I've spent the last hour reading through all the posts. I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for. A couple things that have attracted me to the KXF is the tall and roomy feel (I'm 6'3"). And it is faster than most 450's. Things that have me concerned...I have never owned a Kawasaki, some say it has a heavy feel, and the suspension is goofy (something to do with the rear end). So, as owners of the KXF, you know what little things you love and things you don't like. I am hoping for honest answers as to your struggles with the bike. Not this bike is the best you should get one.

I am being extremely picky at what bike I want next. I currently ride a modified 2003 YZ250 (which is very fast, just lacks the torqy feel I like) and I had an 06 RMZ450 in the past. Had to sell it for financial reasons. I am looking for a powerful bike that handles well and is roomy. I have not ridden a bike that is too fast yet. I'm not that fast but I think I have excellent throttle control. I am assuming I will need new springs right off the bat, as well as exhaust and bars.

I like the YZ very much but I have had it since Nov. 2002 and although it gets the job done, I'm a bit bored with it. I have no reason to sell it or get a new bike but I find myself wanting something different. It does almost everything I ask of it. I have however spent thousands of dollars on it as this is the bike I have learned on. Its taken me 5 yrs of on and off riding/racing to figure out everything I like in regards to setup. So please let me know your thoughts on this bike.

if its the tourquey feel your after the kxf has this and more bars are renthal as standard springs you should set up anyway some say the kyb suspension is not as good as showa as used on other bikes but i can honestly say since setting my spring rates and oiling up mine feels progressive soft and doesnt bottom out the only problem i had was cutting out on hairpin bends when i chop the throttle but have sorted that with an aftermarket fuel screw and a 55 leak jet other than that i love it and wouldnt swap it for anything else

ive had the 06 rmz 450,05 crf 450 and 03 yz 450.this bike out of the box,the first time i rode it was better than the others.i have had the suspension done and added a pipe(only because i dented the stocker).the pipe is definitely not needed.i have a buddy about your same height that races his 06 kx 450 in the b class very competitively and he loves the roominess of it.in fact hes rode the bike for over a year and still has the stock bars on it.my only real issue with the bike was i felt it could turn a little better.shortening the wheelbase and running the forks up in the clamps took care of that.im sure all the new 450's will be great for anyone once they set them up to their liking but the kawi definitely has a slight advantage and it seems to fit taller riders better.i havent rode an aluminum framed yz 450 and would really like to.i hear the 08 is good and would like to see for myself.bottom line,you wont be dissappointed if you choose the kawi.

WHat KYB suspension is on there? Is it the new stuff that the YZF's get? S3

yes it is

Plus the "bling" coating!

VETMX808 said:

i wonder if you can actually feel the difference with the dlc coating or is it just "bling"?

The biggest thing it will do is help resist scratching and chipping. Does it actually make the forks work better, I have no clue!

First set of forks I have had that did not end up with a bit of a notchy feeling after the first couple of months.

These feel smooth through the stroke all the time.

Does that coating wear off?

I also read recently, that the 07 motor has brutal hit. Too abrupt which leads to wheel spin then goes flat on top.

I have only been on an 04CRF450 and 06RMZ450. The CRF is geared up +1 with powerbomb header and its fast. The RMZ was slightly easier to ride and torqy. But went flat on top. Power felt limited. The CRF had gobs of power. Which is what I want. But the motor is the only thing I like about the CRF. Not a comfortable bike for me.

mxjosh said:

No, DLC coating does not wear off, if it does, then something is wrong with the forks.

Tune the motor as you please by changing the gearing. Stock gearing lets you feel what the motor is all about, POWER. If you want a smoother power band, go to a 49 or even a 48 in the rear. The only mod for the motor I have is running the White Brothers Aluminum Pro Exhaust System and jetted to my likeing.

My bike has 63.9 hours on it, same piston. No one pulls me, unless they just flat out have better skills (which happens on more than one occassion :cry: ) but that is because I am old and slow.

DLC? Lasts longer than the "plating" on std forks.

Brutal hit? DRD header and a 49 in the rear.

Suspension? Get the tools aout and start clicking...there's NOTHING better than the legs on the KX450 (As far as stock goes...).

You're a big dude so you're proll'y gonna need springs and add some compression (For starters...and...don't change any of this stuff 'til you've put a couple of hours and have done some adjusting).

So is there a brutal hit or not? Its not going to scare me away from the bike, I'm just trying to figure out how true certain reviews are. I don't even think I would tune it out, I just wanted to know if you guys consider it "brutal hit?" Like I said, I haven't ridden a bike I couldn't control which includes a 65hp CR500. I just don't know what brutal hit means in regards to this bike.

Thanks for the info on the DLC? For some reason I thought you couldn't touch it like the green proCircuit coating. Which I heard was difficult to upkeep.

even the 03 yz 450 i had was fine once i got used to it.the bike does not have a "brutal" hit.it does spool up much quicker than others though.

mxjosh said:

What it does is make a LOT of traction-grabbing torque...very...very...quickly.
This is more of a Hard Pulling power than it is a Brutal hit...hence...KX450s get their fair share of Hole-Shots.

Thanks for clearing that up. Sounds much better put that way.

what about the long range of power differences in the 06 Kx450 modle, it seems to be less torque than the 5 speed

I throw in my 2 cents as the 07 is the first 4 stroke that I have owned. I haven’t noticed any hit with this engine. Like others have said it just pulls hard and spools quickly. With a little throttle control these bikes are easier to ride than any 250 2stroke that I have ever ridden. I’m a big dude too (6’2”) and fat, I would definitely recommend some higher bar clamps and a higher bar bend. I feel like I’m going over the bars when braking hard.

Torq is a hard thing to beat. Even in automobiles, a torqy engine is always easier to drive than high RPM motor. Although the high RPM motor is fun to drive, you have to be in the mood to drive that way. Ok now that the motor is cleared up, have you guys owned a bike that corners better than the KXF? I don't want to fight the bike. My buddies CRF450 has a dancy front end that doesn't inspire confidence but it does corner well. My 06RMZ 450 just cornered weird. It would out corner any bike I've had but the way it went about it was so much different than other bikes. It had very little turn in. To get it to rail, you just leaned it over and then it would corner. Until you leaned it over, it felt like it always wanted to go straight.

i felt like that on my kxf it took some getting used to as i came off a cr250 it felt like it wanted to go straight then i pushed my forks up in the clamps to 10 mm instead of 5 i love the way it corners now i do have to lean in but now my corner speed is quicker than ever