Kfx450 - trx450 comparison

[norton]

Im new to the quading world and I found that riding a quad and jumping back on a bike is just not practical, you lose the edge and i need a new quad and im jumping between the kfx450 and trx450. Price is a deffinate factor but i would like to hear your guys input on the two quads in comparison.

[chipworkz]

The December issue of ATV Illustrated has a write up on the KFX and the November issue of ATV Action has the TRX 450, TRX 700, KTM 450 and KTM 525.
First look at what kind of riding you are going to be doing. If you are doing a lot of tight trail riding where a reverse gear will be a big benefit then the KFX would be a good choice. I haven’t ridden the TRX 450 but Hondas are a great product. My daughter has a TRX 250 EX and it is great for her. I chose the KFX 450 and I must say I LOVE it. This thing is rock solid and I have never felt like I was going to tip over on it. It is awesome in the tight stuff and totally stable in 4th gear power slides. If you are doing fast wide open riding the gearing is to low but it is great for the slower technical stuff. I rode bikes all my life and jumped right on to the KFX 450 with no problems. You will need to adjust the suspension to match your riding style. It is set up to stiff for the desert riding that I am doing. If you are a play rider and in the normal rider range, I don’t think you will need to do anything except adjust the clickers. The only issue I have had was the leaking gas tank recall, but that shouldn’t be an issue at this stage. The gas tanks produced after May 7th I believe, don’t have the problem. They are hard starting until around the 10 hour mark but after that it fires right up with no problems. If I was going to buy a quad today, I would still get the KFX 450. It is an awesome quad.

[norton]

Yes i decided to go with the kfx450, and i too am a previous bike rider and i love nothing more than hittin triples on the track and since you were a man of two wheels did you have stability trouble off jumps when you got on a the Kfx? I am a long distance woods rider and my rm125 just didnt last long enough on its gas tank alone. And if you ride the woods too, what gear do you usualy range in at the fastest pace you've gone through the woods?

[chipworkz]

I don’t do a lot of jumping since I mainly ride in the southern California desert. The few small jumps I have done, I did notice a tendency for the back end to kick sideways a little. I think it is mainly a learning curve thing that I just need to get use to. The biggest thing as far as switching from a bike to a quad is the lines you take. I have only had one mishap going over some boulders that I was thinking “bike” not “quad”. When I came to a stop there wasn’t anything under my rear wheel, so over I went. Again, not too much in the way of woods riding where I go but 3rd and 4th gear would be pretty normal gears to be in on most of the smaller trails. It is very easy to hit 5th and look for 6th on any open type of trail or road. The stock gearing is great for most trails but to low for wide open riding. My friends stock KFX400 will run faster on a dirt road than my 450. I am changing the 14T front sprocket to a 15T. My next step will be changing the rear from the 38T to a 36T. (See my thread on that) This will be a pretty good set of sprockets to choose from depending on what kind of riding I will be doing.
On a side note, I bought Pro Armor skid plates and nerf bars and everything fits perfect.

[norton]

Thanks for the info but question about your kfx400 to kfx450, is that faster at top speeds? Because i would think being geared lower would give the 450 a head start advantage

[chipworkz]

Yes I was referring to the top speed. I will beat him up until I top out in 5th but in the long run he will outrun me. Not by a lot but this quad can handle the taller gears. I also don’t like to keep the thing pinned for a few miles down some of the roads we run on. If your not doing a lot of wide open riding then the gearing is great.

[norton]

All my questions have been answered so far and im into this kfx450, its perfect for what i do but, i hear so much about the power being damp and just doesnt stack up to the other 450. Im thinkin the quick handling and easy steering makes it seem like it has power.

[chipworkz]

Think about this, are you going to be drag racing other 450’s or do you want plenty of useable power for the type of riding you are doing? I can’t compare it to the other 450’s but everything I have read has put it at or near the top of the power war. Here is a quote from the write up in ATV Illustrated. “The KFX450 power plant proved itself one of the most powerful motors in its class, if not the most powerful, period.” Don’t get caught up in “got to have the most power” way of thinking that some people have. Unless you are only into drag racing, the “power” of the quad is just one part of what makes it or breaks it for what you will use it for. My friend did some work with a Pro Quad rider that uses stock pipes on his personal quads. When he was asked why he doesn’t use an aftermarket pipe, he answered because I don’t need one. He said when your riding if you still have some throttle left then you don’t need a pipe, it would just be a waste.
For me it has plenty of power and I don’t have any plans to add any.

The last ride I went on I was near the back of the pack and stopped frequently to wait for my friend on his KFX 400. My other friend was on his KTM 525 in front of me and I keep catching up to him even with my stops, sometimes up to around 5 minutes. The KTM 525 has more power than my 450 but when it comes to the real world of riding, it didn’t make him faster!
Just do as much research as you can before you put your money down and you should be happy with your choice, whatever it is.

[spincr4hire]

coming off an 06 450ER to the KFX450. The KFX has more low end power, I think they are close on top end, the Honda may have it but not by much. The front end on my Honda handled much better, but I'm comparing apples to oranges. I had Houser +0.5's and Elkas rebuilt by GT Thunder, on the Kawi I just have GT Thunder rebuilds and stock arms. I know I have to clutch the Kawi a lot less in the tight stuff. You can lug this thing anywhere.

[norton]

I hear about how the head of the kawis engine restricts air flow and the head needs milled if you really want the power it can give

[norton]

So does anyone race harescrambles or the gncc? Im going to be getting into it and is building the engine over really that big of a deal when its already built for woods?

[spincr4hire]

Motor doesn't need much for the woods. Maybe a slip-on and remap(which I've yet to do).