the changes for ’09 are implemented across the entire range of bikes. The front forks are still open cartridge units but the cartridge is new and the inner and outer tubes are also new along with the bearing seat for the slide bush. These changes are aimed at making the fork work in a smoother way. As well as these internal changes the rebound adjuster on the top of the fork is a new star-shaped unit which makes for easier adjustments.
The rear shocks have a stronger PDS needle and the second piston is redesigned to make the damping action more user-friendly.
There are plastic frameguards fitted to protect the powder-coated frame tubes from boot wear. The look for ’09 has changed with the move to more black on the rad scoops. All engine covers have a new coating with a different colour and are apparently stronger. A new ‘no return’ valve is fitted to the fuel breather pipe and the new seat has been made stronger, is 150gm lighter and also more comfortable.
The Six Days specials are available for the first time to normal customers who want something a little different without having to go through the pain of six days of competition in Greece! These specials feature a different seat cover, dual-metal Stealth rear sprocket, engine guards, transparent fuel tank, machined triple clamps, PHDS damped handlebar clamps, handguards, fork bleed vents, frame guards, quick-change front spindle insert and, of course, the Six Days graphics kit.
KTM 530EXC
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