Which Bike Is Best For You? 2021 KTM 450 SX-F Vs. Husqvarna FC450

The average shootout format seems to be an outdated model to me. Don’t get me wrong, I like doing shootouts, as well as viewing their rankings after all is said and done, but is it really telling you, the potential consumer, what you want to know or is it more of a scene on the side of the freeway that you just have to look at? I have done shootouts for 20 plus years and although fun and interesting to do, I just don’t know if it’s something that gives buyers the most information in these ever changing times. Just because a certain bike wins a shootout doesn’t mean it’s the best bike FOR YOU! I get countless emails about which bike is right for me and most of them say that they watch every shootout video, but they still can’t decide. So if you are one of these potential consumers that still can’t make up his or her mind, then this article can help you hone in on why a certain bike could be right for you. As a production test rider for several manufacturers over the years, I am wired to think about all different types of riders when I evaluate a certain machine. In this article I will try to break down each machine, which one does certain things on the track better than the other and hopefully give you more purchasing knowledge on which way you’re directing your hard earned money. We will be doing these types of matchups with other machines down the road, but we hope this gives you a more clear cut path on if one of these two machines are right for you. 

Why KTM Vs. Husqvarna: I picked these two because let’s face it, most of you out there think these two machines are the same, however when I ride these bikes back to back they don’t feel that similar. The Husqvarna is lower to the ground compared to the KTM (10mm lower) so handling feels different. The engine character varies because of the subframe/airbox differences and the suspension setting/bump absorption doesn’t feel the same due to, you guessed it, swingarm and valving differences. Each have specific traits about them that are better than the other and we are here to break those down for you. Even if we do break all of the nuts and bolts down to you, it’s up to you to know what type of rider you are. Are you a front end steering rider? Do you like an exciting or smooth engine character? How often do you ride? Do you just ride or do you race occasionally? These are the questions you should be asking yourself before you spend 10K on a new dirt bike. 

What Is It Like To Ride A 2021 KTM 450 SX-F?

Engine Feel: The KTM has more roll on low end power and throttle response than the FC450. The KTM does feel lighter in tighter areas of the track, but feels similar to the FC450 through the mid range. However, top end doesn’t pull quite as far as the Husqvarna nor does the KTM feel like it revs out as far as the FC (in map one or two). Engine vibration is more noticeable with the KTM, but to me the KTM’s ECU feel just has more crispness and a cleaner feel throughout the RPM range. If you’re looking for massive amounts of torque feel on the track, you’re looking at the wrong color, but if you want an easy to ride 450 that you can actually manage, this orange bike is best in class in that category. 

Chassis: If you're a current KTM owner you know that it takes more time to break in the 2021 steel frame compared to a Japanese aluminum framed motorcycle. I only around 10 hours on this chassis, but it literally took me almost 7 hours to feel completely broke in. The Husqvarna feels more forgiving sooner than the KTM frame. The KTM turns better in area 2 of the corner compared to the FC, but the Husqvarna does have a little better side to side movement than the orange bike does due to the lower feel of the white bike. Straight line stability on the KTM is not the best of the 450 bunch, but not the worst neither. You can drop the WP XACT fork down to the first line (2.5mm up) like I did to help straight line stability. 

Suspension: WP has changed their settings for both manufacturers in 2021 as the two brands each has proprietary settings. The KTM has a firmer feel that I prefer because when I start pushing the orange machine it simply has less movement for my liking. Going up to an 11 bar reading on the AER fork as well as a slightly slower rebound setting really helps calm the front end down coming into corners and lets front end steering riders enjoy their technique more around the track. The rear end is not as finicky to set up as the front so going to a 104-105mm of sag along with a slightly stiffer low speed compression setting on the shock will be something that riders 170 pounds and over will appreciate. If you’re over 200 pounds, going to a heavier shock spring will help balance under acceleration. 

What Is It Like To Ride A 2021 Husqvarna FC450?

Engine Feel: The Husqvarna FC450 has a smoother roll on power than the KTM and less low end excitement. The airbox as well as the muffler is a little different on FC and to me these two parts are the reason for a more connected/smoother corner exit feel. Mid range however the FC450 starts to show you why it’s one of the most seamless power deliveries in the 450 game. The Husqvarna has a wide mid range that allows longer second and third gear shift points, that the KTM doesn’t quite have. Top end/over-rev also pulls slightly longer than the KTM spread and vibration of the engine is not as apparent. It might build RPM’s too slowly for some 450 sized riders, but lighter riders will appreciate the engine character. The ECU setting although better for 2021, just feels different than the KTM. It still has a slightly rich feeling overall and maybe with the new “ECU Tool” that KTM/Husqvarna will be coming out with, can help some of the Husqvarna’s low end laziness. 

Chassis: Having the lowered 10mm suspension setting is noticeable the moment you hit your first corner. The Husqvarna feels lighter in area 1 of the corner, but needs more engine excitement for area 2 (when getting on throttle). Area 3 of the corner however, the rear end of the FC450 feels more planted than the KTM. I get more rear wheel traction out of corners as the overall feel of the Husqvarna does feel lower to the ground under throttle. Straight line stability is better on throttle with the Husqvarna, but to me, off throttle, the KTM holds up better, which allows me to charge into corners harder. 

Suspension: Husqvarna/WP will tell you that they set up their 2021 suspension settings for the average consumer that wants comfort out of their motocross machine. They succeeded in getting less mid stroke harshness (de-cel) out of the AER fork, but to me the setting is still too soft. I also understand that I am not the target consumer Husqvarna is trying to market this bike to, so I took this into consideration. The action of the fork is smoother feeling than last year’s fork setting, moves less in the stroke, but gives the rider a considerable amount of front end traction (for an air fork) on braking bumps. This new lower 10mm AER fork will feel low if you’re a heavier or aggressive type of rider, so going up to10.9 bar would be in your best interest. Slowing the rebound down a couple clicks on the fork will also slow the action down a little even more and keep it from diving too much on jump faces and g-outs. Also don't forget to bleed your AER fork before every ride. Yes, it has bleed holes. I noticed the Husqvarna is more temperamental to this. 

The WP rear shock still likes a sag of 105mm, but the overall feel of the shock is slightly empty feeling (soft) at the end of the stroke. If you’re slamming into steeper jump faces or g-outs you will bottom out and see rubber marks under the rear fender fairly quickly. If you’re experiencing a lot of this, stiffening your high speed compression a quarter turn and turning in your low speed compression a couple clicks will help the shock’s end stroke feel. What the 2021 rear shock does do better than the 2020 is offer more rear wheel traction on acceleration bumps. The rear wheel drives through square edge chop better and doesn't give the rider a sticky feel like the 2020 shock did. The lowered Husqvarna setting to me benefits lighter or shorter riders much better than the KTM.   

Which Bike Is Right For Which Type Of Rider? 

Even though both of these bikes are great machines we put our thinking caps on and thought of a few different types of riders. Below is a list of a few labeled riders, so if you think you can relate to one of these riders below, picking the correct color should be made easier for you. However, if you still can’t make a decision after viewing these, my door is always open at kris@keeferinctesting.com. Maybe I can help you further. 

Vet Rider (Less than 200 pounds): Husqvarna FC450

 Vet Rider (More than 200 pounds): KTM 450 SX-F

 Aggressive Light Rider (under 170 pounds): Husqvarna FC450 

Lugging/Lazy/Smooth Type Of Rider(Gear High): KTM 450 SX-F

 Ergonomics For The 6’0 And Under Rider: Husqvarna FC450

 Ergonomics For The 6’0 And Over Rider: KTM 450 SX-F

 Front End Steering Rider: KTM 450 SX-F

 Rear End Steering Rider: Husqvarna FC450

 West Coast MX Rider (Less Loamy Dirt/Square Edge): Husqvarna FC450

 East Coast MX Rider (Loamy/Soft Dirt/Bigger Bumps): KTM 450 SX-F

 Off-Road/GP Rider: Tie/Husqvarna FC450/KTM 450 SX-F

Who Wins The Durability Test? I have ridden both of these machines a lot and will say that both of these machines have been great, but to me KTM has a less chance of breaking. I have broken one sub-frame on a Husqvarna FC450, but past that, I haven’t had any problems with the FC. Both machines require you to check engine mount bolts as well as sprocket bolts so get your blue Loctite ready!  The life on the clutch of the KTM is unbelievable as I can get up to 30 hours on a clutch (and I am hard on clutches). Replacing the fuel filter every 10-15 hours or so, in both machines, will prevent any problems down the road with your fuel pump. Rear brake pedal springs absolutely suck on both machines so get yourself a Honda CRF450R rear brake pedal spring and thank me later.   

Who Wins The MSRP/Contingency Battle? The KTM contingency is better than Husqvarna’s at most races in 2021. So if making some money for parts is your think when you race, go the orange brigade route. 

 Who’s Best In Which Category? 

If you’re really dissecting on which part of the motorcycle is most important for you when riding, below is a ranking on who is better (albeit it could only be slightly better) in over 30 categories! Again, there is no winner or loser in this test, but it’s about which bike is best for you!

 ENGINE:

 Low End Power: KTM

 Mid Range Power: FC/KTM

 Top End Power: FC

 Over-Rev: FC

 Roll On Acceleration (Control): FC

 Throttle Response: KTM

 FI Setting: KTM

HANDLING:

 Straight Line Stability: FC

 Turning/Cornering: KTM

 Steer Effort (Low Speed): FC

 Steer Effort (High Speed): FC

 Maneuverability: KTM

 Weight Feeling: KTM

 C.G. Feeling: FC

 Weight Bias: KTM

FORK:

 Comfort: KTM

 Performance: KTM

 Bottoming Resistance: KTM

SHOCK:

 Comfort: KTM

 Performance: KTM

 Bottoming Resistance: KTM

BRAKES:

 Front Brake Power: KTM

 Front Brake Feel: KTM

 Rear Brake Power: KTM/FC Tie

 Rear Brake Feel: KTM/FC Tie

RIDING COMFORT:

 Machine Size: KTM has a roomier rider triangle and feels slightly narrower feeling

 Handlebar Feel: FC has Pro Taper, much better bar. 

 Grips: FC/KTM 

 Seat Position/Height: FC/KTM

 Seat Shape: FC/KTM

 Seat Stiffness: FC

 Leg Room: KTM

 Vibration: FC has less vibration feel

 Engine Noise: FC is quieter 

2021 Honda CRF450R Initial Baseline Settings/Mods

I have come to find out that Honda didn’t allocate enough 2021 Honda CRF450R’s to dealerships, so if you’re lucky enough to be able to get your hands on one, you may be looking for a couple fixes and a baseline settings for your new red ride! Have no fear as I have been spending some quality time on the 2021 Honda CRF450R and have come up with a couple fixes as well as a setting that may work for a broad range of riders. Below are a couple mods that you can do for a relatively low cost and get a dramatic change in the way your 2021 CRF450R rides. 

ECU Setting: 

Honda doesn’t exactly want you to change their ECU settings, but in the 2021’s case, we have no choice but to try and get some better maps as the standard 1&2 maps are very rich/dirty feeling on low RPM situations. Honda doesn’t “really” have an ECU tool for the consumer to make custom maps, so we have to leave it up to only a chosen few techs that have the Honda’s programmer. Even when a tech has a Honda programmer, map 1 is locked, so only map 2 and 3 are available to change. I have talked to a few 21’ CRF450R owners that DO NOT feel the rich/dirty feeling, but if you find it bothersome, I have tested some new maps with Jamie from Twisted Development that will help. You can send your stock ECU into Twisted Development for a re-flash that will change your map 2 & 3 settings. With the Twisted re-flash, map 2 now has better pulling power than the standard map two, but still feels long and linear like map 1. Connection is better to the rear wheel now that map two is cleaned up so slow RPM cornering is much cleaner. Acceleration out of corners provides more forward rear wheel bite and helps second gear roll on delivery. The Twisted #3 map has more bottom end snap and pulls harder out of corners, which is great for softer conditions. This map is great for you eat coast soft/loamy riders, but still fairly manageable when the track gets rough. With the Twisted re-flash the 3rd map gives you more bottom mid range with a little less over-rev, so this map is a great third gear roll on map for lazier riders. The Twisted re-flash will set you back $200.00 and is well worth the money considering how bad the standard mapping is on the 2021 Honda CRF450R.  www.td-racing.com or 951-698-7222

Optional Suspension Setting: 

The stock suspension might be too soft for you if you’re anywhere over 180 pounds. Honda has a 5.0 N/m fork spring that is adequate for most, but the valving seems too soft. Out back the 54 N/m shock spring is also way too soft, so if you’re looking for a quick band aid to make your Honda CRF450R better, without going to a re-valve, going a spring rate up on each end has helped me feel more secure on high speed tracks, as well as soft bumpy tracks. Bringing both ends up a little in the stroke (with the heavier spring rates) has given me more front/rear wheel traction as well a Honda that corners better without over-steering. Unlike the 2020 Honda CRF450R going up a spring rate on the 2021 version has given the new red bike more track toughness. If you’re not into spending more money on a re-valve at this time, simply get some heavier springs and try this setting: 

Fork: 

Spring Rate: 5.1 N/m

Height: 2mm

Comp: 11-12 out

Rebound: 11 out

Shock:

Spring Rate: 56 N/m 

L/S Comp: 12 clicks out

H/S Comp: 2 3/4 clicks out

Rebound: 10 clicks out

Sag: 106mm

Test Muffler Shown. Not production model.

FMF 4.1 Muffler System: 

Putting an aftermarket muffler system on isn’t necessarily about more horsepower, but about changing the character of the engine in a way that the Honda needs. I went out and tested three different versions of what FMF is about to offer the consumer and the one I chose looks to be the one that will go into production. So what does the 4.1 system do? What I liked about the 4.1 system right off the bat is that it calmed down the vibration feel that I get on the Honda. For whatever reason bolting on the 4.1 helped the harmonic vibration that I get when hitting higher RPM’s from the stock muffler. This actually gave the Honda more comfort, because it felt less rigid! The 4.1 also made the engine character broader with better low end RPM response, but with a smoother roll on. Mid range is increased as well as slightly more top end/over-rev in 2nd/3rd gears. After going through three different versions of pre-production FMF systems and several headpipe/muffler combinations I was pleased with what we left the track with. I was so pleased that I kept my favorite FMF combination on my test machine. 

2021 Kawasaki KX450 Baseline Settings

Engine Feel: Just in case you were trying to decide on if the 2021 KX450 is better than the 2020, even though not much has changed, there is actually a little difference because of the new clutch. The 2020 comes on quicker with a lighter, more free-revving feel and has less engine braking, but the 2021 has more connection to the rear wheel, more control under throttle and has a little more engine braking, which for me is a good thing. I am usually not a guy who likes to de-tune a stock 450cc motocross bike, but the 2020 Kawasaki simply is too crisp from 0-5% throttle opening on slicker/hard pack tracks. The 2021 KX450 comes on a little smoother down low and feels like the new clutch helps with rear wheel traction.  

The mid range has a nice amount of meat and the smoother pulling power of the top end/over-rev is noticeable on longer straights or up hills. I didn’t lose mid to top end pulling power with the black coupler (compared to the stock green one) and I could ride the KX450 more aggressively through corners with the updated clutch. This is an impressive power plant!

Weight Feeing (Chassis): I am able to lay the KX450 down with ease and cut down under a blown out rut almost as easy as a KTM/Husqvarna. I do get a little twitch on de-cel (which can be fixed with a fork spring change), but it wasn't a horrible or un-easy feeling. Straight line stability is still the same straight and arrow Kawasaki feel that you expect, but with added traction. The frame absorption is the best attribute of this machine and other manufacturers should take notice of how well this KX450 feels when the track goes to crap. The whole bike feels friendlier than any other 2021 machine on square edge and the only other one that comes close in comfort is the Yamaha YZ450F.   

Suspension Comfort: The 2021 Kawasaki is so much more balanced than previous generation KX450’s and I was able to set the front end down where I wanted to without feeling like the front end was going to snap my wrists. The fork has tons of comfort, but is also too soft/low on de-cel for my liking. At tracks with hills or sizable jumps, the fork was too low in the stroke and bottomed too many times. Going stiffer on the compression only hurt de-cel bump comfort, so I settled on going slower on the rebound, which helped some. The shock is soft as well on slap down landings, but going eight clicks (two full turns) in helped keep the rear end up and thus helps wallow feeling. This setting will get you by on most tracks, but do yourself a favor and read the recommended suspension settings below for optimal balance of the KX450. The recommended settings below will help with hold up and ride comfort.

Cornering/Chassis: The 2021 KX450 is a more “neutral” cornering machine than in previous years. I am able to get more rear wheel bite than last year, but I am still able to turn on the front end fairly well. I had a rear end steering tester with me when we did the intro and he mentioned how well it backed into corners still. I thought front end bite from area 2-3 of corners was still acceptable, but got even better with a heavier fork spring. I say “area 2-3” because the KX450 still does have a slight vague feel on entrance of corners, so increasing spring rate prevents the front end from diving, which in turn prevents your front tire from pushing on entrance. 

Rider Triangle: The footpeg to seat to handlebar ratio is great! The seat is flat, which puts me more on top of the machine and the Renthal 839 Fatbar makes the bike feel very friendly for a wide range of riders. 

Brakes: Do yourself a favor and get a 2021 KX250 rear disc and hanger. The 250mm disc is too grabby and really screws up my corners/braking points. The rear end will slide when I don't expect it and this causes my corners to be herky/jerky. Go back to the 240mm disc on the 21 KX250 and live life happier. 

2021 KX450 Suspension Settings:

After almost 20 hours on the 21 KX450 these are the best settings for a wide range of riders. This setting is based around comfort and will give the rider the most confidence. Use this set up until you get a re-valve. Once you re-valve, use recommended suspension tuners spec.

Fork: 

Spring Rate .51 N/m Spring (.50 N/m is stock) *If B level rider and over 200 pounds .52 N/m springs are also a great option*

Oil Level: Standard

Compression:11-12 clicks out

Rebound Range: 10-11 clicks out

Fork Height: 2-3 mm

 Shock:

Spring Rate: .54 N/m (190 pounds or over, try .56 N/m)

Low Speed Compression: 16 clicks out

High Speed Compression: 1 1/8 turns out

Rebound: 10-11 out

Coupler/ECU Setting:

The engine on the 2021 KX450 in stock is smooth off the bottom and easy to ride, but does have a little dip from mid to top, so I created this map to help fill that dip in and make it pull slightly longer. You will notice even more of a linear (more control at low RPM) pull down low without any jerky feeling through corners. With this map installed it helped settle the chassis down through long ruts and improved overall traction feel. In the testing world we call this "cornering stability". With this map installed it helped the 2021 KX450's cornering stability, especially on intermediate terrain. You will need to use the white coupler and use the Kawasaki FI Calibration Tool to create this map. 

Aftermarket Mufflers: I have tried a lot of mufflers with the KX450 and to me the FMF and PC have the most noticeable change to the engine character of the KX450. As ugly as the stock muffler is, it’s a very good muffler for a broad range of power delivery. However, when you go to a FMF muffler, do yourself a favor and look at this article on how to make it rubber mounted. https://www.keeferinctesting.com/offroad-testing/2020/10/8/how-to-save-your-subframe-on-your-2019-2021-kawasaki-kx450. 

We have broken a subframe tab because the FMF is a solid mount system, not rubber mounted. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the subframe tab will not break if it’s rubber mounted as we have broken the tab on the subframe with the stock muffler as well (which is rubber mounted).

This guy knows a thing or two about muffler brackets.

On My Own Dime (2021 Honda CRF450R)

I met Dallas Dunn through the hi dez as we sometimes met up at the same places to ride from time to time. As I got to know him more, I could tell he was a quiet, hard working guy, that just loved to ride anything two wheels. Dallas is an accomplished BMX rider as well as one of the best photographers I have come across in my time. When I started this OMOD thing, I wanted some of my core test riders as well as free lance guys to write some raw evaluations, for you the consumer. When Dallas told me he purchased a new 2021 Honda CRF450R, I thought this would be a perfect article for Keefer Inc. Testing. Dallas works his balls off, is a single dad and purchased a $12,000 motorcycle because he loves to ride. How many of us can relate to that?! I would say A LOT of us could. Without further adieu, here’s Dallas and what he thought about his purchase. -KK

Let me start out by saying I’m by no means a great test rider, I think I am getting better at feeling the motorcycle, but this isn’t what I do all the time. I’m a 34-year-old and a full time heavy equipment operator that just loves to ride dirt bikes in my spare time. Thankfully Kris has taken me under his wing and gave me the opportunity to be a part of Keefer Inc. My main roll here is lurking around in the background with a camera in my hands shooting photos, but I want to challenge myself to learn other things to help out as well, so that’s why we are here giving you my “On My Own Dime” article.

The New 2021 Honda CRF450R has been one of the last bikes to get released and hit the showroom floor. I have been riding Suzuki’s for the last couple years, but when I laid my eyes on the new Honda CRF450R, I was instantly sold. Honda is known for its quality motorcycles with great durability so this red one is the one I really wanted. Since selling my RMZ450 in July, I’ve been waiting for this beauty to hit the dealers and I almost pulled the trigger on the 2021 Kawasaki KX450F, which is also a great bike, but my heart was set on the CRF450R machine. I’m stoked I didn’t settle. September 16th Honda had their Intro at Glen Helen Raceway, but unfortunately I was not ale to make it down with Kris that day because I was on shift at work.

After hearing about the first rides on the bike and some of the negative reviews on the ECU mapping, I was a little discouraged. I thought the bikes would get delayed longer… I almost went down to the local dealer and picked up and the 2021 KX450, but I would call Kris to chat it up and he would just say, “just CHILL DOWN and wait”. Not much time went by and they showed up at a local Southern California dealer. They had a few extras that were not spoken for, so I left work early and hauled ass down to the dealer and plopped down 12K on a new Honda! Yeah, 12K. More on that later…

After about three months off the bike I was back in business the following Tuesday. I loaded up my fresh new CRF, met up with Kris and Aden down at State Fair MX to break her in for its maiden voyage. So far, the bike hasn’t had the best reviews, but I was still stoked on it. I really wanted to compare what I felt to the amazing test riders that really are just splitting hairs. 

My first time out on the track just to break it in my first impression was WOW this thing is bad ass. I had a grin from ear to ear under my helmet! Coming off a 20 RMZ 450 that had a few mods, this new Honda already feels better than what I was used to riding. I did 2x15 min mid throttle motos with cool down periods for break in and was ready to give it a real test. 

CHASSIS/SUSPENSION 

I’ve always liked the rider triangle and ergonomics on Hondas, so I already felt right at home and after coming off the RMZ, this bike was confidence inspiring for me. The bike tracked straight and felt compliant over the small bumps that we have on the west coast. State Fair MX is a smaller track, so I don’t feel I have any issues with stability. I’m 170 pounds so as of right now the stock suspension fell adequate enough for my Vet B rider ass. I feel like I can go a little stiffer on the fork, but I just left it alone for the day. My Technique is a little off from not riding for a few months, but cornering this bike was next level. Honda’s new thing is “Razor Sharp Cornering” and I noticed it did have a Suzuki feel when entering corners. I also liked that it tracked straight on the exit of the corner over acceleration bumps. When I went to a faster track the following day I dripped the forks down to 3mm and that helped increase stability without hurting the cornering character I liked so much. 

ENGINE:

Compared to the 2020 CRF this new 2021 bike has a lot more roll on power that doesn’t just explode out from underneath you. This 2021 power plant is much more manageable. At times I was wondering if I was in 2nd or 3rd gear because even 3rd gear had great low end power and I could lug the bike around if I wanted to. I rode in map 1 and I could feel the (dirty/gargle) rich feeling down low so I rode in MAP 3 most of the time during the couple days I tested/rode. This Honda is very easy to ride and roll on throttle almost felt like a KTM. I want to have the ECU re-flashed by Chad at XPR, or Jamie at Twisted to see how much better this red machine gets. I’m excited to see how the re-flash improves the throttle character. I really like the overall feel and performance of the new hydraulic clutch and the lever pull is so much better than previous years. Shifting and modulating the power in the turns with the hydraulic clutch feels much better to me than when I had my cable pull clutch on the yellow bike.

Am I Happy That I Spent 12K?:

No, but if I was going to spend 12K on a bike, this bike sure does make me forget how much it was when I ride it! That’s how much fun I am having on this machine compared to my Suzuki. This new bike has got me moteted to eat better, train more and improve myself. So I guess you can say that 12 grand is also giving me a better quality of life as well. My mental health is much better as well as getting to hang out with my friends and ride, instead of working on my bikes is a welcomed site! -Dallas Dunn

2021 Kawasaki KX250 Maps

Here is a map that should be tried with the black coupler. This map will increase pulling power out of area 3 of corners as well as give you more mid-top end stretch in 2-3rd gears.

Which Bike Is Best For You? 2021 Yamaha YZ450F Vs. Kawasaki KX450

The average shootout format seems to be an outdated model to me. Don’t get me wrong, I like doing shootouts, as well as viewing their rankings after all is said and done, but is it really telling you, the potential consumer, what you want to know or is it more of a scene on the side of the freeway that you just have to look at? I have done shootouts for 20 plus years and although fun and interesting to do, I just don’t know if it’s something that gives buyers the most information in these ever changing times. Just because a certain bike wins a shootout doesn’t mean it’s the best bike FOR YOU! I get countless emails about which bike is right for me and most of them say that they watch every shootout video, but they still can’t decide. So if you are one of these potential consumers that still can’t make up his or her mind, then this article can help you hone in on why a certain bike could be right for you. As a production test rider for several manufacturers over the years, I am wired to think about all different types of riders when I evaluate a certain machine. In this article I will try to break down each machine, which one does certain things on the track better than the other and hopefully give you more purchasing knowledge on which way you’re directing your hard earned money. We will be doing these types of matchups with other machines down the road, but we hope this gives you a more clear cut path on if one of these two machines are right for you. 

Why Yamaha Vs. Kawasaki: 

If there are two bikes in the 450 class that having similar characters it would be these two machines. These two bikes will most likely be the leaders in most of the shootouts you will read or watch in 2021. The YZ450F and KX450 both have great suspension, solid engine characters and each have a chassis that is stable and forgiving. However that doesn’t mean that they are one and the same. Each have specific traits about them that are better than the other and we are here to break those down for you. Even if we do break all of the nuts and bolts down to you, it’s up to you to know what type of rider you are. Are you a front end steering rider? Do you like an exciting or smooth engine character? How often do you ride? Do you just ride or do you race occasionally? These are the questions you should be asking yourself before you spend 10K on a new dirt bike.

What Is It Like To Ride A 2021 Kawasaki KX450?

Weight Feeling (Chassis): The 21 KX450 is very free feeling yet connected, which makes this bike have a very light/nimble feeling through corners. I am able to lay it down with ease and cut down under a blown out rut easier than a Yamaha YZ450F. I do get a little twitch on de-cel (which can be fixed with a heavier fork spring change), but it isn’t a horrible or un-easy feeling. Straight line stability is still the same straight and arrow Kawasaki feel that you expect, but with added traction because of the new 2021 clutch. The frame absorption is the best attribute to this machine and other manufacturers should take notice of how well this KX450 feels when the track goes to crap. If the suspension was a little stiffer, I think the chassis would shine even more. The whole bike feels friendlier than a Yamaha YZ450F in fast/choppy situations once you put a heavier fork spring inside the Showa fork. If you are the type of rider that rides faster tracks with square edges or lots of chatter there is no better frame than the KX450.  

Engine Feel: The 2021 KX450 comes on slightly smoother than the Yamaha, yet still has that lighter/free-revving feel and has minimal engine braking (less than a Yamaha). I went with the stock ECU settings and the white coupler and it seemed to like that the most when the track was deep or hard pack. The white coupler gave it slightly more throttle response, but didn’t make it jumpy feeling like the YZ450F. The 2021 KX450’s mid range has a nice amount of meat and the smoother pulling power of the top end/over-rev is manageable on longer straights. I didn’t lose mid to top end pulling power with the black coupler (compared to the the white one), but I could ride the KX450 more aggressively through corners. I however feel like the black coupler is simply too smooth on deeper tilled tracks. The KX’s engine is super connected to the rear wheel and never steps out coming out of corners, but the Yamaha’s excitement does get you on top of soft dirt a little quicker than the KX. The KX has a KTM 450’esq feel in certain areas of the track when it’s hard pack. The Yamaha lights up the rear wheel much quicker than the KX in these situations (even when you change the YZ’s mapping), so having a smoother roll on when the track is harder helps the green machine. The KX is an impressive easy to manage power plant!

Suspension: 

The 2021 Kawasaki Showa fork has tons of comfort, but is also too soft/divy for my liking on de-cel. The track I tested at required you to be hard on the throttle then brake heavily coming into the corner and the fork was too low in the stroke, which caused some oversteer. Going stiffer on the compression only hurt de-cel bump comfort, so I settled on going slower on the rebound, which helped some. I then went to a heavier spring rate (0.51) and the balance of the bike greatly improved off throttle. I would think some of that comfort would diminish, but I ended getting more comfort on de-cel bumps because the fork stayed higher up in the stroke. The shock is soft on high speed compression so going in on your high speed compression helps make the shock feel less empty on its end stroke. Below is a setting that I think can make a wide range of riders happier with their stock Showa suspension.  

What Is It Like To Ride A 2021 Yamaha YZ450F?

Engine Feel: So what exactly are you getting with the 2021 Yamaha YZ450F engine? You’re getting a connected rear wheel feel out of corners and more RPM response than a KX450. I don’t feel like you’re necessarily getting more bottom end pulling power than a KX, but the initial crack of the throttle is better (almost too much) right when you get ready to stab that throttle (anywhere in the RPM range). Where I feel like the Yamaha is best is through mid range-top end pulling power. The difference in “meat” through the mid-range once out of corners is impressive. We talk about third gear a lot in these tests and how important that gear is to the rider. If third gear is not useable in corners, it’s tough to ride smooth and forces the rider to be more active on the bike, which could result in getting more tired more quickly. The Yamaha has more mid-range pulling power, which allows you to use third gear through corners easier than the KX450. Usually you will have to fan the clutch a little on the KX to get the engine to recover and get back into the upper RPM range, but with the YZ450F you can just roll on the throttle and it will start pulling you down the track immediately. Top end pulls farther in second and third gears and will not sign off as much as the KX450 does. Even though a 450 shouldn’t be revved out, let’s be real, sometimes we are lazy and DO NOT have perfect riding technique, so it’s nice to leave it in second gear and use that gear all the way to the next corner. It happens right? This Yamaha engine character helps you do that better without sounding like Justin Barcia at Southwick.

Weight Feeling (Chassis): The YZ450F feels stiffer in the frame around the track than the KX. However don’t get scared off by the word “stiff”. It’s not rigid by any means, but just has a stiffer feel and doesn’t have that  wallowy sensation. Let’s go over this a little…The KX chassis is softer near the front of the machine and on the down spars of the frame. Now I am not going to sit here and tell you that the Yamaha is a cornering dream and that it corners better than the KX, because quite frankly it’s easier to get into area 1 of the corner on the KX450. Area 2 of the corner the KX feels lighter and is easier to lean, but in area 3 (exit) of the corners the Yamaha seems to hook up better. I will say that cornering stability is better on the Yamaha when the rut is rough and hacked out, but if you’re riding some sticky, long ruts the KX is easier to maneuver. Straight line stability is good on the Yamaha but the KX is great. The KX frame absorption or the transfer of energy when hitting bumps just has a softer feel to it on the green machine. The Yamaha doesn’t feel as long, but has slightly more energy (when hitting bumps) through the bars than the KX. I do feel when the track gets rough the Yamaha is easier to push your limits, but to me most of that is suspension.

Suspension: The stiffer setting that Yamaha has compared to the KX amazingly still has more comfort.  I mean I guess it shouldn’t be a shock, but I am wired to think if I go stiffer, my comfort sensation on the track might go down. The comfort that you’ve grown accustomed to with the KYB SSS/Yamaha suspension is still there! Even though both ends have more hold up and less pitching than the KX450, I still ended up going stiffer on my settings. I felt like under throttle out of corners the rear of the bike (shock) was too low and I was getting a harsh mid stroke feel. Going in one click stiffer on the low speed compression as well as in (stiffer) on the high speed compression a quarter turn will help with hold up. I also wanted to calm the rear of the bike down on braking bumps so I made a huge change to the rebound just to see how the YZ450F took it and to my surprise it really liked a slower shock setting, so don’t be scared to go as much as three clicks in (slower) on the rebound. Again, for 2020, Yamaha’s goal was to increase performance as well as comfort and they somehow weaved both seamlessly together for a no fuss suspension spec that I think will please a wide range of riders.  

Which Bike Is Right For Which Type Of Rider? 

Even though both of these bikes are great machines we put our thinking caps on and thought of a few different types of riders. Below is a list of a few labeled riders, so if you think you can relate to one of these riders below, picking the correct color should be made easier for you. However, if you still can’t make a decision after viewing these, my door is always open at kris@keeferinctesting.com. Maybe I can help you further. 

Vet Rider (Less than 200 pounds): Yamaha YZ450F

Vet Rider (More than 200 pounds): Yamaha YZ450F

Aggressive Light Rider (under 170 pounds): Kawasaki KX450

Lugging/Lazy/Smooth Type Of Rider(Gear High): Yamaha YZ450F

Ergonomics For The 6’0 And Under Rider: Kawasaki KX450

Ergonomics For The 6’0 And Over Rider: Kawasaki KX450

Front End Steering Rider: Yamaha YZ450F

Rear End Steering Rider: Kawasaki KX450F

West Coast MX Rider: Kawasaki KX450

East Coast MX Rider: Yamaha YZ450

Off-Road/GP Rider: Kawasaki KX450

Who Wins The Durability Test? I have ridden both of these machines a lot and will say that the Yamaha YZ450F has given me almost no problems. The Kawasaki’s subframe has cracked on me near the muffler mount as well, as well as some of the bolts strip out on me. The Kawasaki isn’t “unreliable”, I just do less maintenance  to the Yamaha. If you’re meticulous and are mechanic minded, the KX450 is fine, but if you’re a wash it/filter/oil/ride it type of guy like I am most of the time, the blue bike doesn’t give you any lip. To me it is very difficult to beat the durability of a blue bike. I have literally just changed the oil/filter, air filter, a clutch or two and have ridden the shit out of the bike (100 hours). Not even a valve check.  

Who Wins The MSRP/Contingency Battle? If you are racing with your new machine and looking to make the most out of your investment then to me Team Green sets the standard. Team Green has a ton of on track support at local and regional events, but if I was a local racer and looked at each manufacturer contingency programs, I know I could make more money back with the Team Green rewards program. If racing isn’t your thing, then disregard this option. 

Who’s Best In Which Category? 

If you’re really dissecting on which part of the motorcycle is most important for you when riding, below is a ranking on who is better (albeit it could only be slightly better) in over 30 categories! Again, there is no winner or loser in this test, but it’s about which bike is best for you!

ENGINE:

Low End Power: YZ

Mid Range Power: YZ

Top End Power: YZ

Over-Rev: YZ

Roll On Acceleration (Control): KX

Throttle Response: YZ

FI Setting: YZ

HANDLING:

Straight Line Stability: KX

Turning Cornering: KX

Steer Effort (Low Speed): KX

Steer Effort (High Speed): KX

Maneuverability: KX

Weight Feeling: KX

C.G. Feeling: KX

Weight Bias: KX

FORK:

Comfort: YZ

Performance: YZ

Bottoming Resistance: YZ

SHOCK:

Comfort: YZ

Performance: YZ

Bottoming Resistance: YZ

BRAKES:

Front Brake Power: KX

Front Brake Feel: YZ

Rear Brake Power: KX/YZ Tie

Rear Brake Feel: KX/YZ Tie

RIDING COMFORT:

Machine Size: KX has a roomier rider triangle and is narrow feeling

Handlebar Feel: KX/YZ Tie Both have good bar bend

Grips: YZ

Seat Position/Height: KX

Seat Shape: KX

Seat Stiffness: KX

Leg Room: KX

Vibration: YZ/KX Both have minimal vibration 

Engine Noise: KX is much quieter than YZ

Optional 2020-2021 Yamaha YZ450F Maps

We have come across a couple more maps that we thought worked well in the 2020-2021 YZ450F. These maps feel completely different from each other, but if you’re looking to change your engine character a little, try either one of these maps for your desired delivery.

Smooth out the herky/jerky low end feel when rolling your corners with this map. Good for rough conditions, intermediate or hard terrain.

Increase your bottom end pulling power out of area 3 in corners with this map. Short shifting (shifting early into third) works on this map as well.

2021 Honda CRF450R First Ride Impression

The most anticipated motocross bike of the year is finally here and I actually get to speak openly about it! Hallelujah! The 2021 CRF450R looks nothing like last year’s model and on the track it’s quite a bit different as well. Instead of going over all the change points in this article, you can do yourself a favor and just click here to see what Honda changed on the 2021 model: https://powersports.honda.com/off-road/competition/crf450r. Basically the only parts you will be able to reuse from the 2020 is the front wheel, footpegs, handlebars and grips. Everything else has been massaged or completely revamped. Here is the meat and potatoes of what you can expect to feel from the 2021 Honda CRF450R out on the track. 

Engine: The problem with last year’s CRF450R was that it had too much power in low speed areas of the track. It came on too hard and was tough to manage unless you were riding deep sand all the time. The 2021 CRF450R’s engine character comes on smoother and lasts longer than the 2020 version. I am able to use second gear without the herky/jerky feel coming through area 2 (middle) of corners. When I roll my throttle on there is less reaction to the chassis which is a welcomed attribute for 2021. I have to retrain my brain that the 2021 Honda’s second gear is much more usable than a Yamaha or Kawasaki. Pulling power in each gear is similar to a KTM 450 SX-F in where it’s very precise putting the power to the ground, but still has enough torque to get you over an obstacle immediately out of corners. It has a sneaky fast engine character, similar to a KTM 450 SX-F. 

If you were looking for a more controlled Honda engine without as much excitement down low, this is your year! The 2021 Honda CRF450R pleases less skilled riders more because of how non-violent its hit is in Map One. Boom, there it is! That’s right I said it, in map one! Map one is controlled, long and linear, but map three is more peppy with more rpm response. I used map three a lot at Glen Helen because although it did hit harder, it actually didn’t upset the chassis as much as I thought it would through corners. I was able to use third gear in a couple corners in map three, that I wasn’t able to manage in map one. Map two, although much smoother down low through tighter corners, was super connected to the rear wheel, but gave the CRF450R a heavier side to side feeling. 

On my test bike, the ECU setting on map one was a little rich/dirty feeling in a certain area of the RPM (5000-6000RPM). This upset my rear wheel connection some in certain corners, but not all riders or media outlets felt that once I asked around. However, it’s something to look for when breaking in your new CRF450R.

Chassis: To me this is the most important area Honda needed to get better in for 2021. The 2020 Honda was stiff and rigid to ride when the track got harder or rougher. Honda’s 2021 slogan is “razor sharp cornering”, but I don’t know if that was a great marketing slogan for Honda in 2021. I mean we already know the Honda corners great, do we really need a better cornering Honda? The good news is although it does corner better, it actually goes in a straight line better as well! No, the chassis isn’t as compliant as a Kawasaki, but it is a much better/softer feel around the track than in previous years I can remember. When the track gets square edgy and hard, the 2021 CRF450R now allows the rider to ride through some of those bumps rather than weave around them. Losing 4-5 pounds on a 450 is a big deal, don’t let anyone tell you different. Where do you feel the weight loss of the new Honda? In corners! There’s that slogan again… “Razor Sharp Cornering”. Leaning into a corner is much easier than the 2020 and cornering stability is also up from last year. Where the Honda can still use some help would be through longer corners with ruts. The balance of the bike can still be front end heavy so oversteer is apparent in those longer corners of any track. In order to balance that out you can drop the fork down to 2mm in the clamp and that will help bring cornering stability up more without sacrificing lean in feel. 

Suspension: Plain and simple the Showa fork and shock have better action and plushness in 2021, but to me is still on the soft side for a 170 pound fast rider. You will have to increase fork compression dampening a few clicks as well as open up the rebound dampening one click. Doing this helps keep the CRF450R from pitching on de-cel and keep the balance of the bike happy. Shock sag is set to a normal 105mm and also stiffening the low speed compression does help the Honda’s chassis happy on throttle coming out of corners. Once these clickers are set, I feel like the Honda is the happiest it has ever been. The 49mm Showa fork has good lean angle, on throttle, front end feel and less harshness in the mid stroke than 2020. Again, dropping the fork down from 5mm (stock) to 2-3mm in the clamp helps increase stability. Although not as finicky as the 2020 (track toughness), the Honda does like to be up in the stroke a little higher. I do feel like most aggressive or heavier riders could benefit from going up one spring rate on the fork/shock. 

Track Toughness: This is what you guys want to know! Is the 2021 CRF450R have more track toughness than the 2020? A resounding YES! When the track changed for the worse (on our test day), our morning settings on the 2021 CRF450R didn’t go to shit. This is great news for Honda buyers! Now does that mean its track toughness is better than others? That is something I will find out in the coming weeks as I ride this at more tracks with other machines. 

Same/Same But Different: The 2021 CRF450R’s ergonomics feel as good if not better than last year as the flatter seat profile puts you on top of the bike more rather than in it, like the 2020. The Honda’s one exhaust note is now much quieter and pleasant to the ears when Barcia’ing your way around the track. The brakes on the Honda are the best in the Japanese category as well as the new hydraulic clutch. The new Honda Nissin hydraulic system has a longer/more linear engagement than the Kawasaki and will not fade under heavy abuse. The new clutch feel as well as durability alone is worth a lot to me. I couldn’t stand the slipping that I would get with the 2020, but the 2021 has more positivity to the rear wheel with no dragging. 

So What Do I Really Think? With the Honda weighing in at 244 pounds full of fuel it feels like it’s almost as light as a KTM 450 SX-F in areas of the track. The connective feel that I get from the rear wheel (once passed that dirty feeling down low) allows me to roll the throttle on harder and be more aggressive which I couldn’t do last year. The 2020 CRF450R gave me glimpses of hope and fun around the track, with disappointment mixed in. The 2021 Honda CRF450R gives me more fun around the track without the disappointment. Yes, it’s a better Honda CRF450R in almost every way! 

80 Hours On The 2020.5 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition

Written By: Colton Aeck

As some of you might know, I’ve been racing Supercross and Motocross for the past few years as a privateer. The privateer grind can be tough and sometimes it can take the fun out of racing. This past January I broke my back in a practice crash while prepping for Oakland SX. At the time I had two 2019 CRF450s and after the crash I decided maybe it’s time to hang up the boots on this whole racing thing. In my six years as a pro I’ve had more injuries than I’d like to admit and it was starting to really wear on me mentally and physically. Cut to a few months later, I’d sold both of my bikes and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t have a bike of my own. I had been riding and doing some testing on Keefer’s RM-Z 250, when he convinced me to come out and race at a local vet race (my first ever vet race, as I just turned 25). I raced his KTM 450SX-F Factory Edition, and had a blast on it and so my relationship with the KTM began. 

Over the past few years I’ve ridden steel framed bikes a couple times a year, at shootouts or just a random day here or there. However, I never spent enough time on one to really get comfortable. After the vet race Kris let me hang onto the KTM and I got to spend some real time getting used to it and making adjustments… And well... I fell in love! I’ve owned and raced Honda’s since 2015, so needless to say I’m super comfy on red bikes. Honestly I never saw myself riding anything else.  But after the first few rides on the KTM I really started to like it. I’d ridden Honda’s for so long that a rigid, sometimes harsh feeling chassis was just something I’d gotten used to. The steel frame has slightly more compliant feel and softer initial touch through the choppy stuff, but I can still corner it just as well, or sometimes better than my Honda. 

The KTM feels light in the air and easy to move around on the track. 
In a lot of ways it’s the best of both worlds. You get a more compliant chassis, which is what people love about the Yamaha, but you also get precise handling and great cornering like a Honda. 
Between the KTM’s amazing Brembo brakes and the added flex in the chassis, I have an overall more connected feel to the ground. Every time I ride it I’m surprised at how much front wheel traction I have and how easily I can catch those shallow California inside ruts or “dishes” as I like to call them. I really enjoy the powerplant on the KTM as well. In stock form the engine is a bit boring of the bottom but comes alive from mid to top. Kris put an FMF 4.1 system on it and had Chad from XPR take care of mapping with a vortex ignition. Just those two mods woke up the KTM a ton. It now has much better throttle response. added rear wheel connection and mid to top end that has more pull than you’d probably ever need. Yet it still retains the easy to ride/predictable bottom end character of the stock engine. 

For suspension, Kris had a WP Xact Pro fork and shock that was done by Mark at REP/AEO suspension. The Xact Pro fork is a cone valve spring fork and ditches the stock AER air setup. On the track, Mark’s setting was a bit stiff for local tracks, but it had a lot of performance/ hold up when things got rough and I really started to push it. I tried two different settings with Mark and ended up liking the softer of the two. In the meantime while Mark was re-valving the fork, I decided to give the stock AER fork a shot. 
I was pleasantly surprised at how well they worked. On a deep/loamy track, with good traction, I feel that they can be just as good as a spring fork. They have excellent bottoming resistance and a surprising amount of feel compared to other air forks I’ve tried in the past. When things start to dry out and harden up though, I’d like just a little more initial feel from the AER setup. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still very good and for someone on a budget, it would be hard to justify the price tag of the Xact Pro components. 

In the past two months I’ve put almost 20 engine hours on the KTM 450SX-F and as we are approaching 80 hours I have to say I’m very impressed with KTM’s durability. The engine has never been opened up other than a routine valve check at 50 hours and there has been zero issues along the way. In the 50 hours before I started riding it, the clutch was replaced once. I’m not much of a clutch abuser and have been riding the last 30 hours on the same clutch with no signs of slipping/dragging. I’ve raced the KTM twice now and have spent long hot days in the desert as well as most of our local SoCal tracks. It’s easy to ride, it’s easy to maintain and most of all I’ve just been having a lot of fun riding it! As I guy who wanted to quit racing earlier this year, riding this bike has resparked the flame and as of now I plan on lining up at a few outdoor nationals later this summer. 

It’s easy to love a bike when it’s free to ride and you just give it back at the end of the year when you’re done with it. But when I say I love this bike, I mean it. I just recently put my money where my mouth is and purchased a 2020 Husqvarna FC450. I know KTM/Husqvarna hates the comparison, but let’s be real. The two bikes are very similar in a lot of ways. Why did I chose Husky over KTM? My local dealer, who’s sponsored me for years sells Husqvrnas, not KTM, and I was able to get a great deal. While I haven’t spent a lot of time on the Husqvarna yet, the two bikes are similar enough that I feel confident they share all the traits I’ve grown to love on the KTM. If you see the white #526 at your local national, stop by and say hi. I’ll be the guy out there having a blast just loving racing my dirtbike again! 

2020 Yamaha YZ250FX Review/Baseline Suspension Settings

Written By: Michael Allen

Just like a long lost love or relationship there usually is a certain machine that you will have throughout your life that was your “high school sweetheart”, one that was “quirky, but fun” or maybe it was “the one that got away”. For me, ever since I went to the introduction of the Yamaha 250FX in 2015, the FX has been on my mind more than once. I think the reason I have always loved the FX is because it has the capabilities of being competitive in multiple disciplines of off-road riding and racing. Although I love the YZ 250F, I think I’m better suited to ride the FX since my group of riding buddies is quite diverse and I may find myself riding moto on Friday, then rock hopping on Sunday. Since the FX was released in 2015 it has been refined and updated (usually a year or two after the moto bike), but I think the 2020 iteration has taken the largest step towards one of the best bikes I have ever rode. Why? Let me explain… 

I didn’t get the chance to go to the 2020 FX launch on the east coast, but I heard all about it from Keefer’s test guys about how much fun it was and how they enjoyed the bike. I was super interested in trying it since I had ridden the previous FX extensively and knew what I did and didn’t like about it. The older bike had a bit of a reputation for feeling wide with those big air scoops that are in the radiator shrouds. The new body work makes the YZ feel closer to other moto bikes and also makes the air filter easier to access than the previous model.  With claims of the new chassis helping the bikes ability to turn and an all new engine having the ability to be tuned with your phone, I couldn’t wait to pick up the new FX from Keefer’s shop to hit the trails and ride some moto. 

The first thing that stuck out to me when I hopped on the 2020 250FX was the new body work and slimmer feel. Gone was the feeling of being slightly bow legged when pinching with my knees in the sitting position. The Yamaha now feels much better between your knees and the shrouds look aesthetically much better than the previous model. I personally like the fact that there isn’t a gas cap on the outside of the plastic because it gives you the ability to scoot further up without crushing what’s between your legs. Although it does come with a quality skid plate, I had to add handguards to protect my dainty digits, which isn’t a big deal, but I seem to be doing this with most hybrid machines lately. Having the map switch on the bar is a huge plus as well as being able to tune the bike from your smart phone. 

Although it’s an off-road bike, the first place I rode it was at a Glen Helen Vet motocross race where I was pleasantly surprised with its capabilities. Compared to the motocross model the FX is sprung and valved lighter, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I am by no means a pro moto rider, so at my speed (vet intermediate) and weight (170lbs) as long as I didn’t grossly case or over jump anything the suspension was very compliant. For moto riding I did add 3 clicks (stiffen) of fork compression and take one click out (slower) of rebound which seemed to do the trick. I think one step up on the fork spring would help with the slight front end dive I noticed under hard braking on the moto track. After going back to the stock clicker settings before trail riding I ended up going back to the moto setting because the stock settings are just a touch soft in most off-road situations. The new chassis is a huge improvement when it comes to cornering and overall front end traction. The 2020 takes less effort to lean into rutted corners and once in the corner the front end had more traction which leads to a more overall confident feeling of the front end not washing out. While the 2020 corners far better than the previous model, the new FX only slightly lacked in straight line stability. Only at very high speeds does the front end feel slightly nervous (front end deflection), but I will gladly take that tradeoff to have a better turning motorcycle. When I rode faster trails with square edge speeding the rebound does help calm the front end a little more, so if you’re racing GP’s, do yourself a favor and speed the rebound up one to two clicks on the fork. On tighter trails, I really appreciated the new chassis as it feels lighter (than previous year FX’s) when trying to maneuver the blue machine in switchbacks or tighter rocky areas.     

The 2020 has an all new engine mated with a 6-speed transmission and a large diameter off-road specific clutch. The previous FX had unreal torque for a 250F, but the power seemed short up on top end. Yamaha did their best to retain the great bottom end while adding power on top and the compromise they came to is a good mix. While some of the torque just off idle is gone (low end grunt), the new engine now pulls further into the RPM range, especially second and third gears and gives the engine a more free revving playful characteristic. I have used a few different maps and came to the conclusion that the maps provided by Yamaha as well as the moto maps we have for the YZ 250F are the best (https://www.keeferinctesting.com/motocross-testing/2019/9/3/2020-yamaha-yz250f-baseline-start-upbaseline-settingstips). I keep coming back to the Keefer free feeling map as I think the power works well in a moto or off-road setting. I usually keep this map as well as the torque map in the bike so they can be toggled back and forth during the ride if necessary. When I trail ride I always bring my phone, so having the ability to swap maps on the trail is very convenient. The overall power on the 2020 FX is impressive as a lot of the trails I ride have long soft sand hills and I never felt like I needed 450 power. I even let my KTM loyal 200 pound buddy ride it and he came back with a huge smile on his face. He told me that he has all new respect for a 250F and couldn’t believe how torquey the blue beast actually was. That being said, it is just a touch off of the moto version in terms of making peak horsepower.

Not that I was surprised, but the YZ 250FX has yet again advanced and still keeps itself in the #1 spot of my “if I were spending my own hard earned cash I’d buy this bike” list. I can’t tell you how many times I get asked by older riders “what 450 should I buy” and depending on their goals, I often try to steer them in the direction of a 250F in general. For some reason there is so much machismo in our sport that grown men think they need to ride 450cc dirt bikes. If you need to measure your masculinity, go measure it in the confines of your own home, not when you’re trying to purchase a dirt bike. Unfortunately those bigger bikes are ready and willing to hurt their owner when those owners don’t respect all that power. Most people don’t have the skill needed to harness the power of a 450 and they might think that 250F’s are for kids or women. I urge EVERYONE reading this to give 250F’s a chance or a test ride (especially the Yamaha) and I almost guarantee you’ll be impressed and have a blast! After all isn’t it more fun to ride a slower bike at a faster more controlled pace than to ride a faster bike at a slower sketchy one? Feel free to reach out to me with any questions at Michael@keeferinctesting.com. Now excuse me while I head to the garage to check the dipstick on my “soul mate”.

Baseline Suspension MX/Off-Road Setting: 

Fork:

Height: 3mm

Compression: 6 out

Rebound: 12 out

Shock: 

Sag: 105mm

L/S Comp: 9 out

H/S Comp: 1 Turn Out

Rebound: 10 out

2021 Kawasaki KX450 First Phase Mods

We have documented a lot of evaluations to the 2020 Kawasaki KX450 right here on Keefer Inc., but I haven’t personally been a part of some of those tests. At times I am simply too busy on other projects, but for 2021 I am going to be personally doing some mods to the 2021 KX450 that I think it needs. Last year my test rider Joe Oehlhof did a ton of work to our 2020 test bike and when I did get to try those mods, I was always impressed with what Joe did to the green machine. Kawasaki didn’t do much to the 2021 model, but the change that Kawasaki did make that I thought was huge was the new clutch. The new cone disk spring clutch makes the Kawasaki more connected to the rear wheel and has less slip under load. The Kawasaki KX450 has the most stability in the 450 class and allows me to hit braking bumps harder because of the very comfortable frame character. The KX450 frame has a slower reactive nature, but this is a very good feeling when the track gets hammered. When hitting bumps at speed, the frame has so much absorption that the suspension setting is less crucial than other 450 machines that are out there on the market. Overall, this is just a friendly machine to ride and the track toughness of the KX450 is superb.  

So after my first couple rides, I wanted to do a few mods that I felt were necessary, in order of importance. I already have installed 5.1 N/mm fork springs in order to create less pitching, but to me the engine needs a little more pulling power. The YZ450F has an incredible power plant, but can be a handful to ride when pushing hard. The Kawasaki KX450 has a smoother power character, but needs more Yamaha-like power in the mid range. This is how I described what I wanted when I spoke with Jamie from Twisted Development. He told me he thought he could get some more power with a Vortex ECU, but I had to decide on which muffler I wanted to go with first. 

After testing a couple mufflers I decided to go with a FMF 4.1 full system with their “SX” style headpipe. Now why did I choose the FMF system? To me the FMF gave me slightly more power where I felt like the KX450 needed it. The stock power curve of the 2021 KX450 engine has a snappy throttle response from 0-10% throttle opening and at times can almost be too touchy through corners (area 2) with the standard green coupler installed. Once rolling on the throttle and passed the corner, the power is not quite as strong as the Honda or Yamaha, but still has that rear connection that I really enjoy. I didn't necessarily need more bottom rpm response with the 2021 KX450, but I would be lying if I said I couldn't use more bottom and mid range pulling power when coming out of corners. What is odd is I usually want a little less pulling power from other 450’s, but in this case, I would like the green machine to have a little longer pulling power in second gear. The SX style headpipe, along with the 4.1 RCT muffler made the KX450 feel more playful coming out of corners and gave me slightly more mid range RPM response. The low end RPM response (0-15% throttle opening) was slightly less than stock with the FMF system/SX style headpipe, but now the KX450 had slightly more mid range pulling power without sacrificing too much low end snap. You do get slightly less pulling power on top end/length with the 4.1 muffler/SX style headpipe, but to me it was a minimal loss. Even though the stock Kawasaki muffler looks like complete dog doody, it actually performs really well on the track. To get an aftermarket muffler to perform better than a stock muffler is asking a lot these days, so being able to feel the gains I felt on the track with the FMF system was a selling point for me. 

Now that I got my system figured out Jamie from Twisted Development installed a Vortex ECU that we mapped to the FMF 4.1 system. You might be sick of me talking or testing with Vortex ECU’s, but to me, when mapped correctly, is one of the best bolt on mods that you can make to any new generation four stroke. The Vortex has such wide parameters that tuners like Jamie can really change the power character of an engine, without almost any reliability loss. With that being said I didn’t want to alter the Kawasaki KX450’s easy to ride engine too much, but I just needed more meat/pulling power in second and third gear. When I ride deeply tilled conditions, the Kawasaki needs more torque feel to get me on top of the dirt more. 

The beauty of installing this Vortex ECU is that it is super easy to bolt on and after you do, you can actually feel where your money went. That is tough to do these days when adding parts to your new motocross machine. Jamie listened to what I wanted and mapped the Vortex so that the KX450 now had more pulling power out of the corners as well as increased the length in which I could use second and third gears more efficiently. I can now roll out of corners in second gear, roll the throttle on and get more acceleration, but keep the rear wheel connectivity that I loved so much on the stock KX450 setting. The throttle control was still there in area 2 and 3 of each corner and when exiting I didn’t have to shift to third as quick like I did with the stock ECU. With the stock ECU (as well as a re-flashed standard ECU), I still couldn’t get rid of that flat power feel when making my shift from second to third gear. Twisted Development’s Vortex ECU setting allowed for more third gear recovery as well as gave the KX450 continued pulling power when making the shift to third gear in deep soil. I will say that adding this ECU doesn’t make the Kawasaki a third gear lugging beauty through corners, like the Yamaha, but at least now second gear is much more useable. 

We also mapped the Vortex to where the KX450 now had less engine braking coming into corners which gave the fork a more relaxed feel and that gave me better balance leading into area 1 of tight corners. When you affect any engine’s power character you also affect the way suspension can react and with this map it just increased the comfort of the Kawasaki’s chassis. Does the Kawasaki KX450 feel with these mods feel as fast as a stock YZ450F or CRF450R? No, it does not, but the ride ability of the Kawasaki is much greater than the other two machines mentioned. The rear wheel connectivity is better than the blue or red bikes and now the KX450 has an even lighter feel to it when I need to make sudden line choice changes mid corner. 

These improvements that I made to the 2021 KX450 is something I could go race locally with and be extremely happy. The FMF muffler system will set you back $950.00 and a Vortex mapped by Twisted Development is around the same. Without busting into your top end with cams, pistons and head work these two mods are the most bang for your buck when looking to actually feel a difference on the track. 

I am going to work on a couple suspension mods next, in order to get a little more performance out of the Showa bump sticks, so be on the look out for that test next. After we get a suspension setting that offers a little more hold up, I am going to ride the crap out of the KX450, so we can answer some of these reliability questions that some of you email me with. The 2020 KX450 proved to be fairly reliable for Joe, as he put just under 50 hours on it, but this year I am hoping to double that mark on the 2021 unit. 

Baseline Suspension Settings:

Spring rate: 5.1 N/mm (5.0 N/mm for light riders under 160 pounds)
Compression: 11 clicks out
Rebound: 10 clicks out
Fork-leg height: 2mm up

Spring rate: 54 N/mm
Hi-compression: 1-1/8 turns out
Lo-compression: 15-16 clicks out
Rebound: 10-11 clicks out
Race sag: 105mm

If you have any questions about these mods or anything to do with the 2021 Kawasaki KX450, please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com and I am here to help! 

If you’re looking to get a FMF Racing 4.1 system like the one you see here you can click on the RMATVMC banner on my site and order through that or go to fmfracing.com. 

You can also call Twisted Development directly at 951 698 7222 or visit them at td-racing.com. 

2020 Suzuki RM-Z 250 Blue Collar Project Part three

By: Colton Aeck

As you all might know I was assigned the 2020 RM-Z 250 and started the project of finding some horsepower as well as handling improvements on a small budget. If you haven’t checked out the first two parts of this article, go back and give them a read for a more in depth look on what we’ve done so far. For a quick recap, here is what we got so far: with the help of an FMF 4.1 muffler, a Rekluse clutch, a NoToil air filter kit and a couple mods to the airbox, we were able to find some hidden power on the RM-Z. Race Tech also stepped in and got the suspension more comfortable than stock so I was able to actually push hard late into motos. 

While we had already made a big improvement to the RM-Z power plant, I still wanted more. We’d done just about everything we could without opening up the money wagon to the engine so in order to get some more horsepower as well as save some money, our next move was to send the head off to Race Tech’s engine department. Andrew at Race Tech did a five angle valve job and custom porting to the head. He also gave us a custom mapped Vortex ECU to match the head work they performed. This is something that is relatively easy to do yet can make dramatic differences on the track.

After I tested this machine for a few days I went and asked Andrew a few questions about the mods. He said that on the dyno, the numbers reported a 10% Horsepower increase through the midrange and top end. Dyno’s are not the end all be all of on track facts, but for this test I did have to agree with what the dyno had to say. In stock form the RM-Z makes decent bottom end, but doesn’t do anything exciting when exiting the corner. It has a mid range that feels flat and lacks pulling power on top. In other words I can’t let it rev out too far. I have to short shift, but when I do that the Suzuki still doesn’t have enough recovery to get back into the meat of the power. Race Tech’s head helped the Suzuki right where it needed it and made the spread of power broader and easier to ride. I didn’t notice any increase in bottom end, but I didn’t notice a loss either, which was acceptable to me. 

The total cost of the head work and ECU comes in right around $1500, which isn’t a whole hell of a lot, when you’re looking at what you’re getting on the track. That’s only a little more than you’d spend on a full system exhaust, but in comparison I think you get more bang for your buck with the head/ECU work. A pipe can usually improve on the stock engine character, but in this case I feel the head work actually changed the engine character for the better. Being able to use second gear longer through corners helped make this an even more fun yellow bike to shred ruts with. Third gear is still not an option on tight corners, but now that second gear is longer, I am not worried about pulling third so early. I used the stock gearing, but am looking to possible go up a tooth in the rear to see what it can offer me in third gear exiting corners. With the head work and Vortex ECU the Suzuki pulls down each straight farther and has slightly more recovery when I make that mistake. I like that the Race Tech mods gave me the sensation of a more playful yellow zook while keeping the reliability of this machine in tact. Yes, the Suzuki is reliable! I have been riding/racing the crap out of this bike and have experienced zero issues with it. After racing long/fast GP style courses as well as the tight ruttier technical mx tracks, the Suzuki has been easy to work on in the garage. 

After we got the motor sorted out, I made a few mods just for personal preference. I’ve been a Renthal guy all my life, but since testing with Keefer, I’ve really begun to like Pro Taper’s SX Race handlebar, so that’s what I chose for the RM-Z. They also sent me their “Twister” throttle tube, which is an aluminum tube with a bearing on the end of it. I honestly thought it was a bit of a gimmick, but I fell in love with how smooth and easy it makes the throttle pull. I’ll be running those on all my personal bikes from here out! The stock seat cover looks grippy, but I found myself sliding around quite a bit under acceleration. Motoseat fixed that problem with a ribbed gripper seat, yet it wasn’t so aggressive where it hurt my rear end after a long day in the saddle. 

My personal favorite tire combo is the Hoosier 25S front and 25 rear, so that’s what I chose for the RMZ. I like this combo because the tires have a great carcass feel an have excellent lean angle traction for me. Hoosier has a reinforced sidewall with the “S” models, so if you’re looking for a bit of a longer life span, look at the 25 “S” Hoosiers. Finally Elusive Graphics made it look pretty with a custom set of Keefer Inc Testing graphics. 

So now the big question. With the work we did, is the RMZ 250 competitive with the other bikes in its class? Yes and no. Does it have have the bottom end torque of a Yamaha? 

It still DOES NOT! Does it have the pulling power and over-rev of a KTM or Husky? No. 

The RMZ engine isn’t the best in any category, but with the work that we performed to it, it still can be respectable racing machine without the pricing of the other five manufacturer models. 

Where the Suzuki really shines is in handling. It corners as good or better than any bike on the track and it remains predictable and stable at speed after some suspension work. Simply put, it’s easy and fun for me to ride. I still ride at a high level and I would take this bike to race (with these mods) any day. 

So who is the RMZ 250 best for? 

I think it is best suited for a younger rider moving up to big bikes, a novice without a lot of experience or just your average guy who wants a great handling 250F that’s super fun to ride without breaking the bank. 

For the serious racer in the 250 class, horsepower is a massive part of the right? Simply put the RM-Z is down on power compared to its competition. Unless you have a big budget for engine mods, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle, but Race Tech helps soften that blow with a reliable head mod that makes more power. 

Suzuki has the handling/ chassis figured out. All they need is a faster engine and I think they could be in the running to win shootouts. Only time will tell if Suzuki has the budget to figure that part out, but just know there are modifications to the head that Race Tech offers you RMaRMy members without breaking the bank!

Bonus Tip:

If you own an 2019-2020 RM-Z 250 and you experience some chassis stiffness, think about giving this a try. 

I drilled a 4mm hole in the center of the upper engine mounts (in the middle). On the track it will give you a slightly softer feel through small chop as well as hard slap down landings. What I didn’t expect though, was increased front end bite on initial lean while turning. 

It’s a subtle change, but definitely something you all should feel. On hard packed So Cal tracks, it was a welcomed improvement. 

Stay tuned to the Keefer Tested podcast in the coming weeks where Kris and I will sit down for a little wrap up on my experiences with the 2020 RM-Z 250. 

2021 Kawasaki KX450 First Impression

2021 isn’t a ground breaking year for Kawasaki’s KX450, but it did get a couple key changes that make a difference on the track. Kawasaki put more of its R&D focus on the KX250 in 2021 with several changes. I mean the 2020 KX450 was on the podium in almost every media shootout, so a couple refinements could go a long way. I spun some laps on a tight, ruttier type of track rather than the high speed chop of GH and Cahuilla, where most of the other media outlets tested, just so I could abuse the clutch as well as see how the new handlebar made me feel in tight ruts. Here are some thoughts about the refined version of the 2021 Kawasaki KX450.

2021 Change Points: 

New Cone Disk Spring Clutch (On The Track):

Last year I had a problem with the Nissin hydraulic clutch slipping under load. The clutch slipped at times under heavy load/under throttle on super deep tracks. You could also feel the lever start to creep in towards your grip when accelerating out of corners at times. To combat this you had to remove the judder spring and add a fiber to the clutch pack. For 2021 the updated cone disk spring clutch feels much more linear than the 2020 and slips less under load. I say “less” because it can still slip if abused, but now without the judder springs, the KX450 gets traction to the rear wheel in a much better fashion. I experienced more rear wheel traction from area 2-3 in corners and was able to get on the throttle extremely hard without breaking the rear wheel loose (similar to a KTM feel). I also thought the engagement was a little wider and I could feel that when doing starts back to back with the 2020. It did feel like the clutch change Kawasaki made in 2021 did affect throttle response a little however. I thought the 2020 had slightly more excitement on low throttle situations, but also broke the rear end loose more when the track hardened up. I will gladly take slightly less throttle response with this new cone disk clutch in order to roll my corners better and exit harder. This change can also roll over into your 2019 or 2020 KX450 as well! You can simply order the basket, inner hub, pressure plate, fibers, steels, springs, clutch cover and update your older KX to the cone disk style. 

2021 Change Points:

Renthal 839 Fatbar (On The Track):

It’s just a bar Keefer!? Well… It isn’t just a bar, but it’s also a change to your rider traingle. Yes, of course you can put another set of bars on your older KX’s, but I am still going to tell you about this 2021 change. The 839 Fatbar is the same bar Honda uses on their CRF250/450R models and I love it! It has a lower height (91mm) than the older 971 7/8 bend and a rise that is only 51mm. I also felt slightly more connection to the front tire when pushing hard through corners. How? The larger diameter doesn’t flex as much on the ends of the bar, giving me more of a positive feel through the clamps down to the front wheel. The Renthal Fatbar wasn’t so rigid on slap downs that I felt I needed to go back to 7/8 on this chassis! Welcome to 2021 Kawasaki! Happy to have you! 

Weight Feeing (Chassis): The 21 KX450 is very free feeling yet connected, which makes this bike have a very light/nimble feeling through corners. I am able to lay it down with ease and cut down under a blown out rut almost as easy as a KTM/Husqvarna. I do get a little twitch on de-cel (which can be fixed with a fork spring change), but it wasn't a horrible or un-easy feeling. Straight line stability is still the same straight and arrow Kawasaki feel that you expect, but with added traction because of the clutch. The frame absorption is the best attribute to this machine and other manufacturers should take notice of how well this KX450 feels when the track goes to crap. The whole bike feels friendlier than a lot of other machines on square edge and the only other one that comes close in comfort is the Yamaha YZ450F

Engine Feel: Just in case you were trying to decide on if the 2021 KX450 is better than the 2020 version, scroll back up and read about the new clutch and what it does to the power of the new KX450. The 2021 comes on slightly smoother yet still has that lighter/free-revving feel and has minimal engine braking. I went with the stock ECU settings and the white coupler and seemed to like that the most when the track was deep or hard pack. The white coupler gave it slightly more throttle response, but didn’t make it jumpy feeling like the 2020 KX450. The 2021 KX450’s mid range has a nice amount of meat and the smoother pulling power of the top end/over-rev is noticeable on longer straights. I didn’t lose mid to top end pulling power with the black coupler (compared to the the white one), but I could ride the KX450 more aggressively through corners. I however feel like the black coupler is simply too smooth on deeper tilled tracks. The 2021 engine is super connected to the rear wheel and never steps out coming out of corners. This is an impressive power plant! I revisited my 2020 map and preferred the standard map with the white coupler for the 2021 version. 

Suspension: 

The 2021 Kawasaki Showa fork has tons of comfort, but is also too soft/divy for my liking on de-cel. The track I tested at required you to be hard on the throttle then brake heavily coming into the corner and the fork was too low in the stroke, which caused some oversteer. Going stiffer on the compression only hurt de-cel bump comfort, so I settled on going slower on the rebound, which helped some. I then went to a heavier spring rate (0.51) and the balance of the bike greatly improved off throttle. I would think some of that comfort would diminish, but I ended getting more comfort on de-cel bumps because the fork stayed higher up in the stroke. The shock is soft on high speed compression so going in on your high speed compression helps make the shock feel less empty on its end stroke. Below is a setting that I think can make a wide range of riders happier with their stock Showa suspension. 

2021 KX450 Base Suspension Settings:

Fork: 

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

Oil Level: Standard

Compression:11-13 clicks out

Rebound: 11 clicks out

Fork Height: 3mm

Shock:

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

Low Speed Compression: 16 clicks out

High Speed Compression: 1 1/8 turns out

Rebound: 10-11 out

Confessional: 

I want to cleanse my sins right here! To the team green die hards out there, you’re right! I NEED to ride this machine more on my own time. Every year I say this and I end up only riding this bike to get you all settings and then I hand it off to one of my testers to create more content. I am NOT going to be doing that in 2021. Can you Keefer Inc. readers/listeners please hold me accountable for this statement in 2021? Every time I ride this bike I really enjoy it, so I must follow my heart and ride this more in 2021. Sincerely, Kris.  

2020/2020.5 Husqvarna FC450/Rockstar Edition Baseline Settings/Set Up Tips

Rejoice, Husqvarna owners, we are here with some helpful setting tips for your 2020 Husqvarna FC450 or your 2020.5 Rockstar Edition. As always if you have any questions, our job is to help you try to get as comfortable as possible, in order for you to enjoy your dirt bike even more. You can always hit the contact button on keeferinctesting.com to get some answers.  

Engine/ECU: For 2020 Husqvarna fixed most of the FC 450 ECU rich feeling problems with the help of some of us media testers. Last year the 2019 ECU setting was rich off the bottom and slightly lean on top, which made for a lethargic/inconsistent throttle delivery. For 2020 the ECU is better, has a more lively feel coming out of corners and still has the super connected rear wheel feeling. I am usually a “map two” kind of rider due to its increased pick up/recovery feel, but sometimes I am looking for that extra puling power that is needed when the track is tilled deep or soft. I have been on the Vortex ignition bandwagon for a couple years with this machine and for the Rockstar Edition/FC450 it hasn't wavered. If you want the same great rear wheel connection as well as more pulling power everywhere, along with more rpm response look into a Vortex ignition from Chad at XPR Motorsports or Jamie at Twisted Development. I have turned a lot of Husqvarna riders onto this mod and have had a 100% approval ratio. What I like about this modification is that it doesn't hurt reliability and makes for a very usable yet powerful engine for almost every type of rider. Yes, it will set you back around $800.00, but to me is much better than slapping on a muffler system and will do more for your engine. Just in case you’re worried about pricing, the Vortex has a great resale value and you will not be losing much money if/when you sell it to another lucky Husqvarna owner. 

Suspension: If you haven't listened to my WP XACT Pro Components suspension podcast you may want to at least check that out, but if you're sticking with the stock suspension for a while, you can try this setting to see if this helps comfort when the track gets rough. This setting below should be in the ballpark for riders around 165-200 pounds, but if you’re heavier than 200 pounds going to a stiffer rear spring wild help the ride attitude of the Husqvarna. I have went to several tracks and tried many different settings, but this specific setting had the most “track toughness”. The Husqvarna’s stock WP suspension doesn't quite have the comfort like a Kawasaki or Yamaha does, but the Husqvarna/WP set also holds up more in the stroke. To get some added comfort back with the added hold up, try this setting. 

Fork: (160-195 pounds)

Height: 5mm

Air Pressure: 11.1 Bar

Compression: 14-15 clicks out

Rebound: 14-15 clicks out

Shock:

Sag: 103mm

Low Speed Compression: 12-13 clicks out

High Speed Compression: 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 turns out

Rebound:  10 clicks out

Chassis: Aftermarket engine mounts are all the rage right now and some of you may not have the money to spend on a pair of engine mounts for your Husqvarna. I will say that I don’t feel like the RE’s chassis is stiff, but I have heard from other vet riders that it can be at times, so I decided to play around with torque specs on the engine mounts and stumbled across this. If you’re experiencing a stiff feeling chassis sensation and want the Husqvarna to settle while leaning (under throttle), there is an inexpensive way to achieve some extra front end traction (as well as an overall more planted feel). You can remove the left side upper engine mount bolt (upper right bolt only, as shown) and torque all other top engine mount bolts to 30Nm. This band aid will give you a more planted sensation when on throttle while leaning the FC450 RE through sweepers and fast straights. You will have to make sure that all engine mount bolts have blue Loctite to ensure they do not back out (you should do this regardless if you keep all the bolts in or not). You can also try torquing your swingarm pivot bolt to 95 Nm (instead of 100Nm) to help rear end traction out of corners. The downside to doing these mods is that the chassis will flex a little more, so if you’re riding deep tilled tracks this modification may be too “flexy” for some (especially when chopping throttle).  

Handlebars: The stock Pro Taper handlebar is great! However it is too low for my 6’0 frame, so going with a Ride Engineering one piece bar mount with 5mm risers helps (if you like the stock bar bend). I also like the Pro Taper SX Race bar and that worked well for riders from 5’8 to 6’1. The SX Race bend comes in a crossbar or crossbar-less style and is 800mm width, 87mm height, 54.5 rise, and 54mm sweep. If you’re looking for a better “stand up feel” from your Husqvarna look for a handlebar close to this measurement.  

Rear Brake Pedal Spring: Purchase a Honda CRF450R rear brake pedal spring with the rubber around the spring. The Husqvarna rear brake pedal spring vibrates and will break every 4-5 engine hours.

Gearing: I like the stock 13/49 gearing, but for sand I prefer the 14/53 gearing for mid rpm recovery and chassis feel. Yes, going to a 14/53 will put your rear wheel back more than the 13/49 and get you some extra high speed stability with the 14/53. At tracks like Glen Helen I go with a 14/53 because I get that extra planted/stable feeling coming down hills. 

Rear Axle/Axle Blocks: Going to a Works Connection Elite axle block kit or Ride Engineering axle block kit will get rid of the fixed left axle block on the stock Husqvarna’s axle. This will help the rear end to move more freely under throttle and improve the shock’s comfort on acceleration chop. Both are great, but you will have to decide if you want a complete axle/axle block kit like Ride Engineering’s  or just the blocks themselves like WC’s. 

Muffler: To me FMF makes the best muffler system for the Husqvarna Rockstar Edition. Maybe that’s why the Husqvarna RE comes with a 4.1 slip on. However, installing a megabomb headpipe will help mid range rpm response as well as give you some added top end pulling power. There are some other companies that have other bikes dialed in more, but on the Husqvarna/KTM, FMF has got it dialed. You will get more low to mid RPM response as well as more mid range pulling power. The kicker is that you will not lose bottom end or low end recovery. It’s a win/win, which rarely ever happens in the world of aftermarket parts. 

2020 Suzuki RM-Z250 Blue Collar Project Part Two

Kris recently assigned me the 2020 RM-Z 250 to test and do a little project with. I have to say I’ve been having a blast riding it and trying to make it better. It’s a super fun bike to ride, despite the sometimes bad reputation it gets. If you haven’t read Part 1 of our build, check it out here: https://www.keeferinctesting.com/motocross-testing/2020/6/3/2020-suzuki-rm-z250-tipstricks-part-1

For a little recap of Part 1, the RM-Z is known to be a bit down on power in comparison to its competitors. Our goal was to find more power, without breaking the bank. Often times moto media outlets tend to throw the book at bike builds and I get why, but it’s fun to build a badass bike with all the exotic parts, but it’s not very practical for your real world rider, that is working 9-5. With that being said, we were able to find more power and make the RM-Z a little more exciting to ride, just by opening up the airbox and installing a pipe. 

Continuing with the trend of giving the RM-Z more air, I tested the Super Flow Air Filter Kit from No Toil. The kit comes with a new air filter cage that eliminates the stock backfire screen and also comes with a high flow air filter. On the track I noticed more throttle response and an overall quicker revving/more free feeling engine character. In stock trim, the RM-Z feels choked up, like it’s starving for air. With my no cost mod of opening up the airbox, the No Toil kit completes the mission of getting more air through the intake. I was surprised at how big of a difference it makes in mid corner (area 2) recovery and overall excitement across the RPM range. Expect to find yourself upshifting sooner exiting corners as the engine revs up much quicker allowing you to pull taller gears sooner. 

My next mod was installing Rekluse’s Torq-Drive Clutch Pack.  It’s a low cost alternative to their complete Torq-Drive kit. I’ve raced with Torq-Drive clutches for years in SX. They are an absolute must have for Supercross whoops, as it’s almost impossible to make them slip, but I’ve never tested a Torq-Drive back to back on an outdoor track and on a 250F for that matter. The clutch pack is easy to install as it fits directly into your stock clutch basket/hub and it’s almost a third of the price of their complete kit. 

The very first thing I noticed was how easy the clutch pull was. I’ve never been picky about an easy clutch pull, but I have to say, it’s nice having a buttery smooth feeling at the lever. On the track you’ll feel improved bottom end exiting corners and an increase in pulling power throughout the whole RPM range. It’s an interesting feeling, because I wouldn’t say that the bike makes any more power with the Rekluse, but it just does a better job of putting the power you already have to the ground. As Keefer would say “more linear”.

I tested this clutch kit at Glen Helen and where I noticed the biggest difference was down the deep tilled start straight and up the hills. I felt like I could rev the bike less yet still get more forward drive. Rather than revving high and getting a slight amount of slip with the stock clutch. I’d imagine as I continue to make mods and find more power that the clutch will make an even bigger difference. Where the stock clutch would slip under a heavy load, the Rekluse hooks up and drives forward. With a couple pretty simple mods we’ve  been able to find some more power and make the RM-Z motor more competitive, and for a relatively low dollar investment.

My next goal was to improve the chassis. If you’ve ridden the stock 2019-2020 RM-Z250 you’ve probably noticed the forks are STIFF. I’m a 180 lbs Pro and they are too stiff for me, so I can’t imagine a normal weekend warrior type of rider. Unless you’re 200+ lbs or just want an extra stiff setup, expect to have your suspension re-valved or at the least re-sprung. 

Of course we sent the suspension to Race Tech where they re-valved it with their Gold Valves and installed lighter springs front and rear. I’m usually very picky on my suspension setup, and I have to say Race Tech nailed this one first try. The chassis on the RM-Z is still slightly on the stiff side, but it’s very predictable and corners like a dream. Race Tech’s mods gave me more comfort in the front end end and overall calmed down the chassis. I truly have no complaints about the suspension (which is super odd to me), I found the comfort I was looking for, but still retained good bottoming resistance and hold up on big hits. Having a softer setting helped the bike settle more and turn even better than stock, and also gave me a little more stability through high speed chop. 

I’ve truly been having a blast riding the #RMaRMy. Being a 450 guy for the last few years, it’s been super fun to ride and the few mods we’ve made, have made a huge improvement in making the bike more fun, as well as more competitive. I have a few more things in mind that I think will make to 2020 RM-Z250 even better, so stay tuned for a Part three coming soon. 

2021 Yamaha Tenere 700

By: Michael Allen

I think it’s safe to say that the majority of people who follow and read Keefer Inc.’s content are moto or off-road enthusiasts and I put myself in that category as well. That being said, after riding the 2021 Tenere 700 my eyes have been opened to an all new type of riding that gave me the same exciting feeling as doing motos or riding gnarly trails. When Kris asked me if I wanted to take part in the Tenere 700 intro I said “sure, what is it?” then after looking it up it I started to get curious about what this intro would entail and how “off-road” this bike could really be. I ordered up some Fly off-road/adventure gear and next thing I knew I was on my way to Glen Helen, which is where our all day ride would start from. 

The name Tenere is a reference to a desert in northern Africa that has seen many rugged off-road races in the past. This same area is where Yamaha has won large off-road races including the Dakar Rally many times throughout the 1990’s. After Yamaha introduced the Tenere 1200 a few years ago they wanted to focus on a more dirt specific version that could really hold its own against the more hardcore off-road adventure bike market. They started with their CP2 inline twin engine because of its compact design, smooth power delivery, and large amounts of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission and the power is fed though a chain to the 18” spoked rear wheel. The fact that the wheels are 18” and 21” as well as being spoked and having tubes really shows that Yamaha is going after the off-road marked. The low style front fender can even be slightly adjusted up for a bigger tire or to add more clearance if the muddy terrain is packing up. The frame is made of steel and uses a perimeter design with removable down tubes to help with maintenance. The head tube is double braced and the swing arm is made out of aluminum. Yamaha did their best in trying to keep the feel of the bike slim to help with a nimble character. The Tenere holds 4.1 gallons of fuel and has a claimed range of over 200 miles per tank. The 43mm KYB forks have 210mm of travel, are open bath and are also adjustable for both compression and rebound. The rear suspension uses a KYB piggyback shock, linkage, is adjustable for both compression and rebound and has an easy to use preload adjuster for quick adjustments when going from street to trail. Although seeming out of character, Yamaha uses Brembo brake’s both front and rear; with the rear being a single rotor and the front having dual rotors. Being that this is a street bike as well, Yamaha had to have ABS, but they give you the option to turn the whole system off when you’re in the dirt with the push of a button.

The wrap around style handguards come standard but they are fairly minimal. Keeping in line with being off-road, the Tenere comes with an aluminum skid plate standard. There is a small windscreen that provided protection from gusts while protecting the digital readout. The display is fully digital and gives you the ability to scroll through a small menu with the use of a button on the handlebars. The menu is somewhat limited, but it does give you fuel mileage (average and current), engine temperature, ambient temperature, multiple trip settings, and total mileage. Two other features that the Tenere has up front is the 12v outlet and the top bar for mounting accessories. Ready to ride the Tenere come in at 452 pounds and with the stock seat, the height is 34.6” (there are two additional seat options).  

With all of that information floating around my head I was really looking forward to what the day would consist of as we left the gates of Glen Helen to start our 100 mile, day long ride. Being that I’m an off-road guy I couldn’t bring myself to go full adventure guy and wear a helmet with a flip down shield and over the boot pants. Wearing a moto helmet on the highway has a downside, which is that the visor acts like a kite when cruising at high rates of speed. Although the Tenere has a windscreen, it wasn’t quite tall enough to keep my visor out of the wind, I needed another 4” (story of my life) and I would have been in a nice quiet wind pocket. (editors note: maybe just take the visor off the moto helmet Mike?) The engine on the 700 is unbelievably smooth all the way through the RPM range. Off the bottom the engine has linear pulling power and so much torque that it can be ridden from a dead stop in third gear without abusing the clutch. The first part of our ride took us on a frontage road that led us up the Cajon Pass just north of Glen Helen Raceway. Being that I’m not a street guy I don’t have a whole lot to compare the Tenere to in terms of performance, but with that being said I thought the suspension was very comfortable on the street without feeling like a marshmallow. On asphalt the Tenere was very stable while still feeling nimble, taking only minimal input to get the bike to lean into the twisty corners on the way to Lake Arrowhead California. Since street riding is rare for me, it was a foreign feeling to trust that my tires would stick to the road. With that in mind, I’m sure my lean angle was about as impressive as a D class rider thinking he perfected the Bubba Scrub. Throughout our 40-ish miles on the street, I never felt like the fact that the Tenere is a “dirt bike” ever held me back in terms of performance or comfortability. 

After about an hour of street riding I was itching to hit the dirt. A few windy roads later the leader turned off the highway onto a gravel road with some water breaks (yes, I tried to seat bounce them) and I couldn’t wait to see what this thing was all about. Before fully hitting the dirt we stopped to lower the tire pressure in the Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires as well as making some suspension adjustments that consisted of adding compression, adding rebound as well as adding preload to the rear shock. The forks on the Tenere are open bath style and the way it was explained to me was that in order to keep costs down, they didn’t use the latest and greatest KYB components. The forks are based off of early 2000’s forks that would have come on the YZ’s at the time. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because the suspension front and rear work really well considering how heavy the bike is as well as the range of rider and terrain that it’s meant to handle. One downside that I did notice is that the linkage seems to hang down fairly far (I know this isn’t an extreme enduro bike) and could hang up on some obstacles. As we set out on the trail I was pretty hesitant and didn’t trust the tires when changing lines or just turning in general. After a few miles I started to get a feel for the street-ish tires and found that the only situation I couldn’t trust them in was in silt/sand. Whenever the ground was loose on top, making quick direction changes was ill advised as I didn’t quite have that confident stick-to-the-ground feel. One thing that seemed to help the front end in loose terrain was leaning back and staying on the throttle while not making sudden direction changes. As soon as the throttle is chopped or the front brake is applied, the front end dives and it’s anyone’s guess as to where the front end is going to go. 

Another off-road handling trait of the Tenere 700 (and from what I hear all ADV bikes) is that it must be ridden standing up as soon as you leave the pavement unless you’re traveling down a straight dirt road. To get the Tenere to corner in off-road conditions, you need to stand up and weight the pegs in the direction you want to go. The fact that you can also turn off the ABS makes it nice because with the ABS off you can slide the rear end around to pivot the bike. As with any big bike, when the bike is heavy it’s also stable and hard to get knocked off line. There were many times that I thought the rocks that I am about to hit will knock me off my line, but to my surprise the bike kept driving forward. That being said, if you push it a little too far it can bite you quick. When you really push your luck and the Tenere gets out of line, you can really feel the weight of it when trying to straighten the bike back out. In addition to fire roads, we found ourselves on some skinnier trails with steep inclines and switchbacks, which at first had me a bit concerned. After a few miles of figuring out what gear the Tenere liked to be in (I found that third was the magic number), it seemed that I could do no wrong. If I left the bike lug a little in third and didn’t touch the clutch it was mucho traction. No matter how low the RPM got, the bike kept humming along and never shuttered or stalled.

The last section of our ride was on faster two track jeep trails, where I could ride next to another rider and it was confidence inspiring. There were multiple times I looked down and found us doing over 50mph, even when riding through loose rocks. The final downhill before hitting the pavement back to Glen Helen was littered with large loose rocks, which although the Tenere handled nicely, I was still scared that I would get caught off guard and be the second bike of the ride to take a spill (the first bike to crash was from another magazine outlet that will remain nameless). There were only a couple times that the front end got bounced off line and made me really put my weight into the bike to get things straightened out. Although the suspension was made stiffer for off-road riding it still felt a bit springy and empty. What I mean my springy is that once near bottoming out, it had a somewhat fast rebound (I should have messed with the clickers) that would sometimes give me that top out feel. What I mean by empty is once the suspension was past half way into the stroke it didn’t feel as though it had much damping force against the 450 pound Tenere. Although I think the valving could be fine-tuned, I’m sure the slightly limited travel could be a factor as well. I only noticed a few things that were small nuisances when riding; one being that because I have such big feet, when I would ride on my toes I noticed that the heel of my boot would contact the passenger foot peg bracket. Another thing that I noticed was that when standing and hugging the bike with my legs, my right calf would contact the clutch arm actuator cover. This wasn’t really a problem, but something that felt unnatural when riding. In stock form there isn’t any place to store anything, although there is a small open area under the rear of the seat, but it’s not closed off and you’d be lucky to fit a crumpled up windbreaker in there. My final complaint is that in stock trim there is no center stand. If I wanted to work on my bike it looks like I will have to get scissor lift to do some maintenance. No one wants to lift a 450 pound bike on a moto stand. Although the stock seat is just fine, Yamaha brought the short seat (I didn’t try it) and the taller more moto style seat. I really liked the taller seat because it puts your body in a more familiar position if you’re a moto guy.

After spending six hours and riding over 100 miles on the 2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 I have to admit that I was impressed with what Yamaha had created. Before I rode the Tenere I would have told you that there was no way this bike would have been capable of going the places we took it. But after the test ride, I now realize how capable this category of bike is and can’t wait to get my hands on one for more testing (hell, maybe I’ll even race one to prove how good it is). Like I said I don’t have much to compare it to, but I can’t imagine a bike in this category handling ten fold better than the Tenere. The Tenere is $9,999 and considering that any other bike in this category will cost you at least $4,000 more than the Yamaha, I think they have hit a home run when balancing on/off-road performance and pricing. From what I hear, dealers are buying these as fast as they can get them and that is good not only for Yamaha, but good for our industry as a whole. The more people we get out riding the better, no matter what they’re riding. If you have any questions about the 2021 Yamaha Tenere feel free to reach out to me at Michael@keeferinctesting.com.  

2020 Suzuki RM-Z250 Tips/Tricks Part #1

Written By: Colton Aeck

Greetings, I’m Colton Aeck. You may recognize my name from slugging it out as a privateer at your local Supercross or Outdoor National. If not, I’m 24 years old, a professional racer and working on being a half decent test rider too.

While practicing in between Supercross races in January I had a mechanical failure that resulted in a bike crash. I broke several vertebrae, a few ribs and punctured a lung, but most important it got me thinking about my situation. Is busting my ass every week, traveling every weekend, risking major injury and sacrificing time and relationships with loved ones all worth it? For what? To come out profiting a few hundred bucks a week? It’s certainly used to be, after all I’ve worked my whole life to get this far, but getting injured sucks and maybe it’s just time to go back to why I started this all in the first place. Because I love to ride!

Cut to now, a few months later. I’m healed up and getting the itch to ride again. I have tons of great memories racing 2 strokes growing up. One day I stumbled on a super clean 2004 KX250 and thought “Perfect, this will be the most fun I’ve had in years!” WRONG... I love two-strokes as much as the next crazed pre mixed guy, but let’s be real, compared to today’s four-stroke machines they are slow and poorly suspended. I should’ve know better buying a 16 year old bike! 

Since I was regretting my two-stroke purchase I called up Keefer to see if he had anything I could ride. His 2020 RM-Z 250 needed someone with a purpose and it seemed like I needed one at this time, so I found a home for the yellow zook. To be frank, the 2020 RM-Z 250 gets a bad rep (and rightfully so in some cases). It’s down on power compared to its competition and in the 250 class, power is almost everything.

My first impression of the Suzuki is that it has good throttle response and bottom end pull, but once you really start riding harder it feels choked up, like it’s starving for air. There just isn’t a whole hell of a lot of pulling power after I gt out of the corner. After taking the seat off I knew the first mod I wanted to make was to try and open up the airbox. On the inside of the number plates there is a triangle shaped snorkel piece that sticks into the airbox. Using a heat gun or a torch, lightly heat up the plastic to soften it a bit (don’t melt it!) and take a sharp razor knife and cut the snorkels off flush with the inside of the plates. 

I recommend doing this at the track, in between motos so that you can feel the difference, but if you can’t doing it at home will be justified on the track, trust me. Just taking the bike off the stand and starting it, I already noticed improved throttle response and a quicker/freer revving engine character. On the track you will feel improved power across the RPM range. Coming out of corners the bike pulled longer and gave me a slightly more exciting feeling. 

While I had the side plates off I noticed the stock airbox seems very closed off. Almost like something you’d see on a trail bike.Once again, with a heat gun and a razor knife and a little patience I opened the airbox up a ton. I cut around the outside edges along the subframe and the front edge where the number plate attaches. Make sure to leave enough plastic on the front edge so the tabs on the number plate still have somewhere to lock into. On the track I noticed another significant improvement to throttle response and it overall an improvement in pulling power across the whole rpm range. This Suzuki is starting to wake up a little and I have yet to spend any money! Winning! With almost any kind of mods you’ll have some downsides. Opening up the airbox is a big improvement on the track, but you will notice your bike is a bit louder (more intake noise) and your air filter will get dirtier a little sooner on sandier tracks. Unless you’re lining up at a Supercross, sound is probably not an issue for you so I didn’t work about it.

The next obvious choice for me to make that did cost me a little was to install a FMF Factory 4.1 full system. The FMF is much lighter than the stocker and improved bottom to mid pulling power. I didn’t notice any major improvements in top end/over-rev, but the FMF was another step in the right direction towards getting some more meat inside the the RM-Z250’s engine. 

With only these two mods the RM-Z250 makes me smile a lot more than when I picked it up from Keefer. Stay tuned for more tips/tricks and mods as I dive into the suspension as well as inside the motor on the next installment of project yellow zook. If you have any questions about the Suzuki RM-Z250 you can email Kris at kris@keeferinctesting.com and he will make sure to pass it on to me. 

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. 

Top 5 Mods To The 2020 KTM 125SX

My 14 year old son has been riding the 2020 KTM 125SX off and on for over six months now and although he likes the bike, he has struggled with set up from time to time at different tracks. He and I have worked on some different settings as well as added a few mods that has kept us happy at several tracks in Southern California. Yes, that’s right we do share the bike and some track days. Most of these mods are inexpensive and can make your orange screaming pumpkin a little more comfortable as well as make some extra ponies. Here are five mods in no particular order that we thought were worth mentioning. 

Ride Engineering Link:

For this test I had two KTM 125SX machines. One was set up for my son, with his softer shock spring and one was just a bone stock KTM 125SX with the sag set for me at 105mm. We started later in the day at a couple tracks on separate days to make sure the track was nice and broke in before we started to make our changes. Doing this ensures that the track doesn't change too much from each change we made to the orange machines. With the Ride Engineering link I noticed better tracking/acceleration coming out of choppy corners and slightly more stability off-throttle. I really liked that the link helped the ride attitude of the KTM when leaning, under throttle, on choppy terrain. I had more trust in the KTM when loading the chassis hard on throttle. I didn't get near as much kicking coming down rough hills and the overall cornering character didn’t suffer. I was worried that this Ride Engineering link would hurt turn in, but to my surprise it didn't affect the KTM’s easy natured turn in character. 

Aden’s comments didn't exactly mimic mine, but one comment that actually made sense was he did like that he felt lower to the ground, when sitting, and that helped him with his starts. When watching him ride the bike was visibly less busy in the rear and didn't give him as much kicking on de-cel. The length of the Ride Engineering pull rods are 1.3mm’s longer than stock and come in at a 149.5mm overall length. Aden doesn't know enough about chassis testing to give me some great feedback, but some of his comments overlapped mine. I more or less watch the bike when he rides and then decide if it’s a good direction or not. We decided to leave the Ride Engineering link on his bike after we both came to an agreement that he looked/felt better on a rough track with it on.

If you do decide to get the Ride Engineering Performance Link just know that you may have to adjust your AER fork pressure, if you’re still on air forks. Now with the Ride Engineering pull rods installed the rear end will ride a little lower, so the front end might seem a little high. Dropping the air pressure anywhere between .2-.5 bar might be needed to get some added front end traction. We dropped Aden’s air pressure from 8.3 bar to 8.1 bar at some tracks and even down to 8 bar at others. Try running your normal AER pressure when you first put on the Ride pull rods and see how your front end feels though corners. If you feel like your front end is tall, your front end is pushing, or have a vague front end feel, just try to drop your air pressure slightly. This will help let the fork use more of its stroke and get that front tire to bite into the ground more. 

Jetting:

Jetting was pretty close in stock form, but we noticed if we ran VP C12 or T2 it does become a little finicky (rich) off the bottom. Here are the jetting specs for pump fuel and VP T2 racing fuel. 

Pump Fuel:

Main Jet: 500

Pilot Jet: 35

Needle: 6BFY43-71

Clip: 2nd position

Air Screw: 1 out

VP T2 Setting:

Main Jet: 520

Pilot Jet: 32

Needle: 6BFY43-71

Clip: 2nd position

Air Screw: 1.5 out

Suspension Settings:

120-140 pounds:

FORK:

Air: 8.1 bar
Compression: 10 clicks out

Rebound: 10 clicks out

Fork-leg height: Stock

SHOCK:

Spring rate with or without link arm: 36 N/m (39 N/m is stock) 

Race sag: 104mm
Hi-compression: 2 turns out

Lo-compression: 16 turns out

Rebound: 13 turns out

150-170 pounds:

FORK:

Air: 8.4 bar
Compression: 14 clicks out

Rebound: 11 clicks out

Fork-leg height: Stock

SHOCK:

Spring rate with or without link arm: 39 N/m

Race sag: 105 mm
Hi-compression: 1.5 turns out

Lo-compression: 13 turns out

Rebound: 11 turns out

FMF Factory Fatty Pipe/Shorty Silencer:

I went back and forth with the stock set up as well as the FMF a couple times at a few different tracks and I will say that the FMF Factory Fatty pipe/Shorty silencer combo did help throttle response as well as low end grunt. Coming out of corners (with the FMF Fatty/Shorty) the KTM 125 SX has a little more acceleration pull on corner exits and could be shifted a little earlier without falling off. The mid range pull was also longer and overall crispness of the mid range seemed improved. The FMF Fatty/Shorty seemed to slightly lean out the bottom to mid range (in a good way) and made the KTM feel more playful around the track. RPM response was improved throughout the power and the throttle felt more connected to the rear wheel. The top end pulling power/over-rev was slightly shorter than the stock set up so going to the jetting above helped get some of this back.

VP T2 Racing Fuel: 

T2 is a 40:1 pre-mixed racing fuel that increases bottom to mid range response over pump fuel. I performed a couple blind tests with Aden on a couple occasions and each time I poured in T2 without him knowing, he always mentioned to me that his KTM 125SX had more pulling power. After I tested T2 and pump fuel back to back you can feel that T2 definitely brings more bottom end punch to the KTM’s engine character. Unlike the YZ125 where T2 doesn't need to be re-jetted, the KTM 125SX needs the jetting specs above to run efficiently and clean. This simple pour in mod runs you around $75.00 for 5 gallons, but to me this is a good alternative if you want some extra power on race day. 

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

2020.5 Husqvarna Rockstar Factory Edition FC450 Update

Written By: Kenny Day (Keefer Inc. Test Rider)

It’s that time of year where we are getting closer to the reveal of the 2021 models! Most of us are siting at home and wondering what changes will be made as well as how the manufacturers will take a bike that’s really good and somehow make it even better?  With the all new 2020.5 Rockstar Edition FC450, Husqvarna uses this model to display some of the new changes that will be introduced to the production version in 2021.

Before we get down to the facts, let me tell you a little about myself.  My name is Kenny Day, 32 years of age and I’ve been beaten into this industry like a fossil my entire life. I started off as racer throughout the early years of my life, held a professional license and once that became nothing more that personal dream, I jumped ship from racer to industry guy. Six years as a Team Manager for the Traders Racing Yamaha team and now currently the Alpinestars gear guy for the greats of the sport such as Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac and many others.  I’m sure you may be thinking “cool story, but what gives you the credentials to be a test rider”. Well a Loretta Lynn’s championship two years ago in the vet class as well as years of learning and testing with the great Skip Norfolk over the past few years has taught me a ton about the way top professional teams go about setting up motorcycles. Enough about me, let’s get to the machine!

 I had several months on the production 2020 FC 450 before getting my hands on the Rockstar edition. The production FC450 had some great qualities that I really enjoyed such as a light nimble feel, the ability to put the bike wherever I wanted and at 4pm on a dry choppy Glen Helen Raceway, I enjoyed how mellow I could make the engine using features like Traction Control. I also had some negatives with the FC450 such as a very loose front end feel due to the AER fork settings as well as a lack of overall pulling power. I felt the engine characteristic of the production FC450 was quite mellow even when in the aggressive map setting.  Personally, I have never really enjoyed riding 450’s because I am a small frame weighing in at 155 pounds and yes, I use starting blocks…big ones.  I always felt like the 2020 production FC450 had a lot of drag to it and quite frankly I was always wanting more.

Okay let’s jump ahead, Day 1 on the brand new 2020.5 FC450 at Glen Helen.  Lap 1 around the perfectly prepped Glen Helen course and I have a smile on my face. The bike has a ton more power, less drag and it has fully transformed how the bike reacts on the track (due to the ECU changes). The new bike feels like a light, snappy rocket ship and I am still on the standard map setting. I feel as if the there is less engine braking with the updated map settings that were introduced to this model. Second on my list of happy feels, Suspension! Husqvarna and WP went with a stiffer suspension setting on both ends of this machine and it was a positive change. WP also introduced new fork settings as well as a new design that does not come on the production 2020 FC450. So how does all this translate to the track? I immediately have more feel with the front end, a better connection between the tire and the track. I also felt I had more holdup in the stroke with the forks, which helps in corners. The rear shock also gives me much better feel of holdup in the stroke, the entire rear of the bike feels higher, but in a positive way because I felt that the production FC450 had a very low “chopper” feeling to it.

Along with updated suspension settings and new mapping settings, the 2020.5 Rockstar Edition FC450 comes with some great features like the slip on FMF 4.1 Exhaust system, CNC machined Triple clamps, DID Rims and lots of trick anodizing to give this machine a “factory” look.  Please see a detailed list below of all the features that come with the Rockstar edition.

Overview:

Is this bike worth the extra money? In My opinion YES. I now have about 30 hours on this bike thanks to Covid-19 and I’ve made some small inexpensive changes that would allow me to show up and go racing with it as is. I have put on the FMF header to match the exhaust which broadened the power and made me feel I had a better connection to the ground on acceleration. I also purchased some FLO footpegs to give a wider platform and grippier feel.  After riding several different types of tracks and desert trails I feel setting my fork pressure a little on the stiff side has been a great improvement, I still have the front end bite in the corners as well as the holdup that I like with doing so. I currently run my fork pressure at 160 psi and have been happy with that. Lastly, I like running the sag between 95-100mm, anything over 100 gives me a chopper feel in the rear of the bike and throws off the balance of the machine for me. If you’re feeling low in the rear try this setting. 

One thing to point out on the new FC450 is the versatility of the maps. Most riders just use the standard map 1 that comes as you start your new bike, I suggest using the different combinations that are presented. For example, Glen Helen at 9AM freshly tilled calls for map 2 or the aggressive map. At 3PM when the track is choppy and baked out, I suggest map 1 with Traction control. Having the adjustability right at your fingertips is an amazing feature especially when you can change it on the fly on the track.

New Features of the 2020.5 Rockstar Edition FC450:

• Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team graphics 

• Updated WP XACT split air fork with a redesign of the internals
  including a new mid-valve damping system and new oil bypass in
  the outer damping-leg tube to increase comfort and performance 

• Updated settings on the fully adjustable WP XACT rear shock for
  superior suspension performance and feeling 

• Vented airbox cover included that can be changed without the use
  of any tools for a sharper throttle response according to rider
  preference or track conditions 

• PANKL conrod with a bushing in the small end reduces friction for a
  faster revving engine 

• Billet aluminum REKLUSE clutch cover increases durability while
  enhancing the factory look 

• CNC-machined triple clamps with adjustable offset [20 – 22 mm] and
  perfect fork clamping 

• Ultralight FMF Racing Factory 4.1 silencer with titanium body and
  carbon end cap 

• Anodized D.I.D DirtStar rims with machined, anodized hubs and
  three-cross pattern in the front for optimal handling 

• Hydro-formed frame with black premium powder coating 

• Magura hydraulic clutch for perfect modulation in all conditions 

• Floating front waved disc with disc guard 

• Lightweight and robust carbon fiber and polyamide composite
  subframe 

• Carbon fiber reinforced engine protector and mechanical holeshot
  device as standard 

• Handlebar-mounted map select switch also activates launch and
  traction control 

I hope my insight and experience with the 2020.5 Rockstar Edition FC450 has helped your purchasing decision in some fashion. If you ever have any questions feel free to email me at Racing23@alpinestars.com