|
By: Jason Giacchino
Email:
offthepegs@atvsource.com
November 2007 - Off The Pegs
A Few New Contenders
If you’ve taken a moment to follow the recent
adventures of Austria’s KTM, then you’ve most
certainly noticed an explosion of late.
The company has really made a name for itself in
the off-road ranks, dominating the two-wheeled
market for the past decade. Already known
for having the most engine configurations of any
manufacturer in the known Universe (as well as
one of few companies holding strong and
continuing development of two-stroke mills), it
appears our European friends have finally taken
notice of the powersports world beyond.
Supermoto, performance street bikes, race cars,
mountain bikes, and quads have all appeared on
KTM’s “To Do” list. Also, if past efforts
are any indication, KTM will not compromise on
any of these fronts.
Of course, we here at ATV Source are most
directly connected to the quad efforts at hand.
In fact about five years ago there was talk
among those in the industry alluding to the
potential of slapping a KTM 520 4-stroke engine
into a 250R Walsh racing chassis.
Apparently the quad was off the hook in terms of
handling and usable power, but KTM wasn’t yet in
the mood to consider ATVs at that production
level. Something happened between then and
now that changed their collective mind; and if
we were to venture a guess, it was probably a
result of the newly-born 450 class. KTM is
nothing if not extremely competitive, and
suddenly there was a new test of might in town.
In addition, their rocky road collaboration
with Polaris caused many to speculate an
interest in the quad market. Released as
2008 models, KTM has dropped two stunners on an
eagerly awaiting performance ATV industry; the
450 and 525XC. While the 525 is going to
appeal to desert riders, trail bums, and weekend
warriors everywhere, the 450 is going directly
to the front lines to do battle against Yamaha,
Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Can-Am’s entries.
Like the Kawie, the KTM will come with reverse.
Other box-stock options include Maxxis Razr
tires mounted to Douglas aluminum rims, Magura
hydraulic discs all around, Ohlins suspension,
and a tether cable/ kill switch.
Considering this modification is mandatory at
most sanctioned racing events around the globe,
it’s great to see that KTM is paying attention
to the little details that constitute a stock
machine’s race readiness.
 |
Interestingly, riders who wish to experience
the KTM way of doing things will have a few
other choices to pick from in 2008. Polaris,
never a company known for following the
traditional path, has decided to end production
of their 500cc Predator sport quad in favor of a
bunch of Outlaw models that will have stock KTM
power plants. Nothing against the oft-heralded
Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) equipped
model, we’re particularly excited about the two
straight axle (shock and swing arm) versions of
the 2008 Outlaw. Again, like the KTM models,
these bad boys will be offered in 525 and 450cc
variations. The 525 will be slightly more
trail-friendly with 20-inch rear tires, and
21-inch fronts, while the chassis and spec sheet
are otherwise identical to its 450cc sibling.
The Outlaw 450MXR, like its KTM cousin, is
focused on the highly competitive 450 class and
brings some interesting features to the table:
Electric start, reverse, Maxxis Razrs all
around, hydraulic clutch, steel-braided brake
lines, and Fox suspension components.
We often discuss the simple truth that these
are great days to be involved in ATV racing and
the manufacturers only continue to back up these
statements with their production lines. In
case you’ve lost count, this means that there
are now seven 450cc race quads on the market for
2008. In what used to be considered the
glory days of ATV racing (in the late 1980s)
there were only three 250cc models to choose
from. We’ve more than doubled that figure,
and it appears the manufacturers are just
getting started. Plus, and in taking a cue
from other forms of competition equipment, the
days of squeezing twenty years out of a model
without changes are long gone. Expect
tweaks and component variations for each model
year in an effort to get an edge over the
competition. Exciting times indeed; about
the only negative to this turn of events is that
indecisive purchasers (I’m not mentioning any
names) really have a lot to consider. I
guess it’s true what they say--when companies
compete with each other for our business, we all
win.
|
