“You can control the power delivery much better. What would be the benefits of ride by wire in motocross? So far everything has kept quite traditional when it comes to motocross.” Also, I think electronics with suspension could be something of the future. If all the companies convince the FIM this is the future then I’m sure we’ll see it eventually. We are working on the next evolution of the EMS system and in general there are thoughts about ride by wire so we don’t have a throttle cable any more … but the FIM doesn’t allow it yet. “In this field there will be more and more … but right now the FIM doesn’t allow too much electronics in competition. You need to have a super-competitive bike for motorsport but it should also be rideable and usable for an amateur and to find this balance is always a challenge but we have experience with that.”ĭoes the future of motocross bikes involve more electronics? We have enough time to do another intense development and we have a very experienced crew in combination with motorsport. There will be another generation of SX and it will be another step forward. “Our guys never stand still and they always have ideas and things to try. There is some space to improve, but today I don’t see much need to improve.”Īs engineers is it difficult to slow down or stand still? There are a lot of ideas coming in and we have a lot thanks to a close co-operation with the MotoGPTM department and their influence is coming into motocross. It is a lot of detail work to find out where we can go with the frame and inside the same concept. Such a project has to be finished far ahead of the launch. We are already working on the next generation and tests have been going on for a year. We think our concept now is very good and I don’t see any radical changes in the near future. We won’t turn the cylinder around or something like that. So, does the future means something more radical? I think today there is no real direction in which way we can go because I think we are really close to perfect.” If you go with a longer, shorter or lighter frame then it is hard to predict whether they will like it.
Mxgp 2020 next gen professional#
We work very closely with racing and the professional guys – we are READY TO RACE after all – and even if you ask the MXGP riders ‘what do we change next?’ they cannot really give you an answer. Jochi, it feels like it must be more difficult than ever to make progress with the SXs … So, to get a deeper understanding of what the future of SX models could look like, we asked Sauer for some answers … Sauer raises an eyebrow but does not disagree. We suggest the SXs are becoming like the latest iPhones: it is becoming trickier and trickier to find significant ways to raise the bar. How do you improve a selection of products that are already hitting operational heights? The portfolio might involve six bikes between 125-450cc and 2-stroke to 4-stroke so there is still scope for discovering and thought but KTM have been relentless in their search of gains with each model (a priority for the 2-strokes was even to reduce vibration further). In truth it must be a hard search for Sauer and his crew. The catalog already boasts a segment-leading power-to-weight ratio, and handling on the KTM 450 SX-F in particular has never been stronger.
Rather than asking Sauer to wax lyrical about the edges, trims and steps-forward that KTM have made we decided to grill him about where the range can really move next. The reviews and innovations of the 2019 SXs have been predictably outstanding. Joachim Sauer (GER) © Sebas Romero/Marco Campelli
At the same time as the 2019 machinery was being warmed up and taken to the track by journalists and testers for the first time, KTM Product Manager Offroad Joachim Sauer admitted that work was fully underway for the next generation! At the launch of their 2019 SX range the KTM engineers and project leaders spoke about how the newest motocross machines were close to “optimum” and the performance and design of the bikes represented something of a creative peak for the R&D department. Electronics? Electric? Perfectionism?Ĭonfusing. We put KTM Product Manager Offroad Joachim Sauer on the spot about where the SX range could head in the future. Interesting read about where the next generation may be headed.