Kawi 450 vs Zook 450 outdoors

sozo
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sozo
Edited Date/Time 4/18/2014 1:18pm
Is the Kawi more stable at race speed ? I know it doesn't turn as sharp but that's good for outdoors no ?
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cd0583
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cd0583 4/17/2014 5:12pm
4/17/2014 5:12pm
cant go wrong with either...Kaw feels heavy to me, stock, pretty stable bike.
sozo
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sozo 4/17/2014 6:38pm
4/17/2014 6:38pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2014 6:38pm
Thanks! Strange the zook is heavier though I think...
bd
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bd 4/17/2014 7:17pm
4/17/2014 7:17pm
sozo wrote:
Thanks! Strange the zook is heavier though I think...
The Zook is heavier but feels lighter.

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urbanlift707
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urbanlift707 4/17/2014 7:24pm
4/17/2014 7:24pm
While the Kawi is more stable and a much larger feeling bike, I've found that on extremely rough tracks like mammoth, I feel way more in control on my rmz. I bought a 2012 kx450 and raced it for a year, I had more high speed swaps and crashes that year then I've ever had. I sold the Kawi and picked up a 2012 rmz and their is no comparison for me. The rmz is just so much more fun to ride. Also I was a little nervous about Suzuki reliability, but it's fit and finish is far greater than the Kawi and at 80 hours all the valves are perfect and piston looked like it coulda done another 80 no prob. As always try and ride both first cause I'm sure there are plenty who like the Kawi more as well.
Mickolobe7
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Mickolobe7 4/17/2014 7:33pm
4/17/2014 7:33pm
urbanlift707 wrote:
While the Kawi is more stable and a much larger feeling bike, I've found that on extremely rough tracks like mammoth, I feel way more in...
While the Kawi is more stable and a much larger feeling bike, I've found that on extremely rough tracks like mammoth, I feel way more in control on my rmz. I bought a 2012 kx450 and raced it for a year, I had more high speed swaps and crashes that year then I've ever had. I sold the Kawi and picked up a 2012 rmz and their is no comparison for me. The rmz is just so much more fun to ride. Also I was a little nervous about Suzuki reliability, but it's fit and finish is far greater than the Kawi and at 80 hours all the valves are perfect and piston looked like it coulda done another 80 no prob. As always try and ride both first cause I'm sure there are plenty who like the Kawi more as well.
I agree to try to ride both. I think it all depends on the ridder. Both good bikes I have always been a zuki guy!
Flip109
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Flip109 4/17/2014 9:00pm
4/17/2014 9:00pm
urbanlift707 wrote:
While the Kawi is more stable and a much larger feeling bike, I've found that on extremely rough tracks like mammoth, I feel way more in...
While the Kawi is more stable and a much larger feeling bike, I've found that on extremely rough tracks like mammoth, I feel way more in control on my rmz. I bought a 2012 kx450 and raced it for a year, I had more high speed swaps and crashes that year then I've ever had. I sold the Kawi and picked up a 2012 rmz and their is no comparison for me. The rmz is just so much more fun to ride. Also I was a little nervous about Suzuki reliability, but it's fit and finish is far greater than the Kawi and at 80 hours all the valves are perfect and piston looked like it coulda done another 80 no prob. As always try and ride both first cause I'm sure there are plenty who like the Kawi more as well.
What kind of piston and valves did you go with on the replacement?
urbanlift707
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urbanlift707 4/17/2014 10:12pm
4/17/2014 10:12pm
I put a PC high compression piston in, didn't touch the valves. That piston plus a t-6 exhaust made an insane difference! Not just the shear power but how much racier/alive it feels, kinda like my stock kx450.....
Ryan_Huddleston 4/17/2014 10:18pm
4/17/2014 10:18pm
urbanlift707 wrote:
I put a PC high compression piston in, didn't touch the valves. That piston plus a t-6 exhaust made an insane difference! Not just the shear...
I put a PC high compression piston in, didn't touch the valves. That piston plus a t-6 exhaust made an insane difference! Not just the shear power but how much racier/alive it feels, kinda like my stock kx450.....
"kinds like my stock kx450..." lmao

I love my kx, predictable, handles great, i can trust it at high speeds know what its going to do, just feels planted. oh and the motor hauls!
urbanlift707
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urbanlift707 4/17/2014 10:32pm
4/17/2014 10:32pm
urbanlift707 wrote:
I put a PC high compression piston in, didn't touch the valves. That piston plus a t-6 exhaust made an insane difference! Not just the shear...
I put a PC high compression piston in, didn't touch the valves. That piston plus a t-6 exhaust made an insane difference! Not just the shear power but how much racier/alive it feels, kinda like my stock kx450.....
Ryan_Huddleston wrote:
"kinds like my stock kx450..." lmao I love my kx, predictable, handles great, i can trust it at high speeds know what its going to do...
"kinds like my stock kx450..." lmao

I love my kx, predictable, handles great, i can trust it at high speeds know what its going to do, just feels planted. oh and the motor hauls!
No doubt the kawi motor was a pleasure to ride, just felt so raw. But for me the rest of the things you listed was the opposite, I never trusted it, it didn't feel planted, I thought it turned ok at best. I wound up selling it to a friend and he loves it for the same reason you do. Now once I got on that rmz, total trust in exactly what it was going to do.
rocketsocks26 4/18/2014 3:47am
4/18/2014 3:47am
The rmz450 has insane financing right now and comes with a full yosh pipe, if i was choosing between the 2 i would go yellow.pr2 has incredible suspension set ups for suzukis to. reliability is up to u imo, with any bike
Huevos
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Huevos 4/18/2014 5:22am
4/18/2014 5:22am
Never finance a toy.
mmcmx
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mmcmx 4/18/2014 5:38am
4/18/2014 5:38am
I love my kxf'14. Didn't like the '13 rmz very much.

Tight corners are his achilles heel but if you know it you can ride acordingly.
sozo
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sozo 4/18/2014 6:29am
4/18/2014 6:29am Edited Date/Time 4/18/2014 6:30am
Strange on the swapping on the KX... I have a 12 KXF250 , I do have the suspension redone by Pro Circuit and the Pro Circuit longer linkage, the bike is almost perfect except I want more motor... I don't know about the 450's though as why I'm asking.. .
mxb2
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mxb2 4/18/2014 6:43am
4/18/2014 6:43am
Huevos wrote:
Never finance a toy.
Why do you care how people spend their own money?, some people work hard and want to treat themselves.it was a bike question, not a financing question.
fanboy
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fanboy 4/18/2014 7:10am
4/18/2014 7:10am
Huevos wrote:
Never finance a toy.
mxb2 wrote:
Why do you care how people spend their own money?, some people work hard and want to treat themselves.it was a bike question, not a financing...
Why do you care how people spend their own money?, some people work hard and want to treat themselves.it was a bike question, not a financing question.
He didn't say anything about how people spend their OWN money, just about how they spend the banks money. Wink
mxb2
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mxb2 4/18/2014 7:18am
4/18/2014 7:18am
Huevos wrote:
Never finance a toy.
mxb2 wrote:
Why do you care how people spend their own money?, some people work hard and want to treat themselves.it was a bike question, not a financing...
Why do you care how people spend their own money?, some people work hard and want to treat themselves.it was a bike question, not a financing question.
fanboy wrote:
He didn't say anything about how people spend their OWN money, just about how they spend the banks money. Wink
lol, pretty sure you got the point.
brimx153
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brimx153 4/18/2014 10:17am
4/18/2014 10:17am
i must say i have never felt my zook was unstable at high speed at all , its better than my last honda , think if u get the front end diled it hanled s better than any other bike out there , i run 110 sag , prob helps , but it still turns tighter than any bike out there

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malachi177
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malachi177 4/18/2014 10:33am
4/18/2014 10:33am Edited Date/Time 4/18/2014 10:33am
mmcmx wrote:
I love my kxf'14. Didn't like the '13 rmz very much.

Tight corners are his achilles heel but if you know it you can ride acordingly.
Tight corners are the RMZ's Achilles heel??Blink You have got to be kiddingLaughing
sozo
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sozo 4/18/2014 12:29pm
4/18/2014 12:29pm
He is saying tight corners are not as good on the KXF compared to the RMZ I think ?
urbanlift707
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urbanlift707 4/18/2014 12:46pm
4/18/2014 12:46pm
mmcmx wrote:
I love my kxf'14. Didn't like the '13 rmz very much.

Tight corners are his achilles heel but if you know it you can ride acordingly.
This is why it's hard to base a decision off bike test or other peoples input. We have the exact opposite opinions of the same bike... But I'm right and he's wrong Silly
malachi177
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malachi177 4/18/2014 1:18pm
4/18/2014 1:18pm
sozo wrote:
He is saying tight corners are not as good on the KXF compared to the RMZ I think ?
You might be right....oopsBlush

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