Words: Ryan Marmont

The year 2016 is shaping up to be a milestone year for leading European manufacturer KTM, launching a brand new range of Austrian motocross models off the back of worldwide success with its factory racing teams.

MotoOnline.com.au was fortunate enough to be invited to the 2016 KTM media launch at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, this week to sample the all-new range prior to release.

Ironman Raceway is part of the AMA Pro Motocross calendar and is unique in its own way with big elevations, fast sweeping turns and some of the biggest jumps you will find on any motocross track around. It was the perfect place to introduce the range.

The bikes that we put to the test were the 450 SX-F, 350 SX-F, 250 SX-F, and also the 125 SX two-stroke. All of these models are more compact, lighter and boast more power throughout the entire range.

KTM have really put together some great packages here with these models and, from the ground up, the bikes have had a complete makeover. All apart from the 250 SX that is, which essentially remains unchanged and it wasn’t on offer at the intro.

Not only have they been able to create more power, they have also made the bike more compact and lighter. These are the kind of things that you look for when buying a bike and my initial impression was just how small and light these bikes truly are.

The 2016 KTM 450 SX-F is a bike that I have been excited to ride after seeing the success of Ryan Dungey and co. and it didn’t let me down. The power on this bike is one of the smoothest deliveries I have ever experienced on 450.

The whole package is just a pleasure to ride; the cornering is just mind-blowing and the weight saving of 3.6 kilograms is very noticeable on the track.

A lot of the features on the bike has been developed by the KTM team with the finest of details in mind, like non-clogging footpegs so when your pegs scrape in ruts they won’t fill up with mud, to the whopping 62 horsepower that the engine offers.

Stepping across to 2016 KTM 350 SX-F, this is a bike that flies under the radar and if you have never had the chance to ride one of these bikes, I really recommend taking one for a spin.

KTM have found more power for the mid-sized four-stroke once again and it is starting to feel like its becoming a standalone bike with its own identity in a lot of ways.

In the past people have filed this bike as a fast 250, but now it’s branched away from that. From the fist lap I did I felt comfortable and was very surprised in how well it pulled around the track.

The 350 SX-F has the power there to get you over the big jumps, but is light and agile enough so when you find yourself in a bad situation or get tired and it leads to a mistake, you might have a chance of saving it easier than a large capacity machine.

Across the the 2016 KTM 250 SX-F, it has got the changes I was looking for. The feeling on the track is that it has a very smooth power delivery with much more bottom-end than the previous model.

The 250 SX-F has very neat and balanced package with its powerful motor and lightweight chassis, so it’s a combination the effectively makes cornering a breeze.

Unlike the European models with air forks, the US-spec (which is what we will have in the Australian market) still have the 4CS fork, but with a new setting.

Overall the fork has a much better feel than the previous model, since KTM and WP have focused on trying to use all the travel of the fork without hitting a hard spot, which makes the front wheel want to push out in hard-pack turns.

In combination with the new shock and linkage design, which is a 2mm shorter shock with a longer linkage system, KTM have found a way to be able to lighten spring rates without the shock falling through the stroke. It noticeably stabilises the ride.

We also had the opportunity to sample the brand new 2016 KTM 125 SX, which like its four-stroke counterparts, is a very impressive package that will bring smiles to younger, developing riders globally.

Once again KTM have saved weight on this bike a massive two kilograms. It doesn’t sound like a lot on paper, but on a low capacity bike like this every bit counts.

And like the weight, power is a major benefactor on a 125cc and KTM have also managed to get more power out of the engine. That’s an impressive thing too, because this bike is already no stranger when it comes to power.

One of the first things I noticed about the bike is that on a two-stroke you get quite a bit of vibration through the handlebars, however KTM has minimised this by changing the design of the top triple clamp to a rubber-mounted system.

That rubber-mounted set-up is new across the board on the range of bikes we tested and it’s a simple, but effective step forward that’s for sure.

Now that we have been able to deliver a quick rundown to provide readers out first impressions on all of the 2016 KTM SX-F and SX models, rom this point we will get to work on the individual tests and upload each in a more in-depth number of reviews.

Stay tuned to MotoOnline.com.au for that content to be uploaded over the coming weeks, including an official release date and local pricing for the 2016 KTM models.

A full Gallery from the launch at Ironman Raceway featuring Simon Cudby’s photography can be found now on MotoOnline by visiting this link.

And for now, if you’re in search for complete technical information on the range, click this link for our ‘Bike’ feature on MotoOnline from when the bikes were first unveiled.