KTM’s $58,000 THOROUGHBRED!

At a recent Queensland-based Transmoto 8-Hour event, as I’m chewing the fat with one of KTM’s sales managers, Ray Barnes, the conversation turns to the 2022-model 450 Rally Factory Replica that KTM has unveiled just that week.

“Maaaaate, how good is that thing?!,” Barnesy says, eyes wide open like a kid in a two-wheeled candy store. “People look at that machine as the ultimate adventure race bike, but assume they can’t buy it. The thing is, you can but it! We sold seven of them here in Australia last year. They’re actually custom-built in KTM’s Dakar race team workshop in Austria, not on the production line, which makes them something really special. I’m hearing the 2022 model is only going to available in super-limited numbers – like 80 units worldwide, I think – but a couple of my mates have already put their hand up to buy one, would you believe?”

Yes, I would believe it, Barnesy. Aside from the perverse fact so many people seem so flushed with funds in the midst of a pandemic, there’s obviously a lot to be said about the appeal of limited-edition exclusivity. In fact, for some high rollers and Dakar Rally diehards, an exorbitant price tag is not only not an impediment; it’s actually a badge of honour. It’s a measure of a bloke’s appreciation for a very special motorcycle; a mark of his passion; a sure-fire topic of conversation with the boys down at the pub (it’s also likely grounds for divorce, but let’s not spoil the narrative here, eh). After all, what’s a price when it buys you the ability to look and feel like Price, right? Toby Price, that is, Australia’s first and two-time Dakar Rally winner.

In Australia, this 2022 KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica is available on a pre-order only basis through authorised KTM dealers for a RRP of $55,995. So, by the time you add on-road costs (stamp duty, CTP and rego), it’s more like $58,000 ride away.

Bike envy aside, let’s take a look at how KTM is pitching this very special machine, and what sort of fruit it comes with. Here’s the PR from KTM Austrian HQ…

KTM 450 RALLY FACTORY REPLICA – MODEL HIGHLIGHTS

• Limited edition model (80 units)
• A pure READY TO RACE machine
• Potent 450cc SOHC fuel-injected engine
• Race-spec chassis developed in competition
• WP XACT PRO 48mm closed-cartridge forks (Cone Valve)
• WP XACT PRO fully adjustable shock
• Premium-quality Akrapovič exhaust
• Designed for multi-stage cross-country racing

Built with the purpose to conquer in competition, the 2022 KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica is ready to take on the world’s toughest multi-stage rally races. Drawing on the experience of multiple victories in the rally arena – as well as input from elite racers who live to win – it remains the most Ready To Race rally machine available on the market.

Developed using feedback from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland, the KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica has become synonymous with rally competition. Ready To Race straight out of its crate, it’s designed to allow rally racers from across the globe to push their limits.

In its fresh for 2022 trim, the KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica is engineered to satisfy the toughest demands of rally racing, being equally efficient at powering through sand dunes as high speed as it is at navigating hard-packed technical sections. The bike is built around a powerful, race-proven, and ultra-reliable 450cc SOHC fuel-injection motor, which is married to a competition chassis with perfect flex characteristics.

A wide series of sophisticated parts developed through competition further emphasize the exclusivity of this machine. This includes a set of championship-winning WP XACT PRO closed-cartridge forks with high-tech Cone Valve technology. All in all, the 2022 KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica showcases its commitment to delivering real race-proven engineering to racers looking to compete at the highest level. The 2022 model also retains a Pankl Racing Systems gearbox, producing a more linear gear spread, maintaining the same gear ratios as those found on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machines.

Only 80 of these exclusive machines will be made available for 2022 at a fixed price tag of EUR 25,900 (plus VAT and shipping) with availability starting from September 2021 onwards. A service and support package is also available for a limited number of riders at the upcoming Dakar Rally at an additional cost for all KTM Rally models.

For more information, please refer to your authorised KTM dealer or visit ktm.com.au