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St Helens, OR
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jeffro503
3/18/2016 8:11pm
3/18/2016 8:11pm
Edited Date/Time
3/19/2016 5:15pm
So I know the 16' Kawi 450 is about 7 - 8lbs lighter than the 15' and 14' , maybe close to 10lbs or so over my old 12" I had. You guys that own one or have ridden the 16' , what other things did you really like compared to the older models? How is the suspension and what could a good revalve ( if needed ) make the suspension feel like? Possibilities and so forth and could they be made to work pretty well? And does the 16' feel quite a bit slimmer , more nimble compared to the older ones? I know from sitting on one , it almost felt like I was sitting on a 250F compared to my 12'.
My 12' was kind of the bastard child and had an aggressive Exhaust cam compared to the 11' and 13' that I rode. Power a little more mellow , maybe better for a Vet guy like me?
What's your overall experience on the bike now that you have had some time on it? Any advice , or weird things you may of found now that you've owned one for a while?
My 12' was kind of the bastard child and had an aggressive Exhaust cam compared to the 11' and 13' that I rode. Power a little more mellow , maybe better for a Vet guy like me?
What's your overall experience on the bike now that you have had some time on it? Any advice , or weird things you may of found now that you've owned one for a while?
I swear I have to be a head case. I really had my heart set on that 2016 YZ250 , and I keep going back and forth. But damn , I already own my a 250 stroke I love a lot , may as well pair it up with a new 450 instead. I thought about a 250F , but a guy posted something on here a couple days ago that really got me thinking. He said " It's a lot cheaper to detune a 450 to your liking , than putting a bunch of money into a 250F to make it faster " , That and the valve train lasts about 3X longer. I need to quit being such a puss and get back on the 450 I think.
Besides , if that 16" is and feels a lot lighter that my old 12' , and isn't as violent in the power dept compared to what I had , it may be the bike I've been looking for.
And Barron....you need to plan that vacation so a weekend falls in the middle! I'll get you into so much riding that damn 16' will need a fucking rebuild by the time you get back home!
Just keep me informed on what month and so forth will work for you and the family. I'm always flexible with my work schedule so I can make things work. Try and stick around for a few extra days too. Would be fun to maybe hook up with the family and grab some food and hang out.
I won't talk to Scott as of right now because it's way early , but just keep me up to date. We could do a mtn view and possibly a Washougal or Albany in that time frame.
The Shop
Obviously, the biggest positive is the front fender looks cooler
Now for actual riders, I tried one last fall and thought it felt slimmer, lighter and more balanced than the older KXes I've ridden. It doesn't steer with the rear as much as older ones making it more agile and flickable.
I came off a 125 when I rode it so I can't comment on the powerband other than it was easy to manage. The track wasn't rough so I won't conclude anything on the suspension but I've heard it can be made to work very well. Checking pressures in 6 chambers (excluding tires) before each ride can get old though.
@mx317 : On the new Kawi , we are able to get the SSS fork inserts for the forks? I have a hard time finding any information on this at all. What is the going rate for a set of the inserts? And where do I look for them?
After all the responses about this bike , I'm really considering this bike. Like I said , I had my mind made up on the YZ 250 , but damn it , I already own a 250 2 stroke I like a lot. I originally planned to never own a 450 again because that damned 2012 Kawi 450 I had , with the full FMF and JD Jetting programmer was just to strong for what I needed / wanted. It turned me off from the 450's. Loved the freakin bike....but it was just to fast for me any more. Get myself in trouble when I'd ride tired.
'12 felt like an anchor compared to the 13-15 models, and the new 16 is a whole lot lighter/easier than the 13-15s.
The key points I noticed while trying out the demo compared to my own last-gen KXF was how much lighter and easier it felt to ride. It kind of brought me back to my CRF450 2012 experience, which was a very good bike, and supereasy and fun to ride.
However, the Kawi '16 had less power off the bottom compared to my 15. This was with the original coupler mounted though, which I've heard some say is the weakest? The white coupler (race-coupler?) is supposedly more powerful.
As brimx153 says, if you love the last Kawasakis for how they stood out, don't get too eager. The bike did remind me of my '12 CRF, just with a lot better engine, handling and steering. Suspension was a bit weird for me, but I'm a heavy guy around 20kgs fatter than standard spring rates.
I'm sure you would not regret getting a 2016 Kawasaki, but keep in mind it isn't the same as previous models.
Pit Row
I usually stay around 185lbs - 190lbs so I'm thinking I'll at least need to go up one spring rate in the back? I think anyways?
Post a reply to: 2016 KX450F owners....positives over the 15's and older?