ORANGE INCOGNITO
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KTM took on the 2014 Dakar Rally with their smallest, lightest, most compact 450cc machine ever – one that, in the face of mounting opposition, they hoped would deliver them an historic 13th consecutive win. FUTURE 7 MEDIA
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ompared to previous years, much has been different about KTM’s approach to the 2014 Dakar Rally. Firstly, following his race win in 2013 aboard Austrianbuilt machinery, Frenchman Cyril Despres was no longer a part of the team. It’s old news now, but a major change as far as KTM’s Dakar assault was concerned. Gone also is KTM’s longstanding strategy of entering
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two potential race winners alongside two supporting ‘water carriers’. For 2014, KTM’s officially backed riders all started the event with equal opportunity. In other words, no one rider started the event as a pre-selected ‘favourite’. Sadly, KTM’s initial rider line-up changed following the tragic death of Kurt Caselli. They’ll now focus their efforts on Spaniard Marc Coma, Portugal’s Ruben Faria
and Chile’s Francesco Lopez, with Spain’s Jordi Viladoms the fourth member drafted onto the team. And then there’s the new bike. An all-new 450 Rally. Yes, to the untrained eye, it might not look that different to KTM’s previous rally weapons with its navigational equipment, under-swept exhaust system and camel-sized fuel tanks. But it is different. Very different! 97
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NEW & IMPROVED In light of HRC’s arrival on the Dakar scene, with their money’sno-object approach to creating the ultimate Dakar machine, it’s easy to assume KTM’s new bike has come about as a direct response to the big H’s development. According to KTM, however, it’s simply a coincidence. With KTM’s position as the Dakar’s undisputed No.1 team, you might question why they’d need to deliver a new bike when the old one won the event, and won the event convincingly. Not wanting to ‘make do’ with what they had, and with team riders requesting something more agile, KTM started their new bike before Dakar 2013. “It was December of 2012 when we first started to bring together some new ideas,” explains Stefan Huber, KTM’s technical team manager for rally. “It was mainly because our existing bike didn’t have fuel injection and we wanted to introduce it. Also, the basics of the bike were still from the 690. We wanted to build a new bike that was more ergonomic, like an enduro
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bike. That’s the changing direction the Dakar is now taking.” But a freshen up of the old bike – alongside the introduction of fuel injection – is anything but what the new bike represents. With the days of full-throttle blasting across African deserts now a thing of the past, developing a bike best capable of dealing with the stresses and strains of South America’s ‘new’ Dakar is what this KTM is all about. “Our main objective was to make
bike, and not behind the big fuel tanks as they previously did.” The starting point for the new Dakar bike was KTM’s newgeneration 450cc motocross engine. From there, a true rally chassis – and not an adapted enduro chassis – would be used, followed by considerable input from KTM’s design agency, Kiska, riders Marc Coma and Ruben Faria, as well as technical input from the rally team. “The rally chassis was a must
“The new bike’s engine has improved power and torque, and the redesigned chassis is smaller and more agile.” a chassis specifically for the smaller 450cc engine,” continues Huber. “This was especially important around the cylinder area. We wanted to keep things as tight as possible to reduce the external width of the fuel tanks. This makes the riding position feel like an enduro bike. Riders can now really sit in the middle of the
because we know it gives us real stability,” concedes Huber. “It ensures we can build a safe bike in terms of what the suspension does at all times. To decide what direction to take, we put a lot of ideas together, as well as considering things such as the viewpoint the rider has, the aerodynamics, etcetera. The finished
product is what you saw line up for the 2014 Dakar Rally.”
THE NEED FOR SPEED Despite looking notably smaller than its predecessor, it’s not hard to see that KTM has again built a true rally machine. Simply by virtue of the fact it’s the only bike in Dakar competition to run a trellis frame, it stands alone from all others. And despite being new, it is still very much ‘a KTM’. Although KTM says that the introduction of fuel injection and the bike’s more compact overall dimensions are the key differences over the old machine, it was no accident that designers awaited the arrival of the new 450cc motocross engine before starting the project. “Top speed is still important; it’s not all about the mountain tracks,” explains Huber. “There are still lots of open sections in the Dakar, so we need a bike that is fast. We know that the new engine gives more power and has very good torque. We went to the dry lake in Tunisia to do reliability tests; to establish
SPECS 2014 KTM 450 RALLY ENGINE
KTM’s new 450 Rally remains the only rally machine with a trellis-style chromoly frame. It’s now specifically made for the smaller 450cc donk.
The new bike’s powerplant is based on the perky 450cc fuel-injected specimen that was released for KTM’s 2013-model motocross bike.
The revised fuel tanks and cockpit dimensions are the result of huge R&D efforts. The bike still carries 33 litres, but the ergos are much slimmer.
The underslung exhaust system remains. Each fuel cell is now independent (so problems can be isolated) and the main tanks carry a spare fuel pump.
Engine Type Displacement (cc) Bore x Stroke (mm) Compression ratio Performance Starter Transmission Engine Management Control Lubrication Clutch
Single cylinder, 4-stroke 449.3cc 95 x 63.4mm 12.8: 1 68bhp Electric-starter 6-speed Keihin EMS with EFI (44mm throttle body) 4-valve, SOHC with rocker arms Pressure lubrication with 2 oil pumps Wet, multi-disc, hydraulically operated
CHASSIS
Frame Subframe Handlebar Front Suspension Rear Suspension Suspension Travel – front/rear Front brakes Rear brakes Front/rear rims Front/rear tyres Chain Silencer Seat height (unloaded) Fuel capacity Weight (fluids, no fuel)
Chromium-molybdenum Self-supporting fuel tank Aluminium – 22/28mm WP – USD 52mm WP, with Linkage 300mm/300mm Disc brake – 300mm Disc brake – 240mm 1.60 x 21“ / 2.50 x 18“ 90/90-21” / 140/80-18” X-Ring 5/8 x 1/4” Titanium 960mm 33 litres 140kg
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The mountainous, technical terrain in the South American Dakar makes navigation more important than ever. Hence the high-tech, super-robust nav equipment.
Just a tad more cluttered than the average set of handlebars on a MX bike! For rally riders, their lives depend on this stuff working.
whether the engine is strong enough. We tested the race engine with a Pankl piston and special valves to see what the reliability was like, and we couldn’t break it. So that was a very positive start.” The fact that HRC has stepped forward and taken up the Dakar challenge with intent, and developed a new bike for the 2014 event, isn’t something that’s lost on Stefan Huber and the rest of KTM’s rally team. How could any team not have noticed the arrival of the mighty Japanese firm? That said, KTM has a relatively small but experienced squad of technicians who’ve seen a lot come and go in the past decade, so they’re all very confident in the direction and decisions they’ve taken with this new Dakar machine. “Honda is putting a lot of effort into the event, but that’s to be
With 140kg worth of bike (often carrying a fatigued rider and big fuel loads), a 300mm Moto Master front brake disc is used to pull her up.
expected,” says Huber. “We are developing a new bike for our reasons. I think it’s just coincidence that we’re both developing a new 450cc rally bike. It’s good for rally.” KTM’s commitment – some might say devotion – to the Dakar was for many years pretty much all there was in terms of true factory involvement. They’ve stood alone for a long, long time as the only manufacturer serious about building bona fide rally bikes, and they’ve reaped the rewards with a dozen consecutive Dakar wins. KTM embraced the big-capacity rally scene, and weren’t overly impressed when, a few years ago, Dakar organiser ASO announced that engine capacity would be capped at 450cc. But things have changed. And Stefan Huber now openly admits that the 450cc max
With a couple of marathon days in this year’s Dakar (where riders are without support for two days), their tyres often have to last 1000km.
“The new bike’s engine has improved power and torque, and the redesigned chassis is smaller and more agile.” capacity rule has taken things in the right direction for the Dakar. “HRC and Yamaha are taking the Dakar much, much more seriously than they did a few years back. So, yes, I now believe ASO made the right decision in introducing the 450cc rule,” he says.
A BEAUTIFUL THING With reduced size and weight comes the possibility of reduced strength and reliability. Sure, KTM’s new rally machine is smaller, but a reduction
in strength isn’t something they’re concerned about. And it’s not until the external body panels and tanks are stripped away that you realise that there really isn’t too much of the new rally bike. Everything has its place, albeit in very small places. “We know what materials to use, and what lasts in the Dakar,” explains Huber. “We decided not to use aluminium everywhere – we know the bike is strong. It might be a little heavier in places, but it won’t break.” Following the initial engine torture test, the chassis was next. 101
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Marc Coma rode a tactically clever Dakar to clinch his fourth win. It was a debut win for KTM’s new 450 Rally, too.
Although initially wrapped with old plastics, the bikes were ridden on a lot of hardpack tracks and motocross circuits to get a basic set-up. Searching out unwanted vibrations – and testing brackets more aggressively than in any rally event – breakages were what the team was looking for. “People often laugh when we say it, but we do a lot of testing on motocross tracks in Spain,” admits Stefan Huber. “The hard-impact landings and the constant abuse over an intense period of time really delivers results in testing. Obviously, rally bikes aren’t designed with motocross in mind, so if you take them into that kind of an environment, you can quickly tell what lasts and what doesn’t.”
FUEL INJECTION In a race like the Dakar Rally, fuel injection has been a bit of a black art. Largely because of the massive differences in altitude in the South American-based Dakar, numerous teams have tried to fast-track its development, but the results have been very inconsistent. When you move away from the simplicities of carburetion to a complex electrically controlled system, there are a lot of unknowns that can cause problems. And, unlike motocross, where top teams use race fuel – and most generally purchase pump fuel from reputable petrol stations – the Dakar Rally is different. Teams are dependent on locally sourced fuel. In countries such as Argentina, Chile and now Bolivia, all they can do is cross their fingers that it’s clean! After a lot of research and development, KTM has stepped away from carburetion for the 2014 Dakar bike – one of the last teams to do so – and switched to a fuel
injection system they are confident is now Dakar-proof. “At KTM, we talked a lot about fuel injection and whether the time was right to follow this direction,” explained Huber. “It’s not an easy science to get right. And in a hostile environment like Dakar, there are so many unknowns – fuel inconsistency, temperature extremes, dust, wear and tear on the engine, etcetera. Up until now, carburetion worked for us and was something we knew inside out. The riders also knew it inside out and with a couple of spanners they could fix almost any problem they had in the desert. But now, with a good fuel pump and filter system, it’s possible to go down the fuel injection route. Each fuel cell is independent so riders can isolate any possible problems.
The bikes also carry spare fuel pumps inside the main fuel tanks. Should a bike have a problem with a fuel pump, a rider can easily switch to a second pump to finish a stage. “With the Dakar, you just never know. Overall, we’re happy with everything we’ve done to date; we’ve taken another step forward. The engine’s good, and we’ve improved power and torque from the previous model. It’s smaller and more agile than before and that’s something the riders are more than happy with. After all, they are the ones who will be alone on the bike in the mountains and deserts. Only they can prove just how good it will be.”
hree-time Dakar winner, Spain’s Marc Coma, has played a key role in helping develop the new and improved KTM 450 Rally. From the initial brainstorm meetings to design sketches and testing, he’s helped craft the bike into what we see today. Returning to the Dakar Rally after a one-year absence, Coma is hungrier than ever to reward all that hard work. As one of the sport’s most experienced hands, he’s more than happy about his 2014 Dakar prospects…
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“We’ve made a lot of improvements with the new bike over the older model. Although the old one was good enough to win, it was time to take a step forward and ensure we remain at the head of the field for more years to come. What I like about the new bike is that it feels smaller, slimmer and neater than before. I feel part of the bike, and that makes it easier to ride. Since moving to South America, the style of the Dakar has changed. Yes, there are some very fast high-speed, open sections, but there are also a lot
2001 – On the final occasion the race uses the traditional Paris-Dakar route, Fabrizio Meoni claims KTM’s debut Dakar Rally win on the KTM LC4 660R. 2002 – Fabrizio Meoni secures his second Dakar victory, riding the KTM LC8 950R. 2003 – Richard Sainct makes it three in a row for KTM by winning on the KTM LC4 660R. 2004 – Nani Roma wins for KTM on the LC4 660R. 2005 – The Despres/Coma era begins. Riding the LC4 660R, Cyril Despres secures his debut Dakar Rally win in a race that is marred by the death of Meoni. 2006 – Second to Despres in 2005, Marc Coma wins his first Dakar Rally abord the 690 Rally. 2007 – Despres wins on KTM’s 690 Rally. 2008 – Due to a terrorist threat, the race is cancelled. 2009 – Coma continues KTM’s winning ways as the Dakar Rally relocates to South America. 2010 – Claiming his Dakar Rally hat-trick, Despres secures the top step of the podium. 2011 – Although initially against the introduction of the 450cc ruling, KTM’s Marc Coma is still victorious aboard KTM’s 450 Rally. 2012 – Continuing their fierce rivalry, Despres beats Coma across the line for a KTM 1-2. 2013 – With Coma absent due to injury, Despres collects his fifth Dakar Rally win. 2014 – The wily Spaniard, Marc Coma, wins his fourth Dakar aboard the new 450 Rally he helped develop.
Log on to ...for highlights videos of pivotal stages of the 2014 Dakar Rally and an insight into the Aussie riders’ efforts at this year’s gruelling race.
COMA’s TAKE ON THE NEW BIKE
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KTM’s DAKAR RALLY RECORD
of mountain stages that are slower and more technical – like enduro. And for that type of riding, the new bike is working incredibly well. I think we’ve got a good package this year and I’m quietly confident about it. We’ve lost nothing and hopefully gained a lot. Of course, only time will tell. I’m happy where we are at as I line up for the 2014 Dakar Rally, but there is a lot of competition to watch out for. The other teams are growing stronger all the time and we need to stay on top of our game to beat them.”