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By: Jason Giacchino
Email:
offthepegs@atvsource.com
August 2007 - Off The Pegs
Word from Austria and Time
on the KFX
KTM's 450XC Sport ATV |
It is fairly common knowledge that utility
based ATVs and Side by Sides (UTVs) continually
post higher sales figures than their
performance-specific cousins. Not so commonly
known is that Austrian motorcycle manufacturer
KTM annually invests $40 million, or slightly
over 7 percent of its yearly sales revenue, into
racing programs.
Last month we discussed KTM’s
recent rash of victories on a pre-release sport
ATV piloted by Tim Farr. Since that time KTM
North America has become the 12th and latest
all-terrain vehicle manufacturer to join the
Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. This
latest partnership will more easily provide KTM
dealerships and ATV customers with information
about ATV safety and new rider training.
Up until now, KTM has funded off-road
motorcycle events and more recently various
supermoto and Moto GP competitions on account of
its yet young road bike program. Its latest
efforts will again emphasize the world of dirt
tracks, berms, and triple jumps as production
models of the race-quad begin to trickle into
dealerships. KTM's eagerness to race and
commitment to the vehicles they sell will make
this manufacturer's entry into the ATV market a
welcomed affair both at home in the United
States and abroad. As of 2005, the European ATV
market had finally reached numbers to suggest
that the ATV segment is actually growing faster
than the motorcycle market (which has been the
case in America for many years).
Surprisingly, competition quads are proving
to be the fastest growing segment of the ATV
market. Considering KTM’s proven competition
engine platform, their decision to join the
party makes perfect sense. Riders at all skill
levels will benefit from factory-backed racing
efforts as a means of funding and R&D that
should reach all facets of the sport.
The surge in manufacturer interest can
technically be traced back to 1999 when Honda
released the 400EX to a world of riders who had
collectively reached the limitations of racing
heavily modified TRX250R mills from over a
decade earlier. While the air cooled 397cc
engine didn’t exactly set the world on fire, it
did set the stage for rejuvenated OEM interest
and proved that 4-stroke technology could hang
with the, until then, 2-stroke dominated field.
KTM's 450XC |
Considering KTM’s exciting news comes
directly after Can-Am’s official release of the
DS450, we have hardly a moment to sit back and
reflect upon these great times. I finally had an
opportunity this past weekend to sample some
saddle time aboard the Kawasaki KFX450. To my
surprise the machine isn’t quite as motocross
ready as the Suzuki LTR450 but absolutely rules
the roost out on the trails. Cross Country
racers are going to delight with the new
Kawasaki. It reminded me initially of a
throatier more aggressive-handling version of
the short-lived KFX400 but proved its charms as
the day wore on. My cousin happened to be
mounted on his stock ’06 Suzuki LTR450 (Cherry
Bombed/exhaust baffle removed) which provided an
ideal platform for comparison. The Mean Green
Kawasaki gave up a little in the corners on the
MX track; and while it flew one of the
straightest courses of any quad I’ve ridden, the
stock suspension isn’t quite race-ready.
However, once we got into the rough and tumble
shaded world of twisting trails, the KFX made
short work of the more roost-happy ’Zook. Having
reverse proved priceless on more than one
occasion that found my cousin hunched over the
front of his quad, straining to push it
backward.
I foolishly thought that my mind had been
made up in selecting a new race model in the KFX,
but fear KTM and Can-Am have done all too well
with their marketing campaigns. I would be lying
if I said that my appetite to try either of
these two beasts hasn’t certainly been whetted.
Riders and racers alike really have to do their
homework when it comes to selecting a
performance machine these days--a problem many
of us are more than happy to endure.
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