The KTM 450 Rally is a legend in its long lifetime, taking 18 consecutive victories in the Dakar Rally up to 2019. Now, KTM has released a limited-production version for sale to the public, with development carried out in-race by the team's riders. It's the ultimate Enduro bike but you have to have deep pockets and even deeper talent to do it justice. Only 85 available worldwide.
Only Winners Need Apply!
A legend in its own time, the KTM 450 Rally is the weapon of choice for any serious rally-raid competitor and with good reason; the 450 Rally has won 18 consecutive Dakar rallies up to 2019.
Over the years, limited edition replicas have been offered by KTM for sale to less than 100 lucky owners. Needless to say, not many of these are weekend warriors but extremely talented professionals and semi-professionals. This is further borne out by the fact that KTM offers service and support packages for sale to a very limited number of customers for the Dakar Rally. The 450 Rally Replica is sold as a pukka competition bike, to be used as such.
2021 450 Rally Factory Replica
KTM has now announced the 2021 450 Rally Replica, of which only 85 will be built. It will incorporate all the expertise gained from competition in the hands of Red Bull KTM Factory riders Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland, all previous winners of the gruelling Dakar Rally. Should your intention be to enter multi-stage cross-country rallies, this is the bike for you.
The engine is a single overhead cam 450cc single, with fuel injection. The chassis is far from standard and rides on WP XACT Pro closed cartridge suspension.
New Gearbox and Competition Ratios
For 2021, there is a brand new gearbox, with a revised shift mechanism. The ratios were finalised with the assistance of the three factory riders, meaning gearing suitable for all types of terrain. A lot of work has been done inside KTM’s development workshop to enhance what was already devastating reliability.
Stefan Huber, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Rally Team Leader said: “The work goes on! We’re proud of the 2021 KTM 450 RALLY REPLICA. With this model we have already set the bar very high in giving the customers a product so close to what we prepare and take to rallies across the world. Of course, we always make new discoveries, and this means the 2021 bike is a significant upgrade. The gearbox construction and configuration will make a difference to the riders who want to push the KTM 450 RALLY REPLICA. It is crucial for us to be able to transfer what we learn directly into the hands of KTM riders. We’re here to win races but making a better product is very important and satisfying. I personally look forward to seeing this incredible machine in racing action at the upcoming 2021 Dakar Rally!”
Developed by the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team's Riders
KTM Team Manager Jordi Viladoms tells us about the secret of KTM’s supremacy in the Dakar; “This is arguably the result of KTM’s ‘ready to race’ philosophy; the 2021 KTM 450 Rally Replica is the direct result of the trails and dunes of the Dakar Rally. The bike developed by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price, Sam Sunderland, Matthias Walkner, and Daniel Sanders is available for all rally lovers,” explains the former Dakar rider. “Reliability is the key…if you want a bike ready to race Dakar, with a ‘guarantee’ to finish.”
While the factory bikes naturally have a higher state of development than the customer bikes, that’s not to say that the latter are inferior. Toby Price, for example, finished his first Dakar on a standard KTM machine in 2015, while in 2016 Štefan Svitko took second also on a standard KTM, and Viladoms himself finished fourth in 2012.
Price is set at EUR25,900, which isn’t cheap although, compared to the cost of participating in the Dakar, it's a drop in the ocean. Having said that, if you take your racing seriously, there really is only one make and model to aspire to. The KTM 450 Rally is that bike.