Image: Foremost Media.

AORC champion Daniel Milner is entertaining the idea of switching to the all-new 2020 KTM 450 EXC-F after racing it for the first time last weekend at the Transmoto 6-Hour in Conondale, Queensland.

The KTM Enduro Racing Team challenger sampled the new bike last week at the national dealer launch in the Hunter Valley, and piloted the brand-new 450 largely in stock trim at the Queensland event.

Despite already achieving a positive feeling with the new enduro machine in a short period of time, the Victorian acknowledges further testing will be required before making the transition for the remainder of the Australian championship.

“It was really good and the bike is a lot different to the previous model,” Milner explained to MotoOnline.com.au. “The biggest thing I could pick up on was the weight and how light it is – I fell in love with the weight of it – it was so easy to throw around and put it where I wanted it.

“Even with the standard pipe and muffler, it’s got a lot more power, but it’s really useable power – it’s not like aggressive motocross power. The engine is stronger and it’s going to be a real weapon to jump on it and race it as is.

“There is chat about jumping on it for the rest of the season, obviously we’ll have to do a bit of testing, just with the suspension because the bike is so much lighter – we’ll have to make it softer compared to ’19 model. That’s the plan – I definitely want to get on it and race it, I loved it that much on the weekend at the Transmoto event.”

Milner will return to action aboard the ’19 model at Broken Hill’s seventh round of AORC on 10-11 August.