VOLUME 56 ISSUE 42 OCTOBER 22, 2019 P91
CAST
K AW A S A K I K X 4 5 0
After a ground-up redesign in 2019,
Kawasaki opted to leave well enough
alone with the 2020 KX450, which is not
necessarily a bad thing at all. The KX450
nearly won our 450 MX shootout last year,
scoring high marks for its excellent A-kit
Showa suspension, new slimmer frame,
and broad powerband. It was held back in
the fit-and-finish department, and some
felt the stock suspension settings were a
little soft. But Big Green is ready to stack
up against the competition again in the
second year of its outstanding redesign.
S U Z U K I R M - Z 4 5 0
Suzuki's venerable RM-Z450 has long been
a favorite in the handling and cornering,
but in recent years it has been at a clear
disadvantage in our 450cc MX shootouts,
with technology that's just behind the
rest of the class keeping it at the back
of a fast-moving pack. Even after a
redesign in 2018, returning to the coil-
spring Showa fork, the Suzuki still stood
at a disadvantage due to its weight and
lack of electric start. The RM-Z returns
for 2020 in the same trim, only with silver
triple clamps (functionally the same as the
previous black ones).
YA M A H A Y Z 4 5 0 F
A rolling YZ gathers no moss… After a total
overhaul in 2018 and a host of revisions
in 2019 (which landed it at the top of
our shootout), Yamaha gave the YZ450F
another once-over for 2020, leaving hardly
anything is untouched. A more compact
head, new high-compression piston, revised
ECU, and reworked exhaust are only the
beginning. Small changes to the frame and
suspension accompany tiny tweaks to things
like footpegs and engine mounts. Is the
devil in the details? We'll see if Yamaha's
subtle touches keep the YZ450F at the top
of its class.
