Early this spring, Kawasaki invited the media to the unveiling of the new KLX450R off-road bike. The green machine meet-and-greet-press-extravaganza took place in the rugged desert scrub just north of Phoenix Arizona. While us Yankees might talk a good game about technical single-track woods riding and how wide open it is in the middle of the desert, all it took were a few chance encounters with the local cacti to make the trail shrink down to size. Kawasaki staffers did a fantastic job laying out a challenging, no-holds barred, single-track course with plenty of diversity.

Although we couldn’t find any mud, the rocks, deep sand, whoops, (did I mention the butt-puckering cactus?) and plenty of elevation changes allowed us to experience the new desert/woods racer in a comprehensive fashion. All riders were warned to look out for cattle on the trail and coincidently we were served delicious hunks of steak that very same evening…hmm…I’m not telling. We logged over 60 miles throughout the day with plenty of time to evaluate the bike and speak with some of the key players involved in bringing the newest Kawasaki to market.

The 50-state KLX450R comes ready to race right off the showroom floor. The bike is just wonderful to ride. Power delivery is linear and smooth—and it’s very effective at providing you with steady, forward motion—the kind of power that won’t wear you out.

While the KLX450R trail racer is based on Kawasaki’s proven KX450F motocross bike, engineers have tactically modified the green machine to meet the rigors of off-road riding. The fuel tank carries 2.1 gallons for slightly longer ride times, a five speed wide-ratio gearbox works well and shifting is smooth and precise. A 35 watt headlight is standard up front and a really cool-looking LED running light brings up the rear.

The KLX comes with the coveted magic button–a powerful electric starter makes quick work of turning the engine over. While we had some trouble starting our bike in the morning and after a brief cool-down at lunch, we had no problem firing it up once the engine reached operating temperature. Some jetting issues to sort out for another day, possibly. Other must-have off-road goodies include an 18-inch rear wheel, O-ring chain, a reserve setting on the fuel tank valve, a back-up kick-starter accompanied by an automatic compression release system, an aluminum skid-plate, high quality Renthal handlebars and a kickstand that actually works. Stock grips held up well and were comfortable enough to never pay them any attention.

Except for the choke knob (more on this later), most all components are easily accessible and on first inspection look as if they are easy to adjust and service. For example, the left-side airbox cover features a quick release access panel that makes for seemingly painless air filter service. Inspection windows and placement of both brake master cylinders makes maintaining fluid levels less of a chore. The location and access points for oil and filter changes looks simple enough as well. In all, we’re glad to see this attention to detail paid to serviceability. All too often we’re given the impression that serviceability is an afterthought on many machines.

The engine in the KLX is not all that different from the KX motocrosser, but the Kawasaki engineers wanted to develop a more reliable motor with less onthe- edge power characteristics. To accomplish this they used one-millimeter smaller steel exhaust valves instead of titanium, the cam lift and timing are modified for more low and mid-range grunt, there’s a flywheel that’s twice as heavy as the KX and the ignition mapping has been slightly revised. Of course there are other changes, such as gearing and exhaust, but the point is that the modifications were made with the application of off-road riding in mind.

A few words on the stock gearing…first gear is your Willies’ stump-puller and way too low for most conditions. We primarily found ourselves riding in second and third gears. You can start the bike in second in most situations and go from there. The remaining gears feel logically spaced and keep the bike moving along without any need for thought. Owing to the bike’s ample low-end torque, you can lug it a gear high and confidently pull through most circumstances. We’re not sure how the stock gearing would work back East, but first thoughts are to gear the bike down a few teeth in the rear to make better use of the available ratios in the tight stuff, saving first gear for getting you out of unplanned pickles. While cruising down a long straight-away in fifth gear, we looked down at the speedometer and saw numbers in the 70s–this without hardly trying. The KLX wants to run fast in the desert and would probably benefit from slightly taller gearing if that was our primary riding location. You’d certainly make better use of first gear with taller gearing.

The KLX450 shares the same engine as the KX450F, with additions aimed at making the power more tractable for off road. Like most new bikes these days, an odo/speedo is standard.

The KLX shares the same basic aluminum frame as the KX and works well off road. Attention to detail has been placed on designing the bike for riding in the seated position. A wider base, slip-resistant top and smooth sides made it easy to move around on. Sitting down is remarkably comfortable. I would know–I just had surgery and am still feeling plenty tender down there, but had no trouble riding this bike all day. The seat was made for long rides and middle-aged beer drinkers who think beef jerky counts as a serving of vegetables in the food pyramid. You’ll love the seat.

It is worth noting that there were no awkward protuberances to scuff our knees, legs or thighs. Whether it’s just the luck of how it all went together or not, fit and finish has been well addressed on this bike.

The suspension on the KLX is right on par with the rest of the machine; both the Kayaba fork and shock units are borrowed directly from the KX. Both are also slightly modified for off-road use. Of noteworthy mention is a fork damping system that is supposed to keep oil and air separated for more stable damping performance. The shock features dual compression adjustability letting the rider adjust both high and lowspeed damping. So how does it work? We encountered all kinds of terrain with plenty of sketchy conditions and felt confident in all but the deepest of sand. The front end tucked on us a few times in some washes but we managed to power through these sections and adjust our riding style next time around. While we didn’t fool with suspension settings except for configuring the initial sag, all adjustments are easy to get at and certainly worthy of experimentation. The bike is really plush as it comes and truth be told we just wanted to keep riding and enjoying ourselves.

With the mid-day sun beating down and temperatures rising we kept our eyes and noses on the KLX’s coolant reservoir tank. The bike doesn’t have a cooling fan but fortunately it doesn’t seem to need it. Our machine ran strong all day and never boiled over or felt to be running hot.

Despite some initial vagueness in the rear brake early in the day, once the pads broke-in everything was fine. Both front and rear units are powerful and never showed signs of fading. Wave rotors are trick looking and purported to keep the pads cleaner. Remember the awkward routing of the front brake line on earlier KLX’s? That’s all figured out on the 450R, with everything routed neatly out of the harm’s way. Kawasaki engineers apparently did a terrific job reworking the clutch actuating system. While we’ve never tested the KX450F we can tell you the clutch pull is super light and smooth. Visually the cable looks awkward, making its straight run into the engine cases, but it works. It remains to be seen if heavy forested trails will pose a problem for this design. We’d hate to have a downed tree grab hold of a protruding cable.

Rolling along, the bike feels narrow and nimble. The cockpit is neither cramped nor uncomfortable. Although the KLX is claimed to weigh nearly 22 pounds more than the KX it still feels plenty light on the trail. The only place you’ll notice the weight is when you have to lift the rear end to reposition the bike, such as pulling yourself out of a rut or when you’re spinning the bike around to change direction and get slightly out of shape. Otherwise even in the slowest of terrain it is well balanced and hides the weight well. At 253.5 pounds dry you’ll swear the bike weighs much less. We can’t stress our amazement with how agile and sleek the KLX feels. Lofting the front end over obstacles was never a problem and we quickly found the KLX eager to please, intuitively responding to rider inputs without protest.

Comparisons to the ten year old KLX300R or Kawazuki KLX400 are a moot point. This bike is all new and makes both models appear anemic and portly. Progress is a wonderful thing. The KLX450R feels more like a KDX200 on steroids, with particular emphasis on its user-friendliness both in terms of power delivery and handling. Riding an open-class machine can be a nerve-racking experience for a beginner – such is not the case with the KLX. Kudos to Kawasaki for producing a truly versatile motor. It will lug down low, chug up a hill a gear high, pull hard from a near stand and still rev along happily wide open. Incidentally, Jeff Fredette (known as a KDX200 oracle in most off-road circles) was on hand to test the bike and made his enthusiasm to ride the KLX in future events no secret. Off-road rock star Larry Roeseler, former owner of Stroker Performance (a company devoted to squeezing every bit of performance out of the KLX250/300 bikes) smiled with satisfaction at the new machine. Back in the day Stroker had pushed the limits of the former KLX in performance mods. This new 450 will now seal the old bike’s fate.

The powers that be at Kawasaki deserve a lot of credit for producing an off-road race bike with a socially responsible exhaust note. The KLX is perfectly tuned with the system it comes with, and while we know people are going to fool with it there is really no need to. In stock trim you get an oversized 41 mm header made from lightweight titanium, so there is begin with. The rich tone is pleasant and completely innocuous. It’s so quiet that you can often hear chain lash and tires spinning rocks over the engine noise. In some cases this could really be an advantage, such as when you’re sneaking up to pass that guy in front of you – he won’t know you’re there until you’ve slipped by. We hope to see KLX owners retain the stock system and thereby retain our right to ride on the land we still have available to us. The bike hauls just the way it is and only the most talented of riders are going to be needing more juice. Great job here.

What didn’t we like? The choke is positioned neatly behind the left frame spar, but is almost completely obstructed by the fuel line, which is fixed in place by a plastic holder. If your hands are larger than a fourthgrader’s or you are wearing motorcycle gloves prepare for a brief struggle. The high-tech digital instrument cluster features an easy to read speedometer, dual tripmeter, odometer and clock. Operation is intuitive and easy to operate except for when you come to a stop. When you kill the engine all your gauges go dark. So if you want to see how far you’ve traveled you’ll need to restart the bike. A delayed shut-down feature is sorely needed here. The wire from the sending unit to the speedometer seems vulnerable in its routing. We had no problems but would keep an eye on it. The compact headlight will get you home at night but plan to upgrade or carry additional lighting if you want to effectively ride in the dark. Other than tearing off our rear brake disc guard on a rock nothing broke or malfunctioned.

While the KLX is race-ready out of the crate it remains disappointing that the majority of OEMs are not acknowledging the call for road-legal competition off-road machines. We understand this is a purposebuilt bike that has no business navigating city streets, but you don’t have to look far within these pages to find a race entry form requiring all bikes to have a current registration and license plate. The bike is superquiet already and probably wouldn’t need much to make it DOT compliant, but what do we know? The Kawasaki engineers on-hand cringed when we mentioned “blinkers,” and there was passionate discussion about why this would never happen. We’re sure enterprising riders will continue to find ways to satisfy this requirement on their own. Until then, the KLX will have to sit on the sidelines and watch at events where only registered bikes are permitted.

The KLX450R retails for $7299 and is heating up Kawasaki dealer floors now. If you are in the market for a new bike and green goes well with your riding gear, do yourself a favor and take a closer look at the new KLX. It’s an astounding trail bike and there is no doubt it could win you races (not to mention the envy of your friends). Should we get the chance, we look forward to putting some more time on this bike in our native element – tight wooded trails filled with slick roots and New England style rocks. Expect to get passed by one this year–chances are you won’t even hear it coming.

2008 Kawasaki KLX450R Specifications
Engine Liquid-cooled four-stroke, DOHC
Displacement 449cc
Bore x stroke 96.0mm x 62.1mm
Compression ratio 12.0:1
Carburetion Keihin FCR40
Ignition Digital AC-CDI
Starting Electric, with primary kick backup
Transmission Wide-ratio five-speed
Final drive O-ring chain
Frame Aluminum, perimeter design
Rake / trail 27.7 degrees / 4.8 in.
Front suspension 48mm Kayaba AOS cartridge fork
Fork Adj 22-comp/20-rebound
Rear suspension Kayaba Uni-Trak
Shock adj. 22-low-comp, var. hs-comp, 22-rebound
Suspension travel 12 inches front, 12.4 inches rear
Tires 80/100-21 front, 110/100-18 rear
Front brake 250mm petal rotor/ dual-piston caliper
Rear brake 240mm petal rotor/ single-piston caliper
Overall length 85.8 inches
Overall width 32.3 inches
Overall height 49.4 inches
Seat height 37 inches
Wheelbase 58.3 inches
Ground clearance 12.6 inches
Fuel capacity 2.1 gallons
Dry weight 253.5 lbs.