VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P107
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With no real changes to
its program for 2025, the
Kawasaki KX450 lands just off
the podium in fourth place. It
ranked first for two of our riders
but placed last for two others,
which goes to show the variety
of opinions in this year's com-
parison.
The Kawasaki has potential,
but it took the longest time to
figure out. We lowered the forks
to gain high-speed stability and
adjusted the rebound on the
fork and the high-speed com-
pression in the rear to get some
added front-wheel traction. We
also played with tire pressure
to truly fine-tune the green
machine. These adjustments
helped in faster sections of the
track, which then transitioned
to a hard-braking zone and a
corner. This improved rider con-
fidence during the initial turn-in
on corner entry and overall front
wheel grip. Spending the time
to make these changes unani-
mously improved the original im-
pressions of the Kawi as testers
re-rode our newfound settings.
Power is the KX's biggest
point of contention. This new
engine is by no means slow, but
it is less exciting and notice-
ably the most controlled of the
six-bike bunch. Our pros turned
the throttle to the stops and
squeezed out every ounce of
horsepower it could offer. These
above-average riders wanted
more, more, more that surely an
aftermarket exhaust system, a
modified ECU, or full-on mas-
saging of the engine's internals
would provide. The intermediate
crowd felt more pleased with the
Kawi's engine, as they could ride
the bike at or close to its poten-
tial while still feeling in control
KAWASAKI KX450
M
