80 |MAY 2019 http://www.adbmag.com.au
JMX TEST I 2019 KTM 85SX
T
heKTM85SXisabikethat
rockeduponthesceneand
graduallytookover.Itonly
takesaquickglanceatthe
startlineofany85ccraceto
seethatit’smostlyorange.
Backinmyday,therewasno
suchthingasanAustrianinthe80ccclass.
ItwasJapanesebikesornothing.Someof
thosemachines actuallyhavechangedvery
littlesincethenbutKTMhascontinually
developeditsmodel.
The85SXisapurpose-builtJunior
machinethatisdesignedtoraceandwin.
TheengineisfedviaaKeihinPWK
carburettorandVForceThreereedvalve
whilethecrankshaftdrivesthrougha
hydraulically-operatedclutchandsix-
speedgearbox.In the exhaust port of the cylinder is a
rotary valve, better known as a power valve.
This is closed at low rpm but opens higher in
the rev range to allow the exhaust gases to
flow more freely. All these components
working together is what gives the 85 such a
strong, yet broad powerband.SUSPENSION
The suspension is made by WP, a company
which KTM owns. It also manufactures the
chrome-moly frame. The chassis is designed
to flex with the suspension and give a
smooth ride while still being rigid enough to
handle well under load. The front-end is
fitted with a WP AER 38mm fork. This fork
has adjustable compression and rebound
damping as well as an adjustable air
chamber.THE KATO’S NOT HERE TO
CHASE your SHEEP, KIWI
Or ge
orchard
WORDS // MAT BOYD PHOTOS // MITCH LEES