VOL. 51 ISSUE 27 JULY 8, 2014 P37
B
oth the 2015 Kawasaki
KX250F and KX450F take
on a fair amount of refine-
ments for the new model year,
but the big news is the 450's up-
graded Showa SFF-Air TAC (Tri-
ple Air Chamber) fork. The 250
retains its SFF spring fork.
Both the KX250F and
KX450F, however, share many
of the same changes for 2015:
They both get a new and stron-
ger bridged box piston with a
lighter piston pin, a lighter sub-
frame, updated swingarm, lighter
axles, new oversized petal
Braking front-brake rotor and a
new self-locking rear axle nut (no
more cotter pin). And both bikes
take on new styling with green
anodized finish on the suspen-
sion adjusters, matching green
engine plugs, black anodized
aluminum rims and updated
graphics.
Kawasaki has not yet an-
nounced an MSRP for either
bike. Both bikes, however, are
expected to arrive at the dealers
by mid-July.
2015 Kawasaki KX450F
For 2015, the KX450F features
some of the latest technology
in air forks with the new Showa
SFF-Air TAC Fork, which is very
similar to the fork that Ryan
Villopoto has been using on
his factory KX450F. It is said
to be about a pound lighter
than the previous air fork on
the 2014 model and is far
more adjustable, where each
of the three chambers can be
adjusted with air for different
parts of the stroke. Another
advantage of the TAC design is
that a blown oil seal won't have
much of an affect on suspension
performance. In other words,
a blown seal won't result in a
DNF. A digital air pump is also
included with every purchase.
The KX's rear suspension has a
revised setting to compliment
the new fork.
