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Driving report KTM 400 EXC

Odds and ends

New to the KTM competition machines is a smaller version of the 450 enduro, the 400 EXC.

Downsizing is trendy, word of that got around in off-road circles. So KTM canceled the brutal MX3 Crosser 505 SX-F due to lack of demand for 2009. The 530 enduro, on the other hand, remains, and the EXC series is supplemented by a 400 model. A displacement that after the disappearance of the 4th00 EXC Racing 2007 was missed by connoisseurs.

As part of the presentation of the model year 2009 in Linkoping, Sweden, MOTORRAD employee Didi Lacher was able to test the 400s in detail along with 16 other off-road models. “The perfect enduro” was his enthusiastic statement. The engine pushes out of the basement with considerably more torque than a 250, but does not crack as rudely as the 450. That brings less wheelspin, but more traction and propulsion. The 400 is much easier to control than a 450, especially on slippery roots and rock slabs. Not a fundamentally new finding, but its clear impact always surprising.

In the upper speed levels, the 400 proves to be free from giddiness, so that you can bring the power to the ground in quick, easy-to-grip special tests with the gas at the stop. In short: the ideal compromise that amateurs and professionals alike enjoy. Technically, the 400 series unit is based on the current ohc engine of the 450 series. Injection systems are being tested, but will only be used in the next generations. There were only minor modifications to the chassis and suspension for the 2009 model year. The leverless PDS suspension remains at the rear. For the time being also with the crossers, rumor has it that lever systems are being tested. The WP suspension components are no longer manufactured in the country of origin Holland, but by the parent company in Austria. The aim is to get a grip on the previous variations in quality and function. What obviously succeeded is the responsiveness of the WP forks in all variants. In terms of equipment and functionality, the EXC models are at the highest level anyway.

What’s new at KTM in 2009?

KTM

KTM has relocated the WP production from Holland to Austria in order to minimize the quality variations in the series.

For crossers and enduros, the 2009 vintage is modeled on model updates. Small modifications and improvements should optimize the performance. A noticeable feature of the Crosser 450 SX-F is a titanium manifold with a resonance chamber. The cross forks now have an effective hydraulic stop. The only thoroughly renovated model is the junior crosser 65 SX, the SX and EXC two-stroke models remain in the range.

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