klx450r?

[chop]

Now that some of you guys have had them a while, what do you think of the KLX450R?

[takitimu]

Now that some of you guys have had them a while, what do you think of the KLX450R?

The Good:
- Power, really usable, it hooks up & goes nicely, it drops off after mid-range, so high revving doesn't work, it just loves bogs & with the strong mid-range is brutally quick/fun out of corners.
- Handling, I'm hardly pushing it, but the pro's I've heard about who rode it ( Sean Clark at Taupo TTR ) and Mitchell Nield on mine really liked it & I like it personally, with the caveat that in the really slow tight stuff I am still struggling a bit, but I think that is way more my fault than the bikes.
- Clutch, I've never really played with slipping the clutch out of corners, but due to the power/gearing on the KLX I've started & the clutch action is really very nice, probably to be expected being based on the KX, but nonetheless I find it works good.

Tweaks:
- It's pretty high geared, I went from 13/50 to 13/52
- Handlebars, I'm going to get risers to make standing just that bit more comfortable.
- Once run in you need a bigger main jet, as it starts running lean after 5 odd hours.

To not so good:
- Oil Filter, because the header drops so low, you need to take it off to change the oil filter.
- Battery, I think because the light is always on it does not charge as well as the WR/KTM's, I got a battery tender.
- Electrical, I had a problem very similar to a bad stator ( stop start was fine, 1/2 way around a track it would became very asthmatic ), it was in the shop for a week & went great last weekend, so my read is they are getting that side all sorted.
- Speedo, it has not got an enduro style computer like the KTM & it's lower featured than the WR as well ( it has a clock, a couple of distance counters, total distance & speedo ).

Coming off a KLX300R I like the power/handling alot, I expected the power to be a bit scarey, but it's not at all, it really does just hook up & go, though it's definitely not so easy for me personally to throw around in the tight stuff/trees & you have to be so careful with throttle control ( an accidental blip going down a real steep hill is "exciting" & blipping the throttle in a rut not a wise thing ).

Long story short, there are a few teething issues, but it's a damn good bike & when Mitchell had a ride on mine after a KTM450 ( 2006 ) it held it's own real well. There are some nice 450's out there WR/KTM & my read is you can add the KLX to the list, even if I'm a little biased :).

Nigel

P.S. When we weighed it fully fueled it was 128kg's, the KTM450 124kg's, mine still had some mud onboard from memory, I think DRD called it 126 vs 124, either way it's at the top end weight wise.
P.P.S. I've only got 12 hours on the clock so far.

[chris]

P.S. When we weighed it fully fueled it was 128kg's, the KTM450 124kg's, mine still had some mud onboard from memory, I think DRD called it 126 vs 124, either way it's at the top end weight wise.
On the KR scales (yes, we have our own) the KLX weighed 126 fully fuelled. KTM was 121.

[takitimu]

On the KR scales (yes, we have our own) the KLX weighed 126 fully fuelled. KTM was 121.

We used cattle scales & the bikes were hardly spotless, could easily have been 2 kilo's of mud on my klx & 3 kilo's on the ktm :).

Nigel

[chris]

We used cattle scales & the bikes were hardly spotless, could easily have been 2 kilo's of mud on my klx & 3 kilo's on the ktm :).

Nigel
Both spotless when we weighed them :innocent:

Maybe you should mention the price difference...

[chop]

so overall there a good bike? im looking at moving from the rm to the klx

[takitimu]

Both spotless when we weighed them :innocent:

Maybe you should mention the price difference...

I dunno, mentioning journalist & keeping something spotless in the same sentence, isn't that pretty contradictory :), or are Bike Journo's different to TV ones :) ( Seriously given you measured for the article, I'm sure it was accurate ).

The price is a bit harder to quantify, it's lower than the WR, but less tested, it's a fair bit lower than the KTM, but you don't get the hard parts catalogue :), I'd rather it was just considered the best of the 3 :).

To be honest, what I really want to read is Sean's review from Taupo in your next edition, as I say Mitchell had a run with mine & was not feeling quite so bad about Sean beating him @ Taupo after that, but Sean's thoughts/ideas are going to make great reading.

Nigel

[chris]

so overall there a good bike?
Yes. There are better 450's but if you're buying new the price difference can't be ignored.


im looking at moving from the rm to the klx
Very different bikes.

[chop]

I spoke to Sean yesterday (old enduro mate of dads) and he said its an awsome bike and he was really suprised at how well it handled.

[chris]

I dunno, mentioning journalist & keeping something spotless in the same sentence, isn't that pretty contradictory. Seriously given you measured for the article, I'm sure it was accurate.
I'm hurt... and yes, it was accurate.


The price is a bit harder to quantify, it's lower than the WR, but less tested, it's a fair bit lower than the KTM, but you don't get the hard parts catalogue :), I'd rather it was just considered the best of the 3
Aaah, but the catalogue doesn't help you ride faster. I could fit all the hard parts to a KTM I could and I still wouldn't beat the majority of the National Enduro series riders, let alone Junior!



Mitchell had a run with mine & was not feeling quite so bad about Sean beating him
Jumior would love that quote!!

[takitimu]

Jumior would love that quote!!
:) , what's Sean riding in the A4DE do you know ?

[chris]

:) , what's Sean riding in the A4DE do you know ?
WR250 (a Ballards bike)