Racing several of the 450 off-road bikes at Glen Helen's SRA GP gave me a pretty good insight into how these machines perform. I started off the day on the Honda CRF450X and was immediately impressed with the aggressive punch of the motor. For an off-road bike, this thing did pretty well on the MX track! The hit felt good and strong, and the bike pulled hard up the steepest, deepest hills on the course. Cornering was decent, and aside from a bit of wallowing in the suspension through chop my biggest complaint is the fact that I would often misjudge the transmission and downshift a gear too low in corners, often sending my hips into the bars as a reminder. And while I'm complaining, I wasn't a fan of the mushy feel that the brakes took on after a few miles of abuse. Ergonomically, though, the CRF fits me like a glove; I grip pretty hard with my knee braces, and the Honda has several perfect spots on the plastic to do so.
Switching off mid-race to the KTM, I could have used some suspension adjustment-a few clicks quicker on the fork rebound and about two turns out on the shock spring, to be exact. The front end held somewhat of a dead, stuck-in-the-stroke feel when dropping into and out of braking bumps, and I would have liked to take some of the weight off the front wheel as well. Still, I couldn't help but notice how much traction the KTM rear wheel likes to grab, nor could I ignore the consistency of the bike's turning habits, especially when leaned over a little. In contrast to the Honda, the KTM's brakes were much more resistant to fading, although the stock handlebar bend takes some getting used to and the tank isn't as easy to pinch. Motor-wise, big orange has plenty of bark and snap, and the gearing felt well suited to the terrain I was riding (I didn't even hip-check the bars one time!).
As for the Kawasaki, the first noticeable trait of the KLX is how stinking well that bike handles on mildly rough terrain. Flat corners are great, ruts are a breeze and small bumps aren't a problem; get to the big stuff, though, and you can feel the weight of the bike working against you. I wasn't super happy with the front tire either, given the weak-feeling shoulder knob that would push to a certain point and then simply give out; I hit the deck pretty hard from that one. Ironically though, crashing the KLX reminded me of how much I like the electric start, even if the bike is finicky when cold. When it comes to the motor, racing this bike brings out the fact that it is just a bit too "slow", lacking in hit and overall pull compared to the Honda and KTM. But then again, don't I always preach about how 450ccs of power is more than enough for anybody? Depending on your riding style and racing needs, the rideability of the Kawasaki just might be your thing. As for me, I'd pop for orange or red if I were to go do another GP like this one. -Chris Denison/ 5'10"/ 155 lb. / Intermediate