QUICKSPIN I 2024 KAWASAKI KX450
P80
No shame in my game. I
admit that I always opt for the
"smoother" map when riding
450cc motocrossers; 450s are
just so darn fast! But with the
mild map, the bike feels tame.
Dare I call it a KX350?
I felt out of character, wanting
actually to try the aggressive
map on a 450, but I did. In the
normal, "aggressive," mode, the
punchier power brought the KX
to life and felt on par with other
bikes in its class. Yet, the KX450
still felt manageable. With such
controllable power, you can ride
this bike closer to its limit. The
KX450 is by no means slow.
Overall horsepower is still the
same, just delivery and charac
-
ter are smoothed out.
The easily adjustable maps
and traction control are a
welcomed addition to the KX,
especially in the varying condi
-
tions of our test day. Rain began
to fall on the deeply ripped
Glen Helen soil, allowing me to
put the Kawi's traction control
system to the test. You can cer-
tainly feel the differences, and it
is an excellent option to have at
your disposal. TC isn't for every-
one all the time, but it can be for
everyone some of the time.
Even though the 2024
KX450 put on some
weight, it's still a relatively
agile machine.
Even though the 2024
