Factory Racer For A Day

But putting the power to the ground was not the only benefit from the 13-component change. I could tell that this machine hugged the ground in a new and very welcomed way. It allowed you to remain hard on the gas and feel stable while charging hard in the corners. Another bonus I quickly realized as the race went on is just how smooth this KTM's suspension reacted over rough terrains such as roots, rocks and gnarly ruts. It was almost as if that harsh hit you often feel in rough terrains had been smoothed out, and a lot of that is due to the improved valving of the shocks. And blasting over these rough obstacles did not cause the KTM's suspension to kick and buck. Racing a two-hour GNCC could be compared to doing push-ups for 120 minutes while someone is randomly jumping on your back. And over a two-hour race, those continuous jolts just eat away at your body's endurance. But on this KTM, I can honestly say the suspension updates inflicted at least 30 percent less of the abuse than I'm used to experiencing even on my fully built race machine.

But as I wrap up this great factory race experience, I must warn that not everything went as planned. Toward the end of my third lap, things actually went very wrong. As I began powering up yet another gnarly steep hill, the quad began sputtering and felt as if it had lost power. From this point onward, this problem continued eventually leaving me stranded off the side of the trail. Honestly, I tried everything I knew to fix it and get back in the race. But it was a lost cause. Once I finally got towed back to the pits, my trusty ol' mechanic for the day John began assessing the problem. As I explained to him what had happened, he began taking apart the thumb throttle assembly and said, "I found your problem." There is a switch inside of the thumb throttle that detects the throttle position versus the carburetor slide. We determined that the switch stuck in momentarily, causing the system to limit rpm. Like I said previously, I'd been riding my KTM regularly for the last year and never experienced a problem like this. He cleaned out the sensor, and it was as good as new. It definitely sucks when you come this far and are defeated by such a minute malfunction. But that's the way racing goes sometimes, even for factory-level racers.

But even though I was not able to put in the last two laps of my race, I must say this was an experience that I'll never forget. Showing up to the GNCC with everything prepped and ready to go is a phenomenal pleasure that few will ever experience. And in those laps that I was able to knock out, I was having the best time of my life. I also learned that the KTM 450 XC had received some excellent updates for 2009. I want to throw out a huge thanks to KTM and especially John Malley for making my first factory ride an incredible memory. I only wish I could have had a few short minutes on the podium to thank people. Oh well, maybe next race.

'09 450 XC And 525 XC Updates
* Suspension
Thirteen components in the shocks have been changed providing a lower extended height and a lower compressed height while increasing shaft travel in the rear. The new '09 suspension provides better cornering stability and overall handling.

* Steering Stem
The steering stem is improved including a hardened surface for increased durability. The top stem-bushing carrier was also improved by using lip seals instead of O-rings for better sealing and reduced steering effort.

* Breakaway Clutch Lever
A new breakaway or fold-back-type clutch lever was added on the '09 models. KTM also lowered the mounting position of the reverse cable and lever on the clutch master cylinder for better protection during operation.

* Thumb Throttle
A new thumb throttle was installed with the thumb lever clocked 10 degrees closer to the handlebar to provide a more comfortable grip.