Kawasaki KX 450

The purpose and functionality of the Kawasaki KX450 are evident by the way it looks. In an intent to make it an effortless motorcycle, for which the rider doesn’t need to worry about much aesthetics, Kawasaki has given the KX450 minimal body panels, all of which combine to give the motorcycle a purposeful look and stance all around. 

The frontal part of the Kawasaki KX450 comprises a wide green-coloured panel in place of a traditional headlamp. This panel has tapered edges on the lower corners and comes with a few creases over it. The Kawasaki KX450 also has a high-mounted front fender, which looks huge and makes the motorcycle look extreme from the front. The Kawasaki KX450 has golden-coloured forks, which are blacked out in their lower half part. 

The Kawasaki KX450 carries the minimalist approach for its side profile too, with the motocross bike having less and only the essential bodywork around the tiny fuel tank and seat. The wide panel around the fuel tank bears the name of the motorcycle and a few decals, while the panels surrounding the long and single seat flow towards the rear in a pointed fashion.

Here, the motorcycle gets its engine and aluminium frame painted in a theme of silver, while the spoke wheels are blacked out, giving the cycle parts a nice contrasted look. The Kawasaki KX450 also gets an additional wide panel over the high-mounted silver-coloured exhaust pipe, to protect the rider from the heat of the exhaust. The spoke wheels here come wrapped with functional-looking off-road-spec tyres.

The Kawasaki KX450 misses out on a traditional instrument console, tail lamp assembly and headlamp unit to keep the overall weight in check, The handlebar, front brake and clutch levers of the motorcycle look basic but are designed for a purpose. The overall fit and finish levels are decent for a motorcycle of this cadre, with the Kawasaki KX450 having a sense of sturdiness all around.

Like all the other Kawasaki motocross bikes, the KX450 also has a rugged and long-travel suspension setup, that has to be its most sophisticated bit. This off-road sports bike has 48mm inverted telescopic forks with adjustable compression and rebound damping and 305mm travel at the front and the New Uni Trak with adjustable dual-range compression damping, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable preload with 307mm travel at the rear.

The long-travel front and rear suspension of the Kawasaki KX450 allows the motorcycle to be an effortless motorcycle to conquer the toughest of the off-road trails. The 21-inch front and 19-inch rear spoke wheels of the Kawasaki KX450 come wrapped with an 80/100-21 tyre at the front and a 120/80-19 tyre at the rear. The high ground clearance of 335mm and a tall seat height of 950mm is purposeful for the Kawasaki KX450, though the latter can be a trouble for shorter riders to get on and off the saddle. The motorcycle has been equipped with a 245mm front petal disc and a 240mm rear petal disc. 

The Kawasaki KX450 comes with a four-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 449cc engine, which is the most powerful and largest engine for the Kawasaki motocross bike lineup. This engine is paired with a 5-speed transmission, this engine produces 52.2 PS of maximum power and 44.2 Nm of maximum torque, making it one of the most powerful sub-450cc motocross bikes on sale.

The KX450 is the flagship motocross motorcycle from Kawasaki and the significant performance on tap calls for safety features like traction control and launch control. The Kawasaki KX450 also comes with a factory-style 28.6mm Renthal aluminium Fatbar in the middle of the handlebar, which can absorb vibrations and shocks coming from off-road surfaces.

For a flagship motocross bike, the Kawasaki KX450 ticks all the right boxes, with the right amount of power, suitable long-travel suspension and potent brakes to make off-road riding exercises a breeze for seasoned riders.