First Impression

Orange and black plastic with sharp-looking embedded in the plastic decals, orange Maxxis logos on the tires, black Douglas Wheels and no clutter make KTM's first-ever ATV look like it has been a front runner for years.

The first thing you'll notice is the abundance of Chromoly included in the frame, swingarm, A-arms and rear axle. This shows that KTM means business and didn't cut corners with lower cost alternatives.  "I was most impressed with KTM in the way that they used traditional aftermarket-like components but also thought outside the box," says our rider Lance Schwartz.   "The airbox design comes to mind. It's second to none and includes removable and replaceable flaps that allow more air to enter the airbox while also keeping water out.  It's really an ingenious design. It's things like this that got my attention and impressed me before even swinging a leg over the quad."

Seeing that ATV legend Tim Farr has had a real voice in the production of this ATV also excites us. Farr's resume must have floored the Austrian decision makers. 11 ATV Championships, a near lifetime of ATV riding, he's local to the North American headquarters in Amherst, Ohio, comes with an engineering background and worked on an engineering team at powerhouse Timken Bearing Co. It goes without saying, when his contract with American Honda expired KTM snatched him up faster than Mark Baldwin can adjust a chain. In the end, the new XC and soon to come SX quads have Farr's expertise throughout. As for the current XC model, Farr's opinion has directly effected many elements including the brakes, suspension, ergonomics and more.

Here Tim Farr rounds the off camber turn at his hometown track, legendary Pine Lake in Ashtabula, Ohio. Farr has been spending his weekends leading the Extreme Dirt Track Nationals Open Pro-Am class aboard this KTM 450 XC. On the weekdays he has been playing an integral part of the KTM ATV research and development team.

It's important to mention ATV Product Technician John Maley in regards to our overall first impression of KTM's first-ever four wheeler as well.

A first year effort always raises skepticism. Many wont even buy something first year because of this. It's this thought that brings us back to Tim Farr. It was Farr who suggested that KTM hire John Maley to help with research and development in North America.

Farr suggested Maley for many reasons, one being his meticulous attention to detail. John is a former dirt bike racer, who raced under factory privateer backing from Honda. He made the switch to the ATV scene in the late nineties and joined Farr's Pro Quad Stadium program utilizing Leager-framed 250R-based equipment. Over the years he's been an essential part of several ATV programs including Matt Coulter's, Kory Ellis', Shane Hitt's, Honda's Baja 1000 team, Canondale's ATV Race Team, among others. "My experience with KTM has been absolutely outstanding," recalls Maley. "The Austrian engineers have been fantastic to work with. Not knowing the quad market initially, they've been very receptive to input from Tim [Farr], John Hinz [ATV Product Manager] and myself, about making the changes needed to assure that their first-ever ATV can handle the demands that North American riders will put it through. A true sign of their commitment is the fact that the entire Austrian engineering staff has traveled to America numerous times in the effort to make their first ATV the best it can possibly be."

Knowing Farr, Maley and Adam Clark well we're sure they didn't go easy on the new KTM. Plus with KTM's vast cross country racing history, we're assuming that typical first year concerns might not be such an issue.

All the above combined makes our first impression of the new KTM even sweeter.

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