We track test the 2011 Kawasaki KFX450R at Horseshoe Bend MX and a private track located in northern Ky. This video contains an in depth on track review and our suspension setups.
This is the BEST sport quad on the market today! It's like a raptor with better handling because of better ergos. Small mods and it just rips, stock form and it's the best sport quad on the trail. REVERSE is a must!
In stock form the KFX is one of the stealthiest machines on the market. I will check on the exact db rating. We have ridden all of the 450s as well. See our 2010 450 shootout for proof. The Kawasaki is pretty plush with the shocks dialed in for the rider, very stable for its trail friendly width, it has reverse, its smaller ergonomics will suit most riders under 6ft pretty well and it feels light when you ride it. If you dont need a 50in wide machine it is no more expensive to set up.
Great review. I’m in the market and the number one reason why I’m leaning towards the kfx over any other sport quad is because of the reverse gear. I mostly trail ride so reverse is a must. I’m tempted to get a 2015ish raptor but the 450 class are just more fun imo. Easier to mod and easier to whip around.
Thanks for checking out the video and for the comment. The KFX is a great machine. It was overlooked by a lot of people. Depending upon how far you want to modify your machine, there is a lot more aftermarket support for the Raptor at this point. That's just something you might want to take into consideration. I would consider what modifications you want and check on availability before you buy just to be safe. Things like Wheels, tires, intakes, exhaust, fuel modules, all of these parts will be easy to come by. If you have any questions feel free to hit us back.
ATVonDemand I watched your video on the aftermarket intake and the hmf exhaust I believe? With the commander. I’m going to for sure do all that first and eventually maybe widen A arms and bead lock wheels. I’m not looking to turn it into a pure track machine, just something a can rip the trails with. 2011-2014 were the years I was looking to get and surprisingly a lot of the ones I found on the internet for sale are mostly stock. Unfortunately a lot of the ones for sale are 2008s and it looks like I’m going to have to travel to find one as there are not a lot for sale in my area ever.
@moptop1316 - Thank you for the info. We were down at Horsefalls and Florence in Aug 2010. Florence was great, but Horsefalls, at the camp ground, was test central as you came out of camp. Thankfully we were on the sand just out from the camp ground at the first lake directly out from the day use area. I wasn't checked, but did the complementary check at the rental place by the Dune Riders Assoc. I blew 109. I am a big guy at 300 pds, so I was looking at a 450 more for my GF than myself.
@moptop1316 It costs just as much to hop up a kfx450r as it does any 450 on the market.. the kawasaki was designed with a different purpose in mind anyway.. it was designed to be fairly well at everything.. hence the reverse gear.. and why it is more rider friendly.
when you adjusted the comp and rebound which way did you turn the screw? the settings you used was that from 0 or from where they were from the factory?
good morning friend I would like to know how durable and reliable it is to know if you have problems or if it is a good ATV, would you like to buy one?
If I installed a full Yoshimura rs-2 exhaust would I need a fuel commander? Also, do you recommend the yoshi pipe? I herd most aftermarket exhausts are similar.. if I do add an intake system I defiantly would need to add a fuel commander right?
When we first installed an HMF Exhaust on our KFX we immediately noticed it backfiring due to running lean. So yes, if you put an exhaust on this machine we would definitely recommend installing an aftermarket fuel module. Yoshimura makes great exhausts. We have used them in the past, just not on this machine. You're thinking correctly. Adding an intake will only introduce more air to the engine so you would absolutely have to run a fuel module with the exhaust and intake. Either way, get a programmer. Hope this helps. Please set us back if you have anymore questions.
so it says they set the front suspension compression to 11 clicks out. is this low speed compression as well as high speed? or is it low speed only? and high speed backed all the way out?
I hear lot's of comparison to the Honda and CanAm, some mention of the Suzuki, but no speak of the Yamaha . . . kind of leaves you to believe the YFZ450 is better. So, what will you buy?
jmfdizog yfz has always been the top dog when it comes to sport atvs. It does not have reverse though and the kfx does. So if you trail ride it’s kind of stupid to get an act without reverse
can any one actually afford to buy a new quad these day? If so, this one looks like it would be worth the investment. Hows it handle on the sand? Whats it fuel range in hours and miles? What is its stock DB level and what after market pipes would you recommend for it to gain access to the "untapped power" that won't go louder than 94db? (Oregon Dune Db is ridiculously low standard is nearly impossible to meet even with stock pipes.)
@scagy23 Did you just watch the video? They said it has the best handling chasis of its class, that is one of the most important things in an ATV! KFX all the way
@LordAtrocities you can get left overs if you wait till the end of the year for super cheap. Ive never even been checked with a sound wand at the oregon dunes and i have a loud aftermarket pipe. In all honesty though both the ltr450 and the yfz450r are much better bikes then the kawi. Ive ridden them all and the kawi rides like shit in stock form. Twitchy handling brick like suspension and very narrow.To even get to the point where its decent you have to invest some serious cash.
Sweet machine! Bring it back Kawasaki!
Love it! Kawasaki pls bring it back!
This is the BEST sport quad on the market today! It's like a raptor with better handling because of better ergos. Small mods and it just rips, stock form and it's the best sport quad on the trail. REVERSE is a must!
Yamaha is hard to beat! I love Kawasaki sport quads tho too. If you have one DONT SELL it.
In stock form the KFX is one of the stealthiest machines on the market. I will check on the exact db rating. We have ridden all of the 450s as well. See our 2010 450 shootout for proof. The Kawasaki is pretty plush with the shocks dialed in for the rider, very stable for its trail friendly width, it has reverse, its smaller ergonomics will suit most riders under 6ft pretty well and it feels light when you ride it. If you dont need a 50in wide machine it is no more expensive to set up.
Great review. I’m in the market and the number one reason why I’m leaning towards the kfx over any other sport quad is because of the reverse gear. I mostly trail ride so reverse is a must. I’m tempted to get a 2015ish raptor but the 450 class are just more fun imo. Easier to mod and easier to whip around.
Thanks for checking out the video and for the comment. The KFX is a great machine. It was overlooked by a lot of people. Depending upon how far you want to modify your machine, there is a lot more aftermarket support for the Raptor at this point. That's just something you might want to take into consideration. I would consider what modifications you want and check on availability before you buy just to be safe. Things like Wheels, tires, intakes, exhaust, fuel modules, all of these parts will be easy to come by. If you have any questions feel free to hit us back.
ATVonDemand I watched your video on the aftermarket intake and the hmf exhaust I believe? With the commander. I’m going to for sure do all that first and eventually maybe widen A arms and bead lock wheels. I’m not looking to turn it into a pure track machine, just something a can rip the trails with. 2011-2014 were the years I was looking to get and surprisingly a lot of the ones I found on the internet for sale are mostly stock. Unfortunately a lot of the ones for sale are 2008s and it looks like I’m going to have to travel to find one as there are not a lot for sale in my area ever.
i can t get enought from KFX 450r videos :D
@DerbyDriver20 We started with the screws all the way turned in, clockwise and backed out from there.
thanks for posting, going down to horseshoe bend this weekend
That thing looks sick!
@moptop1316 - Thank you for the info. We were down at Horsefalls and Florence in Aug 2010. Florence was great, but Horsefalls, at the camp ground, was test central as you came out of camp. Thankfully we were on the sand just out from the camp ground at the first lake directly out from the day use area. I wasn't checked, but did the complementary check at the rental place by the Dune Riders Assoc. I blew 109. I am a big guy at 300 pds, so I was looking at a 450 more for my GF than myself.
@moptop1316
It costs just as much to hop up a kfx450r as it does any 450 on the market.. the kawasaki was designed with a different purpose in mind anyway.. it was designed to be fairly well at everything.. hence the reverse gear.. and why it is more rider friendly.
Yamaha just announced a '23 YFZ450R! If your a serious sport quad lover find a way get a new one. I am. Can't find a new '22 anywhere. Put dep on '23.
And the Honda trx450r??
when you adjusted the comp and rebound which way did you turn the screw? the settings you used was that from 0 or from where they were from the factory?
good morning friend I would like to know how durable and reliable it is to know if you have problems or if it is a good ATV, would you like to buy one?
If I installed a full Yoshimura rs-2 exhaust would I need a fuel commander? Also, do you recommend the yoshi pipe? I herd most aftermarket exhausts are similar.. if I do add an intake system I defiantly would need to add a fuel commander right?
When we first installed an HMF Exhaust on our KFX we immediately noticed it backfiring due to running lean. So yes, if you put an exhaust on this machine we would definitely recommend installing an aftermarket fuel module. Yoshimura makes great exhausts. We have used them in the past, just not on this machine. You're thinking correctly. Adding an intake will only introduce more air to the engine so you would absolutely have to run a fuel module with the exhaust and intake. Either way, get a programmer. Hope this helps. Please set us back if you have anymore questions.
@ATVonDemand - Thank you very much for the information. Very good review video.
Looks Great!!
could you do a video set on just showing how to do your tuning on this bike?
so it says they set the front suspension compression to 11 clicks out. is this low speed compression as well as high speed? or is it low speed only? and high speed backed all the way out?
I hear lot's of comparison to the Honda and CanAm, some mention of the Suzuki, but no speak of the Yamaha . . . kind of leaves you to believe the YFZ450 is better. So, what will you buy?
jmfdizog yfz has always been the top dog when it comes to sport atvs. It does not have reverse though and the kfx does. So if you trail ride it’s kind of stupid to get an act without reverse
so is this as good as the yamaha yfz 450? or better worse? any opinions?
my old mans the only one to ever put a kfx on the GNCC XC 2 podium
That's killer. Who is your dad?
@@ATVonDemand Scottie Rich. 2010 I think 👍🏻
@howabouttoknight thats what i though but i iked the sport clutch but can always get used to using the clutch
This or Raptor or YFZ450, what one better??
casing is where the bottom of the atv hits the dirt. that is different than wheel tapping, witch he was doing then.
undecided on if i should buy a 2008 kfx450 for 3400 or a 2007 raptor 700 for 3500 and i ride fast trails and dunes
Raptor is better for trails a d it has more torque down low for less downshifting. :)
what would be better to get this atv or the yfx450?
yah it can kinda be interpreted differently, but he was definitely doing that strategically to get around faster.
review the 2012 trx450r vs the yfz450r! PLZ! and thank you.
can any one actually afford to buy a new quad these day? If so, this one looks like it would be worth the investment. Hows it handle on the sand? Whats it fuel range in hours and miles? What is its stock DB level and what after market pipes would you recommend for it to gain access to the "untapped power" that won't go louder than 94db? (Oregon Dune Db is ridiculously low standard is nearly impossible to meet even with stock pipes.)
I dont get it. What did he do?
@scagy23 Did you just watch the video? They said it has the best handling chasis of its class, that is one of the most important things in an ATV! KFX all the way
in most cases, but not some whoops or weird rhythm sections. but he wasn't casing. look at the pro mx racers they will do both depending on the track.
@howabouttoknight littles boys thats funny i was just wondering if they were like the hondas
Gracias por la informacion.-
whats this song called @ATVonDemand
Nice
eff all that how are they on grass and coal hills
nice
Must put good exhaust
everyone has opinion about the best atv I prefer kfx I also own a Yamaha raptor
lol Actually clearing the jump would allow you to get around faster, casing it would slow you down...
Może mi ktoś powiedzieć co to za piosenka leci w tle ??
Przemek C oh yeah? Really dude?
he cased both jumps ( didnt completely clear the jumps )
@LordAtrocities you can get left overs if you wait till the end of the year for super cheap. Ive never even been checked with a sound wand at the oregon dunes and i have a loud aftermarket pipe. In all honesty though both the ltr450 and the yfz450r are much better bikes then the kawi. Ive ridden them all and the kawi rides like shit in stock form. Twitchy handling brick like suspension and very narrow.To even get to the point where its decent you have to invest some serious cash.
Please send me the stuff for that 450 q
Kfx has more top end. Ltr has quicker acceleration. Yfz is just better in general. Trx is more reliable. Can am is to expensive. Outlaw/ktm are decent
no its no a 260 ex has one or a brake
i want that :) :D
I want his job
raptor 700 FTW!
has more power than can am and suzuki.. not yamaha, yamaha is the best
it is a good fourwhellelllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly
@scagy23 kfx
thats a sport clutch right, but me dumm but idk please someone that knows get back to me thanks
I know what case is, and I didn't see the cases.
LTR is better than the YFZ.
lol really? i thought casing was botching the jump LOL
stock exhaust looks dope yfz is better
that's clean haha
the standard exhuasts on these bikes are shit buy dmc twin exhausts for them
ajajajajja
2 people have quad made in china
GinoB96 uh wut?
see how they dont compare with yamaha.... COUSE YAMAHA IS THE BEST
the new yamahas suck but the old ones are great
Benjamin Schmidt nope!
Benjamin Schmidt Your opinion sucks.
jason A I am with you
jason A yea but the yfz dosnt have reverse. Who wants to trail ride without reverse?
yfz 450 tbh
FREENICKDIAZ depends,, on trails I’ll take the kfx all day because of reverse
What's so funny?