Words: Dylan Wills

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Over the past few years Kawasaki has had its fair share of success with the KX450F. Recently-retired Ryan Villopoto dominated the premier class on the American stage for a number of years, so when Kawasaki released photos of their brand new 2016 model, it caught the attention of riders worldwide.

After plenty of success with previous model 450s, the all-new 2016 Kawasaki KX450F was definitely a bike I was looking forward to spinning some laps on and it’s fair to say the guys over at Kawasaki have definitely been hard at work putting together a package that is even better then their championship winning machine.

In my eyes, they have done exactly that. Significant amounts of weight saving made to the engine and chassis on the 2016 model makes this bike the lightest bike in the premier class according to Kawasaki’s press materials. For the 2016 KX450F, Kawasaki have delivered a lighter, faster machine.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Once I lifted this bike off the stand to go for my initial ride, the first thing I noticed was how light it really is. So as soon as I hit the track, the first thing I had in mind was to see if’s possibly ‘too’ light for how much power it has behind it. That wasn’t the case. Kawasaki has done a great job in terms of balance of the latest KX450F, so that the power is useable.

Onto the Showa SFF-Air TAC fork, having already been a fan of this fork in the previous KX450F, I was excited to feel any improvements made on the new model and I think Kawasaki has made the necessary changes to improve the feel even further.

One of the major handling changes made was narrowing the thickness across the frame’s main beams and it also features revised rigidity to contribute to a better feeling of the front-end.

I had the chance to work with the guys from Kawasaki to make changes to the forks and, when combined with the chassis updates, as a stock standard package these forks are highly capable. I found they dive in the front under harder braking areas just a little bit, but it turns unbelievably on the slow speed turns – I felt like I could turn the bike whenever I wanted.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

We decided to try and get rid of that diving feeling and it was an easy fix. The guys simply just pumped a little more air into the outer chamber, giving the fork a nice plush feeling over braking bumps without diving entering turns. Problem solved!

Updated bodywork for the 2016 is a massive tick in my book, including even slimmer radiator shrouds thanks to re-oriented radiators, a flatter seat/tank and a smooth, seamless design that makes it so much easier to move around on the bike. It provides you the comfort of not getting your knee braces and boots hung up on corners and edges as well.

One of my favourite features on the 2016 Kawasaki KX450F and one that we also saw on the previous model is the adjustable footpeg heights. This feature is one that caters to riders of all different heights. Myself being a taller rider, I like to run the footpegs at a comfortable distance from the seat, enabling so much more feel and room.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Personally, this also compliments the front-end, being able to customise the room given to me on the bike. A choice of four different handlebar positions is also another awesome feature. This one is more for personal preference and I’m definitely a big fan.

Handlebar positions play a massive part in the way you move around, steer and generally ride a bike, so I believe having the options to suit your riding style is a great feature.

Once again in 2016 we also see the return of the launch control button on the handlebars, which is yet again another great feature. Having raced all over the country this year doing starts on many different surfaces including concrete, I know that the launch control feature would have come in very handy on some of the harder-packed surfaces and definitely on the concrete. The launch control name speaks for itself and it does exactly that – controlling the way your bike reacts off the start line.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

An new lightweight ECU was specifically designed to withstand the harshness of racing motocross. The ECU features three different engine maps (plus the fourth launch control mode). I’m a massive fan of the ‘Soft Surface’ setting, giving the bike that extra bit of punch on the exit of the turns that I was looking for. A new KX FI accessory enables map calibration without a PC and is sold separately.

On the 2016 KX450F we also see a larger diameter 270mm front braking disc, which is an upgrade I definitely noticed on the bike. The larger diameter disc gives you stronger stopping power and added control. We had a perfect track to test this on with uphills, downhills and drop-aways. I really tried to push my braking limits to their absolute maximum and it was quite noticeable that the stopping power was improved over the previous model.

Now for the 449cc fuel injected, four-stroke engine, Kawasaki has made an engine that delivers hard-hitting power throughout the RPM range. For 2016 a few changes to the intake and an off-set cylinder offer even more power.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

In saying that, the power of the bike is really usable. On a track that mainly has flat turns, it was obvious that using the torque of the bike was going to be needed and I honestly found it hard to break traction exiting hard, flat turns. For me, this was great; a hard hitting, but very controllable power.

Overall I’m definitely a fan of the all-new 2016 Kawasaki KX450F, in dealerships now for $11,199. Kawasaki engineers have made a step in the right direction once again, further bettering what was already and awesome machine. For further information on the model visit our technical post at this link and visit www.kawasaki.com.au for detailed specifications.