bike extensively, I can say they’re plush and work
very well in most situations. I admit to really liking
the air forks, they give a nice feeling when riding
the bike. The rear shock in particular is extremely
good, soaking up big and small bumps very well.
I do like how the bike handles, it turns well into
soft corners, which may be because of the 26.1°
steering head angle. Helping get the bike into
corners are the brakes, which are an improvement
and definitely top-drawer gear. The Brembo system
is strong but with lots of feel, so I don’t need to
be so aggressive on them going into a corner,
which leads to more corner speed on the bike.
One thing I think is a big improvement is the six-
speed gear box, as this gives a selection of a couple
56 KIWI RIDER
of gears for most aspects of any given track. There’s
always a gear that’s just right for any situation.
After riding my 125 for the last few years I thought
that the step up onto the 150 would only give me
a bit of extra top end power. It didn’t take long
to realise I was wrong. The amount of bottom-
end and mid-range power is a huge difference
compared to the 125. I’d say it almost pulls like
a 250 out of corners, yet still rides like a 125.
The 2018 KTM 150SX is an outstanding bike with
a brilliant power delivery which is flexible enough
that it can be used for both racing and trail riding.
It’s a very good bike for both entry level riders and
more experienced racers, and overall an awesome
bike that’s definitely one of the best in its class.