KTM is selling its Dakar race bike to American customers for the first time. The 2027 KTM 450 Rally Replica is a competition-only machine assembled by KTM’s Motorsports department in Austria, and will be available from authorized US dealers this fall with a price of $42,499. This is not a rally-styled adventure bike. It is the package KTM’s factory riders take to the Dakar Rally, sold in what KTM calls extremely limited numbers to seasoned pros and ambitious privateers.
KTM Motorsports builds this bike, not KTM’s production line. The Rally Replica is the only customer race model developed, produced, and assembled at the official KTM Motorsports facility in Austria. It is the same operation that prepares the factory Dakar machines. When KTM announced the 2027 model in Europe this spring, it put worldwide production at roughly 100 units. That is a race department filling customer orders between race programs, not a model that is part of dealer inventory.
Daniel Sanders.
The powerplant is built for rally stages, not motos. KTM starts with its SOHC 449cc engine used in various competition models, and fits a cylinder head with reshaped ports, four titanium valves, and DLC-coated rocker arms. A Keihin engine management system feeds a 44mm throttle body, with rally-specific mapping for the airbox and engine, plus a titanium Akrapovič exhaust system. The 6-speed gearbox carries rally gearing, and both the gearbox and the clutch are reinforced. Two independent radiators share the cooling load, so damage to one does not end the stage.
Luciano Benevides.
Three fuel tanks team up to hold 9.1 gallons to fuel the 2027 KTM 450 Rally Replica. Two tanks sit up front alongside the frame, and a rear tank doubles as the subframe. Two separate pumps let the rider draw from the front or rear independently, which helps track consumption over a long stage. Warning lights integrated into the dashboard come on when the front or rear tanks dip into reserve.
Edgar Canet.
The fully adjustable suspension is WP’s rally hardware. Up front is a 48mm WP Xact Pro 7548 closed-cartridge fork using Cone Valve technology. It controls damping with a tapered cone instead of a shim stack, holding up its bottoming resistance, even over repeated hard landings. The WP Xact Pro 7750 shock operates with a linkage system. Travel measures 12.0 inches in front and 11.0 inches at the rear.
The frame is hydro-formed, laser-cut, and hand-welded. KTM builds it from chromoly steel. The steering head is forged, and tube-wall thicknesses tune longitudinal and torsional flex. A hollow die-cast aluminum swingarm handles the rear. CNC-machined triple clamps set 23mm of offset. KTM’s Progressive Handlebar Damping System (PHDS) bolts rubber-damped mounts onto the upper clamp. A Scotts Performance steering damper controls the front end. The tapered aluminum handlebar wears rally-tested foam grips, and the footpegs provide a wide platform.
The carbon-fiber navigation tower on the 2027 KTM 450 Rally Replica is set up for a digital roadbook. KTM narrowed the dashboard and tucked the tower in behind the fairing to cut turbulence at speed. The display integrates fuel reserve warning lights. The LED headlight package puts out 33% more light than the previous system, which is what early starts and late returns to the bivouac demand. An electric starter and a 4.5 Ah lithium-ion battery handle starting duties, and the engine cover has integrated storage for tools.
Excel rims, Michelin motocross tires, and Brembo brakes make up the rolling gear. Black alloy Excel rims lace to cast aluminum hubs, and the bike ships on Michelin Starcross 6 Medium/Soft tires. If you want rally tires and mousses, you’ll have to pick your favorite and install them. Brembo supplies a 300mm front disc with a 2-piston floating caliper. The 240mm rear disc runs a 2-piston opposed caliper, where off-road bikes almost always get a single-piston floater.
KTM counts 21 Dakar Rally wins, and 12 of them came on the 450 platform. The company also claims 250 Dakar stage victories for the model. Three different KTM riders have taken the overall win since 2023: Kevin Benavides that year, Daniel Sanders in 2025, and Luciano Benavides this year. Luciano won the latest edition by two seconds over Honda’s Ricky Brabec after two weeks of racing, and his bike is the machine this replica is drawn from.
The 2027 KTM 450 Rally Replica is not priced to compete with other “rally” machines. It buys you access to the Austrian race department. Nothing about it is aimed at recreational riding, including the $42,499 MSRP and limited availability. Riders who want the rally look with a license plate have the 690 Rally. This one is for the serious and well-funded privateer competitor who has already entered the race.
In our first segment this episode Don Williams tries out his first e-clutch motorcycle: the new Honda CB750 Hornet. The Honda 750 is already an excellent motorcycle in its own right; it’s fast, and it handles beautifully. So, does adding the E-Clutch system to an already fabulous motorcycle really make any difference, or is this just an engineering exercise for the sake of it? Don Williams explains how the system works, and whether the E-Clutch is actually an upgrade.
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We’ve talked recently about the upcoming Biketoberfest in a few weeks time, and for sure it’s a great party and social event for motorcycle riders everywhere. But we don’t want to leave you with the impression that’s all it is. So Brian Bentley—born and raised in Daytona Beach—takes us through a sample itinerary of how you could spend your four days plus at Biketoberfest. Truth is, there are a ton of things to do in the October sunshine, and Brian’s example itinerary will give you a lot of ideas. And don’t forget: make sure you download the Biketoberfest mobile App from Apple or Google Play or visit www.biketoberfest.org.
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In our second segment this episode Arthur Coldwells chats with Tony Bracalente, founder of Ryder-Gear. Tony is a Navy veteran and was a nuclear engineer on submarines; he’s also a frequent track rider and racer. He founded Ryder-Gear as a result of his own track riding needs, and after friends kept asking him to help them out with what they needed, he eventually started the company. Tony’s interesting background and story-telling ability gives some insight into what it takes to improve motorcycle safety both on the track, and on the street.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
Don’t forget to leave us your comments on our social media—we’re on all the usual platforms at Ultimate Motorcycling. We love hearing your feedback… so good or bad, please let us know what you think. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear those ideas too!
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