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

Kreft Suspension For Husqvarna TE300i (XPlor fork)

Written By: Michael Allen

Let’s be honest, as riders we have all probably uttered these words to a suspension tuner, “I want it plush, but stiff”. I would imagine that every suspension guy has heard that phrase and grits his teeth every time he hears it. That is where Kreft comes in with their revolutionary design of being able to “revalve” the fork with just the turn of a dial instead of taking the fork apart and actually putting different shims in the fork itself. Admittedly when it comes to the internals of how a fork works I am no specialist, but when Matt from Kreft broke it down and explained it to me in dumb dirt bike rider terms, it was very interesting and made a lot of sense. 

I have worked with many suspension companies over the years and for the most part they work the same in terms of pick up and drop off. This is the first thing that stood out to me when I started working with Kreft: The first step of the process is an initial phone consultation where you actually build somewhat of a relationship with the representative. You go over the basics, like what bike you’re riding and your measurements, but you also get into what you want to feel out on the trail. Along with that you get a crash course on what makes Kreft different and how their system works. From there they send you an empty box with prefect (I really mean perfect) cutouts for your specific fork and shock. They are so detail oriented they even send you bleeder screws, so just in case you have button bleeders they can be replaced so that your forks don’t leak and ruin the box in transit. The professionalism is second to none while still being personable as well as very helpful and explanatory. 

Aside from the obvious spring rate change and re-valve, the fork gets Kreft’s “Re-valve Control”. The way it was explained to me was that on a standard fork the shim stack nut is tightened down on the top of the shims and in that case, the valving is whatever the tuner’s spec is. The valving itself cannot be changed without fully dissembling the fork and changing the actual shims. The only adjustability on a standard fork is compression and rebound clickers. What Kreft does is use a spring that can have more or less pressure put on it with the adjustment of the re-valve Control knob on top of the left fork. What that spring pressure does is put more or less pressure on the shim stack itself. This gives the rider the ability to make “valving changes” on the fly to adapt to a wide range of terrain and disciplines of off-road riding. With the Kreft fork you now have the standard compression and rebound clickers as well as the re-valve control. In doing all these changes Kreft has also changed the damping forces in the left and right fork tubes. The XPlor fork has unbalanced forces in stock form, making the left tube do the majority of the work. What this does is give the left fork more of a chance of having oil cavitation, resulting in poor damping performance. The final thing that was done to the forks was the Microfinish which is said to work better than DLC coating (and is far cheaper) to reduce friction creating less drag and seal stiction than the stock finish.

To compliment the fork changes, Kreft internally changes the shock components to get the greatest potential and best balance of the low and high speed tuning circuits. If the circuits aren’t balanced and one is doing far more than the other there is a greater chance for cavitation which results in poor performance. Once the circuits are balanced and cavitation is no longer occurring, the changes that are made to the clickers have a much larger adjustment range and are far more effective. Along with the spring change on the shock, Kreft also installed the X-Trig preload adjuster which I had never used, but holy shit that thing is awesome!

Now that I have explained all the technical info (to the best of my dumb dirt bike test rider ability) let’s get down to how it all works out in the real world. As I said in my initial test of the TE 300i, any type of riding other than very tech slow trails meant that the TE was going to feel out of place. The fork was extremely divvy when on the brakes or even just when transitioning off throttle. This unbalanced pitching feeling caused the bike to be unpredictable when cornering. In addition to that, anything that resembled a g-out made the bike bottom and rebound too quickly, which doesn’t necessarily give the rider very much confidence, especially in a racing situation. The one race that I did in stock form made it clear that I was having to check up for obstacles that normally wouldn’t phase me, so I knew something had to be done. 

After getting the stuff back from Kreft I bolted it on and read through their extensive welcome packet, which was super informative. I set my sag (which they had very close already) and headed out to my favorite trails, which have a plethora of different types of terrain. The first thing I noticed was that the unbalanced feel was no longer an issue. Now when I enter coroners the bike stays further up in the stroke and is much more predictable. My biggest concern was that after telling Kreft that I mostly ride faster paced desert terrain, I was worried that they would make it too stiff and I would no longer have the compliance in the tight technical terrain. Like I said in the beginning of this story, I basically told them that I want it firm, but soft and to my surprise, Kreft gave me my cake and let me eat it too. After becoming more confident and being able to pick up the pace, I found myself going into g-outs as well as slamming into bigger whoops with more speed. Initially the fork had a slight quick feel that would cause the front tire to lose traction, but after slowing down the rebound three clicks, the bike stayed planted much better following hard landings.

The only other issue I had with the front end was that I felt I still needed more bottoming resistance. I tried going in on the re-valve control, but that wasn’t necessarily the feeling I was looking for. While going in on the re-valve control helped my issue, it took away a little of the initial plushness that I liked. After talking with Kreft, they recommended I simply get a syringe and add 15ml of oil to both forks. After doing this I was able to keep the initial settings on the re-valve control while still getting the bottom resistance I was looking for. When it came to the shock, Kreft was really close on the setting I loved out of the box. I had a slight kick in the rear on de-cel bumps, but it was only off-throttle. To combat this Kreft recommended that I open up the high speed compression all the out. After doing this the kick was eliminated, but I felt the bike was bottoming too frequently, so I followed their recommendation and worked the high speed adjuster in by ¼ turn at a time until I found the balance that I desired. One misconception that I think a lot riders have (I used to as well) is that if your bike is bottoming it’s too soft. It’s perfectly ok for your bike to bottom if the bump or landing warrants it. Bottoming out from time to time means you are using all of your suspension travel. This is what you want! Use all the travel, but still have a comfort/performance blend for your type of riding.  

Kreft prides themselves on having great customer service, provide a high end product and also a product that has a very wide range of adjustability. When they told me that I could ride technical single track with the same bike that I rode at the moto track, I was skeptical. My last test before writing this article was doing just that, I went to the moto track. Before riding I looked at their recommended setting for moto, adjusted it and started moto’ing. Now was it just as good as a moto setting would be if the suspension was built for moto? Not entirely, but the adjustments for moto made the bike comfortable enough on the track that I was jumping every obstacle without blowing through the travel as well as cornering with confidence. I didn’t feel like the suspension was holding me back by any means and I wasn’t out of my element on this bike. The mere fact that one bike can be capable of such different disciplines with small adjustments is super impressive. I think that Kreft is really on to something and will only be getting more recognition as time goes on. 

The price breakdown is as follows: Xplor Re-valve Control and Re-valved shock is $1,200 (including seals and fluid), the addition of springs (if needed), Microfinish and X-Trig spring adjuster brings the total to $1,800. Like I said before, Kreft prides themselves on being very high end and in my opinion you get what you pay for. Every part of dealing with Kreft was top notch, from their box, customer service, quality of parts, and performance of the suspension was very impressive. If you are in the market to fix your 4CS, AER, or Xplor suspension, I would highly recommend giving Kreft a call. If you have any questions about the performance of the Kreft setup on the TE 300i feel free to reach out to me at Michael@keeferinctesting.com. That being said, if you have any technical questions about the parts itself reach out to them because I’m just a test dummy and won’t be able to answer your questions. Kreft’s contact is 541-797-0700 or email them at Info@Kreftmoto.com. 

2020 Husqvarna TE 300i First Impression

By: Michael Allen

In a world where most people think that two strokes are dead and four strokes rule, there is one company (or two depending on how you look at them) that has continued to progress two stroke technology. Husqvarna is one of three (KTM, Husky, and TM) motorcycle manufacturers who have released fuel injected two strokes in the last four years. Husqvarna released theirs in 2017 and after riding it I was pretty impressed. Now that they have been around for a few years I was excited to see how polished the latest model was compared to the first-year bike. The 2020 TE 300i is Husqvarna’s model that is aimed at the trail rider and not necessarily the racer. Although the TX (the race version) and the TE share the same engine and chassis they have two distinct differences from one another. The main things that makes the TE more of a trail bike is the WP XPLOR fork which is an open bath spring fork. The other main difference is that the TE comes with a headlight and a tail light in case you get caught out on the trail after dark. In all honesty, when I went down to Husqvarna to pick the bike up I wasn’t a fan of the bike aesthetically. I thought the grey plastic accents didn’t look right and I didn’t like the shape of the body work. That being said, over the past few weeks the bike has started to grow on me. I can’t explain why, but for some reason I have totally changed my opinion and now I think it looks good.

 The 300i has an MSRP of $10,099 and comes with quality handguards that are very sturdy, as well as a skid plate with decent coverage that is easily removable with two bolts. For 2020 the exhaust system on the 300i has some big changes. The head pipe is narrower and gives the bike slightly more ground clearance than the previous model. In addition to more clearance, the new pipe also has a 3D design with corrugation in the metal, which makes the pipe stronger and less susceptible to damage from trail debris. The silencer has a new aluminum mounting bracket and less dense packing for better noise damping. The engine on the 300i is electric start only and comes standard with a li-ion battery which is 1kg lighter than a conventional battery. With keeping mass centralization in mind, the starter is mounted underneath the engine keeping the weight down low. The wiring harness is all new and looks cleaner as well and concentrates all of the electrical components to a central area for ease of service. The EMS (engine management system) controls the fuel mixture as well as the mapping, which is new for 2020 as well as having a new ambient air pressure sensor to make the bike respond better to differing altitudes.

Unlike traditional carbureted two-strokes of the past, the 300i uses a throttle body that is controlled with two cables that open a butterfly valve that lets more air into the intake and mixes with the oil, which lubricates the crankshaft, cylinder and piston. On the right side of the Pro Taper handlebar, the 300i has a map selector switch which gives the rider the option of a softer or more aggressive power characteristic.  The frame on the TE is new with hydro formed tubes, new geometry, and added longitudinal and torsional rigidity. The TE 300i engine is mounted 1 degree lower at the swing arm improve front wheel traction and feeling. The frame is finished in a dark blue powder coat and comes with frame protectors. The new sub frame although still made of a carbon composite has been made slightly lighter and is 50mm longer to help with the handling of the bike. Like I said before one of the main differences between the TX and the TE is the fork. Being that the TE is meant for slower speed and extreme type terrain, Husqvarna decided to go away from the air fork for this model and use the WP XPLOR fork. The XPLOR fork is 48mm and splits the rebound and compression between the right and left fork tubes. The left fork tube controls the compression (30 clicks) while the rebound control (30 clicks) is handled by the right tube. In addition to the adjustability of the damping, the XPLOR fork also gives the rider the ability to adjust the fork spring preload (3 clicks) with an adjuster on the top of each fork tube. The rear suspension on the 300i has a new piston and updated settings as well as motocross inspired linkage which sets the rear of the bike lower, improving traction in extreme conditions. The radiators on the 300i are also new; mounted 12mm lower (centralizing the mass) and are integrated into the frame which helps with the bikes ability to cool more efficiently. The 300i doesn’t come with a radiator fan (it’s available through the accessories catalog) I feel like it should since it’s designed to be ridden in the most extreme environments. Unlike the KTM which comes with Brembo brakes and clutch system, the Husky comes with Magura components that are mated to the 260mm front and 220mm rear rotor. The Husky also relies on Pro Taper to handle the bars and ODI for their lock on grips.

Now that you know all the new and technical data, let’s get into how the TE300i feels out on the trail. Starting with the engine: the E-start 300i always starts quickly and comes to a perfect idle no matter the elevation or temperature. The 300cc engine has a counter balancer which has made vibration a thing of the past. One of the things I used to hate about 300cc two-strokes was the annoying vibration you got after a long ride that would leave you with tingly hands. This engine honestly vibrates less than my YZ 125 which is super impressive. The power on the 300i is all about the bottom end pulling power. This bike LOVES to be short shifted and in fact has made me completely change the way I ride. This two-stroke really benefits from being ridden like a four-stroke so I had to get my mind wrapped around being a lugger again (you guys should know what a lugger is). The power tractors through the bottom into a very meaty mid-range, but then quickly tapers off as the revs increase. Once through the middle of the rpm range there is no point in trying to scream the bike unless you’re hill climbing and need the wheel spin. That being said, if you ride the bike a gear high, you’re rewarded with gobs of torque and an engine that is damn near impossible to stall. The other good thing about the pulling power is it doesn’t have a light switch character that is commonly felt with to two-strokes. The “power character” is so broad on the 300i throughout the rpm range, it never seems to fall off from making power when the engine is under a load.  

Being that the TE 300i is designed to be a trail bike and isn’t necessarily directed toward the racer (they sell the TX 300i for cross country racing) the suspension is understandably on the soft side. Unlike the TX, the TE doesn’t come with an air fork and instead comes with the WP XPLOR fork (open bath), which is a spring fork that splits the compression and rebound to each fork tube. Even though the TE is meant to be a trail bike, in my opinion it’s still sprung slightly too soft. The Xplor fork has a 3-way pre-load adjuster, and even with the preload on the stiffest setting, the fork was still too soft for my 6’ 185lb frame. In tight technical terrain the soft/springy feeling was welcomed, but when speeds pick up and I started driving into braking bumps, the fork doesn’t stay up in the stroke nearly enough and dives excessively under braking giving the bike a nervous feeling. The rear suspension isn't as soft as the front, but still is not stiff enough when it comes to riding the bike at race pace. At 232 pounds the soft suspension gives the bike a heavier feeling when trying to ride aggressively on tighter trails. I think the Xplor fork has real potential and I’m excited to see how well the bike will work with stiffer springs. 

I think it’s awesome that the TE comes with a headlight and on top of that the computer is a bonus, along with the ability to adjust the mileage for enduro events. I prefer the Magura brakes and clutch to the Brembo components that come on the KTM because I feel like they are slightly less “grabby” feeling. Although when riding the 300i it sounds corked up and quiet, when listening to the bike hill climb or be ridden aggressively with another person on it, there is a crisp barky note from the silencer. The seat cushion is decent, but the cover is a little slippery. If I didn’t do a good job holding myself forward, I found myself sliding back under acceleration or up steep bumpy inclines. Overall I think Husqvarna did a great job making an easy to ride trail bike with the 2020 TE 300i. Although the suspension is soft for my riding style, the stock settings are a good starting point and give the rider some adjustment to play with via clickers/pre-load adjustment. I look forward to racing the TE 300i, and will be keeping everyone up to date with the modifications that are made and how they translate out on the trail. If you have any questions about the TE 300i feel free to send me an email at Michael@keeferinctesting.com and I will try to help.  

2006 YZ125 Craigslist Project

By: Michael Allen

Although I have access to bikes for testing throughout the year, there are times when it’s necessary (and nice) to have your own bike. In this particular case I was invited to Mexico with the Smith family (as in Malcolm Smith) to race the Tecate Enduro which meant I needed a legit bike. What I mean by “legit” is that most of the time test bikes don’t come with any paper work, like registration and even if they did, they would have the manufacturer listed as the owner. Needless to say that doesn’t necessarily fly with the border agents on either side of the wall.. If you listened to our podcast on this bike build you already know the history of my $1,800 craigslist find, but if you didn’t, here it goes… 

In 2017 I bought this bike with only nine days before leaving for Mexico. It was rough around the edges, but ran well, so I just put some bars and levers on it before going down to race. Fast forward two years and I was still riding the bike and having a blast on it. I had updated the plastics with a Polisport kit, but other than that it was still as it was when it was purchased. In the winter of 2019, we got a lot of rain in Southern California and like everyone else, I was out enjoying the perfect dirt as much as possible. Admittedly I was a bit neglectful in terms of maintenance and wasn’t regularly checking my air filter (I figured there was no dust so how bad could it get). In the middle of a long sandy hill climb my bike went from screaming loudly to dying quietly in an instant. After getting home and taking the seat off, I realized that the air filter cage had fallen off the air boot creating a welcoming environment to all types of debris that was floating around inside the air box. I talked to Kris and he said “we should call Pivot Works so that we could test out one of their engine rebuild kits” and do a story on the process and products. 

Wrench Rabbit is a branch of Pivot Works and they sell complete engine rebuild kits for most off-road motorcycles. At first I was a little weary of buying aftermarket parts for my personal bike because I have always been one to buy OEM parts for any bike I had owned in the past. That being said, after opening the box with all the gaskets, seals, crank, piston, and every other part necessary for the rebuild, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the parts. Prior to this rebuild I had never split cases and done a bottom end before so I enlisted the help of my older brother Robert to show me the ropes. I drove up to my parent’s house and he showed me step by step how to do the engine and it was surprisingly not too hard. All the parts fit perfectly and there were even parts that I didn’t use because I didn’t replace every seal in the bike (like the water pump). After the engine was rebuilt and back in the frame I decided to go for a trail ride with my buddy to break in the engine before heading down to Mexico. Our ride started out great with my bike running better than it ever had (I also re-jetted it). Everything was great until I washed out the front tire then was pile driven into the dirt by my freshly rebuilt 125. After the crash I was pretty bruised up (everywhere) and the bike was looking a little roached out. I called Keefer on the way home and after telling me that I needed to respect off-road riding more he asked me how bad the bike was. It’s not that it wasn’t rideable, but I figured that since we already had the engine done, why not turn it into a fun project build. We came up with the idea of turning it into a budget conscious bike build. 

Since I had already done the engine, the next thing that needed work was the suspension. It had been gone through in the past by god knows who and I could feel when I rode it, that it needed help. We called Race Tech and they were more than willing to help with a rebuild, new springs, and gold valves/re-valve. I dropped off the suspension at Race Tech and a few days later I got an email that brought to light just how roached out this $1,800 craigslist bike really was. On top of the work that they were already doing it needed new inner fork tubes because mine were scratched and dented. The outer fork tubes needed to be re anodized and the compression posts needed to be replaced. Although I did have to spend an extra $750 I’m glad that Race Tech caught the problems, notified me, and fixed it right instead of trying to use old parts in order to cut corners. The company Race Tech uses to anodize the outers makes the fork tubes black instead of the stock gold color which initially I wasn’t sure about, but after seeing the black forks on the completed bike, I think they look really good. 

The other main thing the 2006 was in need of was a fresh wheelset. After 13 years of abuse the stock wheels not only looked terrible, but the rims were far from straight anymore. We reached out to Dubya and after talking to John, we decided to use the stock hubs and have them cerakoted in a magnesium color. The look of the coating is awesome and only costs an extra $60. I decided to go with blue rims to give the bike a more current look and those blue rims were mated to the hubs with new stainless-steel spokes. The look of the blue wheels with the coated hubs looks almost as good as a super expensive wheelset, without breaking the wallet. 

Once I got all the parts back, I bolted everything up just in time to make it to Mexico. The finishing touch was to put on the Throttle Syndicate graphics with all the companies who helped us out with the project. I’ve installed many sets of graphics over the years, but for some reason the Throttle Syndicate graphics didn’t give me any trouble at all. Thank you baby Jesus! With everything buttoned up we were on our way south with the great Malcolm smith, bench racing the whole way there (man that was cool). 

My first time really riding the bike was the morning of the race, so needless to say I didn’t get much time to get used to all the changes that were made. As I joined the other riders on my minute, all the thoughts started going through my head. I was wondering if I installed everything correctly and trying to remember if I tightened every single bolt. All of those thoughts left my mind the second the green flag fell and we were racing into the first turn. The first noticeable difference was the engine running perfectly crisp with seemingly perfect Pro Circuit jetting and a beautiful note barking out of the Pro Circuit shorty silencer. It didn’t have any hesitation or bog and once in the midrange (it’s a 125 so there is no real bottom to speak of) the engine pulled harder than it ever has. As we entered the rougher terrain, I was pleasantly surprised how much better the suspension worked than before. God knows what settings were in the old suspension, but it was a night and day difference. The small trail chatter was almost nonexistent except for the squarest of edges. Luckily I was able to slam into any square edge or rock since I had installed bib mousse tubes inside the Michelin StarCross 5 medium tires. Tecate doesn’t have a lot of whoops, but the ones that were there gave me a very balanced feeling on the bike. There were multiple times during the race where I would come across a g-out and to my surprise, I never had a hard bottoming sensation. The main place the suspension shined is when the speeds picked up. I don’t like running steering stabilizers, so when I race a bike that can handle high speeds, I’m thrilled! 

Some other parts that I chose to run on my bike were Fasst Company Flexx bars. Some people don’t like them, but I love them on off-road bikes because they tend to take some of the harsh sensation out of the square edged bumps. I have a TM Design Works skid plate as well as their chain guide, which have both held up to plenty of abuse. On any bike I have owned with a cable clutch I always put a Works Connection Elite clutch perch and lever on because who doesn’t like an easier/buttery pull? I also have Works Connection radiator braces to help keep the radiators straight in case I goon out. I installed a set of Raptor titanium foot pegs on the bike for a little more grip and let’s get real, they look super cool. The only problem I had with the pegs is that with the small 125 kick starter, it tended to get stuck in the foot peg, when I would start the bike. I ended up making a small kick start extender so the lever would hit the back of the peg instead of getting stuck. Because this is an off-road bike I have an IMS 3.2 Gallon oversized gas tank with the bolt on screw cap, that can be changed to a dry break, if I ever feel like getting sketchy and racing a desert race again. 

After the bike was back home and cleaned up (unfortunately it only looked amazing for less than a week) I really got the chance to appreciate how well it turned out. Everything that we decided to do helped the bike perform as well as it possibly could have. Unfortunately I was the one who held it back at the Tecate Enduro where I ended up fifth in the vet class and 30th overall. Although I didn’t finish where I would have liked, I was told by many fellow racers that were racing near my minute that the bike sounded unreal and they could hear me coming from a mile away with that sweet 125 tone. If you haven’t ridden a 125 in a long time, I would definitely recommend hopping back on one just to see how fun they are and if you find one for a good deal, maybe you’ll want to make a fun project bike out of one as well. If you can’t ride fast, you might as well sound fast.  

The AMA National Hare N Hound Experience

I wasn't always a moto guy. I know a lot of my high desert buddies bust my balls about just being one dimensional, but I came from a desert racing background. My dad would worked his ass off all week just so our family could go camp out in the desert on the weekends, in order to enjoy some family time as well as off-road riding. I was raised on the annual Barstow To Vegas race as my dad would send his entry in as early as he could, just so he could be one of the 1200 riders to tackle the infamous desert racing event that took place annually in the Mojave Desert. 

I remember when my dad came home with his first brand new bike and how excited he was. He took some extra side work and managed to save enough to get a 1985 ATK 560. His hero was Chris Crandall because he rode an American made bike and he won the 1984 Barstow To Vegas race on one a year prior. Obviously I didn't know if my dad knew at the time, but I wanted to be just like him, not Chris Crandall. I was nine years old watching my dad go on trail rides and race desert races on his ATK and that is what I wanted to do.  

Instead of watching guys like Bob Hannah and Broc Glover, I emulated riding styles of Larry Roeseler, Danny Hamel, and even Malcolm Smith. I would make my parents purchase pink ribbon (desert racing course markers) at Home Depot and even stole Day Glow markers from these races my dad would enter, just so I could mark my own course around our property. There I was after school with my pink ribbon hanging from my 501 Levi’s and my trusty hammer that I may or may not have got from my dad’s toolbox, while he was at work (that’s a whole other story in itself), hammering away at my new desert layout. I would go into my bedroom, grab a pencil, and begin to write down ten top desert racers on a notepad, just so I could ride my bicycle around my makeshift “loop” around the house and imitate each one of those ten riders. My dad would come home to a damn racecourse and would immediately make me clean it up the next day. That didn't stop me from doing another course the next day though!  

Once my dad started to put his racing/riding aside and started putting more effort into my racing we began to chase some of the District 37 desert events around Southern California. I worked my way up from a 125 novice to 125 expert in a little over two years and even won some bigger events like the Adelanto GP and the now defunct Barstow GP. I thought I was going to be the next off-road star, but at some point in my early teens my dad discovered that he could stick me into motocross and spend less money on parts for my bike. I seemed to thrash my bike at every desert race I did, so pops wanted to go the less expensive route, which back then was less expensive. The year I had hoped to race with my dad in the Barstow To Vegas race, the BLM pulled the plug on my dream. From there on out, I was a moto kid. 

My career went on a different path, but the love for off-road riding/racing never really wavered. I didn't go race out in the desert, but I always kept an eye on the AMA National Hare N Hound Series and its riders. Through my time at Dirt Rider Magazine I would interview factory riders and series champions and admired the off-road side of the industry. Fast forward to January 2019, I was asked by Meg Argubright (wife of 2019 NHHA Champion Jake Argubright) if I could help promote the series a little. I was on my own at Keefer Inc. and had the freedom to do what I want so I agreed. The NHHA jumped on board with my Keefer Tested podcast and one of the promises I made to Meg was that I would come out and race one event and re-live my youth a little. Well… My procrastinating ass managed to pick the hardest AMA National Hare N Hound of the year to re-pop my cherry (so to speak). I did a podcast on the event as well as the JCR Honda that I raced, but I thought some of you moto heads as well as old non podcast types could appreciate an old fashion article. I really wanted to share what it’s like for an old moto guy to be re-introduced to his 15 year old self. 

The Bike/The Race:

I was lucky enough to get Ricky Brabec’s factory JCR/Honda CRF450X for the event and had help from multi time Baja champion Johnny Campbell. Johnny graciously let me race Ricky’s CRF450X and gave me the factory treatment for the weekend. Shaking the bike down on Saturday proved to be an eye opener for me (literally) because of how fast the bike and the conditions were out in Lucerne Valley. I knew I had to ride the day before the event just to get my eyes used to the speeds that I was about to encounter. After being clocked at 88mph down a dry lake bed and having my eyes watering from the dry desert air that was getting through my goggles, I knew it was going to be a fun weekend! I took my kid out for a trail ride just so I could school him on the fundamentals of off-road riding. There are certain aspects to riding out in the desert, that unless gets taught, you may never learn, and that means you could get hurt because of your own stupidity. Aden got to learn the ins and outs of reading terrain, what the course markings mean, how to follow ribbon, and of course know how to scan for other vehicles out sharing the same desert you are. Fun Fact: I have never raced a desert race on anything over 125cc’s!

Sunday came and I kissed my wife and kid goodbye as the start to the 69th Annual Checkers MC National Hare N Hound was some 40 miles away from where they would be helping Johnny Campbell pit me. The first loop was 45 miles and the second loop would be 42 miles. Unlike in motocross where you can learn your line by riding the track several times, desert racing is all about tackling the unknown. Except for “The Bomb”. The Bomb Run is anywhere between a 1-4 mile section of the start, which you’re allowed to pre-run as much as you want in an allotment of time given by the club that puts on the race. I managed to get my line sorted out in about 5 passes, but I should have done more. Did I mention that hundreds of other racers are practicing the bomb as well? It’s the desert. It’s dusty. It’s tough to see. It's gnarly. There are things that come up really fast on a JCR Honda CRF450X. 

Before the race started there is a riders meeting where all of the riders gather in the middle of the desert to listen to the race director on the back of an old truck. I wish everyone reading this could get a look at what I witnessed that morning. Not to get all Ryan Hughes on you, but the desert landscape as hundreds of riders gather around a truck, in the early morning sunlight, in the middle of BFE, singing the national anthem was very, very cool to me. It’s bad ass and something I have never experienced in my years racing a motocross event. 

The race is a mass five row start (Expert, Amateur, Novice, Beginner, Quads) with a dead engine banner drop. Of course I choked at the start and my Honda CRF450X didn't fire! I did several makeshift practice starts perfect except for the one the counted! Figures! I managed to get pass the bomb without any huge issue and pick up the marked trail so far back in the dust it felt like I was literally going 10mph. Upon clean air I managed to bob and weave my way around riders and at around mile marker 20, I was in some good clean air. This is where I noticed how many damn rocks are out in the middle of the Mojave Desert! There are so many god damn rocks! The Checkers Motorcycle Club are known for tough courses, but holy shit, I didn’t think the first loop (which is notoriously easier for beginners, because they only do one loop) would be this technical in spots. 

I see the fuel stop out in the distance and start to haul ass like someone is watching me. No one actually was, but I like to think that there was. I got some gas, a water, a gel, and told my family there are a lot of rocks out there at least seven or eight times. They looked at me like I crashed because as I was drinking, I could see my wife studying my helmet as she walked around me a couple times. “No Heather, I didn't crash, but did I mention there are a lot of rocks out there!” I waved goodbye and set out for loop two knowing that it would be tougher than the second! Awwwwwww, shiiiiiiiiiit! 

Heather making sure I didn't have a concussion because I said the word “rocks” like 48 times.

Not even 5 miles in, the club stuck me in more rocks. Shocker! But you know what was cool? There was a woman on the side of the course, as I was making my way up this nasty climb and she was literally BA’ing me! There I was climbing this mountain in the middle of nowhere and this lady was showing me her ass! Hell yeah! It took me by such surprise that I almost went off the damn mountain and laughed about that for at least a solid four miles! Thanks for the ass shot lady! There were sections of the second loop that were so tough at times that it tested my mental/physical strength more than any motocross track has ever done as of late. At each passing checkpoint the course workers were there to root you on with positive gestures and give you that little bit of extra strength that you didn't know was inside of you. As I was coming off one of the mountains down into a valley, you could see the vehicles off in the distance. I just knew I was almost to the finish, but then the course would go another way and would really screw with my mind. I was literally MF’ing the club as I was racing at times, but also laughing and having fun at other points in the race. It’s like I was going crazy all alone out in the middle of some god forsaken desert. Shit, maybe I am going full Ryno. Who knows! 

I got to the finish, met my family and told them all about my trials and tribulations during my almost three hour race. I mentioned the rocks, the lady with her ass hanging out, I saw donkey, and told them about a guy named Kato that was out in the hills taking photos. They looked at me in disbelief! I think Heather was still walking around me to see if there were any crash marks on my helmet, but I know that none of them could relate to what I just experienced or went through. That’s what’s crazy about desert racing. No one is out there witnessing all of these moments you’re having, in your life. In a motocross race I would have at least two Instagram bangers sent to my phone before I get into the van to go home! In desert racing, the only people that can relate are the ones out on the trail with you doing the same shit you are! Those are your brothers and sisters for one day. That is your family! That is desert racing! It’s a lot like doing a triathlon to me a times. No one can relate to what you just did, except for your competitors. As tough as it was, it was one of the best times I had on a dirt bike in a long time. Why? Because it tested me at times. I like being tested. I know it’s fun when I can look back on something a week later and be proud of what was just accomplished. If the feeling hasn't worn off in a week, I know that what I just did was something I need to do again. That is desert racing to me!  See you next year brothers and sisters! Thanks for having me back. 

2019 NHHA Pro Champion Jacob Argubright

Random Thoughts I Had While Racing: 

-All moto guys should give one Hare N Hound or even an off-road race a shot. It’s an experience that you will never forget and it could even help your moto skills as well.

-Why in the hell are all these people racing in the middle of the desert on a Sunday morning?  

-The Off-Road community is some of the best people I have ever come across. Title contenders talk to each other before the race. Riders singing the national anthem. Riders stopping to help other riders finish the race. The people that you pit next to you actually smile at you and would give the shirt off their backs for you. 

-These top dudes of Hare N Hound are fucking crazy! How do they go so damn fast over this stuff?! 

-They want us to go down this?

-They want us to go up that? 

-How do Rally guys navigate and haul ass with no markings on the trail? 

-I wish Shorty was here…

-I am so hungry. I wonder what Heather is making for dinner? 

-Was that a woman’s ass I just saw? No way! I must be really tired and dehydrated. 

-Thank god for bib mousse tubes and this Scott’s Steering Stabilizer. 

-I have never seen a desert tortoise out here.

-I wonder where Kato is hiding on the second loop?

-Oh look! There’s Kato! As I almost crash…

-This is the worst thing I have ever done. 

-This is the most fun thing I have ever done. 

Hidden Gems "Vet Racing"

This installment of hidden gems is going to be a little different than the others, in that it doesn’t necessarily have to do with a product. This hidden gem is more along the lines of a mindset and getting back to doing the thing that once gave you so much joy, THAT’S RACING! You see, I call vet racing a hidden gem because like so many other riders sometimes when we get older we can get less competitive. Like many of you out there; once I got into my later twenties, racing became not as much fun as the competition became younger, faster, and more willing to take risks than my 29-year-old married self. (editors note: You were 29 MIKE?! I MEAN, COME ON!! YOU’RE IN YOUR PRIME!!!) Between the ages of 26-29 I found myself in a weird place when it came to motorcycling; I would help Kris test products, go to the track and practice, and trail ride with my friends, but had no real desire to race. The reason I lost that desire is because I was getting smoked by younger, more enthusiastic riders that didn't have a 10 or so hour a day real job. Call me a poor sport if you will, but I found myself mentally defeated before the gate or banner would even drop. 

Like I said, I was in a weird spot because I saw racing the Vet class as “lame” or just for slow people who couldn’t cut it anymore and to me the Vet class was a symbol of admitting defeat. My mindset all changed when I went down to Mexico with Alexander Smith (Malcolm’s son) to race the Tecate Enduro in 2018. You see Alexander and I have a relationship like most of you with riding buddies… We will talk endless amounts of shit to each other before a race knowing damn well that you may lose, but not caring one bit because it’s a “friendly rival”. Alexander had raced the vet class the two years before as he is older than myself (and of course I gave him endless amounts of shit for being an old man) and in 2018 when I turned 31 he said I should race “Vet” so I could “come race with the real men”. When I signed up, I honestly didn’t know what to expect for competition, I figured I would do well, but it still didn’t seem like I was racing for the overall like I used to be (it felt more like being a side show instead of the main event). 

When you race a sprint Enduro you start with your class, so instead of starting on a row between 7-10 guys, I was now starting on a row between 40-50 guys. This was a little weird because I knew there were going to be plenty of guys in front of me that I’d have to pass in every test. As I got to the line and started chatting with the other Vet racers around me it was actually refreshing that everyone was super friendly and in a different place in life, when compared to the 21-year-old fearless riders I was used to starting next to. We talked married life, having kids, our jobs, instead of getting hammered and partying (although a few beers were had after the race). As the race started, I noticed that just because I was entered in the vet class that didn’t we were the slow class. In fact, there were many “Vet dudes” that I had to really push my poor little 125’s throttle cable past its limit to pass or even keep up with. The race was brutal and took over 4 hours to finish with 3 long technical special tests to complete. After all was said and done the results were posted that night and to my surprise, the vet class didn’t end up being the slow class at all! In fact, the first nine riders were pro, followed by the winner of the Vet class (not me) two more pro riders, then myself where I finished 2nd Vet and 13th overall out of 184 finishers. After being all up in my head about racing the “old man” class and feeling washed up, the results showed the first three Vet riders ended up beating the winner of the open class. I’m a basket case! 

I didn’t write this story to stroke my ego (ok maybe it feels good knowing Alexander will read about me beating him again), but to give former younger racers turning old racers some advice. Just because you’re older, think you’re slower, fatter, and less competitive doesn’t mean you can’t go out and still kick some ass. Just know that just because you aren’t as fast as you once were, doesn’t mean you can’t also have a great time. Don’t get me wrong, I'm no pro racer nor do I ever think I was, but I showed up, entered the “old guy” class, raced my ass off with guys my age and had a blast doing it. Isn’t that what this is all about? Having fun and creating memories? Also, it’s fun to be the “young” guy in the “old guy” class. Since Alexander talked me into racing the Vet class in Mexico, I have raced the Vet class everywhere I go and have found the same camaraderie in every discipline (even moto where sometimes other racers are way too cool). The bottom line is that I have found Vet racing to be a hidden gem because it has re-lit a fire under me to get back out there racing and enjoy my motorcycle. Plus, it always feels good to beat a younger guy, shake his hand, then pull off my helmet and show off my shimmering silver locks.  

2019 Honda CRF250RX First Impression

What? Honda has another new model? Yes, that’s right, the 2019 CRF250RX is Honda’s latest off-road addition to their growing stable. We had a chance to let our “Electric Diesel” test rider Tod Sciacqua ride it at Cahuilla Creek in Anza, California for a full day of ripping. This is just a quick first impression, but we will be re-visiting this machine for a long term test soon so don’t fret your pretty little dirt bike faces. If you want to hear more about this red machine, click on the “Podcast” tab and listen to Tod and I talk about what this bike is like to ride. 

This all-new CRF250RX is specially designed for closed-course off-road competition only, so just know that this machine will not be OHV legal until you get a spark arrestor. Some of the CRF250RX key features that Honda would like you to know are:

• Large-capacity, 2.2 gallon resin fuel tank 

• 18-inch rear wheel

• Forged aluminum sidestand

• Sealed drive chain

• Suspension with settings dedicated to closed-course off-road use 

Engine/Drivetrain

• High-performance, 249cc single-cylinder engine with dual-overhead-cam design and high rev limit.

• Finger rocker arm with Diamond Like Coating (DLC) maximizes valve lift while retaining a low engine height

• Downdraft intake layout improvies air-charging efficiency

• Dual exhaust ports enable ideal air-charging efficiency

• Cam profile, which is based on feedback on the CRF250R used by the Team HRC factory MX2 race team

• Intake- and exhaust-port geometry provides strong low-rpm engine power while also maintaining stellar top-end performance

• 44mm throttle body offers ideal low-rpm intake airflow for strong corner-exit performance

• Honda’s piston oil jet with five nozzle holes provides superior piston-cooling efficiency and reduced knocking, enabling a precise ignition-timing setting for optimum power delivery

• Lightweight AC generator keeps weight to a minimum and minimizes friction losses

• Electric-start standard for easy, fast engine startup

• Easily selectable Standard, Smooth, and Aggressive riding modes enable easy tuning depending on rider preference or course conditions

• Selectable HRC launch control provides a steady stream of torque for excellent performance on race starts

• Exclusive ECU settings for ideal engine performance and rideability in off-road situations

Chassis/Suspension

• Lightweight aluminum frame with tapered main spars provides great rider feedback

• Low center of gravity reduces front-end lift for strong acceleration

• Renthal Fatbar® handlebar reduces steering-system weight, and flexes for comfort

• Top triple clamp features two handlebar-holder locations for moving the handlebar rearward and forward by 26mm, ensuring rider comfort. When holder is turned 180 degrees, the handlebar can be moved an additional 10mm from the base position, resulting in four total unique handlebar positions

• Newly shaped footpegs are 20% lighter and shed mud more easily, giving the rider great feel and confidence in all riding conditions

• Engine guard allows excellent airflow, boosting engine-cooling performance

• 49mm Showa SPG coil-spring fork with dedicated settings for ideal handling and comfort in technical conditions experienced in off-road racing

• Fork protectors have outstanding coverage for protection in off-road conditions

• Black rims offer strong presence parked in the pits or out on the trail

• Lightweight front-brake caliper uses pistons of different diameters (30mm and 27mm) for strong braking performance

• Front-brake hose resists expansion for precise braking

• Smooth bodywork layout eases rider movement

• In-mold graphics are durable and resistant to peeling caused by washing or abrasion

• Dunlop Geomax AT81 tires provide optimum feel and traction in challenging riding conditions

So now that you have some idea about what Honda did to this sucker, what did Tod think about the 2019 CRF250RX: 

Going into the test day I was thinking this would be a corked up slow trail bike, not really expecting the awesomeness of the power potential this race bike truly really had. One of the first things I noticed was the oversized tank and the 18” rear wheel with the sweet looking racing black rims. Yes, I am sucker for black rims because it just makes the red plastic pop that much more. Throwing your leg over the Honda for the first time, you will notice the large fuel tank and by appearance you may think this tank will affect your riding while on the trail, but once you take off you forget all about it.

I want get this out of the way right now because I feel no one talks about this enough. There are three different power settings on the handlebar, which to me is always great for different riding conditions you may ride on any given day. I may be in the mood for different conditions, on any given ride I go on, so having the aggressive, smooth, or standard “mood” settings is perfect for the many different riding moods that I have. The engine delivery is snappy and responsive enough to pop me up over rocks, logs and the occasional rain ruts that we encounter here on the west coast from time to time. I only weigh in at 155 pounds so having too much power is a concern to me at times when looking to purchase a bike. With this CRF250RX I feel like I can manhandle this machine more because the power delivery is fun, yet never gets me in trouble when riding. The mid range to top end pulling power feels just like the 2019 CRF250R to me and that means it pulls far and likes to be revved. If there is anything I could complain about the engine, it would be lack of some torque down on very low RPM. The throttle response is crisp and instant, but the bottom end delivery can feel empty if I was on a tight trail that was somewhat sandy.  

The Showa suspension feels like it was tailor valved for my riding style and weight. Again I am not a heavy guy and this Showa CRF250RX suspension was plush for me out on the closed course trails of Cahuilla Creek. On the occasion I hit the moto track on the way into the pits, the suspension had enough hold up for the jumps that Cahuilla provided. Overall, I can’t sit here and type any real negative on the suspension side (as I love me some spring forks) and Showa knocked it out of the park with this fork setting. We set the sag at 106mm for my weight and I was happy right away with the balance that the HondaI had. I am sure Keefer will nitpick the crap out of this thing more at a later time, but for now lets just say the Showa suspension was great for my smaller stature. 

48mm Showa spring forks grace the new 2019 CRF250RX.

 While riding the diverse terrain I noticed how nimble and easy this CRF250RX is in the tight stuff (and through corners). Although the nature of the chassis is agile and quick handling, the straight line stability feels planted and not as twitchy as the 250R. On tighter switchbacks the CRF250RX feels light and very playful and that makes me want push harder through the tighter terrain. One thing is for certain about the evolution of dirt bikes these past few years; it’s that the brakes have improved dramatically. A lot of media testers don’t talk about how important good brakes are and the new Honda provides some great stopping ability. The front brake on past Honda’s felt somewhat spongey and soft to me, but this 2019 CRF250RX has a strong front brake that lets me charge into corners much harder than I can remember.   

The Honda loves to carve up some berms.

Did I mention I love electric start? Well, I do! You might think you don’t need an electric start on a 250, but after a full day of riding, kickstarting your bike gets tiring. Us older guys love this feature as it just makes riding a dirt bike more enjoyable to me. The biggest bummer to me on the day was that they didn't let me take the bike home. I will have to say that I am also mystified that Honda doesn't put handguards on this machine. The seven mile loop that Honda laid out for us was filled with blood sucking demon branches that will attack you any chance they can. Just ask my right forearm! The Honda CRF250RX comes with a skid plate, which is mandatory for any off road bike, so why aren’t handguards mandatory on this sucker as well? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? 

Dear Honda, we need handguards please!

Great job to Honda on making a hybrid machine that is easy to manage and fun to ride. Look for more 2019 Honda CRF250RX updates at keeferinctesting.com soon or check out the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Keefer Tested Podcast on this site right now! -Big Air Tod  

2019 Honda CRF450X

Almost every motorcycle made has somewhat of a cult following, even some of those bad ones. However every so often there is a bike that becomes iconic and ever since 2006 the Honda CRF450X has been the Swiss army knife to so many riders throughout the riding and racing community. It’s no secret that the 450X has seen very little updates since its 2006 release and although it’s stayed the same, I think that’s a testament to how well Honda has designed the bike in the first place. The CRF450X has never been a real standout bike in any one category, I would even say that it’s been somewhat vanilla. Don’t take this the wrong way as vanilla ice cream can be eaten plain or can be made even better with just a few toppings right? That being said the 450X has been the platform for a huge amount of success especially on the west coast. This “vanilla” bike has had the ability to transform itself from the family trail bike to a bike, that is able to win multiple championships (in the high speed SCORE Baja series), while also being able to win multiple NHHA (National Hare and Hound) races and championships. 

 Improving the CRF450X (even if it was minimal) in every category (without hindering any one category) was the only way Johnny Campbell and Honda were willing to change the old tried and true red machine. One thing the 450X has always had and Honda wanted to keep was the ability to be a green sticker vehicle, which now makes the “X” one of only two 450cc bikes (the other being Yamaha’s WR 450) that is able to be ridden off-road year around. Being all new, the 2019 CRF450X’s fuel injected, Uni-cam engine is based off of the CRF450R, but with a slightly lower compression ratio (12:1). The lower compression ratio is achieved by having a different shaped, three ring piston. Also when compared to the “R”, the “X” has 12% more crank mass, which acts as a flywheel weight, helping give the engine more tractor like pulling power. New for 2019, the transmission is now a wide ratio six-speed mated to a rubber dampened front sprocket to keep chain noise to a minimum. The endless sealed o-ring chain is nice, but I personally like a master link for trailside issues.  The engine side cases have covers also to dampen engine vibration and keep overall engine noise down. The ECU settings on the 2019 are dedicated to the bike and since it is a green sticker bike they cannot be modified. Unlike the 450L (which this bike is closely related to), the “X” model does not come with a catalytic converter inside the muffler, although the muffler is still quite big and restrictive. Also differing from the “L” the head pipe diameter has been increased from 35mm to 38mm. 

The base chassis on the 450X is the same as the 450R with a few additional mounting holes, different engine hangers and slight changes to the sub-frame.  Some off-road specific goodies on the “X” include an 18” rear wheel, larger front brake master cylinder/hose (while still utilizing the “R” caliper and large rotor), a larger 2.01 gallon fuel tank, skid plate, dedicated suspension settings, larger offset fork lugs and a dedicated top triple clamp. Honda still uses a 7/8” Renthal handlebar which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it has more flex than an 1 1/8” bar. Finally Honda got rid of the old cable drive analog trip meter and joined this century with a nice digital readout that gives the rider different information.  The radiators on the “X” are larger than the “R” although unfortunately, unlike the “L” they don’t come with a radiator fan (although the plug is there and a fan from the “L” will bolt directly on). The headlight is literally the same halogen unit that come on the older “X” model (I assume for budget reasons) and the tail light is LED. The 2019 is E-start only and comes with a high capacity lithium ion battery. Oh and the 2019 CRF450X weighs 275 pounds when full of fluids. 

Our test day took place in the dry California desert and was set to a camping theme, which is where this bike is most likely going to be used in the real world. We split up into three groups, I headed out with Johnny Campbell as our guide and followed his dust down a seemingly endless sand whoop trail. Although not the most gradual way to warm up, it was immediately clear that just because this bike has the appearance and initial feel of a trail bike, that doesn’t meant deep down there still isn’t the heart of a Baja racer. Most trail bikes are sprung/valved extremely soft for the majority of the public, which gives a wallowy feeling especially in sand whoops. This isn’t the case with the 2019 CRF 450X; Honda was able to make the “X” comfortable at a trail pace while still making the suspension handle being ridden at a semi aggressive pace. On bigger g-outs the rear of the bike tended to go deep into the stroke and spring back, giving a slight kicking sensation. The forks only bottomed on hard, slap down landings and had an audible metal to metal clank sound. In rock gardens the front end stayed very planted and is stable, but when there is sand involved the bikes negative traits start to show. In sand washes the front end has a slight wander and gives the rider a lack of confidence. This may be partially due to the tire (Dunlop MX52), but in my opinion it was more of a suspension issue. The pushing feeling was greatly exaggerated when braking, and was hard to predict what the front wheel was going to do in almost any type of slower speed sandy section (even more so if there were rocks littered in). I noticed this in some washes we were in and thought it may have been just those washes, so when I got back to the camp I spun a few laps on a sandy turn track. It was quickly confirmed that the “X” in stock form isn’t a fan of turning in the sand, it isn’t planted and has a pushing sensation. After talking with Kris about this he explained it’s because the fork’s slightly soft settings hamper its turning ability when transferring your weight to the front on de-cel. When entering a corner sitting, the fork dives too far into the stroke and gives a knifing sensation. If I leaned back too far the fork wasn’t far enough in the stroke and it would have a pushing sensation.

What this Honda CRF450X does have that some other CRF’s don’t is straight line chassis comfort. The frame on this Honda is forgiving and doesn't put you in a small box like the CRF450R can do. It never deflects or feels harsh when riding over square edge or nasty terrain. We love the feel of this “X” chassis when going fast! Chasing Johnny Campbell down fast twisty roads with rollers is by far one of the more fun things to do on this Honda CRF450X. What I found is that on faster terrain, the “X” steers much better when standing and giving turning input through the pegs. Just a slight push on the pegs will get the bike to change direction while still feeling stable and confident. When I tried to point and shoot faster corners sitting down I had very little confidence in how the bike was going to react. If you like to stand or if you’re a rear end steering rider the CRF450X will fir you perfectly. The reason we think it corners better when standing is because when your weight is on the pegs, the load is centralized and not biased more to the front or rear so the balance front to rear doesn't get upset as much. 

To be 100% honest (which we always are over here at Keefer Inc) I was a little disappointed in the engine on the 2019 CRF450X. After riding the “L” last month we were told the “X” would be significantly opened up so the true potential of the engine could be enjoyed. Unfortunately the “X” has only a slightly free-er feeling engine. That being said I understand that with the restrictions of green sticker vehicles that Honda could only do so much. The bottom end power of the “X” is very linear and tame making the bike very easy to ride at lower speeds. When giving more throttle input the power of the “X” is deceiving as it builds power very calculated. Into the mid-range the bike starts to pull hard and almost feels like a diesel (similar to when the turbo was spools up). When that mid-range power comes on, the Honda gets the power to the ground and gets more exciting to ride. The reason I think the power may be “deceiving” is because the exhaust is so damn quiet and tame sounding that it never crosses my mind that it’s pulling so hard (with such a tame exhaust note). Past the mid, the top end is somewhat short, but that isn't a bad thing because the CRF450X likes to be short shifted and can do that with ease. In almost every situation the 450X like to be ridden a gear high and can be lugged fairly well. The gearing on the “X” is spaced out well and is one of the better gear boxes in the CRF range. I do feel like first gear could be a little lower because when at low speeds the engine was lugging a little more than I would like as I needed to cover the clutch. If the clutch wasn’t covered (in first gear) the Honda did flame out a coupe times on me in super tight/technical sections. Going up a couple teeth on the rear would most likely help remedy this issue, but wold also take away some top end pulling power (which I wouldn't mid so much). The CRF450X’s top speed was 96 MPH as I rung it out next to Johnny Campbell in a full tuck. Two times throughout the ride I found a false neutral between 2nd and 3rd gear and four to five times a found a false neutral between 4th and 5th gear. This could of happened because I was being lazy when shifting and not fully clicking my toe up. 

The ergonomics on the 2019 CRF450X are like any Honda as they always feel like home. The half waffle grips are good quality and the levers have a classic Honda comfortable feel. Something I always have and always will complain about on Honda’s is the damn clutch switch. When the bike stalls the clutch needs to be pulled in to be re-started, which is ok, but for the switch to be engaged the lever needs to be pulled in all the way to the handlebar. This means you can’t just two finger the clutch and fire the bike (because the other two fingers are blocking the lever from being fully engaged. I also feel like a radiator fan should have come stock on the “X”. I bring this up because as I was messing around at slow speeds (for 10-15 minutes) I was able to overheat the bike and it slightly spit coolant out.  The front brake has been greatly improved over the previous generation “X’s” and stopping power much better than I remember. The master cylinder is larger, holding more fluid, and the feel, power, and progressiveness at the lever is something I fell in love with. The digital readout gives MPH, trip, total mileage, check engine, low fuel light, and one other cool function. The “X”’s computer measures how much fuel has been used, which doesn’t seem too exciting, but it’s how it’s measured that’s smart. Instead of measuring how much fuel is in the titanium tank, the Honda measures how much fuel has flowed through the fuel injection system. This lets the rider know the MPG while also telling the rider how much fuel has flowed through the system. On our ride, the fuel light turned on at the 50 mile mark, but this mileage can obviously change with the terrain as well as the amount you twist your wrist. Unlike the older model, the new bike doesn’t have a quick access air filter door with quick release. Instead the air filter is accessed like a motocross bike removing the two seat bolts and seat. The stock plastic skid plate is nice and I applaud Honda for having the skid plate, as well as front and rear rotor guards since this is after all an off-road bike. Although the “X” has bike protection, once again Honda doesn’t equip their off-road bike with handguards. I didn’t understand why they don’t have handguards so I asked, and was told the engineers in Japan say “XR’s have handguards, CRF’s do not” this didn’t really answer my question, but it seems like it’s something that isn’t likely to change any time soon. 

Honda set out to improve the 2019 CRF450X in every department and I think the project was a success. Unlike the older model, this bike doesn’t need to have the carburetor messed with and all the smog stuff removed to make it run. Out of the box, the 2019 CRF450X runs well and is a very capable, fun machine to ride. Once the aftermarket offers some goodies (making the bike a “closed course” machine) it has the ability to be morphed into whatever the consumer wants it to be (just like vanilla ice cream). Just like adding your favorite toppings to ice cream, the 2019 Honda CRF450X is a great base, and with some aftermarket parts of your choice the “X” is still a Swiss Army knife that can be transformed into whatever type of bike you desire; from trail boss to Baja racer. If you have any more questions about the 2019 Honda CRF450X feel free to reach out to me at Michael@keeferinctesting.com. -Michael Allen

2019 Yamaha YZ250X And 250FX First Impressions

(Editor’s Note: Randy Richardson lives in South Carolina and is the two-wheel marketing manager for Michelin Motorcycle. I have grown to know Randy very well over the years and found out he is a very smart man when it comes to knowledge of dirt bikes/evaluation. I also like that he can speak about a motorcycle well enough to get the “testing meat” across while keeping a sense of humor. That kind of guy fits in nicely with Keefer Inc. Testing, so I sent him down the street to the 2019 Yamaha YZ250X, YZ250FX, and YZ450FX introduction. Here are Randy’s findings).



Randy and his 1971 Yamaha JT1 Mini Enduro he got for his fourth birthday.

HECK YES!  That’s exactly what I replied when Kris text me asking if I’d like to represent Keefer Inc. Testing (KIT) at the 2019 Yamaha Off-Road Press Intro to be held in Greenville, SC.  I’m not sure if Kris asked me because of my exceptional test rider feedback during the 2018 model year 250F shootout last November or simply because the host hotel was only 11 miles from my home. Regardless, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to ride the all-new 2019 Yamaha YZ450FX as well as the YZ250FX and YZ250X model bikes on 7-time AMA National Enduro Champion Randy Hawkins’ Silver Hawk Plantation, which is a 1,000 acre private facility in Union, SC.  After scheduling a couple days of vacation from my day job at Michelin, I hit up Max & JT$ at WPS for some 2019 FLY Racing gear as I knew Kris would expect me to be nothing less than “Best Dressed” while representing KIT.

2019 Yamaha YZ250FX

2019 Yamaha YZ250X

Yamaha rolled out the blue carpet for us with a nice hotel reception followed by a presentation where the Yamaha bLU cRU staff shared their reasoning for flying so many journalists all the way from So Cal to So Carolina.  Not only is the AmPro Racing team, which is Yamaha Motor Corporation’s Premiere Off-road Racing Program, located nearby but as Yamaha shared in their presentation, the overwhelming majority of the 12K+ motorcyclists who compete in the Grand National Cross Country series annually also reside in the Eastern half of the US.  Simply put, Yamaha wanted to provide journalists the opportunity to evaluate their “Pure Closed Course Competition, Cross Country Racer” machinery in the exact terrain and conditions they were designed to perform in.  The presentation included some Google map images for the ride location where we would spend the next couple days as well as a popular MX / Off-Road riding area in So Cal that is often used for Off-Road press intros.  The comparative visual of Silver Hawk Plantation’s rolling hills, heavily wooded terrain, and open fields had the So Cal journalists buzzing as the only green they usually see on the afore mentioned So Cal riding area’s terra firma is discarded Monster Energy cans.

Randy Richardson finding his inner 21 year old on the 2019 YZ250FX.

During dinner I sat with Dominic Cimino, one of KIT’s California based test riders, and a few other journalists and we discussed the innovative changes Yamaha had made to the 2019 YZ450FX machines.   Listening to the young journalists whose job it is to evaluate and compare each manufacturer’s newest bikes and changes, combined with the fact that I’d be turning 52 years old the day after the intro and that my personal collection of bikes consist of some mid-70’s vintage bikes, some 2-strokes from the mid-2000’s, and a newer Adventure Touring bike, I began to doubt abilities and my anxiety about properly representing KIT began to rise.  I sent Kris a quick text telling him that I thought maybe he’d made a mistake by asking me to be a test rider and he promptly replied with what I assume was meant to be a comforting text message…  “Chill down Randy. Trust the process!”   Come to think of it, maybe Dom was the real KIT rest rider and Kris was letting me attend as a present for my birthday later in the week.  Either way, I had a job to do and I was going to give it my best.  

The next morning, the Yamaha bLU cRU staff drove us out to the ride location where Randy Hawkins, the AmPro Racing mechanics, 2002 West Coast 125cc SX Champion and now Yamaha Test Rider / Production Technician Travis Preston, and a fleet of 2019 Yamaha motorcycles awaited our arrival.  As the early morning fog began to lift from the surrounding valleys and hillsides, and everyone began taking photos of the pristine bikes assigned to them, I had that exact same new-bike excitement that I had when my Dad gave me a 1971 Yamaha JT-1 Mini Enduro for my 4th birthday almost 48 years to the day earlier.  Unlike my first bike, at least my feet would actually reach the ground on the 2019 Yamaha’s.

Dominic Cimino two-smoking his way around the greenery on the YZ250X.

We spent the first day riding both the Yamaha YZ250FX and YZ250X models and as I mentioned earlier, I’m a two-stroke guy.  Having said that, I was intrigued to compare Yamaha’s X model bikes back to back on the 12 mile course that featured a mix of tight Enduro and flowing GNCC trails, rocky creek crossings, some fast open field sections, a MX track, and a few very challenging hill climbs.  Hopefully no one noticed as I, similar to recent bLU cRU convert Steve Matthes, looked like a dork reaching for a kick-starter on the YZ250FX before remembering that the bike features Electric Starting.  Once I pressed the magic button and fired up Yamaha’s revolutionary rearward slanted, liquid cooled, DOHC 4-stroke power plant, I began clicking thru the 6-speed wide ratio transmission as I headed out across the field to enter the trail where I’d spend the next half hour or so dodging trees while evaluating the overall performance of the YZ250FX. Yamaha specs indicate that the engine is based on the YZ250F and includes all the same race-winning features such as an updated cylinder head, lightweight forged, two-ring, flat-top piston; a shorter, more durable piston pin with diamond like carbon (DLC) coating; a revised piston oil jet, and advanced connecting rod, crankshaft, and counter-balancer designs all resulting in improved peak power, power delivery and overall durability. It was obvious that the YZ250FX is a very refined platform as the bilateral beam frame that’s based on the championship winning YZ250F provided stability in fast sections as well as nimble lightweight feeling handling that enabled me to dodge every single one of the trees, including the one that Racer X Online’s Jason Weigandt tried to uproot with his bike.  I thought I’d mention that just in case he forgot to include it in his article.   The fully adjustable KYB spring-type XC spec YZ Fork and KYB XC spec YZ Rear Shock feature revised valving resulting in a very balanced feel that provided a supple feeling on the exposed roots and rocks on the trail, remained high enough in the stroke to absorb the bigger hits on the whooped-out trail sections, and also resisted bottoming when jumping the bigger table tops and doubles found on the MX track.  Having a ground clearance of 12.8” (compared to 14.2” on the YZ250X), the factory installed Glide Plate protected the YZ250FX engine and lower frame rails from the larger rocks and logs encountered on the course.  Though still a 2-stroke guy at heart, I quickly appreciated the versatility of the 250cc 4-stroke engine.  I’d describe the YZ250FX engine as very rider friendly as it enabled me to ride more aggressively in a lower gear at higher RPM’s or I could simply click up a gear to allow the engine’s usable torque to provide a smooth power delivery and less fatiguing ride.  Remember, smooth is fast and I used to be FAST… before I lost the S.  

After lunch, my 2-stroke emotions were quickly triggered as I kick started the YZ250X to life for the afternoon riding session.  I sat there for a few moments gently blipping the throttle, embracing the moment, and then I slowly closed my eyes and began revving the crisply jetted engine to the tune of Whitesnake’s 1987 hit song Is This Love.  Even though the YZ250X features a 2.1 gallon fuel tank with a reserve feature, I snapped out of it before I wasted too much fuel and I headed out for more fun riding the amazing loop Yamaha provided us with.  The YZ250X’s liquid-cooled reed-valve-inducted engine features a revised compression ratio, exhaust port timing, revised Yamaha Power Valve System (YPVS) timing, and a model specific CDI unit that are all focused on creating a wide, controllable power character that’s ideal for cross-country racing.  The stock gearing of the 5-speed wide ratio transmission provides a broad range and the clutch’s reduced lever pull allowed me to quickly bring the RPM’s up to the desirable range.  I was definitely enjoying the throaty bark of the YZ250X more than Weege enjoyed the bark of that oak tree.  Similar to the YZ250FX model, the suspension performed well in all the terrain I mentioned before.  Though the wheelbase of the YZ250X is nearly an inch longer than the YZ250FX (58.5” vs 57.7”) and the rake is more relaxed (27.7deg vs 26.3 deg), the YZ250X weighs 20lbs less (229lbs vs 249lbs) resulting the bikes being similarly agile in the tighter sections of the woods.  While the YZ250FX and its 4-stroke engine breaking seemed to turn into corners more naturally, the lighter weight feeling YZ250X could easily be maneuvered where ever I wanted it to go and I enjoyed the handling characteristics of both bikes.  Standing at, or more like limping around at 5’ 10”, and just 12 lbs above my target weight of 170 lbs, the ergonomics of both bikes fit me perfectly.  The rider triangle (that’s test rider lingo) felt comfortable at all times and thanks to the seamlessly smooth seat and bodywork juncture, the only thing that made the transition from standing to sitting and back up again challenging on either bike was my torn ACL’s in my old knees.

In addition to their Yamaha Team Blue color and updated graphics, both the 2019 YZ250FX and YZ250X models feature a side stand, a sealed o-ring chain, an off-road centric 18” rear wheel, Dunlop AT-81 tire shod blue rims, and a 30 Day Limited Factory Warranty.  Given that there’ll always be the 2-stroke vs 4-stroke debate, it’s obvious that Yamaha is dedicated to providing high performance based options for both sides of the ongoing argument and with a MSRP of $7,999 for the 2019 Yamaha YZ250FX and $7,499 for the 2019 Yamaha YZ250X, I think any consumer would be greatly pleased purchasing either model.  As for me, I really wish I had an extra $15,498 lying around as I’d love to have them both!  But then again, you know the old saying “You can’t ride two bikes at once”.   Well, with the innovation of the Power Tuner Smartphone App found on the 2019 Yamaha YZ450FX, I’m not so sure that statement holds true any longer as I spent time on day two of the intro on the significantly redesigned flagship model of Yamaha’s cross-country range.  I was amazed at how quickly the YZ450FX could be switched from a fire-breathing 450cc beast in the open fields to a super mellow rider friendly power delivery for the tight woods and back by simply pressing the handlebar mounted ignition mapping switch for a mere 0.2 seconds.  Even though I didn’t get a chance to ride the TP Pookie map, Yamaha’s innovation is truly like having two bikes in one so make sure to read Dominic’s complete review of the 2019 YZ450FX. 

Well, that’s a summary of my experience with the 2019 YZ250X and YZ250FX and as Keefer Inc Testing’s Senior East Coast Test Rider at the 2019 Yamaha Off-Road Press Intro.  Thanks again Kris and Yamaha Motor Corporation USA for this amazing life experience!

2018 Yamaha YZ450FX VS. 2018 Honda CRF450RX

Sometimes deciding between a bike can be a difficult thing to do. We get a ton of emails on which direction you all should go when deciding on either a 2018 Honda CRF450RX or a Yamaha YZ450FX. Since I am the resident off-road test rider here at Keefer Inc. I wanted to take both of these hybrid off-road/moto machines out to a couple of my favorite test spots to see how they stack up against one another. The terrain we tested on varied from sandy hill climbs, to slick, wet rocky canyons, as well wide open desert. Yes, we know this isn't relevant for you east coast riders, but maybe you east coast guys can at least get a direction on what each bike's character is by reading this. 

Starting with the engine, it took me some time to realize that “more bottom end”, can have two different meanings on paper. For example, the Honda CRF450RX has a “more” exciting bottom end power than the Yamaha. I say this because as soon as you let the clutch out (from a stop in all three maps) there are gobs of instant power and torque available. This all sounds good, but I found that a lot of the time there is just too much power delivered to the rear wheel too quickly (needs more flywheel), which results in one of two things. Either the front end will come up out of corners, or the engine would stall which made the bike have a somewhat jerky, on/off feeling when trying to use the bottom end power. This was an issue that I had time and time again, causing me to really cover the clutch and make sure it was properly adjusted. Yes, that’s right! Adjusted! If the clutch was adjusted even slightly too loose, it had a tendency to drag when engaged, which was just enough to cause the bike to stall at times. Another downfall to the clutch was the cancel switch (inside the perch) that doesn't let the bike start without the clutch being FULLY engaged (lever damn near on the bar). If I stalled the Honda on the trail, I would try to just pull in the clutch with one or two fingers to re start it. However, I found out quickly that my other fingers that were on the bar wouldn’t let the clutch in far enough to engage the switch. When this happened I had to re-adjust my fingers on the grip in order to re start the bike. I realize that this is a total first world problem, but it was magnified by how often the bike stalled in technical terrain (note: changing maps didn’t seem to affect the stalling issues I had). Now that all the negative stalling talk is out of the way, once into the revs a bit the Honda has a very fun “racy” feel. When powering through sandy corners or climbing long, steep hills the power plant on the RX is amazing. The engine is fast revving, and has a very meaty feel when pulling through the rpm range. Unlike a lot of 450cc machines, the RX doesn’t mind being revved, and makes strong pulling power all the way to the rev limiter. This very powerful “racy” feeling is a lot of fun for an hour or so (think GP racing) but on a 2 plus hour trail ride it can get a bit draining having to ride the bike so aggressively. It doesn’t like to be cruised down the trail at a leisurely pace, it wants to be flogged, and rewards a more aggressive riding style. I think if you put a heavier flywheel weight on the CRF450RX this could be an even better off-road type machine.   

Back to my “more bottom end” statement, when it comes to the Yamaha, I would say that the FX has “more” bottom end pulling power (but less excitement). Let me explain; as previously stated, the RX has gobs of power as soon as the clutch is let out and in my opinion for true off-road conditions this isn’t ideal. On the FX, when the clutch is released there is a smoother application of power that is transferred to the rear wheel (more traction). This heaver flywheel feeling results in needing less throttle to get the bike going, smooths out the bottom end making the bike easier to ride and takes less energy from the rider. This same feeling results in much less stalling when riding technical rocky trails. When the trail opens up the FX engine feels very free revving, but unlike the RX, the FX likes to be ridden more in the midrange of the rpm. Not to say it can’t be revved out, that’s just not where the “fun” power is. When the FX engine is revved out, the on-off throttle modulation is more noticeable and caused a slight seesaw (pitching) motion from front to back. This could be partially due to the slightly soft fork spring, but we’ll touch more on that later. After spending many hours on both bikes I can say that in the engine department, I feel like Yamaha did a slightly better job at turning their motocross engine into more of an “off-road” friendly power plant. 

When it comes to off-road suspension, it’s obvious that standard motocross settings on either bike wouldn’t be suitable. Both bikes come equipped with spring forks (thank god), but that’s about the only thing they have in common. The Showa 49mm fork on the Honda is clearly aimed at performance over trail riding comfort (after all these bikes are technically closed course race bikes). This doesn’t mean that there’s isn't any trail riding compliance there, it means that the fork on the RX is a bit harsh in the initial part of the stroke. I mainly noticed this in rocky areas of the trail when smaller rocks just appear at the top of the dirt. These conditions make the Honda’s front end deflect at times when I was at trail riding pace. Now if I was to charge through the same section with some speed and aggression, there was less deflection. The RX has great bottom resistance and feels balanced front to back, a little harsh on small stuff, but balanced nonetheless. The shock on the Honda has a firm feeling, but has slightly less harshness than the fork while keeping good bottom resistance. 

The Yamaha’s KYB SSS fork is much more trail compliant (softer feeling) than the RX and moves more in the stroke. When out for a trail ride there is minimal deflection and the front end has a very stable feeling. In small chop the front wheel stays planted, but when you start to really ride aggressive the fork starts to show a slight weakness. When being pushed hard, the fork rides slightly low in the stroke and blows through on g-outs and hard landings. It also has a diving feeling when the throttle is chopped (de-cel), or when hard on the brakes entering corners. Where the Honda has a firm balanced feel, the FX has a slightly unbalanced feeling as the fork moves in the stroke more than the shock. I know the fork would benefit greatly from a stiffer spring, which would bring the bike back into balance while still giving a ride aimed towards comfort. When comparing the suspension on the two machines, it’s really going to be what the rider prefers. For me I like the FX suspension overall due to the fact that it's more comfortable to trail ride, and with a stiffer fork spring it would have better balance. The Honda suspension is good, but definitely rewards the rider who is aggressive and pushes the bike. I am usually not pushing unless I am racing and would prefer more of a comfort setting. 

Off-road riding can be so diverse in terms of terrain when compared to motocross. These bikes do different things well and in my opinion they cater to different rider/racers. The Honda feels slightly shorter and taller than the Yamaha (which is contrary to the dimension numbers) and that creates a nimble feeling when riding. In tighter terrain the RX changes direction quicker and with less effort than the FX. The RX is a front-end steering bike and with minimal input it will turn into tighter corners with ease. Where this nimble feeling isn’t as good is at higher speeds, which is when the RX has a slightly nervous feeling in the front end. When it comes to the FX, it takes a bit more input in tighter terrain to change direction and can feel heavier (which it is 262lb compared to the RX’s 257lb). On the other hand, the FX gives the rider a lot of confidence when being ridden at higher speeds. The FX is more of a rear end steering machine and takes a little more effort to lean into tighter corners. Although by the numbers, the RX has more rake and a longer wheelbase, but the FX feels as though it’s more planted and comfortable at higher speeds. In terms of amenities, both bikes are basically identical; both have e-start, an 18” rear wheel, skid plate, kickstand, larger fuel tank, and off-road mapping. The clutch cancel switch on the Honda will not let the bike start without the clutch in period. On the Yamaha the bike needs the clutch pulled in to start unless the bike is in neutral (although most riders will disable these features as soon as they get their bikes). A cool feature that Honda has on the bars of the Honda is a mapping switch cluster button. This button shares the kill switch and gives the rider three different mapping options; standard, smooth and aggressive. They do indeed slightly change the power characteristics of the bike and it’s also cool that the maps can be changed on the fly. While the mapping options are cool, I feel like Yamaha went a step further by changing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th gears to better suit a wider range of off-road riding and racing. 

When it comes down to it, these are both great bikes, but they will cater to two different types of riders. The RX is all about power, aggression and speed making it a great choice for faster riders who race more moto style, WORCS, or Big 6 GP races. While on the other hand the FX is a better do it all bike for the guy who trail rides just as much as he races. Being that its stable at speed the FX makes a great desert race bike (proved by NHHA champion Gary Sutherlin), and can also hold its own in GNCC racing where smoother bottom end power is a must. There are two things I’d like to see come stock on both these bikes. The first thing is handguards, maybe it’s the off-road goober in me, but the first thing I do when I get any bike (off-road especially) is put a set of handguards on (I’d do full wraps if I lived in the tight trees). The second is a spark arrested muffler (or mufflers in the case of the RX). I understand that both bikes were designed for “closed course off-road racing”, but let’s get real, everyone goes trail riding and it sucks to have to spend big bucks for a spark arrestor to be legal. 

So there it is, I’ve broken down both bikes and now the decision is up to you. Are you the aggressive rider who likes a nimble feeling  and races frequently? Or are you the 50/50 trail rider/racer who loves smooth bottom end power and a more stable feeling at high speeds? Feel free to reach out to me at michael@keeferinctesting.com if you have any more questions about these two bikes?  –Michael Allen

2018 Yamaha YZ450FX First Impression

It’s no secret that the 2018 Yamaha YZ450FX is a close brother to Yamaha’s 2017 450F motocross bike. That being said, I think most riders would be surprised at how good of a job Yamaha has done turning a great moto bike into a great off-road bike. With no major changes to the 2018 FX model aside from the addition of blue wheels (which look awesome) and different graphics, the FX has proved itself to be one of my favorite all around bikes to ride. For me this bike doesn’t do any one thing perfect, but does a multitude of off-road duties pretty darn close.

The Yamaha is well known for having one of the most powerful four-stroke engines (250cc or 450cc). Yamaha has done a great job walking the tightrope between having a lot of power and making that power rideable on the FX. The only time the power is touchy is just off idle when riding VERY slow in first gear coming on and off the throttle. Other than that slight jerky feeling, Yamaha mapped the FX so that the bottom end doesn’t have as much of an abrupt surge of power when the throttle was cracked like its motocross brother tends to have at times. That being said, the FX is no slouch, the majority of the meat is made from the bottom to the upper mid of the RPM range. When revved, it still makes power, but the most of the pulling power is made in the mid-range, not when it’s near the rev limiter. Another aspect that makes the FX better off-road than the YZ-F is that first through third gears are slightly shorter and fifth is slightly taller than the moto model. The lower gears really help when lugging through tighter trails by not forcing the rider to fan the clutch to keep the bike from stalling. When I said that fifth gear was taller I meant it! When fifth is wound out I found that in STOCK FORM the FX will go 101MPH! I doubled checked this on a GPS and found it to be true! 

When it comes to off-road suspension, I’m a huge fan of spring forks for a few reasons. Let’s get real, no one wants another “chore” to do when getting ready to ride by having to check their air fork pressure. Second, because it’s no secret that air forks pump up when ridden for extended periods of time and when you’re on a long ride or race you want a consistent feeling fork. You don’t want something that will pump up and get harsh in an hour or two right?  The KYB SSS spring fork are the most comfortable and for me reliability/durability are huge advantage because most off-road guys don’t buy a new bike every year. The KYB SSS fork on the FX is a bit softer than the moto bike and to me it’s a bit soft in general. There is a slight springy/fast feeling when hitting g-outs or chopping the throttle. When I chop the throttle the front end tends to dive and there is a lot of pitching going on with the FX. However, the springy sensation gives the slightly heavy bike (262 lbs. wet) a lighter and fun feeling when riding in the rocks or just messing around. To me the KYB fork is slightly softer than the shock, which didn’t give me as much of a wallowing sensation as the fork. I ran the shock sag at 104mm with good results, but if you feel if it’s too soft on high speed hits try 102mm. Make sure to leave the fork flush as this is the happy spot for the Yamaha’s chassis to be most balanced. You don’t want an enhanced diving sensation and that is what raising the fork up will do. I think for most novice to intermediate riders the suspension is just a few clicks away from being really good, but for expert to pro riders, stiffer fork springs would help with the slightly soft feeling forks.

Some people who ride the Yamaha say that it feels big or girthy in the mid section, which in some way I can understand, but for me that isn’t always a bad thing. The FX is maybe a bit big feeling, but that translates to a stable, planted feeling at higher speed, which is a huge plus. I will gladly take a bike that is slightly harder to corner in tight terrain, but stable at speed, over super nimble bike that is twitchy at speed. When it does come to cornering I feel like the FX has a slightly vague feeling in the front end and at times in softer terrain, wanted to push. In flatter turns the FX is very predictable and I found it easier to slide and steer with the rear of the bike rather than the front. In the past the FX came with Dunlop AT-81 tires, which I’m not a huge fan of, but with Dunlop MX-3S tires mounted front and rear the Yamaha got a bit more front end traction than the AT-81 tires of the past. Some other off-road parts that Yamaha incorporates are an e-start, kickstand, 18” rear wheel, larger 2 gallon fuel tank, skid plate and a o-ring chain. It may be the hard core off-road rider in me, but I feel like any bike marketed as “off-road” should come with hand guards. Sadly, Yamaha does not. Another thing I feel like the FX is missing is a stock spark arrestor; I know it’s meant for closed course off-road racing, but a lot of closed course events require a spark arrestor (especially in California). 

We will be trying the 2018 YZ450FX in some of these types of conditions when GNCC rolls around.

After over 100 miles of trail riding on the 2018 Yamaha YZ450FX I’m super impressed that they made the motocross bike into such a good off-road machine. For west coast racing the FX seems to be the prefect mix of speed and stability and that is what most guys out here are looking for. I’m sure the slightly bigger feeling and extra technique it takes to maneuver the FX in tight conditions could be remedied with different off-set clamps or even an engine relocation kit form DRD. We will be trying some of these things soon to see if it helps in tighter conditions. The FX has been so fun to ride it may help bring me out of vet class retirement. –Michael Allen

If you have any questions about this test please feel free to email me at michael@keeferinctesting.com