Kawasaki KLX450R 2007 Review

Offering lighter weight, better suspension and sophisticated engine designs, these smaller models are the way of the future.

Kawasaki has waited a long time to join the water-cooled 450cc enduro-trail market. Meanwhile, its main rivals, including Yamaha, Honda and KTM, have stolen a march in sales and customer loyalty.

Even smaller rivals, such as Sherco and Aprilia, offer a performance 450cc. So, for 2008, Kawasaki has released the KLX450R, based on its 450F motocrosser. It is already in the shops with many dealers offering a demo.

Lightweight engine flywheels and aggressive camshaft timing make the 450F racer an experts-only ride.

Heavier flywheels and softer cam timing, combined with a lower seat height and revised suspension, give the 450R an amazing level of usability in every day trail-riding conditions.

As an amateur dirt rider, more familiar with last century's 650cc air-cooled enduro singles, I approached the test Kawasaki with scepticism.

It would be fun to ride, I thought. But surely it would also be exhausting to spend any time in the saddle, with a snappy motor and knife-edge handling.

The introduction seemed to fit my prejudices. The fuel tap was hard to find and the choke lever was tucked away so far inside the frame that it was like picking a lock to activate it.

But the KLX450R fired up readily on the starter button. First impressions on the move was a very light clutch action, gentle and supple suspension, and a tonne of torque.

Kawasaki's engineers have done a brilliant job of pushing power delivery down to the bottom end of the rev range while retaining a strong top end rush. Some magazine testers claim the top end is noticeably less than its rivals, but that should be a bonus for the average weekend warrior.

This low-down torque is the main contributing factor to the ease with which you can pilot the KLX450R across a variety of trail conditions. After several hours riding I still felt pretty fresh, helped also by the Kawasaki's light weight and plush suspension, which forgives the occasional rider error. Try that on your old air-cooled thumper.

Proof of the all-round performance of this all-new model was demonstrated in the recent South Australian 24-Hour Reliability Trial.

Four 250km laps of farmland and public dirt roads are a true riding test.  

Snapshot

Kawasaki KLX450R

Price: $11,990

Engine: single-cylinder, 4-stroke 449 cc

Transmission: 5-speed

Fuel tank: 8 litres

Seat height: 935mm