Grip. Time after time, during his debrief, Jeremy Toye kept coming back to that word.
“This thing is hooked up front and rear,” Toye said after riding the 2025 KTM 450 SMR competition-only Supermoto machine at Apex Racing Center. “It produces more grip in more places than I’ve ever felt from a Supermoto.”
KTM turned journalists loose on the latest iteration of its dedicated Supermoto machine at Apex on Wednesday. The company’s goal was to increase grip and feel on the machine, which is based on the 450 SX-F 450 cc four-stroke Single. A new frame is the most important change compared to the prior SMR, which has been a cornerstone of KTM’s lineup. “Supermoto is in KTM’s DNA,” said Ryan Sarancha, product manager for KTM North America.
After a day of wheelies, powerslides and full-on aerial activities, Toye concluded that the new bike is a significant improvement over the prior model. “I wouldn’t change a thing on this,” Toye said.
KTM 450 SMR Specifications
The SMR’s 95 x 63.4 bore and stroke creates a displacement of 449.4 cc and produces a claimed 63 horsepower. Breathing is handled by a new, stiffer airbox/inlet that prevents the suction created on the intake side from collapsing it and reducing its volume, a 44mm throttle body, and a high-mounted single exhaust pipe. Electronic rider aids include a simple on/off traction control function, launch control, two engine maps, and a quickshifter for upshifts from second through fifth gears. A Suter slipper clutch operates on ball bearings and is easily adjustable. The whole engine weighs just a tick over 59 pounds.
The new frame is a combination of forged steel, stamped steel, and tubular steel sections welded together. The goal was increased rigidity in the lateral plane with more flex in the longitudinal (front-to-back) plane. The rear shock upper mount no longer has a straight frame section connecting it to the steering stem, and it has cutouts to absorb some of the input from the shock.
The bike features spoked Alpina rims, 16.5 inches in the front and 17 inches in the rear. To accommodate bigger Supermoto rubber, the swingarm is designed specifically for the SMR. A Metzeler Supermoto-specific 125/75 slick is mounted up front, mated to the 165/55 in the rear.
The 48mm inverted forks use conventional springs, unlike the air forks found on the SMR’s motocross counterpart, and a closed cartridge design for more consistent damping. The rear dogbones/pullrod and knuckle are different from the motocrosser as well. The triple clamps are offset 16mm instead of 22mm for quicker steering, the seat height of 35.3 inches is lower, and suspension travel is reduced to 11.1 inches in the front and 10.4 inches in the rear.
The bike weighs in at a claimed 239.8 pounds without fuel. Suggested retail is $12,149, and it is for closed-course competition use only.
Riding The KTM 450 SMR
As mentioned, Toye was absolutely blown away by the grip and feel provided by the Metzeler Racetec SM slicks and the new chassis.
“The stereotypical Supermoto riding, you’re sideways going in, you wheelie coming out (of a corner) and you’re usually searching for grip, the thing shaking its head on the way out,” Toye says. “This thing doesn’t do any of that. That level of grip is producing so much confidence.” It was so impressive, Toye said, that he felt he needed more time to really come to grips with how much performance was available. “It’s like it’s a barrier right now, and it’s a good barrier to have, because there’s just nothing going wrong. You have to be aggressive. The stability is so good … the level is way up there.”
The engine response, Toye felt, was smooth and powerful, allowing him to get on the gas sooner. Although he felt the softer power map was better initially, he felt the more aggressive map would be the one he would chose as he got more familiar with the machine. The brakes didn’t fade, front or rear, and Toye’s only desire was for higher pegs, as the increased grip left him with greater lean angle and dragging his toes.
Watch for a full review in an upcoming issue of Roadracing World!
