Cooper Webb finished 2019 strong, earning the season title for Monster Energy Supercross. He’s still on the rise in the 2020 racing season––poised as the only rider with a fighting chance against current points leader Eli Tomac. Today we see if he rides his KTM 450SXF factory race build to victory.

Webb could take the title for a second time since his first career podium finish as a rookie in the 450SX Class season. After sitting out most of the 2018 season due to a shoulder injury, Cooper Webb showed that he is not only on the mend but fit and ready to win. In spite of being sidelined during the Triple Crown in Arlington, TX, where suffered a crash during the second Main Event, Webb has ridden through another successful season. This historic Supercross year has seen Webb ride his KTM race bike to four victories, but he still trails behind Tomac by 24 points.

Cooper Webb’s KTM factory racer

In the rundown of Webb’s KTM 450SXF on the Dirt Bike Magazine website, we get an up-close and personal look into what makes this racer’s bike so special. From a distance, the KTM factory racers look pretty basic. But once you inspect a little deeper it’s apparent that these bikes are riddled with custom features. There are more tweaks than first meet the eye.

In the front, we see Renthal half waffles with grip donuts that Cooper Webb has employed since his rookie days––unlike KTM teammate Marvin Musquin. A neutral-set Renthal Fatbar rests between the handlebars. Mechanic Carlos Rivera explains that the Supercross Champion requires changes to the fork placement in the Neken triple clamps depending on the track.

“You can see here how far pushed in the clutch lever is from the end of the handlebars. This does 2 things. 1, it prevents the lever from being hit or catching a rut when racing, and 2 it is where Cooper prefers to pull it in at. A billet clutch lever and front brake lever are added to Coop’s bike. They have the same ratio as stock just in place for durability. His positioning on both the front brake and clutch lever are very neutral.”

Dirt Bike Magazine

KTM 450SXF

Webb’s KTM 450SXF factory build sees improvements like carbon fiber protection on the clutch and front brake housing. This gives teams increased “peace of mind” during races and has become the norm for all the factory teams in modern Supercross Racing. On Cooper’s bike, the billet throttle is reinforced for extra durability.

Additionally on the KTM race bike is are some WP Xact Pro forks measuring 52mm. This 52mm build has been a staple in the configuration of KTM’s forks since 2010. Still, constant innovation takes place and is implemented in yearly updates of the racing dirt bikes.

Another look at Cooper Webb’s race build shows us that a Mettec-built titanium axle holds the front wheel secure. Custom DID rims and KITE hubs make an appearance in this section of the KTM 450SXF race model. Parts such as the front rotor guard are provided by Arcebis to the Brembo caliper. Webb’s race bike is a work of art designed to defeat the dirt.

2020 Monster Energy Supercross

Whether or not Webb wins 2020 will all come down to the last day of racing on Sunday, June 21. It’s looking like Tomac all but has it in the bag. However, it’s not impossible that Cooper Webb rides this KTM 450SXF to victory. Tomac has seen a lot of slow starts this season. As with any Supercross or Motocross main event, you never know what can happen.