ASK THE MXPERTS: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE MY 2023 KTM 450SXF SUSPENSION WORK?

KTM 450SXF suspension is easy to adjust because all the clickers can be changed by hand. The WP XACT air forks require the rider to find their perfect air pressure and then use the clickers to tune it in.

2023 KTM 450SXF SUSPENSION ADVICE
Dear MXperts,
Can you tell me some general settings for clickers, race sag and fork pressure for the 2023 KTM 450SXF? I currently run 100mm of race sag. Fork-air pressure and clickers are all stock. The forks are bottoming out with a bang on flat landings. I weigh 187 pounds.

First off, you should set your race sag at 105mm on the shock and slide the orange ring on the right fork leg up about 8 inches. Then, after riding the bike on the track, look to see how close the orange ring got to the bottom of the fork leg. If it is all the way down, you will need to add a couple of pounds of air pressure to your fork. If it is up higher than 2 to 4 inches, you need to lower your fork’s air pressure. If your forks are bottoming out with the stock air pressure, you need to turn the compression clicker in a couple of clicks. Below are MXA’s recommend 2023 KTM 450SXF suspension settings.

RECOMMENDED 2023 KTM 450SXF FORK SETUP

Fork air pressure: 158 psi (Expert), 152 psi (Intermediate), 145 psi (Vet), 138 psi (Novice)

Compression: 14 clicks out (12 clicks out)

Rebound: 15 clicks out (18 clicks out)

Fork-leg height: Third line

Notes: Sometimes the orange rings wear out and slide down by themselves. In this case, we put a zip-tie on the right fork leg.

RECOMMENDED 2023 KTM 450SXF SHOCK SETUP

Spring rate: 45 N/mm (for 175-and-up pounds), 42 N/mm (for riders under 175 pounds)

Race sag: 105mm

Hi-compression: 1-1/2 turns out

Lo-compression: 10 clicks out

Rebound: 15 clicks out

Notes: MXA test riders focus on changing the high-speed compression, not the low-speed, when they have doubts about the compression settings.