Ever since the 1972 Z1 900, Kawasaki has been revered as a motor company. Their chassis weren’t always in the same league, but when it came to making power, the Big Green K was the undisputed leader.
For the past few years, that’s been the case with the KX450F, too. Compared to the other 450cc four-stroke motocrossers, it was the dyno king. That’s no longer the case now, for two reasons: 1) A couple of the other brands, notably KTM/Husqvarna, have eclipsed it; and 2) Kawasaki actually mellowed out the KX450F for 2015.
That’s not to say it’s mellow, though, because this bike is still an animal! And if you want more power, just plug in the aggressive black DFI coupler and you’ll have more than anyone but a top Pro could ever want. Me, I was fine with the standard green coupler as it had plenty of snap off the bottom but wasn’t too explosive. I especially enjoyed the soft white coupler, however, because I felt I could ride the bike faster, longer. My individual lap times may have been slower, but I’m confident that my total race times would be quicker as the bike wouldn’t tire me out as badly. Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast, right?
The other things that made an impression on me all had to do with the front end. First, Kawasaki fitted a larger 270mm Braking petal rotor this year. While I appreciated the extra stopping power when traction was good, I found it a bit too grabby on hard-pack and off-cambers. A hard-pack off-camber? Perish the thought!
Second, the Showa SFF-Air TAC Fork worked surprisingly well in stock trim, but definitely felt different. If you’ve ever messed with the oil level in your forks to change the air volume and thus the progressiveness, you’ll recognize the feeling. As an old guy who’s ridden on coil-spring forks for more than 40 years, I can see where some of the veteran Pros like Chad Reed have struggled to find the right feel.
Last, and this one bothers me every time I ride a KX, is the handgrips gave me instant blisters. How is it that a company that builds planes, trains and ocean liners can’t spec decent handgrips? If they can’t do it themselves, they should contract with someone who can. The KX450F already comes with Renthal handlebars; how about some Renthal grips, too? Oh, and did I mention that the stock grips are vulcanized onto the bars so they’re next to impossible to get off? Best bring a blowtorch to that party…
At 6-foot-1 I’m the sort of buyer Kawasaki’s product planners likely envisioned when they gave the KX450F adjustable ergos a few years back, And while our testbike’s bar clamps were rotated to the forward position, the footpegs were in the stock high position and they felt fine to me. I think if they were lower they’d just drag in ruts more. On a similar note, Kawasaki makes a big deal out of its Launch Control and maybe it is helpful if you suck at starts or conditions are truly atrocious. But I can’t help feeling it’s kind of a gimmick. I know the ones on factory bikes are much more complex and effective.