Mountain Bike Rider — March 2018

£3,699

H

ailing from Austria, like

Schwarzenegger, the KTM

Scarp has a distinctly European

feel pervading its design and

specification. Whereas the

other brands in the test are frequent

sights at UK races, the Scarp is the dark

horse of the quintet.

The Scarp, like the Anthem, drops

rear-wheel travel down to 90mm,

with flex in the stays eliminating a

complement of pivots to save weight.

So, rather than being a muscle-bound

hulk like Austria’s favourite son, the

Scarp is the lightest bike on test by far.

In fact, it’s the only one here to drop

below the 11kg barrier. Helped no doubt

by the Scarp also being a fair bit shorter

than its rivals.

SUSPENSION

Despite having 10mm less travel than

most of its competitors, the Scarp

doesn’t make you feel like you’re losing

out. The more active design gives it

a softer, more sensitive feel than the

Specialized Epic, but it still pedals better

than the Giant. Compared to most XC

race bikes the suspension tune on the

KTM isn’t overly firm, allowing the Scarp

to behave like a bike that actually uses

its suspension. Yes, the Fox Float DPS

shock lacks ramp-up, so it gives up the

majority of its travel too easily, but it

feels fine when living in the mid-stroke.

The only downside to this approach

is that the bike can seem a bit flighty

and wayward, so it needs more rebound

damping added to minimise the hop, skip

and jump that it can create when real

power is applied, or when confronted

by bigger hits.

Up front, the 100mm-travel Fox

Float 32 SC fork is equally excitable.

Fortunately the two are intrinsically

linked through a three-position

handlebar remote. With a simple click,

you can apply firmer compression

damping, infinitely improving the

race-worthiness and control of the

suspension. The remote lever on the

Scarp doesn’t have the best ergonomics

though; it’s hard to position correctly

and requires a lot of force to operate.

We tended to choose the middle setting

and stick with it.

COMPONENTS

For those that like to match collar and

cuffs it’s a little quirky to see a SRAM

Eagle drivetrain mixed with Shimano

XT brakes. Fortunately it all works

superlatively, so power delivery and

control are both first rate. And in a

nod to the big-leg brigade, the GX

cranks sport a 34t chainring, the biggest

in the test. This makes for less chain

rattle as you tend to ride further up the

10-50t cassette.

Something that instantly needs

changing on the KTM are the foam

grips. They may save about 100 grams

when compared to typical lock-on grips

but our test pair worked loose and

started to spin during the very first ride,

making it the only KTM we’ve seen with

two throttles and no engine.

PERFORMANCE

With its negative rise stem, relatively

steep head angle and lightweight build,

the Scarp is unashamedly a head down/

arse-up XC machine. It’s the old-school

sizing that has a detrimental impact

K TM SCARP MAS TER 12 LTD

SPECIFICATION

FrameUD

Performance Carbon,

90mm travel

ShockFox Float DPS

Performance

ForkFox32FloatSC

Performance Fit4,

100mm travel

WheelsDT Swiss

boost hubs, KTM-

DTPro3CCrims,

Schwalbe Rocket Ron

Evo, 29x2.3/2.1in tyres

DrivetrainSRAM GX

chainset 34t, SRAM

GX Eagle 12-speed

r-mech and shifter

BrakesShimano XT

M8000, 180/160mm

ComponentsKTM

Team 720mm

handlebar, KTM Team

80mm stem, KTM

Team seatpost, Fizik

Tundra saddle

Sizes17, 19, 21in

Weight10.99kg

(24.23lb)

Contact

flidistribution.co.uk

GEOMETRY

Size tested19in

Head angle69.9°

Seat angle72.8°

BB height323mm

Chainstay440mm

Front centre703mm

Wheelbase1,143mm

Down tube706mm

Top tube608mm

Reach450mm

Colour-matched Fizik

Tundra saddle is a

particular favourite

for its comfort levels

DT Swiss wheelset is

both light and stiff,

providing rapid pick-up

for application of power

The KTM has a three-

position remote that

controls the Fox fork

and rear shock

SRAM GX Eagle

chainset comes

equipped with

an XC-race ready

34-tooth chainring

VERDICT

With tiny sizing, steep angles and

monster gearing, the KTM Scarp

Master screams old-school XC.

But despite its shortcomings, the

Scarp still has some mileage left in

it. The suspension has a plush and

active response, making the Scarp

feel more capable and controlled

in rougher conditions than the

geometry and sizing initially

suggest. It’s light too, so it rockets

up climbs. If you can find

a size that fits,

and look past the

woeful handlebar

remote, the KTM

Scarp will reward

your efforts

in spades.

on its suitability for modern racing

though. The 19in frame is just too short

in comparison to all the other bikes. So

riders over 5ft 10in tall should really look

at the 21in option, the biggest frame

KTM produces.

Even with its diminutive sizing the

KTM still handles remarkably well.

Point it at the nearest bit of singletrack,

apply the power, and it’ll eat it up in the

blink of an eye, its featherweight build

helping to bully it up the nastiest of

climbs too. But even though the Scarp

rewards effort, it prefers the dosage to

be administered smoothly. Mashing on

the pedals and throwing your weight

around leads it to break traction, as it

lacks the stability that goes hand-in-

hand with increased length.

BIKE TEST

98 mbr MARCH 2018