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Zinger Deal: 2009 KTM 150SX test

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY SIMON MAKKER

There’s been a lot of speculation about the new 144cc two-strokes and if they’d ever be allowed to compete against the 250cc four-strokes that now dominate the racing scene.

Well, grommets, you can rejoice, as Motorcycling Australia has passed a law that as of January 1, 150cc two-stroke machines can race against the 250cc thumpers that have had measure of the 125 two-strokes for almost a decade.

KTM Australia has told us they’ve had a massive amount of interest in the 150cc zingers as a result of the law change, but with less than 50 of them imported into the country for 2009, they’re practically sold out.

However, because of the interest, KTM is now doing a deal on the 125SX, where you can get the 150cc kit added for $449 (plus labour). Considering the kit is worth around $2600, that’s a pretty sweet deal!

But as luck would have it, we managed to get our sticky little mitts on one of the actual 150s left in the country, and with freestyle riders Jacko Strong and Pete Anderson in the saddle, we set about testing the little screamer, both around the track and off the ramps.

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From the get-go, the lads were more than a little impressed with the orange machine’s performance. Thanks to a new cylinder with improved exhaust valve kinematics and a new 38mm Keihin carby (down from a 39mm) with a new intake flange, the 150SX pulls significantly harder than a 125cc two-stroke off the bottom. As soon as you feather the Magura hydraulic flexible clutch lever it launches aggressively out of corners. The mid-range still sports plenty of beef, although it’s obviously a bit lighter in power than a 250 two-stroke, but you’ll find you can hold gears a lot longer and won’t have to chop up and down like you do with a 125.

At the same time the 150SX doesn’t boast huge amounts of torque and we found we needed to carry our momentum – particularly on tighter supercross-style tracks – through corners like we would on a 125, and not simply rely on blipping the throttle to get us over tricky jumps with short run-ups.

The six-speed gearbox is well-spaced and gear shifting has a smooth, definitive feel.

backflip For freestyle, we found the 150SX had to hit 75ft a whole gear higher than a 250 two-stroke (in third at three-quarter revs instead of second at three-quarter revs), but the bottom-end is so broad Jacko could hit the ramp, almost brake to a stop then cruise back to the start of the run-up without having to change out of third gear.

If you’re one of those types who likes to show off with the slow wheelie, you’ll be pleased to know the 150SX’s super-light handling and punchy bottom-end power makes these tricks so easy you’ll feel like you’re cheating.

One of the aspects that impressed us the most about the new two-stroke was its suspension package. The WP 48mm fork and PDS shock make short work of any sort of landings and work together beautifully to make an exceptionally well-balanced bike.

On the track you’ll find the fork very progressive and soaks up chattery braking bumps and tracks well through snotty, hole-filled berms, yet it’ll still absorb case-outs and flat-landings.

The shock, too, does a mint job of cushioning bigger hits, and you’ll find it does a stellar job of putting the power to the ground.

The low tip weight and super-light handling also means you’ll sport a huge grin: the front-end doesn’t want to climb out or tuck under on corners and thrives when it comes to ruts. In fact, it’s fair to say you’ll want to rail those buggers all day long!

As for FMX, well put it this way – after stiffening up the clickers (the fork boasts a sweet on-the-fly system so you don’t need a screwdriver) Jacko started hitting the ramp at 50ft, and was so impressed he kept pushing it further and further until he was jumping 75ft, and the little Kato’s suspension continued to cushion every landing brilliantly.

“I went longish a couple of times and it was still so much smoother than my YZ, and I’ve had the suspension revalved on that!” he said afterward. “I felt I could ride out of anything without any dramas.”

In the air the 150SX feels very light – great for adjusting the bike’s angle to match the downramp and for flicking it around in big old whips – but freestyle riders who are used to 250Fs or even 250 two-strokes will find the bike borders on almost being too light and is more susceptible to moving around in the wind or when doing grab tricks.

The ergos (relationship between the seat, peg and bars) is also on-the-money. KTM uses the same chassis for their entire SX range (except for the mini bikes) and they’re renowned for their comfortable ergos that encourage the rider to attack the track or ramps. In typical KTM fashion it’s nice and slender through the waist, but still has enough meat to grip with your knees.

IN A NUTSHELL
If you’re not one of the Crusty riders – and let’s face it, there aren’t too many of them out there – and don’t have to deal with short, shitty run-ups in tight stadiums, then this is a perfect bike, both for racing and freestyle. The new ruling means two-strokes can once again be competitive against the 250cc thumpers, and could very well spark a revival for two-strokes in the race scene.

On the ramps, the 150SX could very well become a preferred weapon of choice, particularly among the amateur ranks. We’ve seen too many crashes from FMX swappers either over-jumping or casing downramps, simply because they think they need to ride a 250 two-stroke to be competitive in freestyle.

KTM’s new 150SX would help these guys progress a damn sight faster, simply because it’s such a manageable, fun bike that isn’t as aggressive as a 250 two-stroke, but still has (roughly) the power equivalent of a 250 four-stroke. And if Jacko Strong could 75ft Heelclicker Flip a dead-stock 150SX – the first time ever that a press bike has been Backflipped – it’s gotta be good!

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