“This thing rocks!”
That’s what I kept thinking during my first few miles aboard the 2008 KLX450R, Kawasaki’s all-new competition-minded enduro bike. I was completely surprised by the bike’s stellar performance as I carved up the first sandwash just outside of Wickenburg, Arizona, at the bike’s press launch. Yes, surprised: I wasn’t expecting the bike to be so good right out of the box, never mind on the first mile of trail. After all, this new bike has the same KLX prefix as the KLX300, which is questionable as far as competitive off-road machinery goes. Also, it’s been a long time since Kawasaki has had a good Open-class off-roader. But now this KLX450R had me wondering if it was maybe the best enduro bike period_. It felt that good.
I shouldn’t have been so surprised. It’s not as if Kawasaki is new to off-road racing; in fact, it wrote the book on how to be successful in Baja back when two-stroke smoke from the KX500 filled the peninsula. Even so, when it came time to build the KLX450R, Kawasaki turned to its motocross roots, using the KX450F as the foundation.
The KX-F proved to be a solid base for the KLX; so much so that the twin-spar frame is exactly the same on both, save for a couple of brackets. As for the rest of the chassis, most of the key components are taken straight from the KX-F. Most importantly, the KLX uses the same KYB suspension front and rear—minus the diamond-like coating (DLC) on the fork tubes—and both shock and fork are tuned for off-road demands. Changed is an 18-inch rear wheel that replaces the 19-incher found on the motocrosser and a heavy-duty O-ring chain is used for enhanced off-road durability.
Also carried from the KX-F is the four-valve, liquid-cooled, 449cc powerplant. It’s been altered for off-road duty; the flywheel weight has been doubled, the cam and lift timing has been changed and wide-ratio gears have been placed in the transmission. There’s also an electric starter and that wonderful button on the handlebar. The muffler is beefed up for sound issues and the exhaust uses an extended header to bump up torque in the low and midrange. With these motor changes, Kawasaki’s engineers were able to transform the high-octane power on the KX450F into a user-friendly and environmentally sound package.
That first sandwash led me to a trail circuit that kept me riding all day and even into the night. The best part about the bike is the ultra-plush suspension that soaks up the worst of the terrain, keeping things stable. The chassis is nimble, feeling even lighter than the motocrosser at times. The motor helps keep the bike feel feathery, with responsive power that hooks up in loose stuff. The exhaust note is nearly too quiet as the bike flies stealthily through the desert.
After riding the KLX, I’m almost embarrassed for questioning its off-road savvy. The bike’s capabilities go way beyond being a merely competitive off-road machine.
Sound Off! If you had to pick one off-roader...