2022 Kawasaki KX250 Review/Suspension Settings

No, the 2022 KX250 IS NOT changed from the 2021 model, but that didn’t stop us from getting a re-fresher on the green machine. Below, we will walk you through some positives and negatives of the bike to see if it could be the right bike for you. If this is not enough green content for your eyes, you can also listen to show #256 of the RMATVMC Keefer Tested Podcast to get more insight on the 2022 KX250. Also look below for some baseline settings for the green machine.

Engine:

Even though the 2022 KX250 engine has been unchanged, Kawasaki is still one of the top three 250 four stroke engines in my opinion. I like that this engine can rev to 14,500 and you can feel that on the track when riding! The 2022 KX250′s engine characteristics are the same to the 2021 package with that great over-rev because of the increased rev limit they achieved in 2021. They achieved this higher rpm mainly by adding stiffer valve springs along with new camshaft timing. The power delivery is definitely better if you keep the rpm up and although the green bike doesn’t have that Yamaha mid range meat, it still pulls strong. Maintaining the correct gear is also important, meaning second gear will be used in most corners and will not give you that lugability like the Yamaha. The engine revs far enough that shifting to third gear is not needed until you have exited the corner and down the straight a bit. The FI mapping runs right great from the get-go.

There are three different preprogrammed settings available. These are changed via a coupler located on the right side just by the steering stem. Green is standard, white is aggressive, and black is mellow. This is the same system as what comes on the KX450. I tested all three and found improvements in certain areas with the white and black couplers. Each had improvements, but they also had some drawbacks. The Kawasaki technicians created a custom map that uses the ignition settings of the white coupler and the fuel mapping of the black coupler, which made for a noticeable improvement in the overall power and was accomplished by increasing the midrange torque, which helped it continue to make power further into the highest of rpm. I wouldn’t say it was huge, but it helped with mid rpm torque and seemed to make the power even longer into the upper rpm range. This is called the Chavez Map which has been around for a couple years now.

To do this custom mapping on your own, you would need to buy the accessory KX FI Calibration Kit, which retails for $699.95. It can be found on the Kawasaki website and ordered through your local dealer. This is an added expense, but if you are serious enough about your racing, you are probably already planning on getting your suspension revalved and purchasing an aftermarket exhaust, race gas, and more. So, it is worth considering adding this tool to your race budget.

Clutch:

The hydraulic clutch works well and to me isn't as on/off as the Brembo system. This Nissin unit is the same system that is used on the KX450 and it has proven to work well. The clutch assembly is also using a cone-disc spring in place of a coil-spring system. The clutch friction plates have three different materials to help reduce clutch fade from heat. The clutch works well and plate life is on par with the Honda CRF450R system. It was easy to modulate and because of the hydraulic system, there was no fade during our motos. Shifting under load was reasonably easy with only the smallest amount of clutch lever input, which is much better than the KTM under load.

Chassis/Ergos:

The KX250 chassis is based off the same platform as the KX450. For me, at 5’11, the Kawasaki chassis fits me well and I would say this would be true for most riders. The feel is almost Honda’esq but slimmer feeling. The rider triangle is neutral with plenty of room for adjustment. The handlebar can be moved forward or backward and the footpegs have an optional lower position for taller riders or someone looking to try to lower the bike’s center of gravity. The chassis is also narrow—possibly one of the narrowest four-stroke bikes on the market. Sitting on the KX250, I would say it is a little more of a sitting on top of the bike feeling, but not sitting as high as a KTM or Husqvarna.

The brakes are also great on the KX250 for 2022. The front brake system is the same as the KX450 including the 270mm front rotor. That means the bike now comes with the KX’s very distinct, thin front brake lever. The 250 rear brake has a smaller 240mm rear rotor (down from 250mm on 2020 model). The front brake lever is noticeably thinner than most other brands and to me is annoying. It is fairly easy to modulate and offers a medium to firm feel. The rear brake is noticeably improved with the smaller 240mm rotor over the KX450. Going to the 240 rear rotor helps the rear brake feel less touchy/grabby.

Suspension:

(150-170 Pounds)

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 4.9 N/mm

Height: 4mm

Compression: 11-12 clicks out 

Rebound: 10 clicks out 

Shock:

Spring Rate: 54 N/mm

Sag: 103mm

High Speed Compression: 1.25 turns out

Low Speed Compression: 8 clicks out

Rebound: 10 clicks out 

(175-200 Pounds)

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 4.9 N/mm

Height: 4mm

Compression: 9-10 clicks out 

Rebound: 12 clicks out 

Shock:

Spring Rate: 56 N/mm

Sag: 104mm

High Speed Compression: 1.5 turns out

Low Speed Compression: 11 clicks out

Rebound: 9 clicks out

2021 Kawasaki KX450X Top 5 Mods

Written/Tested By: Gary Sutherlin

The 2021 Kawasaki KX450X has been a bike I’ve been interested in putting some time on ever since Kawasaki decided to jump back into producing an off-road 450. I don’t care who you are, but there’s something nice about rolling up to the track or trails not having to worry about a stand. Unfortunately, Kawasaki missed big with their kickstand placement and as functional as it may be on the showroom it needs to come off ASAP if you’re planning to lean the bike over riding at all. After a few days of riding, I had a pretty good direction of a few things I wanted to try to improve on the KX450X.

AEO/REP Suspension:

The stock valving on the KX450X was too soft for both off-road and MX riding for me. Although it was comfortable it didn’t have the hold up and performance that I wanted for both types of riding. After talking with Mark at AEO we decided to lean more towards an off-road setup and highlight what this bike was designed for. My first impression was exactly what I asked for, the valving had more hold up, a progressive feel throughout the stroke, and the added performance to push in rougher areas. I rode this set up at MX tracks, California desert and rocky single track in Arizona. If I was going to ride both moto and off-road I think I would stiffen the low-speed compression both front and rear to help the performance at the motocross track but not taking too much away from how well it works for trail riding. This setup really shined at everything I threw at it while trail riding, it soaked up all the rocks, small chop and square edges but had enough bottoming resistance that I could still hit bigger whoops and g-outs without completely hammering my back. www.repsuspension.com

Ride Engineering Linkage:

I used to put a different linkage pull rod on my Kawasaki’s back in the day, which was a couple generations of KX models ago, but always saw a big improvement with the ride attitude of the machine. With the stock link I found that the sweet spot for sag and balance, which was around 105-106mm with the link. With Ride Engineering’s link I tried the same sag numbers but realized the balance of the bike was off and too low in the back, so I bumped it up to 102mm to get the bike more balanced for what I prefer. Once the balance felt right, I noticed how well the bike drove through square edge bumps under acceleration, had an increase in rear wheel traction and helped keep the rear wheel planted to the ground. It helped in areas I hadn’t even noticed the KX450 was lacking with the stock link, so this was a surprise mod that I was not expecting too make that big of a change, but was one of the top mods that I did to the green machine. www.ride-engineering.com

Ride Engineering 22mm Offset Clamps:

One of the first things that had me scratching my head with the Kawasaki was the vague feeling I was getting with the front end of the KX450X on lean angle. I felt like I would have traction then, bam, the front wheel was gone and I found myself picking myself up off the dirt. Adrian at Ride Engineering has been testing this clamp set up for awhile and asked me to give it a try and I figured this may be the ticket to stop finding myself lying in the dirt. The 22mm offset helped with front end traction that I was lacking with the stock clamp making it feel more planted and gave me more confidence in the front end anytime I was leaning the KX450X. I found the clamp to work well on single track trails and the flowing desert. My lean in while setting up for a turn was more controlled and seemed to help me change directions on the trail quicker and pick better lines. I did notice on faster high-speed bumps I was getting more feedback in the bars with the 22mm offset clamp than with the 23mm offset. I think going to the 22mm offset might increase rigidity a tad on square edge. When you make one area better sometimes it takes a little away from the other but I think it was a good improvement across the board and made the front end better for what I set the bike up for. www.ride-engineering.com

ARC Levers:

The simplest but most effective change to the KX450X was new ARC clutch and brake levers. In stock form the levers had me wondering if I ever used a clutch and front brake before, they’re oddly skinny and the engagement point was in a weird spot for me. I chose to use ARC Memlon levers over the aluminum for off-road. Bob over at ARC is a clutch and brake warlock giving you the options to make lever engagement and feel for ANYONE!. With his “Flip Chips” allowing you 6 different power ratios you really can make a personalized feel for you. Bob recommended the 16-17 ratio and it helped put the engagement a little closer to my fingers and improved the control while cornering. I know a lot of people think the Memlon front brake levers flex too much, but I really like the feel of the lever and don’t have a problem getting the KX450X to slow down for my thick ass. Plus, if you’re out trail riding and one of those pesky rocks comes out of nowhere, you might find yourself on the ground, the last thing you need is riding the rest of the day without a clutch or brake lever. www.arclevers.com

Brake Tech Brake Piston:

Calling all brake draggers!! I’ve used this product for the past few years on my KTM’s and it’s been a game changer. I have a lead foot and drag the brake a lot to help steer the bike while trail riding (editor’s note: as well as moto!). I noticed in the summer months brake fade on the tighter trails I rode with the added heat. But that was all solved with installing the new brake piston. With Jeff’s brake piston not only is it helping disperse heat through the face of the piston, the back also allows the brake system to hold almost 30cc more brake fluid. Whether you’re riding long trail rides, racing for multiple hours, or just like using that rear brake at the track, this brake piston is a must have on any model bike you have. www.braketech.com

2021 250 MX Baseline Stock Suspension Settings Bible

Here is your one stop shop for some baseline suspension settings for all (except the Suzuki) the 250 motocross machines. These settings are a great start for anyone between 150-180 pounds. If heavier springs are needed the below specs will specify this. If you’re asking yourself ,why not gives some specs for riders under 150 pounds, don’t fret, email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com and I can try to walk you through some options. -KK

2021 Honda CRF250R:

In stock form the Showa suspension on the 2021 Honda CRF250R has decent comfort on de-cel bumps, but lacks a little hold up for riders ranging from 160-190 pounds. If you’re over 190 pounds going up a spring rate on each end is your ticket to a better handling CRF250R. After riding with this setting below at more than three different tracks, more than one time around, I figured out that this baseline suspension setting gave the 2021 Honda CRF250R the most “track toughness”. If you happen to feel like the fork is harsher (through the mid stroke) with this setting, simply open up the rebound (faster) back to stock setting. This will help free up the fork slightly under front end load (off-gas). The shock needs just a little more hold up under acceleration so simply going stiffer/slower on low speed compression/rebound gives the rider more comfort and added traction out of corners. I tried experimenting with high speed compression, but the Honda is finicky with high speed. Going stiffer on high speed compression (shock) put too much weight on the front end (fork) creating a harsher feeling front fork.

Fork:

Spring Rate: 4.8N/mm

Height: 3mm 

Compression: 6-7 clicks out 

Rebound: 10 clicks out 

Shock:

Spring Rate: 52N/mm

Sag: 102-103mm

High Speed Compression: 2-5/6

Low Speed Compression: 9 clicks out 

Rebound: 5 clicks out

2021 Kawasaki KX250:

The 2021 KX250 to me has a better suspension feel than the KX450 as well a better hold up. The KYB suspension has a wide range of comfort for different size riders so stock springs should suffice unless you’re over 180 pounds. If you’re over 180 pounds then going to a 5.0N/mm fork spring (like last year’s fork) and 56N/mm rear spring and softening up the compression a couple clicks on each end and that should increase the comfort for you heavier dudes.

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 4.9 N/mm

Height: 4mm

Compression: 9 clicks out 

Rebound: 10 clicks out 

Shock:

Spring Rate: 54 N/mm

Sag: 102-103mm

High Speed Compression: 1.25 turns out

Low Speed Compression: 9 clicks out

Rebound: 11 clicks out 

2021 Yamaha YZ250: 

Much like the chassis, the 2021 suspension feels firmer (compared the 2020), holds up more in the stroke slightly, yet still has that KYB free feeling movement (unlike a Showa feel where it moves less with a dead feel) that is very active on the track. That active feel translates into a a front/rear end that follows the ground well under small chatter and bigger/softer braking bumps. I did have to go a little firmer on both ends for my style of riding, but it didn’t take long at all to feel comfortable. Track Toughness of the 2021 Yamaha YZ250F is better than the 2020, but if you’re north of 180 pounds you might want to drop in a set of 4.8N/mm fork springs and live happy! 

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 4.7 N/mm

Height: 4mm

Compression: 8 clicks out 

Rebound: 9 clicks out 

Shock:

Spring Rate: 56 N/mm

Sag: 104mm

High Speed Compression: 7/8-1 turn out

Low Speed Compression: 8 clicks out

Rebound: 9 clicks out 

2021 KTM 250SX-F: 

Always remember that a WP AER fork needs more time to break in than any other fork on the market. Your AER fork will need at least 5-6 engine hours to fully break in. If you feel like your fork is stiff/harsh before that, don’t fret yet, as this is a common feel among these forks. These KTM/Husqvarna/Gas Gas settings are for riders anywhere from 150-180 pounds. Lighter riders under 150 pounds will need a slightly softer air setting (around TKTK bar), but can use the same clicker adjustment readings. 

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 10.6-10.7 bar

Height: 5mm

Compression: 11 clicks out (with 10.6 bar) 15 clicks out (with 10.7 bar)

Rebound: 11 clicks out 

Shock:

Spring Rate: 42 N/mm

Sag: 102-103mm

High Speed Compression: 1.75-2 turns out

Low Speed Compression: 11 clicks out

Rebound: 12 clicks out 

2021 Gas Gas MC250:

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 10.6-10.7 bar

Height: 5mm

Compression: 11 clicks out (with 10.6 bar) 15 clicks out (with 10.7 bar)

Rebound: 10 clicks out 

Shock:

Spring Rate: 42 N/mm

Sag: 102-103mm

High Speed Compression: 1.75-2 turns out

Low Speed Compression: 11 clicks out

Rebound: 11 clicks out

2021 Husqvarna FC250: 

Due to the lower nature of the Husqvarna setting, we preferred to go a little stiffer with this set up to get more comfort on the Husqvarna suspension.

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 10.7-10.8 bar

Height: 5mm

Compression: 14 clicks out 

Rebound: 9-10 clicks out

Shock:

Spring Rate: 42 N/mm

Sag: 100-101mm

High Speed Compression: 1.5 

Low Speed Compression: 10 clicks out

Rebound: 11 clicks out 

Top 5 Mods To The 2021 Kawasaki KX250

We have just over 25 hours on the 2021 KX250 and so far we really love this machine. The KX250 is one of our favorite 250F’s to ride due to the work the Kawasaki R&D engineers made to the 2021 model . Although there will be a follow up article soon with some ECU and engine mods we thought why not throw up our initial top 5 mods that we have done to our worn in 2021 KX250. These mods below have improved the engine and chassis feel even more and as given us more confidence in the machine.

1. Pro Circuit Ti-6 Muffler System: Normally I DO NOT get more bottom end with a PC system (versus stock) on any brand of bike, but I was surprised that I got a little extra bottom end pulling power out of the PC system. RPM response is a little softer than the stock system, but when opening up the throttle out of corners the KX250 with the PC system pulls harder than the stocker. Mid range is where you will feel the meat of this power. When accelerating out of the corner and shifting to third, the KX250 doesn't have that “empty” feeling that the stock muffler has at times when the track is tilled deep. The PC system keeps pulling once the KX250 is shifted into third gear and continues to pull harder into the top end of the machine. Over-rev is as good as stock and I didn’t notice any loss of over-rev when swapping the two mufflers back and forth. 

 The only real negative I have found from the PC system is I wish it would have a little more low end RPM response. Like I mentioned that stock muffler has a great initial touch of throttle which can make the bike feel a little lighter when hopping over bumps or popping out of blown out berms. The PC system pulls better out of corners, but is just a smoother initial touch (AKA, low end RPM response). If you want more low end RPM response and could stand to lose some pulling power then take the screen out of the Ti-6. Doing this will give you more low end RPM response, but will hurt some mid range.

2. ECU Re-Mapping: If you want more pulling power as well as more top end install the “Chavez Map” with your Pro Circuit Ti-6 or any other muffler system and thank me later.  We used Kawasaki’s Calibration Tool to tweak the fuel and ignition timing in order to try and get some more pulling power out of the 2021 KX250. The map you see above will get you some extra torque when exiting corners while maintaining the excellent mid-top end power that the 2020 comes with. Use the stock green coupler with this ECU setting…

3. Gearing: 13/50 gearing is just fine for the Intermediate to Pro level rider with either the green or white coupler. If you’re a heavier rider that is lazier in corners you can try a 13/51 gearing to help you get back into the meat of the power sooner. We suggest using the green coupler with our preferred ECU setting with the 13/51 gearing however. This will ensure that mid-top end pulling power doesn’t fall off too soon.

4. 110 Rear Tire: A few manufacturers still like to run a 100/90-19 rear tires because it’s lighter. However, the 110/90-19 rear tire offers more traction and has better comfort on square edge, hard pack areas of the track. The 110 doesn't weigh the 2020 KX250 down in deeper soil that much and in fact, I see no negative on the track to going up a size on the rear. The Kawasaki has plenty of mid-top end to carry the small amount of extra weight the 110 carries. You will get more lean angle bite coming out of corners as well as increased stability with the 110. The 110 will fit on your 1.85 rear rim so don’t worry about your standard current rim size with the 110 rear tire sizing. I am currently running a 110/90-19 Dunlop MX33 on the rear of the KX250 with good results in soft to intermediate terrain. 

5. Pro Taper EVO Handlebar: 

 The stock Renthal Fatbar 839 handlebar is a great bend, but for me it’s still too stiff. If you’re looking to get less vibration and more flex out of your 2021 KX250 look into a Pro Taper SX Race bend as it’s only a couple millimeters lower than the Renthal 839 bend in height. 

Honorable Mention: Ride Engineering makes awesome one piece rubber mounted bar mounts that DO NOT twist like the stock ones have/can. The stock bar mounts are soft so going to these 100.00 bar mounts ensured my handlers do not twist in my clamps. I like the stock triple clamp for this machine so I left stock triple clamps on.

Maintenance Schedule: 

• Change oil every 2.5 engine hours with Blud Racing Pro Series 10/40

• Oil filter every other oil change

• New Chain guide/slider at hour 15

• Purchase a new throttle tube when getting new grips. (Stock grips are vulcanized to the tube)

• New DID ERT3 gold chain at 10 hours

• Running VP T4 race fuel

• Using Dunlop MX3S front/33 rear combo at 13.5/12.5 PSI

• Acerbis Plastic Kit at 20 hours

• Throttle Jockey Team Green Graphics Kit

2020 Kawasaki KX250 Top 5 Mods

Kawasaki did a great job for 2020 on improving the KX250’s overall engine character as well as getting a much better suspension spec. Kawasaki made changes to the engine, went to a bigger throttle body, switched to KYB suspension, updated the brakes, changed the low front engine mounts, and shortened the headpipe by 30mm for 2020. We think they did a great job improving on the 2019 machine, but we have come across 5 fairly simple modifications to help the 2020 become even better. Here they are in no particular order: 

1. FMF Stainless Steel/Aluminum 4.1 Muffler System: The FMF Stainless 4.1 system will shed over two pounds off of your KX250, give you more mid range and top end pull, as well as keep the mid-to rpm response that the current stock exhaust comes with. The FMF system will not give you more bottom end pulling power, but going to the ECU map that we provide here will get you some increased low end rpm response with this FMF system. The FMF stainless/aluminum system is more cost effective and will not get as loose in the slip fit joints as a titanium 4.1 system. We tested a couple early versions of this muffler and are impressed with the final production FMF version.  

2. ECU Re-Mapping: We used Kawasaki’s Calibration Tool to tweak the fuel and ignition timing in order to try and get some more bottom end out of the 2020 KX250. The 2020 did lose a small amount of low end compared to the 2019, but we are in the market to get some added torque back for 2020. The map you see above will get you some of that torque back when exiting corners while maintaining the excellent mid-top end power that the 2020 comes with. Use the stock green coupler with this ECU setting…

3. Gearing: 13/50 gearing is just fine for the Intermediate to Pro level rider with either the green or white coupler. If you’re a heavier rider that is lazier in corners you can try a 13/51 gearing to help you get back into the meat of the power sooner. We suggest using the green coupler with our preferred ECU setting with the 13/51 gearing however. This will ensure that mid-top end pulling power doesn’t fall off too soon.

4. 110 Rear Tire: A few manufacturers still like to run a 100/90-19 rear tires because it’s lighter. However, the 110/90-19 rear tire offers more traction and has better comfort on square edge, hard pack areas of the track. The 110 doesn't weigh the 2020 KX250 down in deeper soil that much and in fact, I see no negative on the track to going up a size on the rear. The Kawasaki has plenty of mid-top end to carry the small amount of extra weight the 110 carries. You will get more lean angle bite coming out of corners as well as increased stability with the 110. The 110 will fit on your 1.85 rear rim so don’t worry about your standard current rim size with the 110 rear tire sizing. I am currently running a 110/90-19 Dunlop MX33 on the rear of the KX250 with good results in soft to intermediate terrain. 

5. Lower Handlebar Bend: The stock 7/8 971 Renthal bar bend feels too tall for the Kawasaki cockpit so I go with a 983 Renthal bend or purchase Ride Engineering’s bar mounts if you want a oversize 1-1/8 handlebar. The 983 7/8 bend has a slightly lower height and rise over the 971, which fits the KX250’s rider triangle better. If you’re going to a oversize bar/bar mount and are looking for a lower profile, go with a Pro Taper EVO/Fuzion SX Race bend. 

Bonus Tip: This is not a cost effective mod, but going to a full Hinson clutch kit will help the life of your KX250 clutch. Although the stock clutch feels good at the lever, the clutch does slip after some fairly normal abuse. Accelerating hard out of corners, when there is maximum grip, the stock clutch does slip under load. To prevent this you can get heavier springs, but that will not expand the life of your plates. Going to a full Hinson kit will prevent slipping as well as lengthen the life of your clutch.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com

2020 Kawasaki KX450 Top 5 Modifications

Joe Oehlhof is in charge of the 2020 Kawasaki KX450 Keefer Inc. test machine. I like that Joe is hard on bikes and can really test the limits of certain parts of a machine. I asked him to send me his “Top 5” modifications that really improved the 2020 KX450. I didn’t want Joe just to write down his favorite shit about what he got for free, but put the parts he did get for “free”, into perspective for everyone reading this. Which parts that are on the Keefer Inc. Testing KX450 would he actually purchase himself if he went out and purchased his own Kawasaki. That is real to me. This is something that I would want to read. These are Joe’s “Top 5” modifications that he would get done himself, if he would be purchasing a new 2020 KX450 right now. -KK

1. Re-Mapped ECU By Pro Circuit: The stock power character is  strong, smooth pulling, and has good "snap" down low. However, while riding this bike in the 2020 450 MX Bracket Shootout and while building it for the World Vet National, I felt I needed to move the power around a bit, so I enlisted Pro Circuit to remap the standard ECU. I wanted 2nd gear to be broader and not ramp up as quick in order to give me a meatier, torquier feel as well as some added rear tire traction with less spin. I also felt like I wanted to use third gear sooner through/or after corners, so getting more recovery was needed. After I installed the re-mapped ECU, I could use third gear more and that allowed me to lug the bike better through corners, which improved my lap times. The added traction I got as well with the PC re-map was noticeable at Glen Helen when the track went to crap! -Trust me, Joe needs to use third gear more! He is like Barcia, but on a KX450! -KK

2. Pro Circuit Ti-6 Exhaust: Next, I went with Pro Circuit’s Ti-6 exhaust, which took the already very useable re-mapped powerband and gave it a boost. It added more torque down low without losing traction, made the throttle feel more "connected" to the rear tire, gave the KX450 a much improved, stronger mid range pull, and even more recovery that allowed me to grab a shift earlier out of corners. Lastly it improved over-rev/top end pull, which allowed me to shift less and if you know me, you know I like to hear that motor sing a little (don’t say a word Kris). -I already did, look above! -KK

3. Hinson Clutch Kit: A full Hinson set up was needed to handle the abuse that I give to the clutch so I went with the outer basket, inner basket, pressure plate, and a sweet looking cover. In stock form the clutch feel is a bit soft and spongy and the engagement point is a little vague. I like to know exactly where my clutch is engaging, which helps to not drag the clutch and gives it a much better/more positive feel on starts. Let me explain this…When you accelerate with the stock clutch system the bike starts to grab traction and then there is some slipping. It’s not the instant engagement or the feel of acceleration that I like and with Hinson’s set up, I was able to achieve the feel I was looking for.

4. Pro Circuit Re-valved Suspension: For a 190 pound guy the stock suspension is usually on the soft side, so of course Pro Circuit re-valved the fork and shock. I went a tad stiffer on the front fork spring, but for the shock, I eventually decided to stay with stock spring rate and used just a re-valve. I initially had a stiffer rear spring, but I lost a little of that initial plushness and comfort feel of the stock spring so we switched back to the standard spring rate and I was much happier. Rough square edge acceleration chop, big downhill kickers, OJ’s, and braking bumps are all handled much plusher with this shock re-valve setup.

PC was generous enough to let me try their A-kit internal cartridge set up, which fits directly inside the tubes of the Kawasaki KX450. These are awesome, but expensive! In stock form the forks ride a little low in the stroke for me, which makes the fork feel harsh on braking bumps. The action of the fork is comfortable, but the plushness of the fork gets lost around mid stroke. Pro Circuit’s A-Kit cartridge setup kept the front end up in the stroke when entering corners and gave me more front tire traction while braking hard as well as better bump absorption. I could be more aggressive yet still have comfort which is tough to do when it comes to suspension. -I can’t believe this “Average Joe” is running A-Kt forks. Wow! -KK

5. X-Trig ROCS Triple Clamps: These were the last modification I made and I'll admit I was surprised at the results. Now I know these clamps are pricey, but I honestly didn't know if they would improve the bike THAT much. I was also concerned that it would make my comfortable Kawasaki become too rigid. The stock clamps flex and twist a bit when pushed hard into corners, which gives the front end a slight vague/pushing feel. It wasn't until I went back to back with each clamp that I figured all of this out. If I would have never tried these X-Trig clamps, I would have never known the sensation of a stock clamp flex character. When I bolted the X-Trig ROCS clamps on I got a front end that was planted and predictable, but what surprised me was how plush the feedback to the bars were. I actually got improved front end traction on initial lean as well as through the middle of corners. Typically when a set of clamps has less flex you'll get a stiffer, rigid feel through the bars, but that is not the case with these X-Trig’s. -Joe running bling on his bike? This is crazy to me! Some bikes react better to aftermarket clamps and this seems to be the case with the KX450. -KK

2020 Kawasaki KX450 Vet National Race Build (Part One)

Written By: Joe Oehlhof

Five months ago, Keefer says to me while we were out riding, “Hey, you should race the Vet National.”  I responded back with, “Nah, it’s too much work getting ready for it.  I don’t have the time.” Of course immediately after Kris is done flapping his lips, his wife Heather chimes in with, “Yeah, you should race it. Kris will get you whatever bike you want.” My head sparked up and for some weird reason my mouth started to reply with, “Alright, in that case I am in”!  KK looks at Heather with a scoured look and says, “Wait, wait, wait…Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. You can’t be making those kinds of promises!”  A verbal agreement from any Keefer is a binding agreement so I immediately went Law And Order on his ass with “Nope, she said it.  That’s the deal.”  And Keefer replied with, “OK, we will get you a good bike and let you get it dialed in. Will you race it then?”  I reluctantly said, “Yes.”  Figuring it would probably never happen with Keefer’s schedule as well it being the fire season here in California (I am a San Bernardino County Fireman).  Never the less, we are roughly a week out from the Vet National and here I am preparing myself and a bike that I had about one month of time on.  

Getting the actual bike took a little longer than expected because of the “450 MX Bracket Shootout” and other factors, but in the end, Keefer decided to give me the 2020 Kawasaki KX450. Once he told me this, I got excited because I chose this bike as one of the top bike’s in this year’s 450 bracket. It’s a bike I feel really comfortable on, so I was excited to put some time on it, shake it down, and figure out what areas I wanted to address.

Luckily for me, Kawasaki provided a solid base to start from, which helps when you are in a time crunch.  The stock Kawasaki 450 is a great all-around bike for a wide range of riders, hence the reason why it got second in the bracket. For me the engine is strong yet very controlled, has a confidence inspiring compliant chassis, coupled with a smooth progressive powerband, that allows you to feel in control, while being able to push your limit. After spending a little over a week shaking this bike down, I came up with a few key areas that I wanted to improve. So here we go with phase one…

First area I wanted to concentrate on was the rider triangle which is really easy because I felt very comfortable with the stock bar position and bend. Call me old school but I do still like the 7/8” bar because of the flex that it provides. Kawasaki offers a lot of adjustability with several different bar position options with the triple clamp and two options with the foot pegs, but after trying several different combinations, I settled on the stock peg position and the bar mounts in the rear hole, facing in the forward position. Once I decided on this setup, I enlisted Pro Taper to provide that next level comfort. I went with the Carmichael bend Fuzion Bar because it’s a 1 ¼” bar, so you get the durability in case you have a crash, but comfort and flex of the 7/8” bar due to the option of locking or unlocking the cross bar. The locked position gives you a little firmer feel with less flex and the unlocked position gives you a bit more flex that mimics the character of a 7/8” bar.  Pro Taper also provided the oversized bar mounts, which easily bolted in using the rubber mounting and stock clamp. I rounded it out with the 1/3 waffle soft grips that added grip and comfort for my sissy hands.  

www.protaper.com

Next on the list of improvements was to boost the power for starts.  In stock form the Kawasaki KX450 provides a very broad manageable rider friendly powerband, but by no means is this bike slow. The power feels connected to the throttle, has excellent roll on bottom end with a strong pull through mid and top.  I had no complaints with the power delivery, I just wanted more. Don’t we all! I called the guys at Pro Circuit knowing that their relationship and years of experience with Kawasaki would provide me what I hopefully needed.  They sent me up with their Ti-6 Exhaust which provides a 1.5 pound weight savings as its titanium tubing is thing of beauty.  After bolting the system on (which is painless), I immediately noticed improvements throughout the power band.  It kept that smooth manageable roll on power, but increased it slightly, plus added more pull in the mid-range and thus improving the recovery time when shifting from second to third.  It also provided more over-rev just in case I got lazy (which is more common now that I am over 40) and I needed to leave the KX450 in second gear at times.  I know it sounds crazy to have a system that boosts power everywhere because usually it can be better in one area and not so good in another, but this system gave me exactly what I was looking for.  I have a couple more options to try to help move the power more, but that will be in phase two of this story so be watching for that.

www.procircuit.com

The last thing I was able to try in this phase of the Keefer forced “Vet National Bike Build” was another “comfort” piece. This piece made big improvements on the 2019 Suzuki RM-Z450 bike build, so we asked Kris Palm of FCP Engine Mounts to help me out for this green machine.  Factory Chassis Parts provided engine mounts with different a material and thickness (compared to stock) that allowed the chassis to flex differently yet shockingly provided a smoother overall feel, especially when the track is at its worst.  After a long day of testing with Keefer as well as doing two twenty-minute motos at Glen Helen, Kris from FCP bolted the engine mounts on and had me try them. If you have never ridden Glen Helen at 4pm just imagine a track that’s dry, most of the berms are blown out, has edgy off camber sweepers, kickers on the jumps, nasty braking bumps, and even nastier square edges through the corners, as well as down the next straight away. These conditions are commonplace here in California. If I was back home in Ohio, I may have not went this direction because of the soil differences, but since I am dealing with this kind of drier soil here on the west coast, I look for “comfort” when testing any part.  It’s miserable to ride a track as rough as GH when you’re not comfortable, but if you can make a bike work in those conditions, you have accomplished a great feat.  Like I said before, the Kawasaki chassis is (in my opinion) the best one out there, so I wasn’t sure if the FCP mounts would be able to improve upon that. In a nutshell, the mounts give the chassis just that little bit more flex, which takes away the transfer of energy that happens when you hit those bumps, so you don’t feel the sharpness of them as much. Upon entering corners, the FCP mounts take away some of that harsh hit you may feel and calms the movement of the bike down even more.  On initial lean through corners is where the mounts shine by allowing you to brake really hard and stick inside shallow inside west coast ruts.  Once in that rut, the bike stays planted and absorbs the acceleration chop better and continues down the next straight in a calmer manner.

www.fcpracing.com

I am really happy with the improvements we were able to make with bolt on parts and pieces from Pro Taper, Pro Circuit, and FCP.  Taking a good bike and making it a little better is always fun yet tough, so I am looking forward to phase two where I will be testing a remap of the stock ECU by Pro Circuit, modifying the suspension in order to dial it in for my weight and riding ability as well as a full clutch system from Hinson.  Stay tuned for that test as well as a Vet National story, to see how all of this preparation in one month’s time goes and the more difficult task of preparing myself with limited riding time due to firefighting duties, dad duties, and husband duties.  My hope is to give you guys that have regular jobs and family responsibilities a path to dialing in your bike, so you can enjoy that one day a week you get to ride. -Joe Oehlhof

If you have any questions about this test please feel free to email kris@keeferinctesting.com and he will try to do his best to answer any questions you might have.

2020 450 MX Bracket Shootout "The Podium"

As long as I can remember, shootouts have been a staple in our industry. I remember being an 11 year old kid reading about the 1987 80cc Shootout in Dirt Rider Magazine and then proceeding to ask my dad for a Honda CR80 because it was the winner. Little did I know that just because a machine wins a shootout doesn't necessarily mean it’s the best bike for you. There is a lot to consider when purchasing a bike, but it’s fun to see which bikes have certain standouts or feels best when riding them all back to back. Fast forward to 2020 and the format to these shootouts haven't changed much, so I thought it would be time to try something different. I decided to do a bracket style shootout (similar to a college basketball format), with two bikes/three riders per bracket, with the winner moving on and the loser going home. This style of shootout removes a lot of biases as well as gives test riders more time to dissect each bike with only two bikes for each test. Let’s face it, not every guy in this shootout is fit, so having less bikes to test at one time is probably best. I personally ranked each bike on how I felt each machine performed (my opinion, not fact) out on the track and used that ranking to create the bracket for the other testers in this shootout. The bracket battles went as such:

Yamaha Vs. Suzuki = Yamaha Wins

Kawasaki Vs. Honda = Kawasaki Wins

Husqvarna Vs. KTM = KTM Wins

Final Bracket:

KTM Vs. Kawasaki Vs. Yamaha 

The 450 MX Bracket Shootout is done and dusted and we now have our podium for 2020. Below are the top three bikes from the shootout as well as some brief highlights, opinions, quotes, and why the other two machines didn't win. If you would like to dive more into the opinions of the riders as well as get more insight on each bike, head over to the “Podcast” section on keeferinctesting.com and simply click on “Keefer Tested” to listen to each bracket breakdown. They are not only informative, but a fun listen. Stay tuned for the 4th, 5th, 6th place rankings coming next week! As always we are here for you if you need us by emailing your questions to kris@keeferinctesting.com. 

Winner: Yamaha YZ450F

Why It Won: The Yamaha YZ450F has the most track toughness (well rounded) and is the easiest to set up to make a wide variety of riders happy. With the changes Yamaha made to the chassis/engine for 2020 it made big blue corner with more front end positivity and gave each rider more throttle to rear wheel connection. The engine is strong yet very usable and can pull you around the track in a higher gear without a lot of clutch abuse. The Yamaha Power Tuner App is easy to use to alter the power character if need be and the suspension is simply the best in class with the most comfort/performance. Each rider commented on how they didn't have to search for smoother lines in the afternoon when the track got bumpy as the Yamaha provided a safe feel on rough terrain. They could simply hit the rough line with confidence knowing that the YZ450F would do most of the work.  

Why It Could Have Lost: Yamaha still has some work to do when it comes to ergonomics. Although the bar mount height is much better for 2020, the position it’s in (forward hole) wasn’t well perceived by most riders. Most riders went to the back hole/forward mount position for a better feel in corners. The seat has a pocket that makes you feel like you’re sitting in the bike rather than on top of it and can feel cramped for taller riders (6’0 and up). 

Rider Quotes: 

“The Yamaha has the most comfort for my bigger size. I look for comfort because I don’t get to ride all the time, but when I do ride I want, I want to be able to be in control” -Kelly Gelhaus 5’10 220 pound Senior Intermediate 

“This is the best stock engine I have ever ridden” -Colton Aeck 6’0 175 pound Pro

Second Place: Kawasaki KX450 

Why It Got Second: The Kawasaki KX450 is the only other bike in the class that can rival Yamaha’s comfort on rough tracks. If you’re looking for a stable machine with the most chassis comfort available, then the KX450 is your bike. The bump absorption of this Kawasaki frame is unmatched, but the soft fork really holds it back. Riders from 165 pounds and up all commented on how the fork would dive too much on de-cel and that hurt the Kawasaki’s corner entry at times. The KX450’s engine character has an exciting rpm response, but transitions to a smoother roll on power delivery once exiting corners. This is good and bad depending on each tester. Some testers wanted more low end, but others praised how it easy it was to control coming out of corners. Kawasaki’s mid to top end pull is strong, but not quite as meaty as the Yamaha, especially when going up longer hills or with tracks with deeper soil. Most riders commented on how easy they could hit flat corners because of the amount of traction they had with the Kawasaki. The Kawasaki feels lighter than the Yamaha, but the Yamaha had more cornering stability on rougher/longer ruts. 

Why It Could Have Won: The Kawasaki could have won if they went up on the fork spring rate, which would have added to the already great straight line stability, but would have also added to an even better cornering character (initial lean in). The 250mm rear disc is touchy and sometimes can lock up too soon coming into corners. The amount of stability the KX450 comes with along with its newfound neutral cornering makes for a machine that is liked by almost all testers. 

Rider Quotes:

“I can’t believe how good this bike really is. The Kawasaki is able to come down these steep Glen Helen hills with ease. I felt confident right away on this bike” -Kenny Day 5’7 160 pound Vet Pro 

"The KX450 may not have the motor like the Yamaha, but the medium lean, on throttle traction I get with this frame makes me want to choose it over the Yamaha”. -Joe Oehlhof 5’10 195 pound Vet Pro

Third Place: KTM 450 SX-F

Why It Got Third: There are plenty of things about the KTM 450 SX-F that make it a great bike. An engine character that is buttery smooth down low, yet has the longest mid-top end pulling power in the class. A power that is so deceiving that it might make you think you’re not going to clear an obstacle, but you end up over shooting it because of the amount of traction it comes with. A lightweight feeling that can’t be beat when deciding to make sudden line changes. If you want to cut down from a blown out rut or berm, the KTM does it the easiest. Brembo brakes that allow you to dive into corners harder with more control and that allows for quicker lap times. With all this being said the KTM gets rated down to third because the AER fork simply doesn't have the front end traction or comfort the bikes in front of it has. This made each tester leery of really pushing the orange machine on rougher tracks. The AER fork also doesn't have the consistency of a spring fork so you will have to continue to chase settings throughout the day. 

Why It Could Have Won: The KTM 450 SX-F accepts a wide range of rider, but if you’re a novice rider that is scared of huge power, the KTM will not rip your arms out and get you fatigued like other 450’s can. If you’re a more aggressive rider the lightweight chassis feel along with the connectivity to the rear wheel allows for the faster rider to push their cornering to a new level. Most riders in this shootout said that rolling on the throttle earlier through corners was a common occurrence when they were on the KTM. If KTM could get more consistency and/or more comfort out of the AER fork, the other manufactures would be in a world of hurt. Or how about if they just went to a spring fork? Now we are talking!  

Rider Quotes:

“The KTM easily could of won this shootout for me, but the AER fork feel harsh on slap down” -Kelly Gelhaus 220 pound Vet Intermediate 

“I am usually a 250F type of rider, but the way the KTM 450 SX-F delivers its power makes me want to ride a 450! It’s so easy to ride! -Tod Sciacqua -155 pound 5’8 Vet Expert 

Any one of these bikes can be great for anyone reading this article. By listening and reading the information we have up at Keeferinctesting.com you can make an educated decision on which bike fits your riding style/needs. Also, maybe more important, is which one fits your pocketbook? If you’re looking to get the best deal on any one of these bikes please email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com and we can get you in contact with David over at Power Motorsports.

2020 Kawasaki KX450 Review/Baseline Settings

The 2020 Kawasaki KX450 is exactly the same as the 2019 Kawasaki KX450, but the 2020 version just has more green. Kawasaki focused all of its R&D efforts on the KX250 for 2020 so the bigger brother just got a few more green plastic pieces, but that doesn't mean we didn't hit the R&D’ing hard. I really wanted to get some updated settings for you Team Green riders out there in hopes that it will help you set up your 2019-2020 KX450 in a more timely manner. Here are some thoughts and settings on the 2020 Kawasaki KX450:

Engine Feel: Just in case you were trying to decide on if the 2020 KX450 is better than the 2018 version, let me tell you, there is no comparison. The 2020 comes on quicker with a lighter, more free-revving feel and has less engine braking. I am usually not a guy who likes to de-tune a stock 450cc motocross bike, but the Kawasaki simply is too crisp from 0-5% throttle opening on slicker/hard pack tracks. Yes, too crisp! Where you feel this 0-5% is when you’re barely on the throttle through longer ruts. The KX450 gets jumpy with the stock green coupler and it upsets the chassis, which makes you very inconsistent through corners. Once the black coupler is installed it controls that 0-5% and gives you an incredible, yet smooth pulling power that feels similar to a KTM 450 SX-F. The mid range has a nice amount of meat and the smoother pulling power of the top end/over-rev is noticeable on longer straights or up hills. I didn’t lose mid to top end pulling power with the black coupler (compared to the stock green one) and I could ride the KX450 more aggressively through corners. The engine is super connected to the rear wheel and never steps out coming out of corners. This is an impressive power plant! After I rode with the black coupler a few times I decided that I would like to increase the mid to top end pull so I created a map with Kawasaki to get some more in that area. *See below for map*  

Weight Feeing (Chassis): I was told that the 2020 Kawasaki KX450’s frame is 1.87 pounds lighter than it was in 2018. The total weight of the new machine has only increased roughly three pounds from 2018, but to me it feels lighter than the 2018. Why? I feel it is because of the way the 2020 Kawasaki makes its power. It is very free feeling and snappy which makes this bike have a very light/nimble feeling through corners. I am able to lay it down with ease and cut down under a blown out rut almost as easy as a KTM/Husqvarna. I do get a little twitch on de-cel (which can be fixed with a fork spring change), but it wasn't a horrible or un-easy feeling. Straight line stability is still the same straight and arrow Kawasaki feel that you expect, but with added traction. The frame absorption is the best attribute of this machine and other manufacturers should take notice of how well this KX450 feels when the track goes to crap. The whole bike feels friendlier than any other 2020 machine on square edge and the only other one that comes close in comfort is the Yamaha YZ450F.   

Hydraulic Clutch: The Nissin hydraulic clutch feels nothing like a Brembo or Magura. The Nissin hydraulic feel is a little bit of cable and hydro. What the hell does that mean Keefer? It means that there is a little play in the Nissin hydraulic lever that makes it feel like a cable pull initially. Unlike a Brembo where there is no play and is very touchy (on/off feel), the Nissin has more of a progressive feeling. So far I prefer the Nissin clutch engagement/feel over the Brembo. I like to ride the clutch a little with my finger while I ride, so having that little bit of play ensures that I don't burn up my clutch as quick. The clutch can slip at times under heavy load/under throttle if the track is super deep. You will be able to feel the lever start to creep in towards your grip when accelerating out of corners at times. To combat this you can simply remove the judder spring and add a fiber to the clutch pack.   

Suspension Comfort: The 2020 Kawasaki is so much more balanced than previous generation KX450’s and I was able to set the front end down where I wanted to without feeling like the front end was going to snap my wrists. The fork has tons of comfort, but is also too soft/divy for my liking. At tracks with hills or sizable jumps, the fork was too low in the stroke and bottomed too many times. Going stiffer on the compression only hurt de-cel bump comfort, so I settled on going slower on the rebound, which helped some. The shock is soft as well on slap down landings, but going eight clicks (two full turns) in helped keep the rear end up and thus helps wallow feeling. This setting will get you by on most tracks, but do yourself a favor and read the recommended suspension settings below for optimal balance of the KX450. The recommended settings below will help with hold up and ride comfort.

Cornering/Chassis: The 2020 KX450 is a more “neutral” cornering machine than in previous years. I am able to get more front end bite than last year, but also am still able to rear steer the green machine very well too. I had a rear end steering tester with me at the intro and he liked how well it backed into corners as well as much as I liked the front end bite from mid-exit of corner. I say mid-end because the KX450 still does have a slight vague feel on entrance of corners so Raising the fork up 2mm in the clamp helps this feeling somewhat and gives you increased front bite. 

Rider Traingle: The footpeg to seat to handlebar ratio is great! The seat is flat, which puts me more on top of the machine than “in” it like the 2018 did. I like this feeling and it makes maneuvering on the bike better for my 6’0 frame.

7/8 Handlebars: Some manufacturers go away from 7/8 handlebars, but Kawasaki keeps them around and I approve! They flex, they offer better vibration characteristics and unlike what most people think DO NOT bend THAT easily. I have crashed my brains out on 7/8 bars and they didn't bend as bad as I thought. I can live with 7/8 bars on a production machine. 

Brakes: Do yourself a favor and get a 2018 rear disc and hanger. The 250mm disc is too grabby and really screws up my corners/braking points. The rear end will slide when I don't expect it and this causes my corners to be herky/jerky. 

2020 KX450 Suspension Settings:

Fork: 

Spring Rate 0.51 Spring (0.50 is stock) *If B level rider and over 200 pounds 0.52 springs is also a great option*

Oil Level: Standard

Compression:12-13 clicks out

Rebound Range: 11 clicks out

Fork Height: 2mm

 Shock:

Spring Rate: Standard (190 pounds or over, try one spring rate heavier)

Low Speed Compression: 16 clicks out

High Speed Compression: 1 1/8 turns out

Rebound: 11 out

Coupler/ECU Setting:

The engine on the 2019 KX450 in stock trim is exciting and makes the Kawasaki feel light. It has great RPM response, but does have a little dip from mid to top, so I created this map to help fill that dip in and make it pull slightly longer. You will notice a slightly more linear (more control at low RPM) pull down low without the jerky feeling through corners. With this map installed it helped settle the chassis down through long ruts and improved overall traction feel. In the testing world we call this "cornering stability". With this map installed it helped the 2020 KX450's cornering stability, especially on intermediate terrain. You will need to use the white coupler in and use the Kawasaki FI Calibration Tool to create this map. 

Where Does The 2020 KX450 Rank Amongst The 2019 Shootout Winner:

I have come to really appreciate the stability of the 2020 KX450 and like how confidence inspiring it can be on rough tracks. It isn’t the leader in the cornering category, but it sure is the leader in bump absorption and comfort. The KX450 still feels long to me, but at least now I can feel my front end through corners, which for my riding style is very important. If you were to ask me what bike I would want to ride Glen Helen on at 3:00 PM? I would choose the KX450 a close second to the YZ450F. The KX450’s frame character and stable/neutral nature has me rolling the throttle on harder when conditions get worse. The only reason I pick the Yamaha over the Kawasaki is because of the engine pulling power the Yamaha has up the hills. The Kawasaki feels lighter than the Yamaha in corners and is easier to manage when making sudden rut/line choices. I also like the fact that I can explore different parts of the track and not have to back down my speed that much because the KX450 chassis remains calm. I appreciate the KX450 the more I ride it against other machines in its class.  

If you have any questions about the 2020 KX450 please feel free to ask away and email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com. We try to give you the correct path when choosing a new machine! They aren’t cheap! We know this!

Top 5 Mods For The 2019 Kawasaki KX450

By Dominic Cimino

So I’m guessing you might have (or thinking about putting) a 2019 KX450 in your garage if you are reading our “top five improvements”. Good! This bike is awesome and deserves some minor updates to make it even better. After racing our test bike for the first time this year I can vouch that the five things you are about to read about have definitely help make this green machine shine. Let’s get into it...

First - Suspension. This is a public service announcement that should not go unnoticed. This is hands down one of the best things that any of you can do to improve your new ride. The new model mx bikes that are hitting the showroom floors in the last few years have proved to have great working components. Look at the BluCru - the KYB fork and shock combo continues to dominate every year. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider getting the bike tailored specifically for you and your riding ability. The KX benefited greatly from Race Tech’s special touch. After two attempts, we got the spring rates/valving dialed in for me, providing a plush/stable ride at speed with great bottoming resistance for the big stuff. I’m so happy with how the suspension feels compared to stock, so this first improvement is a no brainer.

Second - 22mm offset triple clamps. 
The Kawasaki motocross bikes have always handled well in stock trim. Cornering is made easy with their comfortable ergonomics and chassis combination. But after testing Ride Engineering’s shorter offset (stock is 23mm) it was a clear decision to stay with this improvement. Although they have a more rigid feel, the 2019 KX450 became even more playful in the cornering department allowing me to practically point & shoot anywhere I want to go when on the track. Laying over in deep ruts is made easier as well, as the naturally flickable character of this bike and improved cornering precision will make you smile. Let’s not forget that they also give the bike a special look as well, so I always give a nod for these added bonus points. 

Third - Rear linkage pull rod. 
This is the first time I’ve ever had the chance to test this easy bolt-on part from Ride Engineering. And easy it is - two bolts and a sag adjustment (105mm) will really prove to improve the way this 450 feels. The pull rod squats the rear end of the bike out slightly and alters the progression of the shock, which all translates to a more stable ride. There are no surprises even in rough conditions. The KX stays planted and predictable and I have found myself charging the rough sections much harder than I have in the past. This is a great performance benefit at a great price point.

Fourth - Handlebars. 
Kawasaki has done a great job at providing a motorcycle with a very adjustable cockpit to fit a wide range of riders. Having different foot-peg placements and handlebar mounting positions helps any of us get the most comfort out of our new bike. So why not maximize the comfort even more by selecting your preferred bar bend? I chose a set of Pro Taper EVO bars (in the Husqvarna bend) to achieve this. The low/flat sweep really caters to my riding style, and after trimming 1/4 inch from each side, this really got the cockpit dialed in. These handlebars also offer a bit more flex, so I feel they compliment the Ride Engineering triple clamps added rigidity.

Fifth - Exhaust. 
Our latest test was thanks to our friends at Yoshimura. They provided us an RS-4 full exhaust system to help further improve the power delivery on our 2019 KX450. After a painless installation, we were greeted with better looks and a better sounding tone. Power improvements were found from the mid to top-end as this exhaust really enhanced the free revving character of the new green machine. The mid-range stayed plenty lively with a little bit more aggressiveness that progressed into top-end over rev. I am able to hold gears longer while staying on the gas before having to upshift. I am definitely convinced that once we start adjusting mapping/ECU settings, this exhaust system is going to shine even more.

So there you have the top five improvements for Kawasaki’s newest big bore. Such an awesome bike to ride/race, it truly has been a blast getting this bike dialed in for me and I can’t wait to ride it more! If you have any questions for me, please don’t hesitate: Dominic@keeferinctesting.com

2019 KX450 Stage 1 Modifications

“Fine Tuning Chassis And Handling With Ride Engineering”

By Dominic Cimino

As you may or may not be aware by now, I am enjoying my time on Kawasaki’s newest big bore. We are deep into the initial stages of fine tuning this dirt bike to my personal preferences and have logged a lot of laps with only a couple aftermarket modifications. Pro Taper handlebars, Race Tech tuned suspension, and most recently, Ride Engineering’s rear linkage and off-set triple clamps. I wanted to give you some insight I experienced during testing Ride Engineering’s chassis specific parts and what worked best for me to date. 

Performance Link: https://ride-engineering.com/products.php?d=1&p=l&pn=KX-LKA39-GN&t=

This was the very first thing we bolted onto the KX450 and it definitely proves to be worth the investment. You can immediately feel how this shock link makes the bike more planted. It technically lowers the rear end when compared to the stock setting, which translates to a squatted feel (which I like on my bikes regardless of color). After setting the sag to Ride Engineering’s recommended setting (103mm), I found that sliding my fork up 3mm in the triple clamps from flush improved things even further. With the fork flush in the top clamp, the KX lost some of the initial lean-in feeling entering corners. The bike just wasn’t as responsive overall when I wanted to point and shoot places. After sliding the fork up, it allowed the bike to regain “some” of those specific handling traits that we all like with this bike. For this test, keep in mind that I kept the stock triple clamps on to get a true gauge on improved performance, and I feel that for a $220 bolt on part, this performance link is worth it. 

21.5mm off-set triple clamps: https://ride-engineering.com/products.php?d=1&p=bm&pn=KX-TBK20-B9&t=kx

Next up on the chopping block were these 21.5mm clamps. The stock clamp off-set on the 2019 KX450 comes in at 23mm, so 1.5mm is a pretty decent adjustment. It shows immediately when on the track too, as the bike handles completely different. Ride Engineering’s purpose when developing these clamps was to make the bike turn on a dime and leave a nickels’ worth of change… and I’m pretty sure they accomplished that! The steering became very aggressive and literally allows you to look in the direction you want to go as the bike follows. If anyone out there reading this would like to have assistance in corners and/or ruts, you may want to consider these clamps on your bike. The bike will point and shoot as you wish, the lean-in feel entering ruts is much more sensitive, and when you are physically in the rut, the bike likes to lay over with ease. But for me personally, I felt that these clamps were a little too much for my riding style. I naturally tend to ride over the front-end a lot (I’m a desert rat, remember?) and because of this, the front end became over-aggressive. At speed, I lost confidence because my bike inherited a twitchy sensation, making me feel like it could “knife” at any moment. Although it gained huge advancements in corners, I would rather the trade-off for better stability at speed. If you tend to ride tighter tracks at slower speeds, these clamps would probably be a no-brainer. 

22mm off-set triple clamps: https://ride-engineering.com/products.php?d=1&p=bm&pn=KX-TBK22-B9&t=kx

Ok - I know you might be saying, “really bro - .5mm different off-set?? Can you really tell?” The answer is whole-heartedly, YES. That 1/2mm really translates to a more predictable front-end steering feel, where the bike gained more stability in the places it needed it. In my layman’s terms: this is the happy middle between stock and that Supercross ready 21.5mm off-set. These clamps still allow you to enter a corner with ease (although not as easy as the 21.5’s) and keep you laid over until you exit. We kept the fork at the 3mm mark in the top clamp, and it proved to be the best position while testing. It really was a cool experience to test all three of these clamps during the same day to decipher which was best for me. 

On another note, I did want to mention a vital characteristic of the stock triple clamps that stands out after riding with different sets: they are less rigid than the Ride Engineering sets. This translates into a more compliant chassis feeling, where the bike feels better over small chop/bump absorption, as well as slap-down landings. This directly correlates to what you feel in your hands while riding, because I liked the stock clamps for these exact reasons. I personally think that some of you out there might have a hard time telling/feeling the difference of what I’m explaining here, so please take this little tidbit with a grain of salt if you’re not sensitive to small changes in your machine. Keep in mind, a TON of research and development go into OEM production clamps, but they have to appeal to an average rider world wide. Ride Engineering is taking that a step beyond and really fine tuning the handling characteristics for those of us that want more (hence the title of this update, “fine tuning”). That is what their clamps are providing - more precise and predictable handling for a motorcycle that already does it well, which in turn translates into more smiles at the end of the day. 

Stage 1 is almost complete on this 2019 Green Machine. I would like to re-visit Race Tech for some changes on suspension before we embark on the next slew of modifications, which will find us in the power department. This motorcycle continues to get better with every bolt we turn, so please stay tuned along the way. As always, we are here to help in any way we can, so feel free to send me an email if you need more info or have questions: dominic@keeferinctesting.com.  Thank you for reading!

2019 85cc MX Shootout

Nothing brings me more joy than watching my son share the same passion that I do for dirt bikes. However making the decision (as a parent) to purchase the correct machine can be somewhat confusing, difficult, and expensive. That is where Keefer Inc. Testing comes in! We decided to do a 2019 85cc shootout for you moto loving parents out there, but also give you some insight on which bike might be best for you and your little one. This was a big undertaking for myself as it’s tough to get kids to open up on how each bike feels, but we can officially say that the 2019 85 MX Shootout has officially taken the checkered flag after three days of testing, over 50 pages of testing notes, eight test riders, and after countless engine hours have racked up on thee little bikes. The tracks we chose to test at were good for a wide range of abilities and wasn't so gnarly that your typical 85cc novice couldn't have some fun. We feel the tracks we tested on were the best tracks (combined with the prep that was performed) that brought out each machines strengths and weaknesses. In doing this we know the information gathered was the most accurate we could offer from our 11-14 year old testers. Below are the final rankings and a brief evaluation summary that were tallied up by using an olympic style scoring. If you want to hear more about each bike, get a much broader breakdown of each machine, and hear from one of the testers, click on the podcast tab to listen to the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Keefer Tested Podcast Presented By Fly Racing And Race Tech this week!

Check back soon for a “Best Settings” article for each machine and a full photo gallery. We also will be doing some “Living With” articles with a few of these throughout the 2019 year, in order to give you parents some feedback on what is breaking and what you can do to make these bikes even better. Just don’t go all mini parent on your kids! Let them enjoy riding their dirt bikes and having fun with their family and friends. #KeepKidsOnDirtBikes

The 2019 Suzuki RM85 wasn’t available when we had photo day, so look for more action shots of the RM85 when we post up the “Best Settings” article.

First Place: Tie KTM 85SX/Husqvarna TC85

MSRP: KTM 85SX $5,899.00

MSRP: Husqvarna TC85 $5,999.00

Unlike its bigger brothers, the KTM and Husqvarna are identical on paper and most of our test riders couldn't feel the difference between the two on the track, hence why we chose to have a tie for first place. Both engine packages are powerful enough to make even our pro test riders smile. Every test rider underestimated the power of the small but mighty engine, however it wasn't so gnarly that it scared our novice kids. Make no doubt about it though, these are racing that want to go fast. The KTM and Husqvarna have a smoother delivery down low (similar to their bigger four-stroke counterparts), but once both hit the midrange, they explode with a pulling power that gets you down the track in a hurry. Simply put the engines in both of these machines out perform all of the others in class and put smiles on every one of our young testers faces. Heck, I even rode them and it put a smile on my face! I wish I had these engines when I was on minis! The beauty of these motors is if you wanted to tame the power or move it around, you could very easily do so with the power valve adjuster. You can turn the power-valve adjuster on the right side of the engine 1/4 of a turn clockwise, have your little one ride the bike, come back to the pits and turn it 1/4 of a turn counterclockwise (from stock), and have them tell you which one he or she prefers. Doing this makes a big difference in the power delivery, so it’s worth the time and effort to give it a try to make the rider feel comfortable. Plus it’s a good evaluation to test their “test rider skills”. The top end and over-rev is what really sets these engines apart from the Yamaha. The Yamaha is better down low, but once opened up, the KTM and Husqvarna simply out pull it down the straights. You can just hear how much further the KTM and Husqvarna rev out when watching/hearing the kids ride each machine.

The hydraulic clutch was well perceived by each tester and the overall abuse that the KTM and Husqvarna clutches can take is better than the other colored machines. Usually air forks are a nightmare on big bikes, but in the world of small bikes, I don't think it’s as critical. Not one test rider complained about the 43mm WP AER fork and in fact it was easy to dial in for our wide range of testers. We normally stuck with the recommended 5 bar of fork pressure, but dialed it down to 4-4.5 bars for the lighter kids with great success. The KTM and Husqvarna do sit a little taller than the other bikes in the shootout so that is something parents will have to know going in before purchasing. Some of our smaller testers could quite touch the ground when seated, so be forewarned that you may have to lower the seat height for smaller riders. The handlebar bend is tall, wide, has some rise to it, but gives room for riders to grow into. The bar pad that KTM/Husqvarna use are horrible and should be replaced immediately with a foam style pad. The downside to these two machines? Price! They are over a grand more than any other bike in this shootout, so be sure you’re ready to pay for that “Race Ready” motto.

Positives:

Incredible mid-top end engine delivery

Balanced Suspension 

Hydraulic Clutch 

Negatives: 

Lack of bottom end power (compared to Yamaha)

Hard feeling bar pad

Could be tall for smaller riders

Who Are These Bikes For? Riders that want to go racing and ride very aggressively.  

Third Place: Yamaha YZ85

MSRP: $4,599.00

Yamaha came in with a new YZ85 for 2019 and it was well perceived by most testers in our shootout. The engine on the 2019 Yamaha YZ 85 is very strong coming out of corners, but doesn't pull quite as far as the KTM and Husqvarna on top end/over-rev. The Yamaha has more of an exciting hit down low than the orange and white bikes, but just doesn’t have the recovery through the mid range like the front runners do. When some testers made a mistake coming out of corners they had to cover the clutch way more than they did with the KTM and Husqvarna. If the clutch was abused (like some novice kids can do) the YZ85 started to slip and drag during the course of the day. You could hear it starting to slip, so we were forced to change out the clutch plates after our second day of testing. The tighter the track we tested at the more the testers liked the power and RPM response of the Yamaha. It is a very exciting power delivery. The good news is that the jetting is clean and crisp with the Yamaha and comes ready to go right from the crate.

The 2019 Yamaha YZ 85’s suspension has a plush feel to it and to most testers had more comfort (in fork) on braking bumps than the Husqvarna and KTM. However our heavier testers couldn't quite get it to hold up enough for their aggressive style and had to really pay attention to downsiding jumps perfectly. Straight line stability was also praised as testers thought they could hit bumps faster at speed and the Yamaha remained stuck to the ground/planted. Compared to the KTM and Husqvarna though the Yamaha corners a little slower. Entering corners some testers thought it felt tough to lean the YZ85, which forced them to use outside lines more instead of getting into a tight rut. The handlebar bend was well liked by every test rider and the way the Yamaha fit all of our testers was amazing. Simply moving the bar mounts forward or back help create a smaller or larger rider triangle for each test rider. The ground clearance seemed to be just right for the wide range of riders as each felt comfortable right away. If you’re looking for a competitive bike that isn’t a KTM or Husqvarna, look no further than the YZ85. The blue bike should be your top pick simply because it’s a great bike that costs less than the top two machines. With a pipe and silencer the YZ85 could be as fast as the orange and white on top end.

Positives: 

Great bottom end power delivery

Ergonomically fits a wide range of riders

Stable at speed 

Negatives: 

Clutch life

Slightly slower cornering compared to Husqvarna and KTM

Black frame paint chips way too quick 

Who Is This Bike For? Riders who like a lot of RPM response and like to be aggressive on fast tracks. 



Fourth Place: Kawasaki KX85

MSRP: $4,349.00

Fourth place goes to the Kawasaki KX85. The green machine honestly doesn’t do anything bad, but from what we heard from each test rider, doesn’t have any real stand out “this is the best” qualities (compared to the other machines) either. The engine delivery is calculated and easy to ride, which did make our younger/novice test riders more confident in charging around the track. There is no real explosive hit out of corners, but instead the rider has tons of traction at the rear wheel that is exceptional under slippery conditions. The Kawasaki gets pulled through the mid range and top end at faster/deeper tracks and our more experienced riders were just looking for more power throughout the power curve. The jetting comes a little rich so raising the clip up one or two really helped the rich/lethargic feeling on low end. The suspension is plush yet very soft for any test rider over 100 pounds, so if you are on the bigger side, a set of heavier springs and a re-valve might be in order. The lighter/smaller kids that tested the KX85 loved the bump absorption and raved about how stable the bike was for them on rough tracks. The KX85 corners well and to most testers had the best overall cornering stability that allowed kids to push past their limits through fast sweeping corners. The Kawasaki feels longer and lower to the ground, which makes it planted once under a lean angle. The KX85 is tailor made for smaller riders as the bars are swept back/low and the rider triangle is very small. Kawasaki needs to update their bar spec and quality of handlebar as it is dated compared to the others (besides Suzuki) in the shootout. We do know with a little work the KX85 is a weapon of choice for a lot of young amateur racers, but in stock form needs some updates to make it better than the top three. 

Positives: 

Stable at speed

Plush suspension for smaller riders

Rider triangle great for kids coming off of 65’s

Negatives:

Vanilla power delivery

Small cockpit for bigger kids

Soft suspension for aggressive riders over 100 pounds

Who Is This Bike For? Riders that race motocross and grand prix’s that prefer stability.

Fifth Place: Suzuki RM85

MSRP: $4,199.00

The Suzuki ranked fifth, but although the looks of the RM85 look dated, the engine is actually quite good. I would say this is the most underrated/peppy engine in the shootout. The test riders felt the RM85 had better bottom end/RPM response than that of the KX85, but couldn't quite match the top end pulling power that the other bikes ahead of it had. Top end was short and the jetting was also a little rich for sea level riding conditions. We raised the clip up one (leaner) and this helped RPM response a little through the mid and top end range. Once jetting was leaned out most testers thought the Suzuki RM85 had a lightweight feel coming in and out of corners because of the snappy throttle response down low. Lightweight testers didn't mind the mellow mid-top end pulling power feeling, but riders that were over 100 pounds and more aggressive, simply needed more engine. The suspension is soft stock and compliments lighter riders well, but if you're an aggressive or heavier 85cc rider, you will want to get some heavier springs ASAP. The ride attitude of the RM85 on the track was tougher to figure out (with aggressive riders) because most of them complained about the front end feeling low on de-cel. With some of that front end dive though came increased front end traction through corners. Just like most Suzuki’s, the RM85 turns as well as the front runners in the class and likes tight inside lines the most. If the corners are sweeping and long the Suzuki can get a little unstable/twitchy for lighter riders. Straight line stability was well perceived with larger testers and was a little harder to handle with lighter riders. A couple testers complained about vibration coming through the handlebars and the grips hurting their hands. Suzuki desperately needs to update this area of the RM85 as we think these are the same bars that were on Buddy Antunez’s Suzuki when he was an RM80 rider back in the day. Although on paper the Suzuki is heavier it feels light on the track! Even thought the Suzuki RM85 is fifth we think this is a great bike for any local or novice/intermediate racer. My son Aden says this was one of the most fun bikes he has ridden at Milestone to date! Trust me, that says something as he is pickier than his old man.  

Positives: 

Good bottom end snap

Gives riders confidence in tight corners

Lightweight feel 

Negatives: 

Mid-Top end power

Soft suspension 

Dated handlebars and grips (cockpit)

Who Is This Bike For? A lighter novice rider that needs to gain confidence through ruts/corners.  

Best Overall Categories: 

Best Bottom End: Yamaha

Best Mid Range: KTM/Husqvarna

Best Top End: KTM/Husqvarna

Best Over Rev: Husqvarna 

Best Fork: Yamaha

Best Shock: Yamaha

Best Cornering: KTM/Husqvarna 

Best Straight-Line Stability: Kawasaki

Best Lightweight Feel: Suzuki 

Best Brakes: KTM/Husqvarna

Best Ergonomics: Yamaha

Best Shifting: KTM/Husqvarna

2019 Kawasaki KX450 Update

Ahhh, the twenty-nineteen Green-Machine. There is a lot to love about Kawasaki’s new 450 and after an initial 20 plus testing hours have been racked up, this quick-read breaks those loves down and also highlights what I look forward to improving moving forward. As we all know, the KX450 was ranked high during our shootouts (it almost won the damn thing) for the new year, and for good reason! This completely brand new bike harnesses a lot of great features that will keep it a front runner moving into the future. 

First and foremost, the chassis. When you look at this 450 on the stand, the bike looks big. When you sit on the bike, it feels big (tall). If you weigh the bike, it still is “big” (3rd heaviest bike in class, weighing in at 242lbs wet). BUT, when you ride the 2019 KX450, it DOES NOT feel big. Kawasaki has designed this chassis in a way for it to feel more slim, nimble, and easy handling than ever before. This bike is so playful in so many ways, and literally lets you put it anywhere you want. The cockpit dimensions were a bit off for me, as I’m short (period), and I felt the bar bend was too high. Not only do I dislike the 7/8th Renthals that come stock (sorry Kris), but it was even more of an excuse to change them out entirely for a low-bend, oversize bar. I chose a set of Pro Taper EVO (Husqvarna OEM bend) as the replacements, because I wanted low and a relatively mild sweep. The combination seems to work well as of now, but I literally just put them on and need more time to test. *(On a side note - why can’t Kawasaki use a different glue for their throttle side grip?? As an FYI, it takes an act of god, razor blades, and a Dremel to remove the damn thing).

Moving onto the suspension, I was able to log the first 10-12 hours on all stock settings (adjusting minor clickers here and there) before sending the fork and shock to Race Tech for some love. In stock trim, the forks where a bit soft on harsh landings (bottomed out quickly) and they also liked to “pack up” in the mid-stroke. What I mean is, under braking or de-cel at speed, the fork likes to stay in the mid-stroke portion of the travel, translating into a harsh feeling/un-stable front end. Obviously, we sped up the rebound quite a bit, to get the fork to stay higher in the stroke, but the improvement was marginal. After riding Race Tech’s re-valve, bottoming resistance has been greatly improved, but I am still struggling with the same mid-stroke instability. Some things that have helped it (but not perfected it) have been speeding up the rebound settings again, and turning in high-speed compression on the rear shock. By doing so, it makes the rear shock ride higher, thus transferring more weight to the front with hopes to make the forks work as they should. I am pretty picky when it comes to front-end feel on my bikes, so this is going to be a work in progress to get it where I want. Part of the reason I wanted a lower-bend handlebar was to see if it would help me put more weight up front (from a body positioning stand point) to settle down the front. If not, I plan to turn back to Race Tech in the near future for new settings if I cannot get it where I want. Stay tuned. 

As for the shock, I think it works well all around. In stock trim, it was too stiff for the forks, which I believe made the front-end feel ever softer than it should. After Race Tech massaged it, we lowered the spring rate for my weight (145lbs) with some internal valving to compliment it, and the shock is more supple and forgiving. I have a feeling that if/when I perfect the forks, the overall chassis/suspension combination on this bike is going to be hard to beat.  

With all of the new 450 power plants being so good these days, to dissect and nit-pick each of them is a real chore. The same goes for the KX450 motor. It is very free-revving and easy to ride across multiple different tracks and conditions. It definitely is not the fastest, it definitely does not have the most torque, but the usability and “racey” feel makes up for all of that. We had the guys at Kawasaki help us with some new map settings during initial testing, and we found two that we really liked. The first one Kris developed, with the intentions of a more aggressive, “snappy” race-feel to make the bike stay alive across the RPM range (which you can find by clicking on the 2019 KX450 “Optional Settings” article). We have currently been using this map the most. The other is for the nasty, slick days out here on the west coast. When blue groove becomes your friend, the more linear map really keeps the power plant more subtle, but useable from bottom to top. 

Next on my to-do list, is an exhaust. This is not to say the stock system is bad (I mean… if we are judging by looks, it’s bad). But, it actually sounds good and I do not mind the performance either. I am interested to see what improvements can be made by bolting on a new system. Is there any specific brand requests from anyone reading this? (Editors Note: We tried the FMF full system and although it was good, we wanted a little more excitement down low. FMF has since re-configured the headpipe and we will test ASAP).

Want to learn about a specific system, tell Kris! I am sure we can make it happen. -Dominic Cimino

Ok, this was supposed to be a “quick-read”. I guess it is easy to talk about something that you really like, and that is the case with this new 450 from Kawasaki. As stated, there is a lot to love about this bike, and we are just scratching the surface on the things that will prove to improve. My focus is to really get the forks dialed in, to polish of the great chassis combination that this bike has to offer. I am confident that when this happens, all of the others things that we will get to test moving forward will become the cherries on-top. You know the drill - keep an eye on KeeferIncTesting.com for all of this stuff and more. Thank you for reading!

2019 450 MX Shootout

The 2019 450 MX Shootout has officially taken the checkered flag. After three days of testing, over 100 pages of testing notes, 16 test riders, countless engine hours racked up, and over seven hours of testing information sent to your ears (via podcast) we finally have a winner. The results changed dramatically from last year’s shootout and for 2019 the top five were all miserably close for each test rider. The tracks we chose to test at were also chosen by four out of the six manufacturers to evaluate their production machines before we got our hands on them. These tracks provided deep, loamy soil conditions in the morning that turned hard pack and slick towards the end of the afternoon. We feel these were the best tracks (combined with the prep that was performed) brought out each machines strengths and weaknesses. In doing this we feel the information gathered was the most accurate we could offer (from the west coast) from an evaluation standpoint. Below are the final rankings and a brief evaluation summary that were tallied up by using an olympic style scoring. If you want to hear more about each bike and get a much broader breakdown of each machine, click on the podcast tab to listen to the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Keefer Tested Podcast Presented By Fly Racing And Race Tech right now!

First Place: Yamaha YZ450F

The Yamaha YZ450F won because it provided the riders with the most comfortable suspension, an easy to ride engine character, and a new found planted cornering ability. The small changes that Yamaha made did make a big difference out on the track. It’s also one of only a couple bikes that can use third gear through corners an get you out in a hurry. “Recovery Time” on this engine is impeccable and forgives riders when they make mistakes when shifting too early. Testers agreed that the YZ450F is much more confidence inspiring than that of the 2018 version through corners (cornering stability). It split wins/days with the Kawasaki, but the Yamaha had nine “individual test rider opinion wins” throughout the shootout that tipped the scales in its favor. Small changes on paper equals big changes out on the track for 2019. Congratulations Yamaha!

Second Place: Kawasaki KX450

The most improved machine in the 2019 450 MX Shootout belongs to Team Green. The KX450 won the first day of the shootout and was a favorite of most testers throughout the week. The chassis is well behaved and can be pushed hard by the rider without it doing anything out of the ordinary. The lightweight feeling of the KX450 is noticed immediately around the track and the free-feeling engine character makes it a very fun/playful bike to ride. With four “individual test rider opinion wins” it was the only other bike in the shootout to keep the Yamaha honest. Kudos to Kawasaki for making a great first year/generation KX450. That is not easy to do!

Third Place: Husqvarna FC450

The Husqvarna FC450 is one of the most connected throttle to rear wheel bikes in this year’s shootout. There is so much traction that it is deceiving to some testers to figure out how much throttle to give, to clear obstacles immediately out of corners. It doesn’t feel or sound like the Husqvarna is really hauling ass down the track, but you end up over jumping certain jumps at times because the FC450 is hooking up so well. All of the riders preferred the black throttle cam on the Husqvarna/KTM for more a snappier/quicker RPM response. The WP suspension isn’t holding this bike back as much as it did in year’s past and leaning it over in corners is made easy with its lightweight feel. The Husqvarna fell down the ranking because riders did want a little more throttle response in deeper conditions (even with the black throttle cam installed). The FC450 was one of only three machines to score more than one “individual test rider win”.

Fourth Place: KTM 450SX-F

The KTM 450SX-F has more bottom end and RPM response than the Husqvarna, but lacked some compliance/comfort when the track got choppy and rough. The KTM still feels lightweight through corners and gives riders, that lack cornering technique, more confidence through ruts. The Neken handlebar is a little more rigid than that of the Pro Taper bar that is on the Husqvarna and that doesn’t help on slap down landings. The engine character is smooth and linear thus helping/forcing riders carry more speed through corners. The WP/AER front fork lacks some small bump absorption, but once you break through that initial part of the travel, it is quite nice. The KTM 450 SX-F is one of my favorite bikes to ride with some minimal modifications done to it. The is how close all of these bikes really are! A little massaging here and there can make a fourth place bike a first place machine.

Fifth place: Honda CRF450R

Ride Red. No Wing No Prayer. The Honda CRF450R has the fastest feeling engine character in the shootout. If you’re looking to get from point A to point B in a hurry, the Honda’s engine will oblige. As fast as the CRF450R is, it still feels connected to the rear wheel without much loss of traction, but the rigidity balance is what hurt it the most. When the track gets hard packed and rougher, the Honda suffers from lack of stability. The front end gets a little twitchy and can be difficult to ride fast when track conditions get worse. The suspension has a lot of comfort, but that comfort needs to come from the frame more, in order to be a shootout winner. Riders did like the on-the-fly handlebar mounted map switch and its three modes. Each mode has a completely unique feel to it unlike other machines where switching maps didn’t make a “huge” difference.

Sixth place: Suzuki RM-Z450

The Suzuki RM-Z450 is the best looking bike out of the bunch. However, looks alone couldn’t get the Suzuki up the charts in 2019, but the zook has improved slightly since last year. The BFRC shock still unloads (kicks) off throttle, which causes the rider to have a lot of pitching coming into corners. Most riders didn’t mind the engine’s delivery, but just wanted more from the powerplant (especially on deep tilled tracks). The white coupler was almost unanimously used by all riders which helps “wake up” the bottom to mid range, but the Suzuki still signs off too quickly up top. The cornering of the RM-Z450 is still great, but other machines are as good, if not better than the Suzuki for 2019. This bike would be great for a rider who wants to spend less money and still have a good bike to go race/ride on the weekends. Small modifications can really help the Suzuki become a better machine. In fact, we will be doing a project 2019 RM-Z450 this year, so stay tuned!


If you have any questions about the shootout please feel free to email me at kris @keeferinctesting.com. As usual we have an open door policy over here and love to bullshit about dirt bikes. If you see me at the track, come over and say hey!

50 hours on the 2018 Kawasaki KX250F on California’s best tracks

SoCal Speedster

Riding and racing the 2018 Kawasaki KX250F throughout the year has been absolutely great. There’s a lot to be said about riding just one bike all year, but the best part has to be knowing that the handling is so predictable. As we all know, predictability of what the bike reacts too is extremely important when it comes to your confidence. With that, the Kawasaki is definitely one of the most confidence-inspiring machines they I’ve ridden in recent years. 

Spending hours and hours on the same bike is the way to feel comfortable. After the first few initial rides, I became very familiar with the KX250F’s planted mannerisms and smooth power. There’s really not a lot I did to make the Kawasaki competitive. Right off the bat, I set the sag to 100mm and ran at four turns in on the forks compression. After a rough practice day on a fast Glen Helen raceway course, I tightened up the headset to help with the high speed stability of the front end. 

I own a pretty nice 450 thumper that sat in my garage all year thanks to the KX250F’s fun and agile nature. Even on hilly tracks, I opted for the 250F over my personal bike. At my age I ride just for the fun of it, so every time I open up my garage and looked at the bikes I had available to ride I would load up the Kawasaki in the pickup truck and head out. Whether it would be Glen Helen or LACR for a weekend race, the Kawasaki was my choice.

The only maintenance I completed throughout the year was to change the oil every three hours and put in a new air filter every ride. The thing I noticed about the 250F was that you don’t wear out tires as fast, and the chains don’t stretch as much for sure. Everything about the KX-F is super easy to work on; changing the air filter and oil is quick and simple. The motor is just as strong and powerful after putting 40 hours on it. At one point, I got to do a little comparison with the 2019 Yamaha YZ250F. Thinking maybe the KX-F had gotten a little worn out in the power department, I put it to the test against the new Yamaha. After spinning a couple laps on the fresh YZ-F, the Kawasaki felt like the time on the motor was nothing. It was really nice to see a bike run so fresh after 40 hours! I was not happy having to return the Kawasaki as I liked it so much I wanted to buy it for myself. Based on what I’ve seen from this bike, I already can’t wait to ride the new 2019 Kawasaki KX250F!

Tod Sciacqua

Vet Exp

150 lb

50 years old. 

Started testing mini bikes when I was 13 years old and never stopped!

2019 Kawasaki KX450 Optional Set Up Notes

I have been spending a lot of time on this 2019 Kawasaki KX450 lately and have been enjoying my days with the green machine! The Kawasaki engineers should be proud with how their production machine came out and the consumer/buyer should be as well. However, that doesn't mean I will not experiment and try other settings to see if I can improve on the this 2019 Kawasaki  KX450. I wanted to share with you some of the settings that I have came up with since the "First Impression" podcast. If you have a 2019 KX450 and want to "tinker", give these a whirl and see if it helps you out on the track! As always feel free to email me your questions, concerns or maybe how you liked these settings! Hit me up at kris@keeferinctesting.com. Enjoy!   

Engine: 

Optional Keefer_1 map (Linear, More Control, Bottom End Pull With Increased Mid To Top End)

The engine on the 2019 KX450 in stock trim is exciting and makes the Kawasaki feel light. It has great RPM response, but does have a little dip from bottom to mid, so we created this map to help fill that dip in and make it pull slightly longer. You will notice a slightly more linear (more control at low RPM) pull down low without the jerky feeling through corners. With this map installed it helped settle the chassis down through long ruts. In the testing world we call this "cornering stability". With this map installed it helped the 2019 KX450's cornering stability, especially on intermediate terrain. You will need to plug the white coupler in and use the Kawasaki FI Calibration Tool to create this map. *SEE BELOW*

Optional Keefer_2 Map: (To Try With After Market Muffler System To Help De-Cel Popping) 

If you plan on installing a slip on or full aftermarket muffler system on your fresh 2019 KX450, use this map below to help reduce de-cel pop and increase pulling power through mid-top end. Chances are that you might have some de-cel popping when you install an aftermarket muffler and are running the white or green coupler. Simply installing the black coupler will help this de-cel popping, but takes aways some of the Kawasaki's RPM excitement. By using this map with the black coupler you get that RPM excitement back with a small amount of mid to top end pull increase. Try it if your aftermarket muffler gives you "The De-Cel Pops"! If it is NOT popping DO NOT worry about it and continue on with your life. This is for riders that experience de-cel pop only. *SEE BELOW*

Suspension: 

The 2019 KX450 can experience a little pitching on de-cel especially when the track is tilled up deep or sandy. I spent some time with the Kawasaki technicians and really worked on trying to keep the KX450 balanced (while keeping comfort) around the track. Below are two settings that I came up with that will help two different types of tracks/dirt. One is for very soft/heavy dirt and the other is geared towards more Southern California type tracks. Try these if you're experiencing any type of pitching or if you just want to experiment when you're riding. Note: "Pitching" is when the bike dives too hard towards the front end (fork is low) and makes the rear of the bike feel high when off-throttle. This causes instability coming into corners.

Soft Dirt Setting: (Note: "Plus" means stiffer or slower and "Minus" means softer or faster. When trying clicker ranges go one click at a time on fork as this Showa suspension is sensitive to clicks. When stiffening low speed compression on shock "4 clicks" equals "1 turn")   

Fork: 

Spring Rate 0.51 Spring (0.50 is stock) *If B level rider and over 200 pounds 0.52 springs is also a great option*

Oil Level: Standard

Compression Range: Stock to Plus three

Rebound Range: Stock To Plus One

Shock:

Spring Rate: Standard

Low Speed Compression Range: Plus Eight Clicks (Equals Two Turns) 

High Speed Compression Range: Stock To Minus 1/4 Turn

Rebound Range: Stock To Plus Two

Southern California Dirt Setting: (Note: "Plus" means stiffer or slower and "Minus" means softer or faster. When trying clicker ranges go one click at a time on  fork as this Showa fork is sensitive to clicks. When stiffening low speed compression on shock "4 clicks" equals "1 turn")

Fork: 

Spring Rate: Stock

Oil Level: Standard

Compression Range: Plus Three To Plus Four

Rebound Range: Minus Two (Important to speed up your rebound when going stiffer on this fork. If you don't speed up rebound, when going stiffer, the fork stays too low in stroke and almost feels sticky on de-cel.)

Shock:

Spring Rate: Stock

Low Speed Compression Range: Plus Eight Clicks (Equals Two Turns)

High Speed Compression Range: Stock To Minus 1/4 Turn

Rebound Range: Stock To Plus Two

2018 Kawasaki KX450F Fuel/Ignition Maps

If you have a 2018 Kawasaki KX450F and have the Kawasaki Calibration Tool you are in luck! Why? Because we have three maps you Team Green riders can try. Choose from Less Engine Braking, Less De-Cel Pop and Increased Torque Feel. Enjoy! 

Less De-Cel Pop Map. 

Less Engine Braking Map. 

Increased Torque Feeling Map.