CPW KTM’s Safari Weapons

When you run 1-2-3 in the 2010 Australasian Safari, you’d have to think you were onto a winning formula and stick to it, right? Not if you’re CPW’s Don McGrath, the bloke running KTM’s official Safari campaign again for 2011. After all, the CPW KTM team is also playing host to three-time Dakar winner, Cyril Despres, this year, and McGrath knows the team will have a target on its back when the 2011 Safari begins on Oct 23 in Perth.

As you can see from the accompanying shots that McGrath recently sent to Transmoto HQ, the CPW KTMs are nearing completion and looking trick. But, unlike the modified 530EXCs that Ben Grabham, Todd Smith and Matt Fish raced last year to a podium clean-sweep, this year’s bikes are completely new and based on the 450SX-F machines that did so well in the 2011 Dakar Rally. “Our bikes are running Dakar-specific motors that are supplied by the factory this year,” McGrath explains. “They’re basically 450SX-F motors with some upgraded internal components for added reliability and a CPW oil cooler. Grabbo is running a 450cc engine so he can go head-to-head with the Smith brothers on the Hondas and with Cyril Despres, while Fishy’s bike is a 505SX-F – which is actually a 477cc, I believe. Cyril’s bike just arrived in the crate the other day, and it’s still got the Dakar stickers on it. So you know that machine is the real deal.”

As the pics indicate, the CPW bikes run Akrapovic mufflers with cool under-slung header pipes made by Jason Barrett. The frames are near-standard SX-F chromoly units that the team has had painted orange, with mods to subframe to hang the alloy saddle-tanks off. While his race suspension is not yet in the bike, McGrath says that Grabham plans to run the special 48mm works WP fork – the same fork he used at Finke this year, modified for the Safari by JDR KTM mechanic, Danny Apro. Fish plans to run an open-cartridge SX-S fork but is bring a set of closed-cartridge forks off a 350SX-F for back-up, both tuned by Victorian-based suspension experts, Choice. Note also the cool seam-welded radiators (visible from behind) and Pro Motion billet sidestand, and the team will be using FunnelWeb air filters throughout the race.

So what’s Don McGrath’s quinella for the 2011 Safari? “My top six (in the preferred order),” he says, “goes Grabbo, Despres, Smith 1, Smith 2, Fishy and Rod Faggotter. Others to watch will be Damien Grabham and Shane Diener, and don’t be surprised if Sam Sunderland wins the prologue. The kid is fast and beat Marc Coma convincingly in several stages at the recent Dubai Rally, but his map reading skills aren’t so good. But I’ll tell you this for free: the boys are all going to come out of the blocks hammering this year, especially the Smith brothers on the Hondas as they both have a lot to prove. I reckon the pace is going to be the hottest it’s ever been. By a long shot!”

Stay tuned to www.transmoto.com.au in the lead-up to the Australasian Safari’s kick-off next Friday, after which we’ll have daily updates, pics and videos of all the racing and behind-the-scenes action.