The AMA Supercross Championship just wrapped up its final round of the 2022 season at Salt Lake City, Utah. While Red Bull KTM Factory rider Cooper Webb seized the 450 SX crown in 2021, this year was more challenging for the Mattighoffen manufacturer. Webb failed to defend his title, finishing the season seventh in the standings, and teammate Marvin Musquin ended the year in fifth place.
With the 2022 Supercross season in the rearview mirror, KTM is ready to turn a new page and release its 2023 SX lineup. While the Supercross series features four-stroke models, Team Orange has heavily teased its updated two-stroke range. The released images and videos still obscure the models in fog and orange lighting, but we can pick out several details that hint at the lineup’s new direction.
Gallery: 2023 KTM SX Teaser
Both KTM and sister brand Husqvarna already offer fuel injection enduros within the XC and TE platforms, respectively. The brands didn’t just add the modern fuel delivery system to their two-stroke singles, though, they also paired that technology with an electric starter and automatic oil/fuel mixing. We may only see the new SX heavily draped in shadow, but detail shots reveal similar equipment to the XC and TE lines.
Pictures of a two-stroke header and electric start button provide additional evidence, but a recent post on KTM’s Instagram page practically confirms the fuel injection system. With “Less Carbs, More Muscle” title cards and a Keihin-branded cover briefly captured, KTM continues its trail of breadcrumbs with the posted video.
Without the brand’s official word, we can’t confirm any of the 2023 SX details, but the styling seems like a clear departure from the retro graphics of 2021 and 2022. The marketing images may highlight the highly-textured seat and orange number plate, but viewers can also make out a large KTM graphic on the front body panel. That direction would certainly align with the SX line's modern revamp and push the updated tech to the fore.
Luckily, we won’t have to wait long for KTM to show its full hand, with the Austrian brand debuting the 2023 SX range on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
