Kawasaki KX450F

Overview

The KX450F is serving as the flagship off-road motorcycle in Kawasaki’s motorcycle portfolio in the Malaysian market. The dirt bike has been known for its off-road prowess and tackling the imperfect terrains with ease. The motorcycle is not legal for urban usage, however, it is meant to provide cheap thrills with a minimal approach in visual appeal. Kawasaki retails the KX450F for RM 25,499 in only one paint shade of green.

Design

Dirt bikes are usually engineered keeping pure performance and handling in mind, with cosmetic appeal and design being at the last of the priority list. This is why the KX450F has been blessed with a minimal design with limited bodywork, in order to keep the overall weight in check.

At the front, the Kawasaki KX450F comes with a blank white visor in place of a conventional headlamp, thus making the front end very light weighted. The typical trait of all the off-road motorcycles of a high mounted front fender is present on the KX450F as well.

From the side, the KX450F comes with a very sleek design with minimalist but sharply styled and angular body panels. The fuel tank has a very thin design but positioned quite highly. The single piece seat is almost flat and blends with the fuel tank and side body panels quite effortlessly. The side profile also exhibits the exposed frame quite beautifully, making the motorcycle look quite aggressive.

At the rear, the KX450F misses out on a conventional tailpiece with tail light and turn indicators. Instead of it, the motorcycle comes with an angular tail cowl which acts as an extension of the seat at the rear. The under-seat exhaust pipe has a bulky design with a plastic cowl over it for better heat protection.

Another minimalist attempt in the KX450F happens to be the absence of a proper instrument console. Instead, here, the motorcycle comes with a pure flat handlebar with circular rubber pad over the center of the handlebar and silver finished levers for front brake and clutch. The pure off-road spec tyres add to the visual appeal, apart from serving their very purpose of building up traction on rough roads.

Ride & Handling

The Kawasaki KX450F is built around an aluminum perimeter frame. It comes fitted with a pair of 49 mm, inverted telescopic forks SFF-Air TAC (Separate Function front Fork Air - Triple Air Chamber) with adjustable compression and rebound damping at the front and Uni-Trak mono-shock with adjustable dual-range (high/low speed) compression damping, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable preload at the rear.

As expected from a dirt bike, the suspension is set on the stiffest mode in order to make the overall handling a child’s play. The braking setup of 270mm disc brake at the front and a 240mm disc brake at the rear are strong enough and complement the light weighted nature of the motorcycle pretty well.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Kawasaki KX450F sources its thrust from a four-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 449cc engine. This engine, mated to a six-speed gearbox, has a short stroke design. And while Kawasaki refrains from announcing its power and torque figures, they are roughly in the same region as a conventional 500cc motor.

However, what helps the KX450F is the fact that it has got a tremendous power-to-weight ratio, courtesy the very low kerb weight of 109 kgs. This makes the overall performance very peppy, with quick acceleration figures on tap.

Braking & Safety

In the name of safety list, the Kawasaki KX450F, apart from the disc brake setup at both the ends, comes with launch control in order to keep the wheel spins while hard throttling conditions under control.

Verdict

The Kawasaki KX450F is quite pricey for the amount it asks. However, this minimalist package impresses with its light weighted frame and stiff suspension setup, making it a brilliant handling machine. This sharp riding dynamics of the KX450F only gets even more enjoyable with the performance-oriented engine it has got under the minimalist clothing. The KX450F might not be legal to use on the streets. However, if weekend off-roading in a closed periphery is what you are looking for, the KX450F is an amazing track tool for the job.