KFX 450 IS CLOSE:

Word out of the Kawasaki factory is that the all new KFX450 is close to ready for mass production. The rumors of the all aluminum frame are all true. Our spies got some great pics of the new green machine (which we cannot post for legal reasons) and let us be the first to tell you it is one bad ass machine.

The engine on the new KFX450 is said to have some serious pop, one observer claimed it is easily as fast as any of the 450 machines, and appears to corner as if on rails. While it is not 49" wide like the Suzuki LTR450, it is thought to be a good inch wider than a Honda TRX450r, maybe touching into the 48" range. It is said to be a full 450cc displacement with a fuel injection system, and yes a reverse gear! It does appear that Kawasaki engineers spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of the green z400 they used to sell, because the KFX450 has a similar stance to the Suzuki z400.

Since the KFX400 is no longer available, the KFX450 is said to be more tail friendly out of the box than the other 450s. A reverse gear will certainly be a huge step in that direction. And it is said that the handling of the z400 inspired the handling of the KFX450. People who love handling generally rave about the z400, especially in the woods, and the Kawasaki engineers took that into account with the suspension set up and the ergonomics and frame geometry.

KFX450 I:

So what is a KFX450 I? Well nothing yet, but one of our spies claims to have seen an IRS sport machine being tested by Kawasaki and it was not a Polaris Outlaw. This source claims that the factory has been experimenting with the IRS set up on a sport machine, trying to improve on the idea that Polaris attempted to do with the Outlaw. The Outlaw is falling far short of expectations, and on the racing circuit the heavy machine and it's bizarre handling is seemingly too quirky to get used to.