Posts: 9007
Joined: 10/31/2009
Location: CA, USA
Edited Date/Time:
I didnt know they made a airbox change for 2019, dont most guys drill more holes to get more air flowing anyway?
I havent heard of any complaints until now...
2019 KTM450SXF test
Current rides: 2020 CRF450RWE and 2019 TC300
Occasional ride for VMX: 1985 CR500RF
Adventure/Road bike: CRF1000L
Posts: 7961
Joined: 3/4/2012
Location: OH, USA
Edited Date/Time:
People drill huskys....not ktm. Apparently until now. Maybe that’s the new thing with MXA. Going up one tooth is gettin old. So now they just gonna say drill holes for the next ten years.
Seriously when you guys ride your new bike.....are you fretting about 1 tooth or drilling holes ? I’m not. Nobody ispaying by me to ride, so there’s that.
GP740
Since 1987
Posts: 4110
Joined: 4/11/2010
Location: ATA
Posts: 9007
Joined: 10/31/2009
Location: CA, USA
Underground wrote:Because KTM 450's are slow right?
Well from MXA's reckoning they are slower (with an undrilled airbox) then the 2018
Current rides: 2020 CRF450RWE and 2019 TC300
Occasional ride for VMX: 1985 CR500RF
Adventure/Road bike: CRF1000L
Posts: 893
Joined: 3/23/2017
Location: DEU
GeorgiePorgie wrote:People drill huskys....not ktm. Apparently until now. Maybe that’s the new thing with MXA. Going up one tooth is gettin old. ...more
On every bike I had I tried different gearing. And most of the time I go one up in the rear like MXA, haha. If you can pull 3rd gear out of most corners, you shift a lot less on the track, even with a 250f
Posts: 311
Joined: 4/11/2018
Location: Inchelium, WA USA
Edited Date/Time:
I have the 18.5 450 factory edition so its the same airbox as the 19' MX Action just tested. I'll have to pull the access cover off mine and ride it to see if there is a difference. The main mod is to send out the ECU and get it re-mapped. They come with more room for improvement and re-setting the TPS helps too. Mine was only .49 from the factory.
Posts: 1808
Joined: 11/2/2011
Location: Oxford, MA USA
Edited Date/Time:
We dyno tuned my 18.5 450FE with my stock cover and then with another FE's drilled air box cover and it did make almost 1hp more. I didn't want 3-5 1" holes in my cover so I ended up just cutting the rib off of the inside cover so you can see the filter now so it's definitely getting more air. I also went from the stock 48 rear sprocket to a 50 and it's awesome. I'm in 3rd in almost every turn now instead of 2nd and feeling that I need to shift to 3rd. I start in 3rd everywhere and get almost every holeshot in the my 6 motos that I ride every Sunday.
Posts: 1311
Joined: 7/23/2013
Location: Farmville, NC USA
I have been wondering what others where running gear wise. I was going up one but will try 2 on the rear!
How much are you guys paying for the remapping? I am trying to decide between that or just ordering a GET!
2020 YZ450F
2018 KTM 450SXF FE
2016 YZ250F 2008 CRF450R
2015 YZ250F 2008 CRF250R
2001 CR250R
2010 YZ250 2012 CRF150R
2009 YZ125 2010 KX109.5
SSR Motorsports Dealer YCF Motorcycles
TAGMX Suspension & Graphics! www.tagmxsuspension.com https://www.liquidskinzdesign.com/
Posts: 3865
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: TN, USA
Edited Date/Time:
I had The Motolab that you use remap my Rockstar Husky 450, drilled the airbox and used a FMF slip-on. Now it's a broad, smooth, and very easy to ride bike that's even faster than before! That sucker really pulls hard in the upper range.
Take it to the limit, one more time!
Posts: 624
Joined: 8/10/2011
Location: Southlake, TX USA
I want to know this: For those that have owned 16-18 versions how much better is this ‘19 and in what ways? Any areas that aren’t as good?
Posts: 3865
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: TN, USA
Digger29 wrote:We dyno tuned my 18.5 450FE with my stock cover and then with another FE's drilled air box cover and it did make almost 1hp ...more
sgrimmxdad wrote:I have been wondering what others where running gear wise. I was going up one but will try 2 on the rear!
How much are you ...more
The Motolab in Ct did mine for $75. My friend really likes the 50t on his KTM 450. I didn't like it quite as much and wonder if a 49 might be the perfect match for me.
Take it to the limit, one more time!
Posts: 2418
Joined: 8/15/2006
Location: Woodstock Ii, NY USA
Posts: 9007
Joined: 10/31/2009
Location: CA, USA
ok thanks, thats interesting that MXA found 2 more HP which seems a heck of a lot just for a couple of holes, but then if it has been strangled that much it could be right.
Current rides: 2020 CRF450RWE and 2019 TC300
Occasional ride for VMX: 1985 CR500RF
Adventure/Road bike: CRF1000L
Posts: 39
Joined: 7/16/2017
Location: Post Falls, ID USA
The only thing a drilled airbox does is make more noise, which probably does boost butt dyno numbers.
Posts: 9007
Joined: 10/31/2009
Location: CA, USA
If an airbox is smaller or less volume than the amount of air required by the EFI/Carburetor then it will limit/strangle the engine, so drilling holes can benefit those bikes in that situation (if indeed the mapping/jetting caters for the extra air). If you just drill holes (in a large volume airbox) just to allow more air you would need mapping/jetting changes to cater for that extra air, again potentially giving you more power.
Current rides: 2020 CRF450RWE and 2019 TC300
Occasional ride for VMX: 1985 CR500RF
Adventure/Road bike: CRF1000L
Posts: 46
Joined: 7/2/2018
Location: Panama City Beach, FL USA
Edited Date/Time:
I am curious what the top pros are doing? Cairoli, Herlings, Musquin, Anderson and etc.. Are they drilling holes in the airbox cover? Or are their bikes just so tricked out and so different that they don't have this problem?
I have a 2018 250SX and a 2019 250SX and do notice a difference. I've done all of the same mods on both bikes except that the 2018 has a JD Jet Kit. The 2018 has more instant head jerking / snapping power when cracking the throttle, whereas the 2019 is more gradual and controlled. I am still deciding which I like more.
Posts: 548
Joined: 8/1/2009
Location: Caloundra, AUS
Certainly the Husky team bikes have had extra holes in at least some cases) for several years.
I don’t think it’s controversial. The Husky Airbox is a little restrictive, as is the muffler. The resulting power band probably suits many people. Some prefer themore “open” results.
Posts: 1631
Joined: 2/15/2012
Location: Virginia Beach, VA USA
Stop, please do not post actual knowledge & experience that backs up MXA’s months of real race testing...what are you thinking...? LOL, obviously joking...
You are supposed to listen to non descript screen names who may or may not have even been within fifty yards of a 2019 KTM SXF450.
Posts: 1631
Joined: 2/15/2012
Location: Virginia Beach, VA USA
Posts: 23466
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: USA
Posts: 419
Joined: 10/13/2011
Location: MS, USA
Yep. Everybody on here bashes MXA's suggestions. Yet many recommendations make it into production on several manufacturers the following year or two. The simple gear change(+1 tooth) has been my most go to solution for the last 30+ years of riding. On most bikes it allows me to pull 3rd in almost all corners, reducing the amount of unnecessary shifting. In fact, I can ride most tracks in my area in third gear alone. Only shifting into fourth once or twice per lap for that long straight or bigger jump. Of course it depends on the tracks in your area. But don't knock a simple inexpensive gear change until you've tried it. MXA does some of the most extensive real world testing in the industry. As does VitalMX. Both more so than some of the other fluff publications out there.
Posts: 6747
Joined: 11/30/2013
Location: Portland/Los Angeles, CA USA
I saw this photo of Marvin’s bike with the airbox tab cut.
+1 on Digger’s comment. I had my 2016 dyno tuned and saw a 1hp gain from cover on to cover off. But have to meet in the middle with holes.
This is what I did on my 19.
Posts: 834
Joined: 1/11/2017
Location: CAN
Though there is solid merit in drilling out the airbox, I don't seeing it being practical for most, especially on a 450.
Posts: 46
Joined: 7/2/2018
Location: Panama City Beach, FL USA
I wish KTM Powerparts would just sell an enhanced side cover. I cut out the battery box on my 250sx, not sure if that did much. I am going to try a Funnel Web air filter and then probably cut the side tab.
Posts: 532
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: PA, USA
They did used to make one ,I kind of like the sealed up air box we deal with a lot of water in off-road racing and your bike doesn't run too good when the air cleaner is soaked with water.
Posts: 1311
Joined: 7/23/2013
Location: Farmville, NC USA
I don't know if my experience is unique but If I don't use a no toil cover when washing our FE water collects in the air boot. If I try to wash with the filter in place no matter how careful I am the filter gets wet quickly.
2020 YZ450F
2018 KTM 450SXF FE
2016 YZ250F 2008 CRF450R
2015 YZ250F 2008 CRF250R
2001 CR250R
2010 YZ250 2012 CRF150R
2009 YZ125 2010 KX109.5
SSR Motorsports Dealer YCF Motorcycles
TAGMX Suspension & Graphics! www.tagmxsuspension.com https://www.liquidskinzdesign.com/
Posts: 2017
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: St. Michael, BRB
Has anyone tried the Quick Turn throttle cam that comes with the bike? That is also said to make an improvement in getting up into the power a bit faster/easier as the stock KTM throttle pull is loooong.
Keefer talks about this in some of his podcasts.
I'm going to give it a try in my 17 and see how it goes.
As for gearing im running 14/52 but can still use a bit more snap, a 14/53 might be the best bet but I'll try the quick turn cam first and report back.
17 KTM 450 SXF - AMAZING!
Posts: 311
Joined: 4/11/2018
Location: Inchelium, WA USA
Edited Date/Time:
Definitely use the quick turn cam. I rode mine too long without it. Big improvement. Go up one to two teeth on the rear. Not sure how many teeth you can add with flipping the axle blocks around, maybe two? I bought a new (longer) chain and sprockets so I didnt need to flip my blocks when I went to the 50.
Posts: 793
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: La crescenta, CA USA
Born in Prague,living in LA,so if you don't like my spelling,blow me!
21 CRF450R
16 Yamaha YXZ 1000R
17 Yamaha MT-10 FZ-10 165 Hp RWP
06 CRF450X street legal supermoto
96 CR250R smoker
2012 CR500AF
2003 KLX110 mod
Posts: 4024
Joined: 4/26/2009
Location: España, ESP
I did the measurement if the air box sucked air, and very little, it was not worth putting holes.
YZF450 2006-09 
