By now, you know the MY24 KTM enduros are ‘95% all-new’ with everything changed but the wheels. You’ll have seen journos frothing over a closed chamber spring fork, XACT replacing XPLOR and a myriad of other upgrades. You might have read that they have robot welded frames and wondered what the hell that means, other than a new chassis. It looks good by the way. I was curious so I bought a 2024 KTM 450 EXC-F to see what all the fuss was about.
There are other nice touches. The seat through to the tank is flat, making it easy to correctly position and transition your body through corners. The ergonomics are spot on, with a shift to benefit shorter riders compared with previous models. The footpegs have fantastic grip, the handle bars are quality (as is the KTM bar pad) and everything feels well integrated. In the flesh, it looks unreal.
So you can understand why a rider might be drawn to a ‘24 model KTM. But why a 450? Wouldn’t you either go for a razor sharp 350 or desert weapon 500 which is what the annual sales data usually suggests?
Personally I think 450s have a bit of a middle child reputation, difficult to handle and hot under the collar. Five hundred’s are torquier and less manic, making them easy to get along with especially for lazy riders. The ‘little brother’ in this four-stroke trio, the 350 rails corners, is rider friendly and revs out hard, keeps up with the big kids in all but the deepest sand and can often show them a clean set of wheels through the corners.
In contrast the 450 is a nice surprise and feels like a master of all trades. In stock form it has the smooth power of the 500, with a little less torque, is fast yet easy to manage and tips into corners naturally. Back to back, I felt like the 60 extra cc on the 500 (it’s actually a 510cc motor) was trying to stand the bike up through corners. Ironically the 450 tipped into corners similarly to the 350 giving the best of both worlds.
The Background.
How many times have you ridden a new bike in off-road conditions before buying it let alone the entire range from two of your favourite brands? Unless you’re a racer or journalist the answer is probably never. At a recent Find-n-Trax forest ride in South Australia we had free reign to test brand new 2024 enduro bikes, courtesy of Kessner KTM on a five kilometre test loop.
My 2023 Husqvarna FE501 set a high bar as the reference point. It was, until now the best bike I’ve owned and in some ways an unfair comparison. It has pro suspension courtesy of Banks Race Development, including a WP Pro Trax 8950 shock & WP 6500 fork inserts coupled with heavier springs. I then fitted a Quadlock, rode 75 kilometres to Mt Crawford forest, and carved up gnarly forest tracks all day, bummed some fuel from mates and set off home again, the perfect Sunday.
I knew the 2024s would be strong after four years of development but I wasn’t planning on buying one, not after emptying the coffers on a MY23 FE501 just seven months prior. Testing the bikes was just about fun and feeding a curiosity. I was also keen to test a theory that I’d love the Husqvarna most due to the linkage shock, and brilliance of the chassis.
Prior generations I found more stable than KTMs, with the orange bikes prone to headshake. In the forest corners I thought an agile free revving 350 would shine but throw in a few straights and whoops it would be the torquey tractable 500 engine as my favourite. I also assumed the 450 would carry on the tradition of being the more aggressive ‘racer’. Lastly I was prepared to hate the Braktec brakes as I have with my previous Husky & GASGAS bikes.
Although the differences between the FE350, KTM 450 EXC-F and 500 EXC-F were quite subtle and one or two laps on each bike felt brief, I was almost exactly wrong with my predictions which makes me even more grateful for the test rides. The first cab off the rank was the ‘24 Husqvarna FE350.
The Braktec clutch is super light and feels fantastic, clearly improved and possibly the best I’ve experienced. They didn’t get much mention in the reviews I read, but I think they’ll be very popular especially for hard enduro riders. The Braktec brakes are brilliant. A complete turnaround from last year and I’m genuinely surprised.
The bike feels small, very small. In the standing attack position it’s a little comical. I’m six foot three but comfortable on the older chassis standing. No doubt small riders will love this, but for taller desert racers and adventure riders I don’t think this downsizing will be as welcome.
I did have one moment, which I’ll put down to the rider, where the throttle got stuck, pinned in 3rd or 4th gear. Spearing off track, somehow I didn’t cartwheel through the creek bed, or hit a tree in the forest before bringing the bike (and my mini heart attack) to a stop. The bike had 0.2 hours on it.
Next I took the KTM 450 EXC-F for a spin. Straight away the taller KTM felt better ergonomically. The extra 10mm in the rear shock and subsequent steering angle change does feel more natural if you’re over six foot.
The Brembo brakes and clutch felt very similar to the Braktec, in fact I could no longer tell they’re the premium version. The bike turned like the 350 and the extra power was welcome. It certainly wasn’t a handful, anything but as it’s all so smooth.
Switching up to the KTM500 I noticed a little extra torque but never felt like I was having more fun. The suspension on all the bikes was brilliant and I couldn’t tell the difference between PDS and Linkage, which is all I could hope for. In fact it the gap between the standard 2024 model, and a WP pro was closer than I expected.
It’s not just the suspension it’s the whole chassis which is improved. The bikes rail more easily and get front wheel grip naturally, which I believe is linked to the anti-squat characteristics. The flat seat, amazing brakes, low centre of gravity and natural controls make this the most complete bike I’ve ridden. One which should only get better with WP Pro suspension and premium tyres.
FAST FORWARD.
I quickly sold my FE501 and the WP pro suspension separately (luckily WP pro gear holds its value), then struck a deal with Kessner on a brand new KTM 450 EXC-F. Other than a bash plate, it came stock. There were no map switches available in Australia at the time, or spare plastics, both were on the shopping list. My plan was to swap plastics immediately along with custom SKDA stickers and keep the original plastics, tyres, wheels & chain as new for later resale.
Before the first ride I fitted heavy duty tubes encased in the latest Michelin Starcross 6 medium compound tyres and for the first time I bought a WP Excel wheel set from WP. An expensive luxury or super practical investment? Time will tell, but I’ve seen lots of trail rides end prematurely due to a flat tyre, and I am really looking forward to having spare wheels. They will also fit lots of my mates’ bikes, and I’m the first in our group to own a set. To round out phase one of the build, a gold EK O-ring chain an orange rear Supersprox 51T sprocket for longevity and some bling.
Initial impressions were very positive. Riding it home from the dealership I couldn’t believe how much smoother the bike was through the gears versus the FE501, absent from vibration. Vibration plays a part in fatigue in the desert.
Running the bike in came courtesy of two great riding sessions in SA’s Riverland. The Michelin tyres have amazing grip, and a deep tread pattern which really leaves its mark. The standard Maxxis are an improvement on previous generations but the Michelins are a step up.
Initially I left the suspension stock, it’s excellent and able to handle really big drop offs or jumps with aplomb. I love how it’s no longer super soft like the last model (2020 – 2023) and actually made to take some hits. It took me launching off a three metre high bank into a dry riverbed 20 times to hit the limits.
Eventually with some speed and a crook landing I used 100% of the travel. Although it bottomed out, it wasn’t harsh, the new hydro stops in the suspension work. Some fast riders have complained that the chassis is stiff, (even harsh) but I didn’t find that. I just like it, and the firmness. Conversely I hate overly soft bikes which I feel are slow, squirrelly and dangerous in fast whooped out riding.
After the first 5 hours running the bike in I would say this bike lives up to the mantra “ready to race.” You could literally race it stock. The last generation was “almost ready to race” if you sorted the suspension.
It’s far more beautiful in the flesh and the engineering details make you happy. The LED headlight, new fuse box, torque specs on bolts, plastics etc have improved. The stock suspension is so much better than 2023 it’s not funny.
The ‘anti squat’ might take some getting used to. It feels heavier in the front. This is great in corners where it finds front wheel traction, but a little less natural in the whoops when trying to loft the front wheel.
Did I mention that 450s are also a great all-rounder, and the maximum capacity for FIM rally racing? So I’ll be setting the bike up with that in mind, doing lots of modifications and letting you know what works well, and what doesn’t so stay tuned.
WORDS & PHOTOS | Ed Hartley
