Cycle News Staff | June 21, 2016
Last year Kawasaki went all out with an all-new KX450F, making it lighter, slimmer and easier to ride, so it comes as no surprise that Kawasaki switched its attention on other models for 2017. However, that doesn’t mean the 2017 KX450F was completely ignored. They made some subtle changes to the bike’s suspension, chassis and motor for 2017.
CN test rider Derek Kelley, who owns 250Fs, felt right at home on the larger and more powerful KX450F. Photography by Adam Campbell
The ECU has new mapping aimed at eliminating “decel pop,” while the KYB TAC air fork has updated damping settings to improve overall performance. The triple clamp is new and it’s modeled after what the factory race team use. Out back, new shock linkages and a new swingarm are redesigned to work in harmony with the changes made to the fork. The swingarm has more clearance to reduce rocks and mud from getting stuck in between the tire and swingarm.
Despite getting a major overhaul in 2016, the ’17 KX450F features many smaller refinements. Photography by Adam Campbell
The seat base is stronger to combat cracking and the graphics are now in-molded for increased durability and to make the bike look newer, longer.
For more information on both the 2017 Kawasaki KX450F and KX250F, click HERE
Outright 450cc power is hardly an issue anymore, but containing it is, and the KX450F still does a good job of doing that. Photography by Adam Campbell
QUICK SPIN
Cycle News recently got the chance to spend a few hours at Milestone MX in Southern California to ride the refined 2017 KX450F. The track wasn’t what we would call rough by any means, and it hardly put the KX’s suspension to a real test, but, our initial impression is that there is a slight improvement in overall action from the KYB TAC air fork, which we believe was enhance by the changes made to the rear suspension. We look forward to putting the KX’s chassis through a more rigorous test in the near future, but, for now, we’re pretty happy with how the KX’s legs performed over the big jumps and light chop on the Milestone track.
New triple clamps and revised fork settings seem to improve front-end feel, but we have plenty more testing to do. Photography by Adam Campbell
Not too much to report in the motor department right now, either. With only slight changes to the ECU, the engine feels like it did in 2016—strong, but still easy to control for a big-bore high-performance four-stroke single motocrosser.
New in-mold graphics will keep the KX looking nice a lot longer. Photography by Adam Campbell
Cycle News will be putting a lot more time on the KX450F and will have a full test out soon. If you’d like to read our review of the 2016 Kawasaki KX450F, click HERE
—ADAM BOOTH
For more Cycle News Motocross motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
For more Kawasaki motorcycle reviews, click HERE.
