Seeking KFX experience

[MtnEX]

Mainly I am looking for feedback from woods riders and ex-400EX owners.

I've found a deal on a KFX450 that I'm thinking about trading my 400EX for.

I like my 400EX, but it needs a 416 kit, etc, in addition to what it already has (internal work).

There are things I like about it, such as how it can lug around at slow speeds and not work you to death on tight woods trails. The exact opposite was my only dislike with the YFZ450 I had.

Would the KFX450 make a good woods/XC bike that I could use to ride along with anyone... like 400's and UTE's... or is it "high strung" like the other 450's?

I want something with good ride quality, excellent handling, the ability to lug the tight places and hills, and great accelleration for short fast bursts.

Reliability is important too. I just basically want to ride it, do normal maintenance and put it away.... for a good long while. I don't even know if I want to get into modding another one. Know what I mean?


Also, as a last thought... my 400EX is a leg roaster... the air cooled engine gets HOT. The thing will burn you up. If anyone came from a 400EX... is the liquid cooled KFX any better there?

[631kfx400]

i just baught a brand new black kfx450 2 days ago and last night me and my brother went snow street riding and it handled amazing in the snow. i dont no if that helps put i just felt like sharing it:blah: . i love the kfx450 so much

[k4f5x0r]

it is still somewhat high strung but its not nearly as much as the YFZ. the kfx has VERYY low gearing and if your in tight woods trails its not hard to lug at all.

infact when i went upstate, it was ALL puddles and giant rocks(something they would have in gncc) up to the cabbin. i didnt wanna get wet so id put it in 1st and idle along through everything until it cleared up.


im sure once you get used to it, it will treat you really well. it has the powerof a 450, reverse aluminum frame and the fuel injection. those are the reasons i got it. weve been having single digit temperatures and the thing starts immediatley. the reverse has helped SOO many times. slid off the mx track one time after casing a step up(yeaaa i felt dumb but not as dumb if i wouldve had to getoff and drag the *** end around).


overall i agree with^^ i love this bike :devil:

[slvrhwk]

I've had no problems out of mine other than the main fuse blowing a few times.

The FI helps with slow speed in trials, but in very tight stuff you will notice the clutch likes to be slipped more than the 400ex to keep it from stalling.

The only thing I've done to mine was change oil, clean air filter and adjust the chain (minus the main fuse issue) in a year and a half.

Here's a tread with a couple riding vids of mine.

http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=375587

Though the vids don't help out much with the slow speed ?'s

[hondaracer_34]

I came from a 400ex. Dude...haha the KFX is a whole different machine. It handles like a dream! You can lug it around in the woods and like you asked about the suddon bursts out of corners and such...this quad has the best low end ever. Cooling is not really a problem. I think its not that much cooler. Its a 450 and a high performance race motor. I hope this helps...

[KFX450Rrider490]

s they said before it handeles great shocks are a little tight but not baad as for relibility nothing comes close to this for example 2 days ago i was out riding in ruffly 8 inches of snow meaning it was covered i let it sit outside as i was doing things for probably 3 hrs went back pulled the choke it turned over like 3 times and was running
power is great i havent had it on dirt yet but comming from a 300ex it has am amasing power and will be a blast to trail ride throttle response is second to none and if you like to wheelie this thing will come up in 4th gear which is insane
but yea its a great and u wont be dissapointed

[rcatvrider]

I've ridden a kfx450 and you can't lug it anything like a 400ex with 13t sprocket(13t is 1 tooth less because I have an 05 400ex). I can start and ride up slight inclines without even touching the gas. The feel of the kfx takes some getting used to but it sure hauls. It's relatively low geared and once you get moving it just wants to keep pulling. The suspension is alot better stock for jumping than a 400ex too.

[250racer2010]

its the perfect quad for wat u do. it lugs very well and has lots of torque and acceleration and turns very fast handles great.

[KAWIRYDER]

The header pipe on the KFX gets pretty hot. Thats nothing a little exhaust wrap couldn't fix. I did the big three upgrades and now it has a ton of power. It would be perfect in stock form for trails and cross country riding.

[MtnEX]

So would this KFX be the one with the best woods qualities over the other 450's?

What is the stock gearing?

Is the KFX lower maintenance than the other 450's?


Kawiryder,

You had the 400 and now have a 450.
How do you see the pros and cons of the two?

[MtnEX]

Hummm.....


What do you owners think of this review?
http://atvillustrated.com/articles/1323

I was more interested in the GNCC portion of course...
Sounds good to me... I don't need top end speed.

[k4f5x0r]

the only thigns you really need to keep up on are the oil changes and airfilter cleanings/oilings. after every few rides(depending on how many hours) i change the oil(ussually about 10-15 hours) and then change the oil filter every time. i also check and clean my air filter everry 3 rides sometimes more ofte if its real dusty.


the kfx is geared reallllly low. at first its pretty weird but now i really like it. i can lug it when i need to but i also have the torque to pick up speed right out of a corner to hit the upcoming jump.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by rcatvrider
I've ridden a kfx450 and you can't lug it anything like a 400ex with 13t sprocket(13t is 1 tooth less because I have an 05 400ex). I can start and ride up slight inclines without even touching the gas. The feel of the kfx takes some getting used to but it sure hauls. It's relatively low geared and once you get moving it just wants to keep pulling. The suspension is alot better stock for jumping than a 400ex too.

Mine is a lot older than yours and never been "into" though.

I'm running the 14t/38 gearing it had on it.
May be about the same as the gearing on your reverse engine.


Anyways, I'm not terribly impressed with this old mule. I like a lot about it. But in hindsight I could have probably picked a better "base" to start putting money in. I without question regret not getting any one of the other two I was looking at (DVX400 or Z400) or going for an clearly lower hour 400EX.

Right now I feel like I am at the "service mark" on the engine unless I take it pretty easy on it, conserve it, etc...

Best I can tell it is getting near time for a cam chain service, and I think in my mind that marks the point where I might should go on into overhauling while I'm in there.

I'm guessing that's about the time/hours for a head and cylinder service.... and an inspection of the bottom end.

Time for a gasket kit, CRF450 cam chain & etc, port/polish, stage 1 cam, valve job & valve parts, bore & hone, 416cc kit... and maybe a 450R carb, 450R front shocks, rear shock service, etc.

I'd probably be thrilled with it after all of that and good to go for a long time too. But then here's the problem.........

I can't do all of that work, and the parts I can do.... I really don't have a place or the time to do right now when I need to be doing it.

So "IF" the swingarm bolt will come out I have a few options...

A reverse engine off ebay ($1500 +/-)
Maybe 2 or 3 places I can ship it out of state for the work ($1,000 at least)

If not... I get on a waiting list with one local or gamble with some other.



So I have been thinking that I do not know if it's worth it, and I do not know really what I can expect out of a 416EX when it is done.

So I have been eyeballing newer used 400EX's... KawiZukiCat 400's... and 660R/700R Raptors.... and in the process I ran across this new KFX450R.

I've been thinking about it all for a while now... just haven't made any progress.... LOL...

[rcatvrider]

My 400ex came with extremely low hours. If it was ready for all of that work I would probably do the same as you and look for a new machine. I would probably look at the kfx450 and 450r.

[MtnEX]

If I had a place to work on it, I'd probably take it apart, then take everything in for 'inspection' so a few quick measurements would determine my parts list for the top end and to see if the bottom end could use anything at all.

Then I'd get the parts, have the machining done, and put it back together myself.

But I don't have that... so I have to look at other means... or trade-in, sell or part-out.


At this point I can invest more money in this one, or try trading it for a KFX450R... Or I can hunt down another garage queen 400EX to transfer my goodies to and sell/part-out.... Or I can sell/part-out and then start hunting something else.

Trading for the KFX450R is probably the easy way, and wouldn't hurt too bad, provided I could get a decent trade-in figure. Obviously I can't get back what I have invested... but if I could get book value or something in the $2,000 range I think I'd be OK with that.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by rcatvrider
I would probably look at the kfx450 and 450r.

I didn't see that before.
I actually have a price match on a TRX450R electric start and a YFZ450.
Or +$300 for an LTR450.

All the same good price range really.
It's getting to be a buyer's market now.

[KAWIRYDER]

Hey MtnEX the kfx400 was the perfect machine I thought. It had a smooth power delivery and the machine had great handling. Now the kfx450 is a handful, the power is spot on and I mean there is no lugging this machine when you tap the throttle it wants to flat out move. At least to me the 400 is a better trail machine with a few mods. The 450 is also a good machine but the power is pretty wow and when riding trails you don't always want that insane power. Trying to keep from spinning the tires is sometimes a pain when you want to tap the throttle to hop over a log or rocks. I also am only 5'4" 140lbs and the machine can't even tell I'm on it. I just hold on when it takes off lol. If you plan on leaving it stock it would probably be a great machine the reverse is nice though. Let us know what you do. Hope this helps.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by KAWIRYDER
Hey MtnEX the kfx400 was the perfect machine I thought. It had a smooth power delivery and the machine had great handling. Now the kfx450 is a handful, the power is spot on and I mean there is no lugging this machine when you tap the throttle it wants to flat out move. At least to me the 400 is a better trail machine with a few mods. The 450 is also a good machine but the power is pretty wow and when riding trails you don't always want that insane power. Trying to keep from spinning the tires is sometimes a pain when you want to tap the throttle to hop over a log or rocks. I also am only 5'4" 140lbs and the machine can't even tell I'm on it. I just hold on when it takes off lol. If you plan on leaving it stock it would probably be a great machine the reverse is nice though. Let us know what you do. Hope this helps.

Well, I passed on the KawiZukiCat 400's for the 400EX. I had found a garage queen Z400, but it was an '03. I was concerned with the frame and I also already had the liquid cooled Polaris. So I opted for the crudely simple EX.

I love my EX for all it is, but if I could go back and know what I do now, I would have gotten the Z400 and hoped for the best with the frame.

I know where there are some deals to be had on new (08) and used LTZ/KFX 400's. What I'd really like to try is an '09 Z400 EFI. But the market being the way it is now... That would really be crazy...


I've slept on this whole issue, and what I have decided so far is to just slow down and take my sweet time with this decision...


I've recently found a 700R a 700XX and a few Outlaws.
I have a lot of thinking to do.

[masterp0606]

The kfx 450 is an awesome quad it is nimble quick and handles well. You can just hit the gas and throw the back end around and take the turn sharp and fast. I love mine i Mainly ride trails were you have to get across trees and turn sharp and this thing shines ex with the reverse that is the best trail quality you can have.

[MtnEX]

Well, I had planned to go trade my EX yesterday, but on my way I turned back. I hadn't felt right about it since I finished trailering it.

On my way back home I ran into my wife in passing, who was surprised to see me in town. We pulled off and stopped to talk and I explained.

She suggested I just go elsewhere and do some 'no-pressure tire kicking' which actually turned out to be a great idea.

I did a lot of tire kicking, and I have to admit that when I am sitting on the KFX450R everything just feels right... except the seat... lol (hows that for irony?).

[k4f5x0r]

yea the seat is REAL hard... about a year and a half later with a mx track and the seat is finally softening up :p

[Outdoorsmanjjw]

MAN i can't belive you are keeping your 400ex instead of a kfx450r I had a honda 450r with some mods and I don't miss it at all cause I just got me a kfx450r its stock and I love it so much my buddie has two 400ex no big bore kits but he rode mine and loves it and may be buying on for him self

[mod440ex]

better to take your time and not regret it later, i dont think you will. you can buy new foam for the seat and i hear it makes a world of difference. kinda look at it like this, you have a quad that is 10 years old and its going to start nickel and diming you to death, especially if you start making more power. mine was an 02 and it had a 440 kit in it and i could tell that i was going to start having to put money into it, bearings, brake rotors, clutch parts, and some other minor stuff. i had to look at it like if i do all of this i am going to have a good bike, but is it going to be what i want, 450 power, reverse, efi, and a lot better suspension. i hope you figure out what you want to do before the opportunity passes.

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by mod440ex
better to take your time and not regret it later, i dont think you will.

i hope you figure out what you want to do before the opportunity passes.

Yeah, I just am not sure yet... uncomfortable about it.

I hope I do figure it out before my chances are gone.


I'm going to ride a KFX450R this afternoon if at all possible... and then I think I will be ready to sleep on it and go buy something Friday.

[MtnEX]

I rode it and was pretty impressed.


It is NOT the torque king of 450's though off the bottom. The KTM 450 engine is.

Well either that or the Kawasaki is geared too high. But everyone complains the gearing is too low, so I don't know.

[k4f5x0r]

the KTM has quite a few horses on the KAWI aswell as better rear tires. a pipe commander and some decent rear tires really wakes it up ;)

[MtnEX]

Originally posted by k4f5x0r
the KTM has quite a few horses on the KAWI aswell as better rear tires. a pipe commander and some decent rear tires really wakes it up ;)

Well I can't bring myself to pay the price tag of the KTM XC. So I checked out the KTM engine in the Outlaw 450 MXR.

I like the KFX450 bike better. (It's TIGHT!)
I like the Outlaw/KTM engine better.