SHOOTOUT
P32
2014 450-CLASS MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
BY THE CYCLE NEWS STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
T
hey say it's lonely at the top. If that is indeed
true, then the Kawasaki KX450F should be
bored out if its mind by now. After all, the
bike's been occupying the top step of the Cycle
News 450 Motocross Shootout podium for the
past couple of years. Although, Honda, KTM,
Suzuki and Yamaha have all tried hard to knock
it off the throne, none have been successful in
our eyes ever since the KX got its big overhaul in
2012. That's the year it got a redesigned frame,
a heavily updated motor, adjustable mapping
and Launch Control. It also got more adjustability thanks to movable footpegs and four-position
handlebar mounts. The bike simply blew us away.
It was an easy winner.
In 2013, the KX450F was further refined by
getting pneumatic KYB forks, among a few other smaller updates, and remained on top of the
heap. For 2014, Kawasaki chose to rest on its
BATTLE Of Th
Will the revitalized Yamaha knock
