Let's see/review those 2019 kx450s

DB97
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DB97 10/1/2018 5:03pm
10/1/2018 5:03pm
Cygrace74 wrote:
Anyone being told weeks out from ARC is because they didn’t put there’s on reserve early enough. Mine came in today and because I waited a...
Anyone being told weeks out from ARC is because they didn’t put there’s on reserve early enough. Mine came in today and because I waited a week they threw in no shipping, free shirt, and a set of slipper clamps. Great people to deal with, will have the levers on tomorrow for pics.
How did you even order them? I emailed 2 months ago with no answer and tried calling them 2 weeks ago.
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Cygrace74
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Cygrace74 10/2/2018 6:53am
10/2/2018 6:53am
DB97 wrote:
How did you even order them? I emailed 2 months ago with no answer and tried calling them 2 weeks ago.
I called and placed the order over the phone, they gave me call updates when the levers got delayed a week and were great to work with.
DB97
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DB97 10/2/2018 7:33am
10/2/2018 7:33am
Cygrace74 wrote:
I called and placed the order over the phone, they gave me call updates when the levers got delayed a week and were great to work...
I called and placed the order over the phone, they gave me call updates when the levers got delayed a week and were great to work with.
Nice guess you got lucky. Could you let me know the ARC part numbers when you get a chance please, I'll try to order them through my distributor.
Greenguy
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Greenguy 10/2/2018 11:24am
10/2/2018 11:24am
Works Connections has ARC levers in stock now. Give them a call.
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DB97
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DB97 10/2/2018 11:33am
10/2/2018 11:33am
Greenguy wrote:
Works Connections has ARC levers in stock now. Give them a call.
Yeah they just got them, I was making sure I got mine ordered before I told everyone haha.
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Duncster316
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Duncster316 10/2/2018 5:36pm
10/2/2018 5:36pm
So, making plans to pick up one of these soon. Question, just got done watching mxa’s shootout. They say they are going through clutches. How are you guys finding the clutch holding up? I’m spoiled after being on ktm/husky clutches the last few years. Thanks!
Cygrace74
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Cygrace74 10/2/2018 6:01pm
10/2/2018 6:01pm Edited Date/Time 10/2/2018 6:02pm
Fitment was great and lever pull felt good, won’t know until I ride with them this weekend.


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GPrider
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GPrider 10/2/2018 7:49pm
10/2/2018 7:49pm
Duncster316 wrote:
So, making plans to pick up one of these soon. Question, just got done watching mxa’s shootout. They say they are going through clutches. How are...
So, making plans to pick up one of these soon. Question, just got done watching mxa’s shootout. They say they are going through clutches. How are you guys finding the clutch holding up? I’m spoiled after being on ktm/husky clutches the last few years. Thanks!
MXA has issues with all jap bike clutches. And keep in mind certain riders are harder than others on a clutch. Chad Reed puts in new plates after every moto. They would last you or me a year or more. They have multi riders on each bike over several rides/races. Who knows if one guy smoked it or whatever. It's a wear item like a chain or tire. I didnt rear one other media outlet saying anything about it, so I would not worry. Besides, we all know that suzuki and honda have the worst clutches. MXA said so in the individual test in their mag, haha
Duncster316
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Duncster316 10/2/2018 8:33pm
10/2/2018 8:33pm Edited Date/Time 10/2/2018 8:35pm
Thanks for the info GP! I was wondering for sure since they have been the the only ones so far that have complained about the new Kawi clutch. (aside from switching out the judder spring).
Greenguy
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Greenguy 10/2/2018 8:57pm
10/2/2018 8:57pm
Tomorrow I’ll have about 26 hours on mine. I’m a big time clutch abuser. Just can’t break the habit. No problem at all with mine. I will go with Hinson plates along with their heavier springs when it’s time.
dancolvin633
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dancolvin633 10/2/2018 10:10pm
10/2/2018 10:10pm
Greenguy wrote:
Tomorrow I’ll have about 26 hours on mine. I’m a big time clutch abuser. Just can’t break the habit. No problem at all with mine. I...
Tomorrow I’ll have about 26 hours on mine. I’m a big time clutch abuser. Just can’t break the habit. No problem at all with mine. I will go with Hinson plates along with their heavier springs when it’s time.
Nobody likes a quitter Tom!! Keep abusing that clutch LOL
My levers went it Today
Cygrace74
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Cygrace74 10/3/2018 3:10pm
10/3/2018 3:10pm
Any updates on aftermarket plastics? Been trying to find an all green set for a while now so I can get my graphics done.
DB97
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DB97 10/13/2018 5:03pm
10/13/2018 5:03pm
Cygrace74 wrote:
Any updates on aftermarket plastics? Been trying to find an all green set for a while now so I can get my graphics done.
I saw on Rocky mountain it says February 7 for acerbis...
Halo_Hound
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Halo_Hound 10/14/2018 7:17am
10/14/2018 7:17am
Funny how much dealerships charge for freight and “set up” considering they only put the front wheel and the handlebars on. A few hundred bucks for 10 minutes of work...
40acres
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40acres 10/14/2018 7:47am
10/14/2018 7:47am
Halo_Hound wrote:
Funny how much dealerships charge for freight and “set up” considering they only put the front wheel and the handlebars on. A few hundred bucks for...
Funny how much dealerships charge for freight and “set up” considering they only put the front wheel and the handlebars on. A few hundred bucks for 10 minutes of work...
Freight is an actual charge the dealer passes onto the customer. Set up charges depend on what the unit is and is usually priced accordingly. A side by side is going to get a higher set up charge than a dirt bike. And moto guys never pay full pop for a bike and always bitch about price. All these killer "deals" moto guys brag about usually involve the dealer making almost nothing on the sale. So that setup fee is a small area where they can still make a little money. And it's usually the first line item to disappear during negotiations. Let's not sit here and act like a dealer is making money hand over fist selling dirt bikes chief.
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KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 10/14/2018 8:21am
10/14/2018 8:21am
Halo_Hound wrote:
Funny how much dealerships charge for freight and “set up” considering they only put the front wheel and the handlebars on. A few hundred bucks for...
Funny how much dealerships charge for freight and “set up” considering they only put the front wheel and the handlebars on. A few hundred bucks for 10 minutes of work...
Look on eBay or maybe Google for an A&P sheet / manual. It is more than 10 minutes.
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Halo_Hound
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Halo_Hound 10/14/2018 9:07am
10/14/2018 9:07am
KDXGarage wrote:
Look on eBay or maybe Google for an A&P sheet / manual. It is more than 10 minutes.
You know damn well time sheets for work are over estimating time it actually takes to do the work. It adds slack time for possibility of difficulty say an older bike with rusty bolts for example. I was raised in an auto shop and am very familiar with how that works. The techs aren’t going to sit with a stopwatch. If you’ve done the work yourself you know it takes nowhere near the time to do what the shops quote you. They typically charge you at a minimum one hour just for dropping your bike off. I get it, it’s a business and that’s how it works. Not hating but I will still say if I’m paying a setup fee I shouldn’t have to tear the bike down and redo everything myself as soon as I get it home.

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Steadman
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Steadman 10/14/2018 9:08am
10/14/2018 9:08am
Halo_Hound wrote:
Funny how much dealerships charge for freight and “set up” considering they only put the front wheel and the handlebars on. A few hundred bucks for...
Funny how much dealerships charge for freight and “set up” considering they only put the front wheel and the handlebars on. A few hundred bucks for 10 minutes of work...
40acres wrote:
Freight is an actual charge the dealer passes onto the customer. Set up charges depend on what the unit is and is usually priced accordingly. A...
Freight is an actual charge the dealer passes onto the customer. Set up charges depend on what the unit is and is usually priced accordingly. A side by side is going to get a higher set up charge than a dirt bike. And moto guys never pay full pop for a bike and always bitch about price. All these killer "deals" moto guys brag about usually involve the dealer making almost nothing on the sale. So that setup fee is a small area where they can still make a little money. And it's usually the first line item to disappear during negotiations. Let's not sit here and act like a dealer is making money hand over fist selling dirt bikes chief.
40acres you nailed it. Refreshing to see a legit post on this forum from time to time.
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Halo_Hound
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Halo_Hound 10/14/2018 9:13am
10/14/2018 9:13am
40acres wrote:
Freight is an actual charge the dealer passes onto the customer. Set up charges depend on what the unit is and is usually priced accordingly. A...
Freight is an actual charge the dealer passes onto the customer. Set up charges depend on what the unit is and is usually priced accordingly. A side by side is going to get a higher set up charge than a dirt bike. And moto guys never pay full pop for a bike and always bitch about price. All these killer "deals" moto guys brag about usually involve the dealer making almost nothing on the sale. So that setup fee is a small area where they can still make a little money. And it's usually the first line item to disappear during negotiations. Let's not sit here and act like a dealer is making money hand over fist selling dirt bikes chief.
I don’t care about the freight charge, I understand that the bike is shipped to the dealer and how that works. However, if the dealers want to charge a setup fee the buyer shouldn’t have to redo everything before they ride it. There is a difference between running a business and a good business. Appreciate the comment chief
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40acres
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40acres 10/14/2018 9:25am
10/14/2018 9:25am Edited Date/Time 10/14/2018 9:27am
The bike is built and set up according to manufacturer specs. There is a separate manual for "assembly" that is followed on each machine. If it isn't to your liking or your standards then you are more than welcome to tear it down at your leisure.
jlchapman117
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jlchapman117 10/14/2018 2:15pm
10/14/2018 2:15pm
Question, I have had mine for a few months and today it wouldn’t turn over (made no noise at all when hitting the electric start) and it wouldn’t roll off. I checked tha battery and it had no charge. Would that Prevent the bike from running (by rolling off).
honda65
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honda65 10/14/2018 2:24pm
10/14/2018 2:24pm
Jbulz wrote:
Did you ever figure this out? I just got my pigtail today finally, and didn't see an obvious place to mount it.
RGaede wrote:
What I ended up doing is leaving it in the stock spot, just untaped it from the harness. Hopefully I'll be able to plug my pigtail...
What I ended up doing is leaving it in the stock spot, just untaped it from the harness. Hopefully I'll be able to plug my pigtail in easily. Haven't tried yet, I'm going to try and build some maps toward the end of October.
And I'll agree, the suspension is soft, but that's one reason I bought it. I'm light for a 450, and it's pretty much perfect.
Jbulz wrote:
I'm going to take another look at the bike tonight. I'm hoping I can stash the connector under the seat some somewhere reasonable accessable. Does your...
I'm going to take another look at the bike tonight. I'm hoping I can stash the connector under the seat some somewhere reasonable accessable.

Does your FI tool show 2019? When I hooked mine up it just says 13+ and 16+ KX450F. Still seems to connect and stream data, so I guess it works.

I'm not sure how to upload the stock maps from the bike to the scanner to get a starting point. I'd like to save them before overwriting anything.

EFI calibration is what I do at work, and I can barely figure this thing out. The instructions are pretty terrible for this tool!
Kawi has an updated EFI setup that includes the 17-19 KXs. You download the file on to the memory card that comes with the tuner. It tells you to erase everything thats on the card now but I discovered you have to re-download the base info from the tuners CD for the new settings to work. I downloaded Keefers settings but have yet to try it out.
Jbulz
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Jbulz 10/15/2018 8:32am
10/15/2018 8:32am
RGaede wrote:
What I ended up doing is leaving it in the stock spot, just untaped it from the harness. Hopefully I'll be able to plug my pigtail...
What I ended up doing is leaving it in the stock spot, just untaped it from the harness. Hopefully I'll be able to plug my pigtail in easily. Haven't tried yet, I'm going to try and build some maps toward the end of October.
And I'll agree, the suspension is soft, but that's one reason I bought it. I'm light for a 450, and it's pretty much perfect.
Jbulz wrote:
I'm going to take another look at the bike tonight. I'm hoping I can stash the connector under the seat some somewhere reasonable accessable. Does your...
I'm going to take another look at the bike tonight. I'm hoping I can stash the connector under the seat some somewhere reasonable accessable.

Does your FI tool show 2019? When I hooked mine up it just says 13+ and 16+ KX450F. Still seems to connect and stream data, so I guess it works.

I'm not sure how to upload the stock maps from the bike to the scanner to get a starting point. I'd like to save them before overwriting anything.

EFI calibration is what I do at work, and I can barely figure this thing out. The instructions are pretty terrible for this tool!
honda65 wrote:
Kawi has an updated EFI setup that includes the 17-19 KXs. You download the file on to the memory card that comes with the tuner. It...
Kawi has an updated EFI setup that includes the 17-19 KXs. You download the file on to the memory card that comes with the tuner. It tells you to erase everything thats on the card now but I discovered you have to re-download the base info from the tuners CD for the new settings to work. I downloaded Keefers settings but have yet to try it out.
The tool I have is the updated one (Part # 99999-0613). Where do I download the new files to put on the card - I can't find anything online?

I tested Keefers settings. The first set of screenshots he posted (keefer_1) is just the stock white coupler map. The 2nd setting (keefer_2) I've run a few times. I like that it took the snappiness out when you first roll the throttle one. It helped cornering, but it makes the rest of the bike feel a little mellow though. I ended up blending the low load of keefer_2 and the high load of the stock white coupler map. I think I may end up making the low end just a touch more aggressive.

The thing that surprised me a lot is that you can feel a change in 1 degree of ignition advance. I never would have though the butt-dyno would be that sensitive.
honda65
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honda65 10/15/2018 1:08pm
10/15/2018 1:08pm
Jbulz wrote:
I'm going to take another look at the bike tonight. I'm hoping I can stash the connector under the seat some somewhere reasonable accessable. Does your...
I'm going to take another look at the bike tonight. I'm hoping I can stash the connector under the seat some somewhere reasonable accessable.

Does your FI tool show 2019? When I hooked mine up it just says 13+ and 16+ KX450F. Still seems to connect and stream data, so I guess it works.

I'm not sure how to upload the stock maps from the bike to the scanner to get a starting point. I'd like to save them before overwriting anything.

EFI calibration is what I do at work, and I can barely figure this thing out. The instructions are pretty terrible for this tool!
honda65 wrote:
Kawi has an updated EFI setup that includes the 17-19 KXs. You download the file on to the memory card that comes with the tuner. It...
Kawi has an updated EFI setup that includes the 17-19 KXs. You download the file on to the memory card that comes with the tuner. It tells you to erase everything thats on the card now but I discovered you have to re-download the base info from the tuners CD for the new settings to work. I downloaded Keefers settings but have yet to try it out.
Jbulz wrote:
The tool I have is the updated one (Part # 99999-0613). Where do I download the new files to put on the card - I can't...
The tool I have is the updated one (Part # 99999-0613). Where do I download the new files to put on the card - I can't find anything online?

I tested Keefers settings. The first set of screenshots he posted (keefer_1) is just the stock white coupler map. The 2nd setting (keefer_2) I've run a few times. I like that it took the snappiness out when you first roll the throttle one. It helped cornering, but it makes the rest of the bike feel a little mellow though. I ended up blending the low load of keefer_2 and the high load of the stock white coupler map. I think I may end up making the low end just a touch more aggressive.

The thing that surprised me a lot is that you can feel a change in 1 degree of ignition advance. I never would have though the butt-dyno would be that sensitive.
Its interesting what you say about the Keefer settings being the stock white coupler's settings. I know you can manipulate the 19's settings using the 16 baseline but my question was; are the baselines the same? So if you added 1 degree ignition advance, is it starting from the same point between the two?

But if you want to PM me your email, I will send you a copy of the download. I tried to here but it didn't want to comply, I'm assuming due to the format. I'll be in and out so it may be a while before I respond
50dippin
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50dippin 10/17/2018 2:51pm
10/17/2018 2:51pm
Anyone had an issue with the oil level after a change? I replace the filter every time and put in 1 quart like the manual says but it is always low in the sight window even after it has been ran and settled, so I end up adding closer to a liter.
motodude_47 10/17/2018 3:11pm
10/17/2018 3:11pm
50dippin wrote:
Anyone had an issue with the oil level after a change? I replace the filter every time and put in 1 quart like the manual says...
Anyone had an issue with the oil level after a change? I replace the filter every time and put in 1 quart like the manual says but it is always low in the sight window even after it has been ran and settled, so I end up adding closer to a liter.
I've been running a liter as well. Seems like that's the sweet spot on the sight glass.
JohnnyD13
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JohnnyD13 10/17/2018 3:13pm
10/17/2018 3:13pm
Hey guys. I have a problem. I went to a track Sunday with my good looking 2018 CRF450r with 5 hours on it and road 3 Motos. My buddy just got a 19 kx450 and told me to ride it. I did, and after a lap it was one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. It made my Honda feel like a stiff and hard to ride piece of junk. I just bought my 18 4 months ago. I was planning on keeping it for a year but I can’t stop thinking about the kx. Is it really that good? Or should I spend a little money on the Honda and consider it a fluke.
motodude_47 10/17/2018 3:18pm
10/17/2018 3:18pm
JohnnyD13 wrote:
Hey guys. I have a problem. I went to a track Sunday with my good looking 2018 CRF450r with 5 hours on it and road 3...
Hey guys. I have a problem. I went to a track Sunday with my good looking 2018 CRF450r with 5 hours on it and road 3 Motos. My buddy just got a 19 kx450 and told me to ride it. I did, and after a lap it was one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. It made my Honda feel like a stiff and hard to ride piece of junk. I just bought my 18 4 months ago. I was planning on keeping it for a year but I can’t stop thinking about the kx. Is it really that good? Or should I spend a little money on the Honda and consider it a fluke.
My brother has an 18 Honda and I have a 19 KX. The Honda with the right mods has a very fun motor but i have never felt as comfortable on a bike as I do on the 19 KX. If I had the choice of bikes KX is it hands down.
Jbulz
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Jbulz 10/17/2018 3:18pm
10/17/2018 3:18pm
JohnnyD13 wrote:
Hey guys. I have a problem. I went to a track Sunday with my good looking 2018 CRF450r with 5 hours on it and road 3...
Hey guys. I have a problem. I went to a track Sunday with my good looking 2018 CRF450r with 5 hours on it and road 3 Motos. My buddy just got a 19 kx450 and told me to ride it. I did, and after a lap it was one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. It made my Honda feel like a stiff and hard to ride piece of junk. I just bought my 18 4 months ago. I was planning on keeping it for a year but I can’t stop thinking about the kx. Is it really that good? Or should I spend a little money on the Honda and consider it a fluke.
My only complaint with the bike is it's a pain in the ass to get parts for still. Aside from that, it is hands down the best bike I've ever ridden. I'm not even getting the suspension revalved because I can't find anything to complain about.

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