QUICKSPIN I 2024 KAWASAKI KX450
P78
The most notable difference
between the outgoing KX450 and
the incoming is power. The 2023
KX450 wasn't known for having
that pull-your-arms-off type of
power. The '24 is no different. But
power delivery is, if you can believe
it, even smoother from bottom to
top. There's no real hit in the power
curve. Instead, it pulls you along
smoothly like a luxury sports car
rather than a tricked-out hot rod.
They've mellowed out the pop from
the bottom end while extending
the over-rev limit at the top of the
rpm range. As a result, I could carry
gears longer than before when at
-
tacking the steep uphills and long
straights at Glen Helen Raceway,
where I rode the bike.
However, one of my favorite
updates is the ODI lock-on grips
that replace the previous grips that
were literally molded to the throttle
tube. The new grips complement
the new Brembo lever that oper
-
ates the new Brembo front brake
system. Kawasaki retained the Nis-
sin hydraulic clutch and, surpris-
ingly, its anorexically skinny lever.
LET IT RIDE
I was anxious to ride the '24 KX450
for the first time. The KX450 hasn't
scored outside the top three of my
shootout picks since its revamp in
2019, and I wondered if that could
change with the latest, highly up
-
dated model. After riding it for the
first time, I doubt it.
(Right) The one word
that perhaps best
describes the 2024
Kawasaki KX450 is
smooth. (Far right top)
The bike's air intake
system has been
reworked from beginning
to end. The airbox is
radically different and
maintenance friendly.
(Middle) The KX's engine
couplers have been
replaced by this—a new,
easy-to-use handlebar
controller. It also houses
the traction control
adjustability and the kill
button. (Bottom) Brembo
is now responsible for
the KX's front braking.
