Lookin for a new Trail bike. Is the kfx trail worthy?

[stonesuperman]

in the market for a new bike.. i like the efi and reverse that the kawi gives.. other options are 700 raptor and outlaw 525irs.. i do mostly tight woods riding and across fields when the crops are down..i do no racing and not planning large jumps.. my question is can the kfx's suspension adjustable, and can be sofened up to be smoother in the woods? is its torque low enough to be as trail worthy as the other two options??

[KFX450Rrider490]

yes it is but im done promoting the kfx ive had 2 of them and bolth have/had electricle problems they are great quads but i had lots of problems to tell you the truth is buy an outlaw or if you can buy a ktm 450/525

[heelclickinonaR]

I normally ride a highly modified 250R and when I was looking for a trail bike for woods riding, I went with the KFX450. Handles good, not like my 'R', but really good. Suspension is fully adjustable. You will love the reverse and how easy it is to use. I can't speak for the other 450's, I prefer 2 strokes, but I wanted reverse. You shouldn't be dissappointed. :D

[KAWIRYDER]

I ride mostly trails and tight woods and I geared mine down and it is worth every penny. I did exhaust and filter and PCIII that thing has crazy power now. :D

[ish416]

I have experience on all the quads you had mentioned expect I rode the Outlaw 500IRS. They are great all around quads. I prefer the straight axle quads over the IRS on the Outlaw.

I ended up purchasing the KFX450. It seems easier to navigate through the trees than the Raptor or the Outlaw.

The KFX450 engine has more torque than any other 450 I have rode.

The suspension can be adjusted very soft for woods or tightened up for MX.
I am 6'3" and 220 and had to mess with the settings a bit to get it dialed in, but it was definitely worth it in the end. It has some of the best factory suspension on something that is not an all out race quad.

The one thing I would recommend for the KFX450 are skid plates. As the stock ones are basically worthless.

I have not had any issues with mine except for a cracked exhaust header which was replaced through Kawasaki 5 months after my warranty had expired.

[jimmyjames1700]

Originally posted by stonesuperman
in the market for a new bike.. i like the efi and reverse that the kawi gives.. other options are 700 raptor and outlaw 525irs.. i do mostly tight woods riding and across fields when the crops are down..i do no racing and not planning large jumps.. my question is can the kfx's suspension adjustable, and can be sofened up to be smoother in the woods? is its torque low enough to be as trail worthy as the other two options??

I was in the same boat as you a couple years back. I out grew the old Z400, which was an awesome trail bike but I wanted more power. I ended up getting the Kawi in Feb of 08 and have been very happy with the ride and reliability of it ever since. I think its a can't miss bike with the EFI, reverse and great build quality.

[tony400ex]

i also started with a honda 400 ex then whent out and bought the kfx 450, most of my buddies have had problems with theres, but ive had mine for two years been threw series hard trails to easy... also every year i gear it up for the ice, lowering the front and rear , and she goes the handleing is alot better then my old 400,, as for electrical problems i havnt had any due to maybe im so meticulous on cleaing it after every ride

[stonesuperman]

this question is for you kawi and tony. i see you both came off of the 400 bikes to the kfx450... is the kfx able to lug like the 400 ex or closer to the suzuki/kawasaki 400?? this may seem like a dumb question but can you go slow with the kfx. can i just let it lug behind a slow group of youngsters or am i gonna be on the clutch the whole time? i'm askin cuz i have yz450f dirtbike and we have lots of people out riding i'm stuck on that cuz i'm the only one that can ride it.. and following my nephews and all the girls i am clutching more than riding and its a huge pain.. if this is the case i'm goin with the outlaw or raptor.. they can lug as a very slow pace..but i want the fuel injected lighter kfx.

[KAWIRYDER]

I understand exactly where you are coming from. I too wanted a machine I could lug on the trails. After I got the KFX450r I ended up putting a 13 tooth front sprocket and it made it perfect for lugging in first gear on the trails and it made second gear perfect for ripping a little faster on tight trails. I am totally happy now. In stock trim it did seem like first was a little to high for tight trails. You won't be disappointed with the performance and handling. Plus you love reverse it comes in handy. Hope this helps if you have anymore questions I would be more than happy to help you out.:D

[tony400ex]

yea you just have to change the gearing cause i know when i ride with a slower group im constantly useing the clutch.... the gear ratio is alot diffrent from the kfx/honda 400 ex.... but all in all it also depends on how tight the trails are and ur ability... and for reverse you will love that also it took me a bit to get used to useing it but its a nice thing

[Jigsaw]

Yeah slow trials will require some clutch work, but I think its fun to master the clutch in technical stuff rather than just hitting the gas and brake lol.

The only major thing I hate about it is the clearance, you really have to pick your lines when going through rutted trials, but other then that its a great quad for the trails.

[tony400ex]

yea its a challange for sure i still have mine set all stock with the gearing it doesnt bother me in the tight trails.... as for height clearance he is right you have to pick ur line going threw ruff trails.... ground clearance is lower