P80
2021 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
SHOOTOUT
Kawasaki's are known for. The
bike leans over, tracks smoothly,
and comfortably stays in line.
The chassis design and smooth
power delivery work hand in
hand to make the bike just plain
easy to ride. Simply look, aim
and fire away. Just make sure to
keep the throttle on.
The Kawasaki continues to
shine in the suspension depart-
ment. While our pro racers
looked to stiffen the front end
of the bike, the rest of our crew
was pleased with the standard
Showa components. The versa-
tile DLC-coated suspension was
plush enough to absorb braking
bumps but maintained poise on
bigger hits. The rear shock was
praised by all riders for its ability
to devour acceleration chop,
which, in turn, allowed the bike
to drive forward into the next
sections of the track.
We docked the Kawasaki
last year for minor issues like
a tall 7/8-inch handlebar and
a fit and finish that left a little
to be desired. This year the
all-green bike comes standard
with a Renthal Fatbar, updated
gold graphics, and trick look-
ing engine hardware to match.
We're still not huge fans of the
coupler system anymore, as
they seem outdated among the
competition. However, we found
ourselves satisfied using the ag-
gressive coupler for the majority
of our time on both days. The
updated hydraulic clutch feels
smoother than years past and
definitely earns another point in
the refinement category.
Overall the 2021 KX450 was
split down the middle as the top
pick for three of our "regular"
testers and as a unanimous third
place for our pro testers. Its abil-
ity to do everything well boosts it
to the top spot in this year's test.
On our lowest-score-wins sys-
tem, the green machine barely
edged out second place by just
one point.
