My thoughts on my new 08 kfx 450

[orky496]

I just bought a kfx450 left over (2008) last saturday. I paid $5400 for quad its self - out the door was like $6100 or so.

I have been riding since I was 3-1/2 and know what I am doing. I love the quad but it took me a little while to figure it out. It is a totally different quad than any other. I was actually almost disappointed my first time riding it - You can't even really compare it to a yamaha yfz450 or honda trx450.

Top speed this thing is SLOW... SLOW SLOW. I would say MAYBE 70mph out of the box. - a yfz or trx etc. etc. pushes closer to 80-85 out the box.

It only has 43h.p. from what I have read compared to the others in it's class which are closer to 50 hp then they are to 40hp.

The power in this machine is more in the top end then in the bottum end - It has power every where don't get me wrong but, it is made to rev right up there. The longest gear is 1st and the rest are SHORT. I pedal through the gears into 5th and feel like I need a 6th gear. I can pull the front tires up in a weelie in 5th gear no problem though.

It is SUPER SUPER quiet which is a + in my book considering where I live. It has reverse which works awesome ( I had a small issue with the elbow at the engine side of the cable getting bent from reversing into a stick; which caused it to not work - I had to bend it back - I thought my tranny was wootered)

The fuel injection is AWESOME. There is zero bog any where. It is wierd starting as you can not touch the gas PERIOD for close to a minute or even to start it like say a 2 stroke... you will flood it and it turns into a cold BITCH.

I cracked BOTH heel guards in the same places on my FIRST ride out - AND my rear PLASTIC bash plate for the brakes and chain - One of the screws in the fender also came out FIRST ride out.

So... if your looking for TOP END speed - FORGET ABOUT THIS QUAD... if you are looking for a woods machine that will smoke ANY yfz trx predator etc. etc. - THIS IS YOUR MACHINE...

The quad goes any where if you no how to ride it... I live in a **** hole of a place to ride - rocks mud EVERY WHERE on this mountain side.

What sold me with this quad was the reverse AND fuel injection. -- The honda/yamah were my other candidates as the predator sucks balls as far as I am concerned and most of the others as well.

The KTM was nearly $$ 4 - 5000.00 more out the door!!


It is an all aluminum frame which makes it really light - That was also something I noticed when I was riding it for the first time - It jumps CRAZY smooth. The suspension (I think) out of the box is the best/smoothest of all the quads I have ridden. I thought it was LIGHTER than the rest in the 450 class but come to find out the yamaha any ways is like 40 pounds lighter or something (2008 kfx vs. 2009 yfz) - I did not even check the honda.

Let me know what you guys think...

[masterp0606]

Top speed this thing is SLOW... SLOW SLOW. I would say MAYBE 70mph out of the box. - a yfz or trx etc. etc. pushes closer to 80-85 out the box.

It only has 43h.p. from what I have read compared to the others in it's class which are closer to 50 hp then they are to 40hp.


80-85 come on. No bike stock is doing that. And all the 450 bikes are pretty close in H.P. maybe a few off at the most.
Get you a 15 tooth front sprocket and you will be right with the rest of them in top speed. Do the big 3 and you will have a whole new beast.

[Duster]

Well, here is what I think...

I found myself in the same boat on buying... between the KFX and KTM.
I couldn't justify that large of a price difference either.

Top speed probably is a little slow... I haven't hit the limiter in 5th yet...
Obviously that part of it really doesn't matter to me.
I'm a woods/xc rider and don't have room to wind out like that.
But yeah, I can see where it could get ran down on top end by the faster quads.

The 14/38 gearing at the chain is a tad low, but I swear to me that's all the gear it can stand to pull. I think the trans gearing is higher and this thing seem to have very little off-idle torque. It's high geared and fast in first... and mine stalls very easy, which could be other issues.

I'm hoping mine will make me a great xc quad in the end.


As for the weight... it's not heavier than the other quads... the advertised weight is "wet weight" full of fluids and ready to ride. The other guys are advertising "dry weight".

All I know is that I was expecting it to weigh a little more than my 400EX, but in reality it weighs a lot-lot less.

[ononewheel]

ya id say put a 15tooth in the front your top end will improve!as for me i love it got a 2009 and what a great bike im comming off a 2006 400ex so this bike is miles ahead of that tank!as for your negitives id have to disagree w/ some the trx450 is a tank and cant get out of its own way even if it tried!ive raced one of those stock to stock and ate that thing up!as for the yfz havnt had a chance to race one of those yet but ive heard good and bad things about that bike as for the peditor ive killed on of those too!also the ltr 450 my buddys got one of those and he cant keep up w/ me anyware straigts or trails!big three will make a huge differance maybe look into that and it may change your opinon!

[fleshpeddle]

I hope im not the only one that is sick of everyone and brands ripping on the kfx that its slower than the rest I havent found a bike that has the same amount of mods that I have that can beat me if you do the big three and cams also gear change these things just flat out ripp. my buddys that have all the other brands honda, yamaha, suzuki cant even come close there is just something about this motor after you uncork it seems to rev up way faster and pulls to the moon my one buddy has a trx thats all ported,race piston and all that good stuff still likes my kfx better its the whole package on the kfx that is awesome besides who in the **** keeps there bikes stock anyways if thats what you want is the fastest stock bike buy the ktm they ripp stock. to me its fun and keeps it interesting to keep modifying also if you want to go faster upgrading your suspension will do the trick with that aluiminium frame sure makes it nicer than the rest.

[voudris00]

I cant say much about all the scematics between the 450s but the first time i rode my friends honda 450 it was horrible mainly because of the stance of it. It felt like it sat up awkwardly high.

[superKFX450r]

QUOTE (kfx450ripper @ Apr 17 2009, 12:46 AM)

I hope im not the only one that is sick of everyone and brands ripping on the kfx that its slower than the rest I havent found a bike that has the same amount of mods that I have that can beat me if you do the big three and cams also gear change these things just flat out ripp. my buddys that have all the other brands honda, yamaha, suzuki cant even come close there is just something about this motor after you uncork it seems to rev up way faster and pulls to the moon my one buddy has a trx thats all ported,race piston and all that good stuff still likes my kfx better its the whole package on the kfx that is awesome besides who in the **** keeps there bikes stock anyways if thats what you want is the fastest stock bike buy the ktm they ripp stock. to me its fun and keeps it interesting to keep modifying also if you want to go faster upgrading your suspension will do the trick with that aluiminium frame sure makes it nicer than the rest.

i totally agree with you my KFX450r runs super fast (stock)... but once i got some Hot cams stage 3, full exhaust, K&N modified filter, and the power commander no one could even catch up to me.. i would even smoke some modified 2 stroke 250r's... SO YEA MY BEST BET IS KFX450r THE BEST IN MY OPINION..!!

[esquared]

"Top speed probably is a little slow... I haven't hit the limiter in 5th yet..."

If you haven't hit the limiter you are a slow rider or you still have the stock airbox and exhaust. Changed my exhaust , airbox and efi controller just after break in and I always hit the limiter. I hit the limiter the first day I had mine right before I changed parts but it is much easier with the mods.

[Duster]

QUOTE (esquared @ Jan 29 2010, 02:10 AM)

"Top speed probably is a little slow... I haven't hit the limiter in 5th yet..."

If you haven't hit the limiter you are a slow rider or you still have the stock airbox and exhaust. Changed my exhaust , airbox and efi controller just after break in and I always hit the limiter. I hit the limiter the first day I had mine right before I changed parts but it is much easier with the mods.

Not all of us live in open country....

Around here there is just not room to get up that kind of speed often.
My bike has been shifted into reverse way more times than 5th gear.

All I ride is XC/woods.