We all know it's a Kawi from...
We all know it's a Kawi from a mile away, of course. And a 450. Borrrr-ing.
When seeing your stock bike doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies anymore it's time to make a change. Dirt Rider shows you how to pimp your ride...on a budget.
There's something about heading out to the desert and the track that are very similar-exactly the same, in fact. It's certainly not the terrain or the atmosphere. Instead, it's the multitude of mundane motorcycles everywhere. That's right-there're only five options in any direction: red, yellow, blue, green or orange.
Of course, if your bike is even a couple years old those once vibrant graphics and pristine plastics have most certainly faded and aren't nearly as attractive as the newer models. Alas, most bikes are still some variation of one another in the end and nothing stands out...but there are options, folks.
Vortex Racing's Cat5 sprocket...
Vortex Racing's Cat5 sprocket looks tricker than a factory racer's rig, and Pit Posse's axle adjusters add a nice touch.
My 2007 Kawasaki KX450F was looking very run of the mill and particularly rough around the edges. Instead of refreshing with new stock parts, which would only put us right back in line with the rest of the lemmings, we opted for a little flair. OK-a lot of flair.
The most obvious upgrade came with new plastics from Acerbis and a custom graphics kit that www.ridepg.com cooked up. Black bodywork all around replaced the rather rundown stock green and whites, and the serious sprucing came from the graphics. A couple simple emails with Ride PG's designer had us both on the same page with a design, and a short time later they were printed up, installed and ready to replace the boring stock stickers. Yes, we said installed. They do that for you.
What we weren't ready for was how cool the kit came out. Not only are the shroud and airbox decals "grippy," but the "Gripz" texture serves a purpose-helping the rider stay attached to his bike. Pretty cool.
 Not only was the old cover...  Not only was the old cover crusted with crud, but it had more blemishes than an Oxy commercial. An Outlaw Racing cover from Pit Posse quickly fixed that and is as smooth as silky chocolate. Dark, silky chocolate. |  A green seat wouldn't match...  A green seat wouldn't match very well unless you're planning a ride in Haiti, so we went with a plain black cover from Pit Posse. |  Billet gas caps rock, and...  Billet gas caps rock, and there are obvious visual improvements over stock. |
It seemed a little silly to stop the makeover merely with plastics and graphics (though that might be all your bike needs) considering how clapped some of the ancillaries on our 450 were, so we looked to Pit Posse for more upgrades.
It's pretty amazing what replacing some of the simplest parts will do for your bike's appearance, and we proved it with items like brake reservoir covers, gas cap, seat cover, chain adjusters and an oil cap all from Pit Posse (www.pitposse.com).
These mods were cheap, easy to install and did wonders for our appearance overhaul.
Somebody's been playing in...
Somebody's been playing in the sand. And it shows. Replacing the torn rear shock guard helped take the 450 out of the trailer park.
Rear sprockets tend to shred fairly fast on a 450, and since ours was showing visible wear but the chain was still in decent condition we opted to upgrade. Not with just any plain old saw blade though. Instead, a black Vortex Racing Cat5 sprocket visually sealed the deal and continued the theme.
Conclusion
If a new bike isn't in the budget and you're tired of being one of the same old fish in the sea of sameness, try a custom look. Obviously ours is a bit on the wild side with a little 'ghetto gangsta' influence, but just like at BK, you can always have your bike your way-especially today with all the options. Minor appearance and performance upgrades strongly support a major mod like a custom graphics kit, and when you replace those crusty old covers and caps you'll discover just how tired they really are.
Graphics and Plastics Package
$293.90 (other models may vary in price. Includes custom graphics [$199.95], Gripz [$24.00], custom pre-print number plates [$69.95])
$129.95 ACERBIS plastic kit
$24.95 ACERBIS front number plate
www.ridepg.com
Accessories
Front reservoir cover: $14.95
Rear reservoir cover: $14.95
Oil cap: $14.95
Seat cover: $26.95
Gas cap: $29.95
Chain adjusters: $29.95
www.pitposse.com
Rear sprocket
$72.95
www.vortexracing.com
Rear shock mud flap
$24.86
www.kawasaki.com
Total Cost for Makeover
$678.31
 All the small things add up...  All the small things add up to something big, and a rear brake reservoir cover is part of that sum. |  Not only was the stock cap's...  Not only was the stock cap's flathead top a pain in the knuckles to remove, but it was pretty crusty all around. A nice metric topped cap from Pit Posse gives us no excuses missing oil changes. |  Pure gangster. If you don't...  Pure gangster. If you don't know why, then ask someone who does. |