Going to Kawi? Maybe?

[Rohr397]

Guy wants to trade my 400 and $500 for his Kfx450r. Really needing to switch to a 450 for arenacross and the deal seems pretty good to me. What do you guys think? I'll be tight on money so I really want to make sure this is worth it.

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mcy/3269770830.html

[01boneless]

id do it for sure, only thing that would ward me off is k&n filter......

[#484]

A friend of mine raced a KFX in cross country for a year and said it nearly broke the bank. He said it was a good machine but when it needed repaired it was expensive. He sold it and got a YFZ for this year and has been happy with it so far.

[dxcody]

No.

Your better off on your modded 400ex that has suspension and everything, rather than a Stock 450.

Let alone a KAWI.

Nothing against the green machine but, its just like an LTR. Parts are expensive, and used parts are limited since it isnt really that popular of a quad.

Everyone complains about the seats of them too.

Just my opinion.

[CJM]

They aint reliable at all. Id run far far away.

[Stickman400]

That's a pretty clean quad and it looks pretty good, but I don't have a clue when it comes to yamahammer's or kowi's so I'd go with everyone else and say pass. I will say this though, look at what he's trying to do, sell it or trade it for a Honda, Yamaha, or Z400. I'd say he's came to the same conclusion.

[Rohr397]

As far as the K&N, I understand you on that. Dust isn't really a problem around here but it's not necessarily a reason to blow it off.

I do like my 400 for the suspension but the lightening fast acceleration isn't there and I really need it.

Not to argue or blow it off dxcody, but my buddy actually switched from the Kfx to the Ltr (he's a tall dude and the kawi was too cramped for him without major mods to fix it). Both have held up for him in racing and he's built both of them up nicely. He does complain about the seat though. The only major issue he had with his Kawi was actually not a Kawasaki part, it was a Power Commander 3. Other than that the only thing that broke in two years of racing was the brake rotor on a rock and the piston/rings went because of a loose air filter, somehow his cylinder survived.

Reliability is actually a funny thing to be honest. I had a 2004 Trx450r, that was perfectly reliable as expected. BUT I also had a 2004 Yfz450 that was reliable, I had to get rid of it because the frame and many other things were bent and broken beyond repair but once I fixed the clutch (missing springs) it never stopped running. I'm sure you all know that the 04-05 Yfz is notorious for poor reliability too. Now my 400ex, I can't keep a stock part on this thing. It breaks down on me regularly, usually $600 a month and a breakdown every two weeks. I've maintained them all the same, serviced them accordingly, and gotten these results. My results tend to defy what the rumors say, so I have a hard time saying one quad is far worse than another on reliability. That being said when the overwhelming majority of owners say nothing good I'm open to hear the complaints.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've heard all kinds of rumors all over the place about all of the 450's out right now. What I'm really looking for is another perspective on this thing. Sometimes I miss the simplest issues, maybe a broken part or something. Idk. Not trying to be rude to anyone on here, I'm just not sure who to believe to be honest, it's hard when half say it's a POS and half swear up and down it's the best thing on the market.

[dxcody]

*trying to be as unbiased as possible*

Pros:
450 obviously
faster acceleration
The KFX is known for being the fastest quad top end, there is.
Looks to be in great shape.
Comes with extra tires + rims you could sell to buy some tires you need.
NICE QUAD WITH TITLE!

*can't comment on the reliability part because, the only KFX450 i have ever been around has, never broken down, but also has like 30 hours on it... So IDK about that. *

Cons:
You lose your shocks,
Your swingarm
Your linkage
Brand new tires
It needs nerf bars


What I am getting at is, your quad is a race ready 400ex. Truly. I mean, you have a lot of work and money in to your 400ex.

With that KFX, yes, you get a 450... But you are also starting over from scratch.

The good thing is any 450 holds its value.
You can sell a KFX everyday for 3000.

Even with your decked out 400ex, you will have a hard time getting 3000 out of it.

The decision is yours, and you are going to do what you want. but I am just saying if it was me, No, I wouldn't do it.

P.S. No you don't have to worry about offending me, lol. I will give my honest opinion no matter what, I expect you to do the same.

[Rohr397]

Originally posted by dxcody
*trying to be as unbiased as possible*

Pros:
450 obviously
faster acceleration
The KFX is known for being the fastest quad top end, there is.
Looks to be in great shape.
Comes with extra tires + rims you could sell to buy some tires you need.
NICE QUAD WITH TITLE!

*can't comment on the reliability part because, the only KFX450 i have ever been around has, never broken down, but also has like 30 hours on it... So IDK about that. *

Cons:
You lose your shocks,
Your swingarm
Your linkage
Brand new tires
It needs nerf bars


What I am getting at is, your quad is a race ready 400ex. Truly. I mean, you have a lot of work and money in to your 400ex.

With that KFX, yes, you get a 450... But you are also starting over from scratch.

The good thing is any 450 holds its value.
You can sell a KFX everyday for 3000.

Even with your decked out 400ex, you will have a hard time getting 3000 out of it.

The decision is yours, and you are going to do what you want. but I am just saying if it was me, No, I wouldn't do it.

P.S. No you don't have to worry about offending me, lol. I will give my honest opinion no matter what, I expect you to do the same.

Hey from one H-hole to another, I appreciate the it! (An H-hole is a person who's honest and as a result people think they're an A-hole for being that way).

I completely agree with your cons, and that's why I'm a little reluctant. The only thing I don't have to worry about is the fact that I didn't actually pay for the expensive parts, I got the quad with them. That being said, they're 12 years old and starting to show it so I'll have to start paying for the maintenance.

As you mentioned it would have better value. Around here my 400ex won't go for over $2000. Yes I know that price is crazy, believe me it's ridiculous. Stock 400ex's, even up to 05's, are going for $1500 or less. On the other hand the Kawi's are going for $4000-$5000 in terrible shape. If you're doing this right now :huh I don't blame you. If you really wanna brain teaser, they're trying to sell the 06 Yfz450's for $6000, all stock. Meanwhile they're selling zero hour Ktm's off the showroom for $5500. It does not maka-da-sense.

And again, it isn't "race-ready" yet. Which is always a bit of a hassle.

My problem is that I found out I have to race my 400 in the open class, because the 450 production classes are completely restricted to 450cc production quads only, no smaller sizes, no larger sizes (obviously). It's for the true 450's only. So I'm kinda in a pickle. The open class is dominated by pro guys on their blown up bikes that were rebuilt as 480 big bores and they're pushing 70hp, no joke at all. I don't think my 400 can compete with that.

It's tough, I can't sell my 400 for enough to buy a 450. If I had the cash to cover the difference I could build the 400ex to a brand new condition. So this is the only trade option available to me in the last month and it seems really good to me.

I've got a lot of thinking to do. :ermm:

[dxcody]

Oh i understand! Btw as slightlybent said to me just a few days ago, people on forums generally take a opinion as offensive and blow it way out of proportion! lol

But honestly, the reason why I say pass, is because i traded my old 400ex for a YFZ450 and i got ripped bad. That was in the winter of 2010-2011... Now almost a year later, and I am back with a 400ex because the YFZ turned out to be a junker.

So, if you decide to do it, just make sure you go over that thing with a microscope!

[ish416]

As someone who own's both, I can tell you the KFX450 is a great quad. Yes, the seat sucks but it's not really that bad. If you are taller like me (6'3") then you need to invest in a +3 steering stem but other than that I can report no issues whatsoever.

I purchased mine new in October of 07 and I had to replace my battery, a few fuses, the stock header and the rear axle bearings twice. That is it. This machine has been rock solid and to this point has a better reliability track record than my EX.

As far as the suspension, if you have stock 450R shocks on your EX then you still don't have as good of suspension as the KFX has stock. You can re-valve them and be on your way or you can step up to long travel if you want, just like any other quad.

As for power, a stock KFX450 isn't much faster than a high compression, cam'd EX. Top speed is about the same and the Kawi pulled my EX by about 5 quad lengths stock. However, once you add a full intake, exhaust and programmer... holy crap what a difference. Throw some stage 2 hotcams or 06 - 08 KX450 cams in it with some mild head porting and a 15T front sprocket, then you have an engine that can compete with practically anything.

In fact, I have a friend who has an 05 Honda TRX450R with +1 valves, 13:1 compression (race fuel), cam, ported head, FCR carb, the list goes on. He spent over $3500 on the engine and had it built by Toby @ Motoxperts. This quad puts down 55HP on their dyno and is what they call a "National Level engine". My KFX will pull away from this Honda at will in a straight line with just an intake, full exhaust, cams and a programmer. Seriously impressive for a stock engine. Given, his quad is significantly heavier than mine, +65 Lbs. Also, the KFX has reverse which is an amazing thing once you have it.

A race between my KFX with a full KN intake, Power Commander 5 and stock exhaust and his TRX450 on a Baldwin racing build with about 80 hours on it (before MXP built it). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr_UiYYz0NY

Onto handling, the only thing I will say about it is that the front end is twitchy at speed. This is mainly from the stock front tires. Replace those and make sure your toe is adjusted to factory specs and it will handle great. Throw on a steering stabilizer and you are set. Also, the aluminum frame. It is a great piece but it does tend to send vibrations to the handlebars more than most quads do. It is easily fixed tho and not really all that bad.

Parts are no more expensive on this than on any other 450. Yes, used parts aren't as plentiful but they are there if you look (ebay, kfx450hq).


So, if you decide to do it, just make sure you go over that thing with a microscope!
As you should with anything you buy used.

[HondaRacing83]

ive done my homework on kawis because i damn near had one. like the first year, some had tranny issues. they have gobs of topend. i think the suspensions fairly equal to the normal yfz's (before 09) they handle well. i didnt mind the seat and im 6'1" i just needed a taller stem. i like the fact that they come with fatbars and polished inside out itp bajas in a sense. i think the headlights are ugly as balls tho lol. they are a good solid quad. id do it, if you dont like it sell it and pick something else up. or do the fst 500 stroker kit in your 400 haha

[ish416]

ive done my homework on kawis because i damn near had one. like the first year, some had tranny issues.

I have never heard of a single transmission failure on a KFX450. I have heard of the first model year LTR having issues, however?

Mine is a first model year and no issues at all.

[dxcody]

Originally posted by ish416
As far as the suspension, if you have stock 450R shocks on your EX then you still don't have as good of suspension as the KFX has stock. You can re-valve them and be on your way or you can step up to long travel if you want, just like any other quad.

But he doesn't have stock 450R suspension, he has full LSR/P.E.P. setup. That is not a cheap setup... Which is also a big reason why the guy wants to trade probably...

BTW I have read a ton of reviews on the KFX, no one has really had any issues that i have seen. Because I was looking into getting one, just because I like how the Can Am's, Honda's and KFX's set up a little higher, unlike the LTR, and YFZ.

The 08 LTR is the one that had all the tranny problems, If i remember right.
Because that LTR i was suppose to buy, was an 08 and everyone was telling me I had to do some shifter mod, or something like that.

[Rohr397]

Nah that was the 06-07 that had the shifter mod, the 08+ had a low quality third gear and required billet gears.

As far as suspension, I know it's a downgrade, but at the same time I found out that unfortunately, while nice, I have stock travel suspension. So a respring and revalve would put me close and honestly the width would be the only loss. Now the rear is another story but honestly on any other quad than a Honda the swinger has been just fine for me, same for linkage.

I'll be honest Dx, I think I've ready every review on every quad and half of the bikes since '08. Every quad magazine, every video and every article I can find online. My head is filled with useful and useless info on all of the 450's, 700's and the 450/250 bikes. I find it incredibly interesting for no apparent reason and I read into it 24/7.

Speaking of which, I was disappointed that there were no new and awesome models to read up on :'(

[ben300]

Originally posted by dxcody
But he doesn't have stock 450R suspension, he has full LSR/P.E.P. setup. That is not a cheap setup... Which is also a big reason why the guy wants to trade probably...

BTW I have read a ton of reviews on the KFX, no one has really had any issues that i have seen. Because I was looking into getting one, just because I like how the Can Am's, Honda's and KFX's set up a little higher, unlike the LTR, and YFZ.

The 08 LTR is the one that had all the tranny problems, If i remember right.
Because that LTR i was suppose to buy, was an 08 and everyone was telling me I had to do some shifter mod, or something like that.

08's had 3rd gear issues...my buddies..which is basically stock, sometimes is rough shifting into 3rd..


the only problems ive heard fo the kfx having, besides it being a kawi :devil: ....is that soem ppl had problems with teh cranks going out when they are heavily modded....there is a way to fix that lol

sometimes ill drag race my ex...couple dudes bring their kfx450's...they are really fast bikes...


but with all mentioned above...i dont know if id trade your bike for a stock bike

[Rohr397]

Yeah, idk I've bought modded bikes the last four times, and all have needed the aftermarket parts repaired because they're usually broken, beaten or installed wrong in a way that has ruined them. My 400ex was totally built when I bought it, but I had to replace the a lot of parts immediately like the exhaust because they weren't good anymore. Plus they previous owners never did jetting on them after modding them so that was a problem. Stock gives me a peace of mind, given the quad is good to start with. If I build it, and it goes wrong, I can only blame myself. I get pissed when someone else did shotty work and I didn't/couldn't pick up on it when I bought the quad.

[mineralgrey01gt]

Originally posted by dxcody
But he doesn't have stock 450R suspension, he has full LSR/P.E.P. setup. That is not a cheap setup... Which is also a big reason why the guy wants to trade probably...

BTW I have read a ton of reviews on the KFX, no one has really had any issues that i have seen. Because I was looking into getting one, just because I like how the Can Am's, Honda's and KFX's set up a little higher, unlike the LTR, and YFZ.

The 08 LTR is the one that had all the tranny problems, If i remember right.
Because that LTR i was suppose to buy, was an 08 and everyone was telling me I had to do some shifter mod, or something like that.

Its $40 to do the shifter pin relocate kit on them.

I went from a 400ex to a banshee and now my ltr450. My ltr450 blows and i mean completely blows my 400ex out the water. I had all the suspension, arms, etc on my 400ex with a cammed 416 engine on it and it just doesnt even compare to my almost stock ltr450. Ive ridden the kfx450's and hate them. They feel odd to me but id do the trade and find something more desirable.

[dxcody]

Originally posted by Rohr397
Stock gives me a peace of mind, given the quad is good to start with. If I build it, and it goes wrong, I can only blame myself. I get pissed when someone else did shotty work and I didn't/couldn't pick up on it when I bought the quad.

Which is another Pro i forgot to mention.
Stock is good. Not really stock suspension... Well I guess odds are it probably wouldn't have been set up for you anyways, but a Stock motor and stuff is a plus.