INSIDE SEAN CANTRELL’S FACTORY TLD/KTM 250SXF

Before diving in to the nitty gritty details of any factory bike you have to step back and appreciate the time and money that goes into these motorcycles. Hours of hard work and boat loads of cash are the key ingredients to pushing extra ponies out of any 250F.

A medium half waffle grip is attached to Sean’s Renthal Fat Bar and fastened by wire tie to ensure no movement during racing. Also shown here is the factory billet lever that is just slightly pushed in from the end of the handlebars so it doen’t catch on anything or break if the bike is laid over. This goes for the front brake side also.

A medium height/solid mounted bar mount can be found on Cantrell’s KTM. The team has several options in height to run and Sean has tested on multiple heights before finding a home on the medium. Sean does prefer his steering on the stiffer side. Some riders like to have the steering loose while Sean’s is very tight.

Neken triple clamps are attached to the WP cone valve forks. Neken provides triple clamps to the Factory Red Bull 450 Team as well. Anthony didn’t share any offset details with us but each team has their fair amount of choices to fit rider preference.

On both the factory master cylinders for the clutch and brake side are carbon covers to add some protection from rocks or debris. Anthony explained they have never had a problem with a failure, but add these carbon pieces on just in case. Both the front brake perch and clutch perch are also factory pieces that add durability to the motorcycle.

Another component added to the bike for some durability is the billet throttle tube supplied to the team.

We were surprised how touchy Sean’s front brake was. This is extremely sensitive and the braking is readily available for Sean to stop on a dime.

Kite provides the holeshot devices to the team. It is placed in a neutral position in comparison to other riders on the team.

The team is running factory fork lugs that look larger in appearance along with a titanium front axle.

A Kite hub with factory spokes and nipples are added to the machine. The tie wire shown in this photo is for added protection and prevents spokes from  flying off in the event of damage. The team also runs DID rims.

A floating front disc, factory hanger and caliper are protected by an Acerbis carbon guard up front.

Moving further down the motorcycle you will notice the radiators hoses have extra heat wrapping on them. The hoses run extremely close to the header pipe and engine. This extra wrap ensures the coolant keeps low in temperature during racing.

Ryan Cox does the engines over at KTM. A base is created and then fine tuned to each rider’s specific needs or wants. The entire team does request more bottom for Supercross. The ignition cover is akodized to help with temperature and added protection. You will also notice the swingarm pivot is stock with a titanium nut.

A Factory carbon skid plate is added to the bike and wraps around both sides of the motorcycle to add a little more protection from debris hitting the cases.

Carbon head stays are attached to Sean’s motorcycle. This will change the flex characteristics of the bike. We have noticed between Rocky Mountain, Red Bull KTM, and the TLD team there are a lot of different mounts that are available for the KTMs. Preferences are based on feel and change between riders. Some prefer carbon while others will run steel or aluminum.

A stock component you will find is the shifter. The length and height of the shifter are stock and level with the foot pegs.

Nihilo provides the foot pegs with titanium pins and a stock spring.

Sean prefers to run just the normal grip tape the team has always used. They have tried the frame guards that you’ve seen Cooper Webb and other riders using this season. Sean likes to have the bike “feel” skinnier when grabbing it with his feet.

The chain guides and sliders are stock. The chain block near the rear sprocket is a factory carbon piece. Twin Air supplies the air filters to the team.

Stock seat foam is used and a Throttle Syndicate seat cover is placed over it. A unique part to Sean’s seat is the bump. It is absolutely massive compared to other riders with a similar set up. The bump is actually made out of a bar pad.

A billet fuel cap is added to the factory fuel tank. Both the 250 and 450 teams are running these fuel tanks. They are a different design than stock.

A Kite slave cylinder is added to the bike. Anthony explained that the stock ones are great but the Kite product does add some durability to the machine.

The titanium rear axle is capped at both ends so no mud packs in during racing. The wheel was in a neutral placement. the entire team stays in this similar position. Renthal supplies the chains and sprockets to the team.

Mounted to the Kite hub, DID Dirt Star Rim, Factory spokes/nipples, is the factory Brembo rear caliper. Brake pads are stock both front and rear.

The axle nut is machined and capped similar to the other end so no mud can pack in.

FMF supplies the exhaust to the team. The header pipe dips further down to change power characteristics for Supercross. The muffler is also longer to keep the bike quiet and pass sound.

The linkage hasn’t changed from the beginning of the year. The team tested and worked in the off season to find a setting that Sean liked. Anthony explained that he has kept that same linkage all season and adapts to the tracks each weekend with his current set up.

WP Xact Trax shock is mounted to Sean’s bike. High and Low speed adjustments are available for easy access and quick fixes during racing for Anthony with this design.

The rear master cylinder is the same as stock but is a factory piece. What makes it factory is the removed rear sight glass you see on a 2019 KTM 250SXF at a dealership. The glass is removed to prevent a rock hitting it and causing brake failure during racing conditions.

A very interesting piece to the TLD bikes is the titanium sub frame. The stock piece is aluminum.

Hinson provides all the components to the team for the clutch department. There are some pieces to that clutch Anthony didn’t want to go further in detail on and give away too many secrets. You will notice the sight glass has been covered up by rubber to protect from rocks. There is a small sliver cut out so the oil is still visible just slightly. Another interesting note about the clutches is that Sean is not very hard on them compared to his teammates. He can go a couple more hours on a clutch in comparison to McElrath or Smith.

A stock brake and spring are attached to the bike. The brake snake is also added to Sean’s bike to protect from brake failure.

These numbers displayed on the head are used for inventory at the team. Each motor is marked and tracked while in rotation. The motor will go every 2 races and then will be switched.

Acerbis provides the plastics to the team and Throttle Syndicate takes care of the graphics. TS has a thinner material to respect the need to keep these factory bikes light as possible. All the fluids in the motorcycle are provided by Motorex .

2D data logger is used for data acquisition on the KTM 250s. Some teams have a more visible set up while the TLD team has their entire data acquisition components fairly hidden. The team runs it to manage issues with the motorcycle and keep the rider safe. The harnesses and electronics are moved on the bikes to make it easier to get to for the race team.

Because the ECU is already programmed with maps the team doesn’t need the map switch you will find on a stock 2019 KTM 250SXF. The start and kill switches are the only buttons you will find on the handlebars.