First off, we've got a trio of videos that you can check out (click the images below), or you can dive straight into the text .
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| Get a quick overview of the new features from Kawasaki's Russ Brenan, plus some from-the-saddle comments from Jeff Emig. |
Timmy Ferry describes the difference in ride feel from the a traditional carb to the fuel injection. |
Kawasaki's Theo Lockwood desribes how you can tune the fuel injection with Kawasaki's optional KX FI Calibration tool. |
Ever since Electronic Fuel Injection started making appearances on motocross bikes, there has been plenty of fascination about its potential. The idea of never having to hassle with jetting definitely intrigues riders…whether it’s over a wide range of operating temperature, or heading from low to high altitude while maintaining the same performance, pure throttle roll-on performance (without bogging), and more stability even after hard landings. The benefits are obvious, and riders are intrigued.
The 2009 Kawasaki KX450F. |
Kawasaki has entered the fuel-injected fray for ’09, but if you think the carb-less bike is the only story…well, you’d be sadly mistaken. They came with a huge list of redesigned components for their new big-bore thumper.
Ready to dig in? Let’s go.
Fuel Injection
This is one of the first areas that everyone gravitates toward, and even Timmy Ferry mentioned that he had no idea what it would look like…except that, like always, there’s not really much to look at on a fuel-injected bike. The magic is in the internals.
Like some of the others we’ve seen, it’s a battery-free system, and it’s designed specifically for motocross. Kawasaki also spent a lot of time working on the system to try and dial it in for easy one-kick starting. As you first line up a boot to light up the beast, the sequence for firing electricity through the system goes from the initial stroke of the kickstarter through the ECU, to the fuel pump, and then on to the injector…all in less than one kick.
Yep, like the rest of the bikes equipped with fuel injection, there's no petcock, and no chance to forget that you turned your gas on. make that one less nervous habit (checking and rechecking) for while you sit on the gate. |
Our experience with firing it up was good. No excessive kicking (either in quantity or the amount of pressure required to turn the system over), and just a good full stroke was enough to fire it up…at full cold, and without the choke on. We were impressed.
The system has a few new tricks up its sleeve. The lightweight aluminum fuel pump is housed in a plastic tank, and the inlet port/fuel filter has a rubber boot that traps fuel inside it, to ensure an adequate supply to the inlet port at all times.
The injector itself is a 12-hole unit that’s the same as those found on most modern sport bikes. In fact, the one in the throttle body of the KX450 is the same one used on the ’07 Ninja ZX-10R. It’s designed to provide an ultra-fine spray of fuel, with 60 micron particles. Kawasaki also worked to dial in the injector angle, and found that a 45° angle provided improved power, especially at mid-range. It’s also something that differentiates the Kawasaki system from the Suzuki RM-Z450.
The 43mm throttle body uses a progressive throttle link system, to more rapidly open the throttle body after 3/8 of a turn on the throttle.
KX FI Calibration Tool
While you’ll never have to worry about jetting on the KX450F, what if you had the ability to plug in your laptop to do some additional tuning, like adjusting the fuel mapping or ignition timing? Or what if you had the ability to log what’s happening with your bike during a moto? To see exactly how much throttle you’re using, and for how long? Or to find what gear you’re using in a particular section, and at what RPM? With the KX FI tool, there’s a wealth of information available for download, via the data logger.
While some of this seems borderline like a video game, it’s also pretty fascinating. We watched Kawasaki’s resident ECU/Data Specialist, Theo Lockwood, adjust and upload maps in seconds on one of the test bikes. Theo currently spends his weekends doing exactly that with the Monster Energy Kawasaki road race team, to fine-tune their setups.
On the software side, there are seven pre-defined maps included for soft or hard-surfaced tracks, a leaner or richer map, one each for advanced and retarded timing, and one that softens up the power for beginning riders.
But the files are also custom tunable, with color-coded 3D maps that can be clicked and dragged to modify the performance characteristics. They can even be saved and e-mailed to riders in remote areas. Will hop-up companies start offering matching maps to go along with their performance components (like exhausts)? Hmm...either way, we’re guessing that there will be a whole new breed of hop-up specialist roaming the pits soon, and his toolbox will consist of a laptop. Oh, and that reminds us. This software is PC-only.
Here's what the program looks like, with the fuel mapping on one side, and the ignition mapping on the other. Now imagine that you can custom-tune any of the points within the grids, and then upload the data to your bike...it's that easy. But knowing what to do? That's the tricky part. There will definitely be a new breed of tuner in the future. |
Just as interesting as the hop-up side of the software is the ability to log data on the bike. The KX FI kit includes a data logger, which mounts under the front number plate, and which can track 11 different items at intervals as close together as 1/10th of a second, and up to six hours of recording time. So what can you record? How about:
• Engine RPM
• Throttle angle
• Manifold pressure
• Coolant temperature
• Air temperature
• Ignition timing adjustment
• Fuel adjustment (map value)
• Fuel adjustment (idle or all area adjustment)
• Fuel adjustment (total)
• Gear position
• Voltage
There are plenty of custom-configurable items in here, like the ability to zoom into a specific section of the total data, cursor colors, etc. One interesting concept that was brought up was the idea of mapping a track with a GPS, and then aligning some of the track data against logging output to find out what the bike is doing in particular sections of the track. Some of that gets fairly mind-boggling (and don’t think that race teams haven’t already done it.)
Here's what the graphs look like for the data logging. See the bar at the top? That shows the whole time spent on the track. The info in the lower window is just a small portion of the overall info available.. |
One other feature of the software is the ability to do real-time data monitoring while the bike is running. That gives you all the same info as the logging, but it also gives you the ability to see it as it happens. For example, if you were doing some tuning work on a dyno.
Here's the window for real-time monitoring. Want to know exactly what your RPM is at idle? Or what temperature your bike's running at? That's easy to see. |
You do need an external power source (like a motorcycle battery) to power up the system, but the kit includes the logger, a mounting bracket, all the power leads, and an adapter cable. It also includes calibration software, and an instruction manual.
Suggested retail price is still to be determined.
Other Engine Components
Just in case you think the fuel injection was the only changes to the engine package, think again. The overall height of the engine is 5mm shorter, the head receives revised porting, and a new piston bumps the compression ratio from 12.0 to 12.5. But they’ve also boosted the automatic compression release lift from .5mm to 1.0mm, so you won’t feel it at the kickstarter.
The intake valves are new and use a higher-strength material than in the past, which Kawasaki claims have approximately 50% greater resistance to fatigue.
They also increased the width of the connecting rod’s big end roller bearing from 17.8mm to 19.8mm, and also reduced the weight of the crank, but added a larger diameter rotor, which boosted the rotational inertia. The overall weight of the crank is less than before, but the balance factor remains the same, and Kawasaki claims that it results in easier starting, and better rear wheel traction.
They also added a bigger diameter generator to provide the necessary electrical charge for the EFI, as well as revising the angle of the oil injector to improve piston cooling. Whew…got all that?
Externally, they revised the diameter of the titanium header, as well as boosting the length in a quest for more low-to-midrange power.
Frame, Swingarm and Subframe
The aluminum perimeter frame receives a host of changes, including a slimmer head tube, and main spars that are shorter and thinner than before. Match that up to the slimmer head tube, and you’ve got a bike that’s a bit more slender up front than in the past. It’s also trimmed almost two pounds off its figure.
With a redesigned frame, and all-new plastic, the '09 is slim indeed. |
The swingarm is also new, and starts with a pivot point in the frame that’s slightly higher (3mm) than in the past. It’s also 5mm taller at the front, and 2mm shorter at the rear. Kawasaki calls this a D-shaped design, since the inner wall of the swingarm is flat, with curved outer shells on each side. The cross bracket up front is also new, and it’s just under a half-pound lighter than the swingarm on the ’08.
The subframe has also undergone plenty of revisions, with larger diameter tubing, consolidation of mounts (with a single bracket for the exhaust and fender mount, rather than one for each), and a wider mount at the front, which boosts strength and rigidity.
If you’ve been taking notes (or are one of those math whizzes), you’ve noted that the chassis package is 2.2 pounds lighter than in the past. But Kawasaki claims that this was all achieved while boosting rigidity, improving stability and handling, as well as rear wheel traction.
Suspension
We’ll start here with the triple clamps, which have a new shape to the upper clamp to increase rigidity. They also reduced the offset from 24 to 23mm.
The KYB forks have a new DLC coating on the lower tubes for a claimed 15% less friction than in ’08. Also new are pair of wrap around guards for the lower fork tubes that offer more protection.
Click for a larger image. |
The upper tube features a new outer tube that’s stiffer than in the past, but it also now has a Kashima inner coating, which was only used by the race team. Of course, they also have the standard damping revision that you expect from year-to-year.
As for the shock, it features a revised cylinder body layout, as well as a larger 50mm piston (compared to 46mm on the ’08 model). It’s also reputed to have a improved damping, reduced bottoming resistance, and an improved overall feel.
Miscellaneous
Look for pretty much all-new plastic on the ’09 KX models, including new fenders (the front one is much stiffer), as well as new engine guards, and a resin (rather than aluminum skid plate. The shrouds and side plates feature a co-molded two-tone construction that replaces the heavier bolt-together shrouds and plates from last year.
The seat (and the overall bike) is slimmer, and the seat also features firmer urethane foam.
What else? How about 50mm wide footpegs (up from 46mm), and a new design for the peg mounting brackets that help eliminate dirt packing?
Suggested retail on the regular lime green model is $7,549, while the all-black (with green hubs and Monster graphics) Monster Energy edition is $7,749.
Are you ready to check out some video of the bike in action, as well as some ride comments from Timmy Ferry and Jeff Emig? Check out the videos (links are above).
