I typically don't spend much time practicing aboard 450cc machines, which might be why this bike scared me so much the first time the power hit. The motor launches out like a wound-up Jack-in-the-Box, yet it does so in a much more ridable fashion than the '07 model. The curve of the updated motor seems to start out with a strong, smooth initial hit before settling into a clean acceleration path that leads to yet another high-rpm blast of power. The 2008 chassis improvements also lend to the bike's newfound stability, as the frame feels more responsive and not quite as jarring through chop and square-edged holes. For my weight and preference, I found that the best suspension setting was two clicks in on the rebound at both ends, as well as two clicks softer on the low-speed of the shock (I chased the fork compression back to stock). With this setup, the Kawasaki felt very hooked up in the rear wheel-especially noticeable in off-camber, odd-angled corners-and the bike skipped across braking bumps rather than into them. In my opinion, there are a few hitches to the KX450F that need to be worked out. The machine feels long, tall and heavy on the track. As a result, I don't feel totally confident in the bike's handling, but then again I'm a bit smaller than the target 450cc rider. Also, I felt the Kawasaki pop out of gear between second and third a few times, and the exhaust tone is downright rotten. But as far as improvements go, Kawasaki did a great job fixing last year's issues, and it most certainly produced one heck of a fast motorcycle.
-Chris Denison/5'10"/155 lb/Intermediate
Kawasaki improved its new big bike for the '08 year. Last year the suspension had an unbalanced feel to me, but not this year. I noticed that the suspension feels like it's working in harmony to soak up the big slap-down landings. More importantly, I could accelerate out of the corners that had nasty chop out of them. On deceleration the shock didn't kick me or do anything funny. It was as predictable as I like it! The motor was improved down low. It had great throttle response but also kept that smooth roll-on feel that I like out of 450s. The third thing I noticed was that it did miss shifts. Between second and third gear was a difficult time for the KX450. Overall, I think Kawasaki did a great job making improvements on the newer KX450F.
-Kris Keefer/5'11''/170 lb/Pro