Regions and Tracks
KTM announces the release of the 2nd generation KTM 450 SX–F Factory Edition motorcycle developed in collaboration with the Red Bull KTM Team and KTM’s R&D in the US and Austria. Each special edition model comes with a limited edition sticker that lists a model number for the unit out of the 555 models produced.
A completely new, significantly lighter engine, featuring groundbreaking injection technology, guarantees brutal yet controllable power. Packed into a chassis, which has been improved massively in terms of bodywork, frame and suspension, the KTM 450 SX–F 2013 sets a new benchmark among the 450 four–strokes in terms of performance and manoeuvrability with its easy handling.
DirtRider Magazine timely and credible heads–up info on 2013 model.
Watch the video to learn everything directly from the editors.
"Enduro Tracks" reached the age of 2 years old.
During the last 24 months there is continuing change-process. Everything in the "Enduro Tracks" framework and its ecosystem has been changed.
Looking this into perspective, the last two years should not disappoint us after decades of enduro in the Greek mountains. Let’s consider them as only a temporary hurdle. Something like a roadblock in the forest path due to a fallen tree, or rolled stones. Greek countryside remains as beautiful and inviting as ever. The few of the group remaining still active, will definitely revive the activities, registering more experiences in the "Enduro Tracks" microSite.
Most recent one was the Artotina, Grammeni Oxya ride @ September 2012. Before that was Aspropotamos.
Watch this space for the next coming track…
KTM with 450 EXC brings the Six Days Enduro Championship to you. This 450 EXC is "ready to race" for the world’s largest enduro competition, the "International Six Days Enduro". Six days in succession, over a thousand offroad kilometres, 40 hours in the saddle – a gruelling test, not only for the rider. A whole package of high–quality special options makes the 450 EXC fit for this ruthless contest, in which more than half the starters bank on KTM every year. 450 EXC Six Days – the genuine article with the orange powder–coated frame of the KTM Factory Team.
Husaberg presents its models for the 2011 model year. The existing model range has been technically and visually refined even further and, for the first time in the 22–year history of Husaberg, 2–stroke bikes have been included in the model range.
The revolutionary Yamaha YZ450F will have many gazing far into the future. By slanting the cylinder rearward and reversing the intake and exhaust ports, the YZ450F’s mass is more centralized for amazing balance, unprecedented handling and cornering. The Bilateral Beam frame and suspension offer fantastic feedback to the rider. Add fuel injection and you’ll agree: backward is the right way forward.
The 2010 YZ450F garnered the reputable title of Dirt Rider Magazine’s "Bike of the Year." Not to mention Cycle World’s "Best Motocrosser" and Motorcycle Magazine’s "Best Dirtbike of 2010."
YZ450F’s rearward–slanted cylinder is a revolutionary advancement that achieves unmatched mass centralization, concentrating inertial mass toward the center of the machine. This bold design also swaps traditional intake and exhaust positions, putting the lightweight airbox and throttle body out front. This contributes to mass centralization for nimble handling while also achieving a straight intake tract for superb combustion efficiency that delivers more power.
The cylinder is offset so the connecting rod is vertical at the moment of greatest combustion force, minimizing piston friction against the cylinder wall that could rob power. That means quicker response.
The 4–titanium valve cylinder head is matched to a fuel injection system developed specifi cally for the YZ450F. Instantly adapts to changing air/fuel mixtures depending on altitude and temperature, for an engine that delivers no matter what conditions.
The aluminum Bilateral Beam frame provides a superb rigidity balance that complements the engine for unmatched lightweight handling and cornering. The result? The best cornering, most nimble 450F for all track conditions. Revamped looks deliver new–generation styling, including front and rear fenders, intake cover, front fork protector, and number plate, along with the fuel tank and seat.
Accessory GYTR® Power Tuner lets bike tuners adjust air/fuel mixture and ignition timing maps to match engine performance characteristics to the rider and track conditions.
New clutch lever and pushrod for more consistent clutch feel during long motos.
The rearward–slanted engine allowed engineers to design straight intake and exhaust ports, creating the most direct path for air flow into the fuel–injected engine for incredible performance.
The YZ450F uses a battery–less fuel injection system with a 12–hole injector for superb fuel atomization. The 44mm Keihin® throttle body is designed for easy starting, with an integrated cold start and idle speed adjustment knob. Yamaha FI provides optimal air/fuel mixtures in all altitudes and wide range of temperatures for outstanding throttle response.
14 volt / 110W high output generator powers the battery less fuel injection system.
4–titanium valve cylinder head with a "pent–roof" design combustion chamber provides excellent combustion efficiency and unequalled power output.
Intake and exhaust camshaft profile changes to increase valve working angle and valve lift for most excellent performance at all rpm.
The bigger 97.0mm bore and shorter 60.8mm stroke, along with a higher 12.5:1 compression ratio, create a combustion chamber that delivers really impressive power.
The air filter case is changed to accommodate the engine layout. Putting it up front keeps dirt and dust kicked up from the rear tire away from the intake system.
"Tornado–style" exhaust header with resonator efficiently scavenges exhaust gasses and helps the engine achieve its exceptional low–to–mid range torque characteristics, while the 150mm–longer muffler comfortably meets the latest noise standards without a sacrifice of power.
Clutch and transmission components have been designed to give the rider great shifting feel.
The aluminum Bilateral Beam frame is crafted from a carefully chosen combination of forged and extruded aluminum, 16 components in all, for the right rigidity balance and light weight. A very symmetrical chassis design promotes nimble handling, letting riders enter and exit corners as quickly as possible to put the competition behind them.
Skid plate is constructed from tough polypropylene for great protection and low weight.
The swingarm and rear shock are redesigned, with the shock mounted along the central axis of the frame, taking advantage of the space no longer needed for the front–mounted airbox. This optimized combination delivers exceptionally linear performance for excellent bump absorption and awesome cornering ability.
The KYB® Speed Sensitive front fork has excellent feel and shock absorption. KYB® rear shock with large capacity piggy back reservoir and 50mm piston for more consistent damping control.
Fuel tank is positioned underneath the seat, contributing to the centralized mass. The seat is long and flat for to allow free rider movement.
Rear sprocket shape has a trick appearance and is light weight.
The triple clamps are designed, with a change in offset from 25 to 22 mm for unequalled cornering performance. The ProTaper® bars are four–way adjustable to accommodate a wide range of riders.
The front and rear fenders, along with the number plate, side cover and front fork protector have been designed for an aggressive look. A minimalistic design is used to accentuate the handling character of the bike. Less plastic is used to expose and enhance the lightweight aluminum frame.
Fuel pump is small and lightweight, as is the compact transistor ignition unit.
Riders have a choice of two color options: Team Yamaha Blue and White or White and Red.
Racing improves the breed; Suzuki has proven that, time and time again. Now it’s time to rewrite the rules for the serious off-road rider. Introducing the 2010 Suzuki RMX450Z.
Descended from the Championship winning RM-Z450, the first motocross bike to offer high-performance Suzuki fuel injection, the RMX450Z is a serious off-road bike for serious trail riders. Its powerful and torquey 449cm3, liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine shares all core technology with Suzuki’s winning open-class motocrosser. Its frame, suspension and bodywork are all nearly identical to the RM-Z450’s–maintaining that model’s slim, aggressive styling. Only changes to make the RMX450Z a superior trail machine have been made–maximum performance – no compromises. That’s like taking your hard-core motocross machine out onto the trail. Only better. Much better.
Suzuki pioneered fuel injection for motocrossers, and the RMX450Z shares all key technologies with the stunning RM-Z450. Fuel injection improves fuel efficiency, throttle response and reduces emissions, allowing the RMX450Z to be "green sticker" eligible in the state of California. On the every trail in the world, the RMX450Z’s fuel injection provides unmatched smoothness of power delivery and trail-ready reliability thanks to a KEIHIN throttle body with progressive linkage. This advanced fuel injection system also eliminates the need for re-jetting at higher elevations. To best suit the RMX450Z to life on the trail, the airbox features a hinged lid for quick air-filter maintenance and better protection from dust. Suzuki’s vast experience with motorcycle fuel injection both on and off-road help make this among the best systems available.
The trail is no place to wear yourself out kick-starting a bike, so the RMX450Z comes with an electric starter, energized by a compact battery centrally located to reduce its influence on weight distribution and balance of the bike. To charge the battery and power the RMX450Z’s lights, a larger magneto-generator is fitted. It’s a win-win situation.
Suzuki has made minimal modifications to the all-conquering RM-Z450’s potent four-valve, DOHC engine for the RMX450Z. This lightweight engine now features a modified inlet tract along with revised cam profiles to increase low and mid-rpm power. Wider gear ratios in the 5-speed constant-mesh transmission that work with revised primary and final-drive ratios are ideally suited for a broad range of conditions, from scaling steep trails to high-speed open-terrain riding. The addition of a coolant reservoir tank increases on-trail reliability, while a relocated filler cap improves access. Because the trail can be a rocky place, a new engine protector plate is fitted. No stone was left unturned.
Intake port angle and cam timing result in reduced intake resistance and heightened intake efficiency. Exhaust port and cam timing are designed to regulate exhaust pulses for maximum engine performance
KEIHIN fuel pump located inside the fuel tank provides stable pressure delivery to operate the fuel injection system Semi-dry-sump lubrication system features separate oil chambers for the transmission and crankshaft using the transmission as the oil sump, allowing low crankshaft placement, reduced engine height and a low center of gravity
Hot start lever is located on the right hand side of the handlebar for easy operation while holding the clutch
Suzuki’s light and effective aluminum alloy twin-spar frame construction is used in the RMX450Z, employing both cast and extruded sections for the utmost benefits of both: low weight, high rigidity, and high durability. The RMX450Z’s aluminum alloy swingarm is derived from the RM-Z450’s to maintain ideal balance, while the rear suspension linkage benefits from reduced free play. Its geometry combines the RM series’ renowned turning-on-rails abilities with optimized handling performance that all serious trail riders want.
Derived from the RM-Z450, the RMX450Z’s trail ready suspension features the same phenomenal action as the race bike. The RMX450Z suspension utilizes high performance rebound and compression damping adjustable Showa forks combined with a Showa piggyback reservoir style rear shock featuring two-way adjustable compression damping with adjustable rebound damping and preload adjustments. Spring rates have been optimized for off-road riding. Every aspect of the RMX450Z’s performance envelope has been carefully considered for serious off-road riding without compromising a millimeter of quality.
Suzuki has made minimal modifications to the all-conquering RM-Z450’s potent four-valve, DOHC engine for the RMX450Z. This lightweight engine now features a modified inlet tract along with revised cam profiles to increase low and mid-rpm power. Wider gear ratios in the 5-speed constant-mesh transmission that work with revised primary and final-drive ratios are ideally suited for a broad range of conditions, from scaling steep trails to high-speed open-terrain riding. The addition of a coolant reservoir tank increases on-trail reliability, while a relocated filler cap improves access. Because the trail can be a rocky place, a new engine protector plate is fitted. No stone was left unturned.
Sit on an RM-Z450. Now go sit on the new RMX450Z. Feels just about the same, right? That’s right. With an ideal riding position resulting from the motocross-developed seat, slim bodywork and low-profile aluminum alloy fuel tank, the RMX450Z allows the rider to concentrate on the terrain. A comfortable rider is a fast rider.
A durable, ultra-compact enclosure houses a full-function instrument cluster on the RMX450Z–and can be configured for two modes, standard and sport . The sport mode simplifies the display so the rider can concentrate on terrain; it shows the timer, tripmeter, average speed and tire-diameter correction. In the standard mode, the display also shows speed, time, two trip lengths, and voltage. An integrated tire diameter calculator allows precise fine tuning for different tires to ensure accuracy of the speed and distance displays. The RMX450Z also features a low fuel level warning light for confident off-road riding anywhere you go.
Footpegs include maximum clearance between the mounting bracket and footrest to prevent mud from caking up
Race inspired brake rotors provide better cooling performance and increased mud deflection in muddy conditions Showa cartridge-style front fork is fully adjustable for rebound, compression and preload settings and designed for reduced weight and improved shock absorption
Slim riding position opens up the cockpit for additional room to allow the rider to actively take control of the machine
Although the 2011 revised model has been announced since July 20th in powersports.honda.com, it was only after the first real machine was delivered that we could confirm actual data, look and feel.
Spatial data, as waypoints and tracks during an enduro ride, are recorded in the field using a GPS device. Then they are downloaded in our personal computer, and eventually interpreted and presented on a map preferably using Google Earth™. Developing the "Enduro Tracks" site, it was apparent that it would be nice for the user, while reading the track description, to use as a reference a visual representation of the track and the primary waypoints. Ideally this should be overimposed on a geographical map with terrain rendering.
Before a few years it would be enormously expensive to implement the above concept, in a way that it could be used on any web connected client terminal (a.k.a. personal computer internet browser). With the advent of Google Maps™ applications, this dream proved feasible. Using Google Maps Javascript API, a programmer may render a map, overlay waypoints, tracks and additional information, enabling any kind of user interaction, as needed.
The data retrieval, from the centralized spatial data repository (web server host systems) to the user client station, is optimally implemented via Ajax (Async Javascript and XML). Thus the user experience is positive by interacting in real-time with a highly responsive web page.
"Enduro Tracks" implemented the solution in full. Thus, while the user is browsing in a specific track page, by clicking a "map" icon is triggering a quick and transparent process where the relevant spatial data are retrieved via Ajax and then Google Maps™ are handling the rendering of the map, with overimposed the spatial and thematic data, ammending the web page. The user may click on the map icons to get more details, as well as decrease the map scale (magnify the map focusing to spot areas). Also, there is a new web page added in the "Enduro Tracks" site, which presents all the to-date tracks georeferenced on a map.
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