Lets hear those ride reports!!!

[mephyst]

Come on guys, you got your new little toys!! Lets hear how they work!!! If they are kick@$$ I'm going to buy one... I saw one at the dealer the other day and they look sweet.

Everyone gets them and says the same thing... "Well I got it, and I road it a little bit... the throttle response seems great." I want to hear more!! :)

[casey88]

well i got mine on saturday and the throttle response is the first thing i liked about it, it was a little tuff starting but we will see after the brake in. i jumped a 30ft double it was very smooth, but my broth has a yfz and it felt like it did when was stock. and i thought it felt very light over all i liked it alot cant wait to brake it in and take the track.

[feature05]

All right boys, I unleashed it today. Remember the words (BREAK IN) to me are a myth. But for some reason I did not want to push it hard though. Not just yet. First I had the same problem as above. A little hard to start up in the beginning. But after riding it around for three hours semi hard and opening it up, started like a champ after that. Its very light, and agile underneath me. I was able to flick it around like nothing with probably the best throttle respone I've ever felt in my life. I'm very happy with it. It went over the whoops like they were nothing. Took twenty foot jumps like nothing too and the suspension sucked up the landing perfectly. I don't think I will need to adjust the shocks at all for my weight (200lbs). I don't know why but the tires felt really good to me. I will keep them on it until its ready to buy some ITP's. I was able to do long sideways power slides flinging dirt and rocks like crazy, and the quad would just not want to get on to two wheels no matter how hard I pushed it. Well all in all, its still the beginning, but so far I'm very pleased. I'll keep my updates posted and new pics soon of me riding on it.

[mephyst]

Nice nice, thanks for the report. =] Everyone has a different method of breaking in an engine, and they all end up working out fine in the end... Bogging your quad around the first 5 tanks of gas is a total myth.

[strubby]

Someone needs to post a bad report so I don't go farther into debt... Not really. I hope it works as good as it seems like it's going to. I'll be keeping the Z for a little longer, probably until prices drop a bit. Keep the reviews coming!

[Varmit57]

Originally posted by strubby
Someone needs to post a bad report so I don't go farther into debt... Not really.
:D I know how you feel but you are not going to get a bad report from me!

I'm a big Honda fan but have owned almost everything.

I picked mine up on saturday and after checking it over and doing my break in, I pulled the baffle out and opened it up. I was very Happy/Supprized by the throttle responce!

As you can tell by my Sig. I had a tricked out TRX set up for MX. This one is going to be more of a play/woods machine.

I'm really happy with the power and handling for a stock machine.

Seems like all the Fuel Ingected machines that I have riden or been around are cold blooded, This one seems to be the same.

[TWILES]

They sound a lot better than I sounded when we got our 04 450R home. I wish I had ridden one before I bought it. I've ridden a Suzuki and Yamaha and neither really turn me on any more than the Honda.

[nicker71]

Compared to my yfz it just feels light and nimble. I really think once you put some aftermarket parts on it will be killer in the woods or track. The stock form reminds me of how the yfz felt when it was stock. But it sits up more like a honda 450R. Really like the handlebars felt right on to me. When your sitting on it the front tires dont seem to be as far forward as on my yfz.
Hopefully we dont start hearing problems with the frames breaking. Its very narrow up by the lower a-arms. Only time will tell.

[kx515]

Rode mine for the first time on Sun. I too had the problem of hard starting at first. After break in, it starts just fine. Shocks seem to work ok. After pushing them in some rough sections the rear started to buck. The steering is very light and works well. Throttle response is great and I still have the baffle in. My one issue is the seat. The seat is like setting on a brick!! My last quad was a 05 TRX 450r set up for XC with cam,pipe, derisi racing shocks. After this quad gets a pipe,shocks and seat it will be great!!

[feature05]

Well here is the second report of my KFX450R. Took it out to the sand dunes and trails today for another 3 hours. With stock tires on, it still flew right the biggest dunes like nothing. I played around in those for awhile and then went straight to the dirtbike trails. The quad man handled the whoops and sharp turns like nothing. I found myself actually going to fast sometimes but I never over shot a turn, the quad is just too flickable because of weight and throttle response. Later in the day I went out to some flat rodes and opened it up. To me the gearing is really short like a dirtbike. When you already start jumping through gears your at a high speed very quickly. 4th gear is a monster, it pulls nasty, I kept running out of room before I could make it to 5th gear. Maybe next time. Well on wednesday I will take out to the track for some nice jumps to finish my first 10 hours so I can give it the first oil change. So far nothing has gave out, and trust me when I say this, I abused it today. Keep you posted later.

[jamiesel]

I took mine to the dunes and opened it up this weekend. I can confirm that it has great throttle response. It is light and flickable. Suspension feels like a yfz in front. The rear bucks up in the whoops (dissapointing). Very low gearing. It revs out in 5th quite fast. I am going to need some angrier paddles.

It has a large tailpipe opening for stock but feels really chocked up. This may be due to the silly little holes in the airbox. I opened the airbox for a second but put the lid back on in a hurry because I was concerned that it would run to lean this early in its life. I hope there is a cherry bomb mod for this soon. I did not notice a pig tail.

BTW guys have you noticed the black idle adjustment on the left side of the bike? You can pull it out and the bike idles up. Is it a choke override? Seems to start easier with it pulled.

I noticed that after I broke it in that it idled a couple of hundred rpms higher. (break in is not a myth) We want those rings seating in the cylinder as evenly as possible for a longer life and maximum compression.

Handle bars are great. Seat is a torture device! Factory tires are the best I have ever used. Factory wheels are extreemly cool. Front brakes are very good. Riding stance is similar to Yfz. Engine reminds me of the Cannondale, not like the yamaha at all. More like a low geared cannondale. Very usable power but not explosive like a cam moded YFZ. It will be fun to play with differant FI maps and timing curves. Shocks are the same exact size as the YFZ in length. The bushings are about 1/2 millimeter to wide on the top and bottom to actually install and with the bottom frame rail being a box (narrow) I would go it slow before testing the valving on 50 foot doubles it I were going to shave the sperical bearings and make them fit (I have a couple sets of aftermarket shocks for a yfz).

[kx515]

knob on the left side is a fast idle adjustment/choke. Pull for choke. Turn clockwise/counterclockwise for idle adjustment. Look at your owners manual for a more directions. It does seem to start better when cold with the knob pulled.

[Which 450?]

I dont understand what a choke will do if its efi? I guess it blocks off some air to make it run rich?

[feature05]

You know kawasaki is weird with choke levers. When I bought the ninja zx-6r 636 in 03 they basically had the same choke and throttle adjuster. Being fuel injected, the choke was on the handle bars, and the idle adjuster knob was underneath the seat on the left side in the same location as the quad. Every time now when I first start my KFX450R I always pull the choke nob out and it fires right up on the first push of the started button.

[Yamahauler_04]

All the quads run a simple EFI. It's a fuel map based on throttle position and RPM. They don't reference air temp, and exhaust like your car.

They still need a high idle to warm up because of the lack of additional sensors.

[chipworkz]

Originally posted by Yamahauler_04
All the quads run a simple EFI. It's a fuel map based on throttle position and RPM. They don't reference air temp, and exhaust like your car.

They still need a high idle to warm up because of the lack of additional sensors.

This is what Kawasaki says in their documentation.

Digital Fuel Injection
- 32-bit digital fuel injection system uses a 42mm throttle body. This system measures coolant temperature, air intake temperature, air intake pressure, engine speed and throttle position, then automatically delivers the ideal amount of fuel to optimize power delivery.

Looks like it does look at air temp and pressure but doesn't mention an O2 sensor.

[Which 450?]

Originally posted by Yamahauler_04
All the quads run a simple EFI. It's a fuel map based on throttle position and RPM. They don't reference air temp, and exhaust like your car.

They still need a high idle to warm up because of the lack of additional sensors.

they do nothing with exhaust, but they have all sorts of other sensors

[feature05]

Well today was the third day of very hard riding on my KFX450R. I put it through some extreme trails and jumps. It land so perfect on big jumps. I swear you don't feel nothing. On my old quad the rear suspension would bottom out. Not anymore. Everythng went perfect today. But I did manage to put a small dent in the lower right A-arm. I was riding behind my friend and he uncovered a big rock and of course haulin *** and no where to go but right over it. LOL. I guess I'll have to get skid plates now. Oh well, everything is all good, didn't hurt anything. I wanted to get pictures but I forgot my camera. Sunday were going out to the dunes, hopefully I won't forget it this time. Sorry guys.

[chipworkz]

Well I took it out for my first break in test ride today. This thing is nice! I got on it pretty hard a few times and I love the power it has. It definitely has a hit and power band somewhat like a two stroke. It's not bad at going slow on trails but once you get the rpm's up hold on!
It was VERY hard starting when I got it even using the en richer / choke. It seems to be getting better the more I run it though. I did expect that the FI would make it start much easier but time will tell.
It feels very stable but very nimble at the same time. The reverse release on the right thumb is great. I like it much better than needing to reach down for the lever like on a lot of other quads. The suspension is firm but still great for trail riding. It never felt harsh or bottomed out.
Some have said the seat is like a brick but I like it. It is pretty flat and did not feel too hard for me. It is very easy to move around on, being both firm and flat.
For reference I am 6’1” and 215 lbs.
More to come after next weekend.
:)

[feature05]

Well today I took it out to the dunes. I wanted to get more pictures but it started to ran so here's a couple of right when I got there. Sorry again guys. Anyways, with what time we had to ride today we hit some pretty big sand dune jumps. The suspension is just great sucking the landing. Everything went well except I lost a one of those little screws thats holds my fairing to the little bar where it attaches to the frame. Oh well, now after 10 hours its time for an oil change.

[feature05]

Here's the other view. Nice matching job on the quad and jeep huh. LOL.

[chipworkz]

I took it out for my second ride today. It was mainly fire roads that went up into the mountains. I was flying around the corners sideways and this thing just goes where you point it. I never once felt like it wanted to tip or do anything that made me think I should slow down. Some people say the gearing is a little low but so far I would say it is just right except for maybe open desert riding. I will be taking it to the desert next weekend so I will let you know. The clutch and transmission are great. It shifts smooth with no clunks or anything strange. As I said in my other post the reverse release at the thumb works great.
The E brake lever is very easy to use but make sure you release it before taking off. It is designed to block the clutch lever from being pulled in but sometimes it will hit the top of the lever and not go down far enough to block the lever. I did take off once with the E brake on but felt the drag when I went to shift into second.
This brings me to the power of the engine. It has enough low end to cruise at low RPMs on trails but once you get on it and get the revs up it really takes off. The issue of hard starting is going away like everyone else said it would. It is starting much easier cold and fires right up once it is warm. It still doesn’t start like my TRX 250 but time will tell.
This also feels like a very light quad. Loading 4 quads on my trailer today reminded me of that. It feels slightly lighter than my daughters TRX 250 and a lot lighter than my friends TRX 400 and Polaris 250.
Until next weekend…

[400eXr1d3rZ]

Hell I might get one these :p

[casey88]

well i took it out on a few jumps to day and did some drag racing the jumps went well but the shocks need some messibng with and i raced a few yfz stock and i lost but i was on it rear tire and i raced an ltr 450 and it just smoked me but i did beat them all off the line untill about 50 feet it is geared a little low but it is nothing a sproket can fix .

[2muchquad]

raced a few yfz stock and i lost but i was on it rear tire and i raced an ltr 450 and it just smoked me but i did beat them all off the line untill about 50 feet it is geared a little low but it is nothing a sproket can fix .

So this quads power isnt nothing to write home about stock?Nobody has really bragged about outright power yet,just good throttle response.hmm...:confused:

[chipworkz]

I took it out to the desert for my third trip this weekend. My earlier statement about the gearing being just right needs to be modified. For trail riding it is great but for the desert running wide open it is too low. I would compare it to how my KX 250 was when I got it. Just need to change a sprocket and it should be good to go. Handling is awesome! A few people have talked about widening the front end but so far I don’t see a need. I have been doing hard 90 degree turns in 3rd and 4th gear with no feeling of in wanting to tip. Even slower tighter turns around bushes and such are no problem. This thing feels rock solid.
The suspension was a little rough for the fast choppy stuff we rode on. The backend did kick up on me twice after hitting some deep whoops a little hard. I backed the compression out 2 clicks front and back and turned in the rebound on the back 1 click. This did feel better on the choppy stuff and in general but didn’t get to really put it through the same tests. A few more adjustments as I go and it should be pretty good. It has never bottomed out so far.
The engine and transmission are very nice. The engine is an all-around great performer with plenty of power when you need it especially when you get the RPM’s up. The transmission is super smooth with no problems or noises when shifting.
The seat is firm and on some of the long rough sections it would have been nice to have a softer seat but overall I like the firmness. It is easy to move around on and is still softer than the seats the guys I use to race with used. The handle bars are a little bit low when standing up for a 6’ 1” rider but good enough until its time to replace them.
It holds up well to being turned over also. I was going up what turned out to be a bike trail and not an ATV trail and turned it over. I got on some big boulders on a hill and got off balance and over it went. It only got a few scratches on the black fenders on one side but nothing broke. It fired right up and smoked for about 20 seconds until the oil burned off that got into the cylinder from being upside down.
So far I would highly recommend it. There are a few minor adjustments that would need to be made with anything you buy so they can’t be called a negative.

[r1100boy]

just got mine in white and rode 3 hours it is everything i could hope for the fuel injection is so good no sputtering it is much harder to stall and lugs and pulls better it slides great looks the best the seat is a little hard but it will break in start with to soft of foam and it turns to mush[i sell furniture so ive seen this] i have a 04 trx450r hrc kit an lt 500 a 400 scrambler a drz400 a bmwr1100s this is the perfect trail quad the front end stays down better than the honda it slides as good as the lt500 it lugs very well and i like the lower 1 st gear for trail when i replace tires i will go to a 22 for more ground clearance so the gearing will get higher then those whining about lack of hop up parts should think about it ive been down that road many times and a pipe makes more noise real power the power increase comes in a very narrow range and usally hurts the bottom end if there were a lot of easy HP avaible dont you think the factorys would tap it this is a very competive industry and any small advantage would be the edge in sales reialbty always suffers with hop ups most of the time except on wide open spaces you cant use all the power that there is anyway ,ive found most riders 1/2 my age cant keep up with me any way its the rider most of the time unless your talking about hill shooting in the dunes go ahead and buy the kfx you will love it ,it run so clean efi is the future just like in your cars

[Which 450?]

Originally posted by r1100boy
just got mine in white and rode 3 hours it is everything i could hope for the fuel injection is so good no sputtering it is much harder to stall and lugs and pulls better it slides great looks the best the seat is a little hard but it will break in start with to soft of foam and it turns to mush[i sell furniture so ive seen this] i have a 04 trx450r hrc kit an lt 500 a 400 scrambler a drz400 a bmwr1100s this is the perfect trail quad the front end stays down better than the honda it slides as good as the lt500 it lugs very well and i like the lower 1 st gear for trail when i replace tires i will go to a 22 for more ground clearance so the gearing will get higher then those whining about lack of hop up parts should think about it ive been down that road many times and a pipe makes more noise real power the power increase comes in a very narrow range and usally hurts the bottom end if there were a lot of easy HP avaible dont you think the factorys would tap it this is a very competive industry and any small advantage would be the edge in sales reialbty always suffers with hop ups most of the time except on wide open spaces you cant use all the power that there is anyway ,ive found most riders 1/2 my age cant keep up with me any way its the rider most of the time unless your talking about hill shooting in the dunes go ahead and buy the kfx you will love it ,it run so clean efi is the future just like in your cars

Holy cow your old!

[Yee-Haw_400EX]

Originally posted by r1100boy
just got mine in white and rode 3 hours it is everything i could hope for the fuel injection is so good no sputtering it is much harder to stall and lugs and pulls better it slides great looks the best the seat is a little hard but it will break in start with to soft of foam and it turns to mush[i sell furniture so ive seen this] i have a 04 trx450r hrc kit an lt 500 a 400 scrambler a drz400 a bmwr1100s this is the perfect trail quad the front end stays down better than the honda it slides as good as the lt500 it lugs very well and i like the lower 1 st gear for trail when i replace tires i will go to a 22 for more ground clearance so the gearing will get higher then those whining about lack of hop up parts should think about it ive been down that road many times and a pipe makes more noise real power the power increase comes in a very narrow range and usally hurts the bottom end if there were a lot of easy HP avaible dont you think the factorys would tap it this is a very competive industry and any small advantage would be the edge in sales reialbty always suffers with hop ups most of the time except on wide open spaces you cant use all the power that there is anyway ,ive found most riders 1/2 my age cant keep up with me any way its the rider most of the time unless your talking about hill shooting in the dunes go ahead and buy the kfx you will love it ,it run so clean efi is the future just like in your cars Thats one big sentence, partner!!!

[adrenalinefreak]

I finally got mine. I've been waiting since March. I'm supposed to be racing the green one which is the one I was waiting for. I ended up with a white one but we're switching the plastics out so no biggie.

I picked it up today and took it out for the first run. Started right up but after that it was hit and miss with starting...kind of a pain but I was expecting it so didn't get too frustrated.

I think it handled really well. I forgot how valuable Nerf Bars are. They're required by WORCS but I would run them anyway.

Long story short in the first 5 minutes first injury. My left foot bucked off the peg and hit the ground and partially taken by the rear wheel...no worries, just a knot and bruise.

Overall, very happy! I'm racing it next weekend (WORCS RD 5) so just trying to get my 5-10 hours on it before then. Will be putting on a MotoWorks pipe, nerf bars, kill switch, flexx bars, and maybe a few other things....also elkas all the way around!! Can't wait for that.

I'll put up pictures after I take it to the local track tomorrow!! See how it handles with the MX!