I heard they are slow. Just what I heard.
How is the New Kawi
I have been on hear reading for about the last 2 months. I dont have a new kawi yet. Think I'll wait till the 09s come out to buy one, let kawi work the kinks out of the first year models. I was just wondering what are your likes and dislike of the 450. Also how does it compare to a Honda 450 or a Yamaha. I havn't ridden a TRX but have ridden and YFZ and really dont like the feel. They push in the corners and feel really small compared to the kawi and the Honda. But then again I have a pred right now and it is a tank. So what are you thoughts on this new machine KFX 450 owners.
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That's not what the magazine reviews have been saying. They say it has tons of power and it is the best 450 on the market. The kx dirtbike with the 450 motor got best bike of the year because of that motor. I wouldn't be surprised if the people that say its slow have all been riding modded 450's.
QUOTE (porterhillperformance @ May 12 2007, 10:31 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=1838
One thing I do like about the suspension on the track is that you can preload it and really shoot up. Preloading it sends you over jumps you're landing really short on and is completely controllable. Something that I haven't seen much before, but not a reason to keep the stock shocks. They suck elsewhere.
I did it and you're right but it still was out. There were jumps I was landing like 1-3ft short w/full throttle and no preload. I had to preload to clear and after taking out the arrestor it had just enough to hit it w/out preloading the suspension. It actually helps it breathe a little but the sound is horrid.by the way if u get 1 dont take out spark arrester sounds horrible
One thing I do like about the suspension on the track is that you can preload it and really shoot up. Preloading it sends you over jumps you're landing really short on and is completely controllable. Something that I haven't seen much before, but not a reason to keep the stock shocks. They suck elsewhere.
i havent got it on the track yet today it is raining so i will have to next weekend
Seat is hard and starts slow during break-in only.
Ya i have been to three area dealers and they have all said good things about them
QUOTE (bmgstang @ May 12 2007, 11:30 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=1837
It didn't get dirtbike of the year for its motor. Both Honda and KTM has several more HP than the Kawi in their dirtbike counterparts.That's not what the magazine reviews have been saying. They say it has tons of power and it is the best 450 on the market. The kx dirtbike with the 450 motor got best bike of the year because of that motor. I wouldn't be surprised if the people that say its slow have all been riding modded 450's.
QUOTE (cyberjwalk @ May 13 2007, 09:25 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=1857
Haven't ridden one but I hear it has the most power.It didn't get dirtbike of the year for its motor. Both Honda and KTM has several more HP than the Kawi in their dirtbike counterparts.
40-60 in like 2 seconds i say its pretty good and i almost got it topped out about 87 MPH i was going for 90
I have one and love mine.It has plenty of power and handles very good.It isnt a top end speed demon,but I can leap in front of a stock LTR and a slightly modded 2003 pred.I think they would get me in a long straight.We have a field and I am getting about 70 out of it.It flys through the air really nice.I have several pretty good jumps and some really tight corners and it does them with ease.I think with the DASA pipe a power commander and some airbox mods it is going to be a really good quad and hard to beat.I have reacently had a fully modded KFX and a fully modded 2003 Raptor.The new KFX is way better then either as far as all around easy to ride corner and it has pretty impressive power stock not top speed but good rev and good pulling through the gears.
QUOTE (j-wadd @ May 14 2007, 09:45 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=1880
I completey argee. i love my new 450. once the after market companies start releasing all there parts, the KFX will probably be a beast. i race my stock KFX at the local mx series and do fine. the only place i suffer at is in the high speed flat corners b/c the LTRs are wider. thats the only compliant.I have one and love mine.It has plenty of power and handles very good.It isnt a top end speed demon,but I can leap in front of a stock LTR and a slightly modded 2003 pred.I think they would get me in a long straight.We have a field and I am getting about 70 out of it.It flys through the air really nice.I have several pretty good jumps and some really tight corners and it does them with ease.I think with the DASA pipe a power commander and some airbox mods it is going to be a really good quad and hard to beat.I have reacently had a fully modded KFX and a fully modded 2003 Raptor.The new KFX is way better then either as far as all around easy to ride corner and it has pretty impressive power stock not top speed but good rev and good pulling through the gears.
I am also pleased with the KFX's performance... so far... it's not the first 450 I owned... definitely the best. I picked up the bike two Saturday's ago and raced it cross-country on Sunday placed third. Not too bad for zero hours on the bike (my lower back was killing due to the handlebar position... too low for me).
I took it for the ultimate test this past weekend... in our usual riding area... The bike took a beating... the terrain is very rough with a tremendous amount of rocks. I was purposely trying to break the bike, because I would rather it break in the trails than during a race. The bike held up extremely well... I receive two flat tires quite normal for that riding area (note I was running Hiper's). The stock aluminum rims would've never help up... not even for 10 minutes (I took a few chunks of plastic out of the hiper's).
As somebody mentioned before I would also recommend loctite on all the obvious nuts and bolts... especially the fenders, if you choose to leave them on... all in all I lost about 10 nuts/bolts during the four-hour ride.
The bike felt a little lose at high speeds... nothing a steering stabilizer couldn't fix.
After adjusting the suspension the bike soaked up the rough terrain quite well...
The bike handled the turns incredibly well and never once did I feel like he was going to tip over... it was very easy to control the slide... (after sharpening the foot pegs).
I'm going to add a few after market parts to make the bike even better... I will keep you updated.
I took it for the ultimate test this past weekend... in our usual riding area... The bike took a beating... the terrain is very rough with a tremendous amount of rocks. I was purposely trying to break the bike, because I would rather it break in the trails than during a race. The bike held up extremely well... I receive two flat tires quite normal for that riding area (note I was running Hiper's). The stock aluminum rims would've never help up... not even for 10 minutes (I took a few chunks of plastic out of the hiper's).
As somebody mentioned before I would also recommend loctite on all the obvious nuts and bolts... especially the fenders, if you choose to leave them on... all in all I lost about 10 nuts/bolts during the four-hour ride.
The bike felt a little lose at high speeds... nothing a steering stabilizer couldn't fix.
After adjusting the suspension the bike soaked up the rough terrain quite well...
The bike handled the turns incredibly well and never once did I feel like he was going to tip over... it was very easy to control the slide... (after sharpening the foot pegs).
I'm going to add a few after market parts to make the bike even better... I will keep you updated.
I agree. I have about 15 hours on mine and have lost two fender bolts. Loc-tite is a must. I raced a 06 stock Yfz 450 against my KFX 450. I beat him through third gear and then he slowly passed me. We're both same level rider. The YFZ top end took over. They are comparable though. Its not He beat me by four bike lengths. I was maybe one bike length behind him by the end if that. (300 yard race) The kfx has a lot of low end and mid range power but the top end isn't there compared to the YFZ.
I love My KFX 450 though. I mostly trail ride and reverse is very handy to have. The transmission has a really close ratio. Stock the KFX goes 70 and I was hitting the rev limiter. used my GPS to measure. I wish first gear let you go twice as slow as it does. Its too high. Everybody has there own preference though. Most people on this forum have or are going to mod their KFX. I plan on keeping it stock because its fast enough for me and has plenty of power. I did build an aluminum skid plate that covers more of the frame than most with the same mounting as the stock plastic junk one. Lets just say you could make any of the 450's faster than the other. Some just take more money to get there.
When I went to buy mine. I was in between the KFX 450 and The Raptor 700. I picked the KFX mainly because I liked the feel of The YFZ that I rode. The KFX is smaller, lighter, and feels lower to the ground than the Raptor. They both have the new fuel injection which makes starting easy (once broke in). The raptor has reverse and the KFX is the only 450 with reverse right now. Its saved me a lot of lifting. Why didn't I buy a YFZ? Everybody has a YFZ. The KFX is new and I think they did a good job with the design overall. It might be smart to wait and buy a second or third year KFX just so all the kinks are worked out even though I haven't heard anything serious yet.
I love My KFX 450 though. I mostly trail ride and reverse is very handy to have. The transmission has a really close ratio. Stock the KFX goes 70 and I was hitting the rev limiter. used my GPS to measure. I wish first gear let you go twice as slow as it does. Its too high. Everybody has there own preference though. Most people on this forum have or are going to mod their KFX. I plan on keeping it stock because its fast enough for me and has plenty of power. I did build an aluminum skid plate that covers more of the frame than most with the same mounting as the stock plastic junk one. Lets just say you could make any of the 450's faster than the other. Some just take more money to get there.
When I went to buy mine. I was in between the KFX 450 and The Raptor 700. I picked the KFX mainly because I liked the feel of The YFZ that I rode. The KFX is smaller, lighter, and feels lower to the ground than the Raptor. They both have the new fuel injection which makes starting easy (once broke in). The raptor has reverse and the KFX is the only 450 with reverse right now. Its saved me a lot of lifting. Why didn't I buy a YFZ? Everybody has a YFZ. The KFX is new and I think they did a good job with the design overall. It might be smart to wait and buy a second or third year KFX just so all the kinks are worked out even though I haven't heard anything serious yet.
You are right about first gear being high. My brother complains about it all the time, especially with 2 people on it. Mines even worse withthe 34 rear. Dont care though. I think they made it that way you got the jump on the mx track. Makes sence to me. Then after that they are rear close with 5th being like a little taller but not much.
With my pipe, programmer, 34 rear and lid off and my girlfriend on the back I have no problem taking off with the first gear being high, its got balls. Ive never stalled it once with that setup. Now with my brothers and his gf on the back, it stalls constantly cause the powers not there down low like mine. Oh I forgot I have the crower cam. That makes a large difference with the pipe. I broke off a tooth on my new rear sprocket though. I was lugging it through a mudpit and I think something got in the chain like a rock and I heard it snapo off. lol. Buit any ways, no complaints as far as a-arms, or lose bolts other than the foot wells that break like any atv I ride. its quicker and faster than my yfz with all the mods, cam pipe, intake, true 06 wr450 motor. On the trails its a nasty ass machine with all the power. The gears are nice and tall and i love it. It does happen to sit low and with my ass on it I stiuffened up the springs front and rear and im not hitting anything. With my old yfz i had to go up 1 inch inthe front with biigger tires, it hit stuff like crazy. Those aarms on the yfz450 are the weakest out of all the 450's. Havent broken anything yet. No leaks, no nada. Airfilter is mad easy to clean too. Seats no harder than the yfz i had.
Jeff
With my pipe, programmer, 34 rear and lid off and my girlfriend on the back I have no problem taking off with the first gear being high, its got balls. Ive never stalled it once with that setup. Now with my brothers and his gf on the back, it stalls constantly cause the powers not there down low like mine. Oh I forgot I have the crower cam. That makes a large difference with the pipe. I broke off a tooth on my new rear sprocket though. I was lugging it through a mudpit and I think something got in the chain like a rock and I heard it snapo off. lol. Buit any ways, no complaints as far as a-arms, or lose bolts other than the foot wells that break like any atv I ride. its quicker and faster than my yfz with all the mods, cam pipe, intake, true 06 wr450 motor. On the trails its a nasty ass machine with all the power. The gears are nice and tall and i love it. It does happen to sit low and with my ass on it I stiuffened up the springs front and rear and im not hitting anything. With my old yfz i had to go up 1 inch inthe front with biigger tires, it hit stuff like crazy. Those aarms on the yfz450 are the weakest out of all the 450's. Havent broken anything yet. No leaks, no nada. Airfilter is mad easy to clean too. Seats no harder than the yfz i had.
Jeff
5
Stock?? ?? It's good to dream big my friend!1 HAHa40-60 in like 2 seconds i say its pretty good and i almost got it topped out about 87 MPH i was going for 90
the only dislike i have is the seat is a little hard but quadtech has a softer seat your can buy
no problems yet its my wifes bike tho
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
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