Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/997997
VOL. 55 ISSUE 25 JUNE 26, 2018 P109 2019 KAWASAKI KX450F ($9299) ENGINE TYPE: ..... 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valve, single DISPLACEMENT: ..............................449cc BORE & STROKE: ............. 96.0 x 62.1mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ..................... 12.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM: ........ DFI w/Keihin 44mm throttle body IGNITION: ........................... Digital DC-CDI TRANSMISSION: ...........................5-speed RAKE/TRAIL: .......................27.6°/4.8 in. FRONT SUSPENSION: ..................... 49mm inverted coil-spring fork w/16-position compression and rebound damping adj. REAR SUSPENSION: ........ Uni-Trak w/adj. preload, 19-position (low speed)/4-turn stepless (high speed) compression adj., 22-possition rebound damping adj. FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ................. 12.0 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: .................... 12.1 in. FRONT TIRE: ....................... 80/100-21 in. REAR TIRE: ...........................120/80-19 in. WHEELBASE: ................................. 58.5 in. FRONT BRAKE: ......................270mm disc REAR BRAKE: ...................... 250mm disc FUEL CAPACITY: ..........................1.64 gal. GROUND CLEARANCE: ................... 13.4 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ................................37.6 in. WEIGHT (CLAIMED, W/O FUEL): 232.4 lbs. WEIGHT (CLAIMED W/FUEL): .....242.4 lbs. S P E C I F I C A T I O N S sliding forward in the turns a breeze. As we kept riding the 2019 KX450, the updated parts and systems kept impressing. Massive, powerful brakes sur- prised us with their initial bite and strength. They're likely too strong initially but some break- in time will determine their long-term feel. Right now, they stop aggressively! The hydraulic clutch is consistent in feel and seems to work well. It doesn't offer a much lighter pull at the lever, if any. So, don't expect an eas- ier left hand workout while you ride. But it should be a winner in the long run as long as the Kawasaki system can prove to be durable and trouble free. Electric start was great. We have grown accustomed to E- start and aren't going back to kicking anytime soon. What else did we love? Definitely the exhaust note and tone of the muffler. While it looks pretty massive, the muffler delivers a healthy, clean sound now—something Kawasaki's definitely did not have the past few years. Now it sounds like a nicely tuned machine instead of an open- pipe thrashed bike. The only area we can begin to complain about the 2019 Kawasaki KX450 at this point is in some finish details. Alu- minum components like the footpeg brackets and sub- frame mounts seem stamped, drilled and forgotten about. The footpeg brackets almost look out of place. The way the electric start gears are mount- ed above the countershaft sprocket also looks cheaper than other e-start integrations on MX bikes. And the overall look, while definitely strong in Kawasaki green, has been polarizing. Some love it with a classic tone; others think it's a dated style. That's certainly a personal preference. Overwhelmingly, the 2019 Kawasaki KX450 is an un- disputed improvement over the previous generation. The suspension package alone will put this into consideration for class leadership. And with the handling and other performance aspects impressing us so far, we are already big fans. It will be an interesting year to shop for a 450 motocross bike, that's for sure! CN