Give me the goods on the 08 kx450. After years on kx 2 strokes, I bought a 2005 crf 450r in 2005.I love the bike and cant begin to tell you all how durable it has been. I am a maintenance freak and this bike is still in top notch condition. The valves have never moved since new.No problems what so ever.:ride: ..Heres where I need your input. I am strongly considering getting a 08 450. I ride strictly motocross 2 to 3 times a week. Is the kx geared towards the taller guys? (I'm 6' ) What about the suspension,are you happy with it? (I weigh 180 pounds) Does this bike turn well? Is it going to be reliable ? I keep waiting for the magazines to review it but I haven't found anything yet.It's going to come down to the crf or the kx. Help me...... Thanks for the replies.

search the forum my friend.....you will see many Honda converts (including myself) who find the KXF better suited for the taller rider.

Me? 6'2" 220 lbs. 08 KXF450 running .49kg front and 5.8kg rear...and really happy!

I would tell you that the 08 KX450F should win the bike of the year shootout. I'm a vet rider at 6'8" 180lbs. Was stiff for me at first, so I dropped 1 down on front and rear springs and had it re-valved, rides like a dream now.
The power was great and hit over the entire power band. I change the stock gearing from 13/50 to 13/48. I now pull second in most corners without having to shift right after exit. It also kinda tamed the beast down a bit with the re-gearing.
I have no regrets with the 08 KX450

Just about to get an o8, have 07 kx 450f and have had no problems what so ever, i am 6 ft 200pds, and ride only moto or supercross 3 or 4 times a week.
They are a pretty tall bike anyway, and have excellent suspension.
They have solid power all round, and i have yet had another 450 pull away from it, they are fast ! go for it, you will love it if there anything like an 07!

the 08 kx450f is most definitely better suited to taller riders. I'd say anyone near 5'10" or larger will notice the uncramped fit of the kawi.

I have an 08, I am 5' 11 180# , the bike's suspension is great ,I had an 06 with mb1 suspension and this is noticably better.It turns great and feels light. I used to prefer my kx 250 in the tight woods but I dont think i will be riding it anymore.

AST said:

If you really love your crf450r you should probably keep it or get another. Try a KX450f and if you like it go for it. I love my KX450f and have no desire for any other 450 for many years to come. I keep waiting for the magazine reviews too just to see what they have to say about it but I already know what they should say about it. I'm 5'10" so can't comment on the tall thing but I love the way it fits and feels.

westin said:

OK. Everyone agrees the KX is good for tall guys. Even 5'9" me wants to try a low seat. But what dimensions cause this feeling? eg. If you look at seat height and ground clearance specs, the KX is within the normal range. I think the YZ450F is actually specd with the highest seat. For sure they are all within an inch on seat height, but rider's spines and limbs differ by much more. The bar grips can be positioned/changed to have anything you want. So is it because the KX has the pegs in a different position or are the manufacturer specs BS, or what??

great thread AST i am also a CRF450 owner that is looking at switching to the green bike, i am sick of the valve problems with my CRF, are there any valve issues with the KX450?

TODD444 said:

I have over 80 Hours on my 07 and no valveproblems or adjustments.

What are the kawi's like in the real tight stuff? I do some offroad and found my 07 yamaha to be a bit of a pig in this going.

I switched from an 05 CRF also and the kawis turn better for sure.

teamhonda15 said:

My 05 CRF450 threw me on the ground so many times!! I could not get the skittishness out of the front end.

Loving the 08 KXF450

sean mps said:

I ride my 06 at a friend's farm where we have a woods circuit with a wide speed range and also a mini MX track which is 2nd and 3rd gear only with many 90 and 180 turns. My bike turns great in my opinion. Just drop the front clamps at least 5mm lower than stock, check your rubber and tire pressure suits the terrain, set your bars how you like, and dial in your sag until you can sit where you are comfortable. Then go hard at a corner, late brake, tip it in and dial on the throttle. No dramas. This should be relevant since the 06 and 08 have the same frame/fork geometry and I believe very similar rear linkages (the 07 being a bit different in the linkage).

AST said:

What??? The valves have NEVER been moved? :confused: How many minutes has your CRF?:confused: Sorry about my reaction, but it's the 1st time I heard that CRF valves are NOT a problem... You know, I've been red also, and then I saw the light, and trade it by a grrrreen one!:worthy:

After break in, I had to shim. After that, they have never moved again! I check them often and they are always in spec. I put a new piston and rings in last winter and was planning on having the valves done but they were still perfect. I ride hard and often but I try to stay off the rev limiter. The bike has been great to me but I am thinking of going back to green. The biggest complaint I have about my 05 is the turning. I have tried everything and it still isnt as I want it.

Never touched my valves on my 07, ride it pretty hard , and get them checked every 10hrs.

AST said:

Oh god! I still have nightmares regarding my 05 CRF450. The front end was like cat sitting under a rocking chair...

High speed arcing corners and the front end was everywhere. sweepers I could not hold the inside line. Sometimes knife, sometime push. Tried linkage, clamps, valving. Finally solved the problem with an 06 KXF450, now the 08 KXF450.

I am very very happy.

and yes, I had 4 valve adjust on the 04 and the 05 CRFs in a year of riding...and I'm an old guy.

Open_Class said:

Interesting since you played with some major variables, and I assume basics like the front/rear ride height and springs. So if you had to guess - what would you put that poor CRF 04,05 handling down to? I know there are many variables and they are not independent of each other. But wondering if you have an opinion. Could it still have been the valving? I guess not. So something else like the fork angle, wheelbase, swing arm length, engine/cylinder position, frame flex or what?

All CRF and KX450 models appear to have the same basic design and dimensions, plus all the internal parts rotate in the same directions. I came off KX 2 strokes in my youth then a 9 yr gap to a 06 KX so maybe I am spoiled and know no different for thumpers. With good valving and external adjustments my 06 KX can be made to take any corner very well. Like one hand with 2 finger steering kind of well. So why some bikes cannot be fixed or at least made mostly right in the same way (external adjustments) has me beat.

At the recent Sydney motor show, the 08 YZ450 looks like it has the more upright cylinder like all the KX450Fs have. Was that a handling limiting problem in the early CRFs? Hey, you seen the pics of new Husaberg 2009 prototype - cylinder leans forward so only 20 up from horizontal. What the ....?

Would the kx450 will be a bad choice for someone of my size 5"8? Sorry to go off of topic a little.