The CRF-X acts more moto than...
The CRF-X acts more moto than the KTM but transitions to a trail machine just fi ne.
Honda Crf450X Lighter And Meaner
Honda's goal with the big X was to drop some weight and get the handling reputation of its CRF motorcrossers over to the X line. With a big steering-offset change and the addition of the factory steering damper, the red engineers knocked that one out of the park. They achieved lighter steering, the same bite in the turns and minimal loss, if any, of stability. And with a minor carburetion adjustment the power was boosted, too, now even stronger on the bottom with a smooth and purposeful pull all the way to the top. For more in-depth info, see our full test in the MAY '08 issue.
The Facts
The CRF-X used to feel heavy in the bar which made it heavy handling. That's now gone and the bike feels as light as the KTM. This is great for the tighter conditions, and with the steering damper cranked to full stiff the bike loses nothing in high-speed runs. This bike just got as East Coast compliant as any 450cc four-stroke can be.
This lighter-feeling bike makes the suspension feel stiffer and the bike transmits a bit more vibration to the rider. Overall it's aggressively plush like the KTM and handles the moto activity the best here. The more you like to jump and use bumps as launching pads, the more you'll like the CRF-X. The power complements this behavior.
For trail riding this bike can be on the aggressive side. There are jetting modifi cations that work wonders, and sometimes the addition of a responsibly quiet exhaust can even tame the aggressive bottomend surge of the Honda. Also don't plan on riding more than 50 miles on a tank of gas. The X is wonderfully MX thin but short on the legs for our tastes. We've even tried steering damper mods with success.
We've put thousands of miles on Xs and never had a mechanical issue; the Honda is built tight. Maintenance is simple even though the air fi lter is a super-snug fi t. It comes with everything, though the steel kickstand and trusty mechanical odometer seem dated.
The Verdict
Basically it tied with the KTM, though none of our testers downplayed the potent CRF-X. It has newfound adaptability to the tighter trails in its weight feel and is aggressive enough to almost moto. All this right off the showroom floor.
Kawasaki hit the nail on the...
Kawasaki hit the nail on the head with the KLX; it's well rounded and takes trail rides the best here.
Kawasaki KLX450R
A Second Run For A First Year BikeThe KLX was introduced as a 2008 late in 2007. We rammed it into our shootout and it came out on top, depending on how you read the information. (We rated the streetlegal KTM as our winner because it was a good bike and mostly because it was streetlegal.) The KLX surprised us because it was 100 percent ridable right off the showroom floor, like the CRF-X, but it trumped the '07 Honda with a light, fl ickable ride. It also felt peppy and fast but it's actually slow. Nothing has changed, except the competition.
The Facts
This KLX is slow. We con. rmed it in drag races and on the GP track. But you'd never know it when you're riding the KLX because of its crisp and powerful throttle response. It goes when you gas it and it revs up quick and gets great traction. But it gets pulled. How important is this? Not too much, especially when trail riding. If you want to get it into the game, the bike easily gets faster with a less restrictive and still quiet muffler and some jetting changes.