P94
RIDE REVIEW I 2025 KAWASAKI KX450SR
The stock bike is ultra-smooth and easy to ride,
almost too easy. However, vets and novices will
likely favor the mellower character of the base
model over the SR, but intermediate riders and
experts will love the more aggressive KX450SR
with its two extra horses and bumped-up torque.
The bike comes alive much quicker and feels
freer-revving from top to bottom. This engine char
-
acter makes the KX feel lighter than the standard.
Overall, the difference between the standard KX
and the SR is night and day.
As the track dried out, I engaged the bike's
traction control, opting for level one with the least
intervention while sticking with the aggressive ECU
mode. This was my go-to setting as the track dried
out. I liked its strong initial hit, smooth transition
from bottom to mid, and long carry towards the red
line. The bike kept pulling further than expected,
On the scale, the KX450SR isn't much lighter than the
standard KX450 but it feels lighter on the track.
