Even though air-ride suspensions are anything but new, they have only started to be taken seriously a few seasons ago in the racing world. KTM is not straying from the trend and has announced that two of their 2016 model year Factory Edition bikes will be equipped with such forks.
It's not a surprise that WP is supplying these forks, as they are KTM's subsidiary and in charge of both developing OEM and racing components. WP started advertising the new pneumatic forks during the spring, and it looks like they are ready to rock'n'roll now.
The 2016 KTM 250SX-F and 450SX-F factory edition machines will sport the new WP AER48 pneumatic forks. The first thing about these forks is that they are 1.4 kg (3.1 lbs) lighter than the previous units installed on these bikes.
When it comes to racing, weight saving is essential, so the WP AER48 will give KTM's machines an extra edge. Using and setting them up is both easy and intuitive, with a single valve and a compression and rebound stage that is fully adjustable.
These forks are, of course, suitable for other brands, and since WP is one of the elite names in the business, we can expect to see them spreading like wildfire. Not sure about how expensive these aftermarket units are, but we can, at least, hope KTM will use them as standard in their bikes soon.
KTM reveals the Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Racing Team line-up
The 2016 Dakar is going to mark the dawn of a new era in KTM's cross-country rally department. Two of the biggest names in Dakar have left the team during the past years, and one of the most promising new stars, Kurt Caselli, was unfortunately killed in the Baja 1000 race, back in 2013.
Cyril Despres first left KTM for Yamaha's factory team, and after one modest rally, he decided to ditch bikes and entered the cars class with Peugeot, while the next best KTM rider, Marc Coma, retired from racing to become the Sporting Director of the competition, accepting the offer from Dakar boss Etienne Lavigne.
KTM will field a five-rider team in the 2016 Dakar, with the possibility of yet another entry from Sam Sunderland, if he recovers from his injuries. The KTM 450 Rally Factory teams will be ridden by Matthias Walkner, Toby Price, Jordi Viladoms, newbie and five-time Enduro World Champion Antoine Meo, and the best female rider of the past years, Laia Sanz.
Below you can watch KTM introducing their 2016 Dakar team:
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