I rode my new bike (2004 KTM 525 SX) for the 1st time this past Friday. It's all stock with the exception of an MX only revalve front and back, heavier shock spring, and 18mm triple clamps. My initial impressions of this thing are that it is everything my previous bike (98 KX250) was not. The one thing it has in common with my old KX is that it's a very balanced jumper. Jumping is my favorite thing to do and this bike is confidence inspiring in that regard. Compared to my KX, the suspension is more plush. This is a good thing in most cases although I did bottom the shock more than I like. I'll be playing with the high speed compression prior to my next ride. The next point worthy of noting is how light the front end feels. I think this is a good thing but this bike feels nervous on big high speed sweepers in comparison to my KX. I'm going to drop my forks in the triple clamps prior to next ride in order to help this. Turning wise, this bike turns much tighter than the KX. Inside lines were always doable on the KX but you had to work at it. On the 525 they are easy. Yes, you read that right. Better inside line handling than my KX. But the real bomb to this bike has to be the motor. :aj: I've never ridden a bike that has a throb of torque like this. Since you're not revving the motor, you almost get lulled into thinking your not hauling. Then all of the sudden you realize the next obstacle is approaching at a very high rate of speed. This will take some getting used to but I think it's the bikes biggest asset. Not revving and keeping my finger off the clutch will take some discipline, but that's the way it's going to have to be. The brakes are excellent although I found myself rarely using the rear brake. The engine braking is noticeable but to be honest I like it. And finally the starting. Starting this beast takes some muscle pure and simple. It fires off pretty easily but you've got to kick it like you mean it. That's all for now. I'll report back when I get it further dialed in and more used to. :cool:
