62 www.dirtbikemagazine.com TADDY BLAZUSIAK GOES FOUR - STROKE PRO MACHINERY I t was a huge surprise this year when Taddy showed up to race aboard a four-stroke KTM 350SX-F. He has been a two-stroke guy since exploding on the scene, winning the Erzberg extreme enduro on a borrowed KTM years ago. Because his two-stroke was a lot lighter than the 350, many thought Taddy would have a hard time adjusting to the thumper. He has proven that theory bunk by winning every round of the EnduroCross series so far this year, including the X Games. He looks right at home on the bike, so here is a look at Taddy’s four-stroke race machine. The 350SX-F engine is prepped by the factory; every part is matched, polished, perfected and massaged. The crank is care- fully balanced, and softer springs are used in the clutch for a lighter pull at the lever. Taddy likes the power delivery to be very smooth and super responsive, because he doesn’t want it to explode out of his hands. Traction is king when riding technical terrain. The front forks are 52mm WP and out back, working through the linkage, is a WP factory shock. His suspension setup is EnduroCross-specific, with a light initial feel with big resistance to bottoming. He likes to be able to slam into logs without hitting the stops or getting bucked off the bike. The ini- tial plushness helps him float through the rocks. Taddy uses Xtrig Factory triple clamps, Renthal 996 bars and soft Renthal grips. Taddy bends the ends of his brake and clutch lever up and trims the bottom corners of his handguards off. If laid on a flat surface, the end of the lever would be about an inch higher. A factory machine is always adorned with titanium, and Taddy’s 350SX-F is no excep- tion. Every nut and bolt is Ti to shave poundage, and the subframe is also titani- um. The Akrapovic exhaust system is also full Ti, saving even more weight. ❏ Tires are a serious element when it comes to making an EnduroCross bike work properly. Taddy uses Metzeler 6 Days Extreme rubber with modified Mousse foam inserts. The Metzeler tires have very soft side walls, which is perfect for finding traction on rocks and logs. A carbon skid plate and carbon front disc guard serve as added protection. An aluminum rear disc guard keeps the brake rotor from serious harm. Brembo calipers provide big stopping power. Gearing on the 350 is 13/53. A carbon fiber guard protects the TPS unit on the throttle body from damage. Taddys bike p62-63:Layout 1 10/3/11 2:40 PM Page 2