Kawasaki KX450 2023 Review

It’s easy to get swept up in the hype of a new motocross model year. And the class of 2023 is a case in point.

There has been a smorgasbord of new model 450 launches from Husqvarna, Honda, KTM and Yamaha in the past few months, each pushing the envelope in development and bringing to the table new technologies and useability.

Amid all the headlines lies the 2023 Kawasaki KX450. On paper, there’s nothing revolutionary about the latest model: apart from a subtle change in graphic colours on the radiator shrouds, it’s a carbon copy of the 2022, which is in turn a carbon copy of the 2021 model…

And yet, the 2023 Kawasaki KX450 still proves to be one of the most approachable and well-rounded 450s available. Let’s explore why.

One thing that immediately sets the 2023 Kawasaki KX450 apart from its peers is the price.

At $12,794 ride away, it undercuts the 2023 Honda CRF450R by $1300, the 2023 Yamaha YZ450F by $1800 and new 450 models from Husqvarna and KTM by closer to $2500.

The pricing difference stands to reason when you consider the Kawi is likely to get its next major overhaul for the 2024 model year, having had its last meaningful update in 2021.

But in any case, the KX450’s hardware is still potent in the right hands, which is why it is regularly at the pointy end of local club days and national rounds alike.

The liquid-cooled 449cc four-stroke engine features a familiar 44mm Keihin throttle body with fuel injection. The industry consensus is that it produces about 55hp on the dyno – about one or two horses shy of the rest of its class – and is paired with a five-speed gearbox and coned disc-spring hydraulic clutch.

The Kawasaki’s 49mm Showa A-kit-replica coil spring forks are the same units found in the Honda CRF450 and the Suzuki RM-Z450, but with different valving. Also familiar with other 450s are the Kawi’s Dunlop Geomax 33 tyres, Renthal fat ’bars and Nissin brakes, with a huge 270mm rotor up front and a 250mm rotor at the rear.

Where the Kawi begins to lose a few points is its electronics. There’s launch control, activated by a button on the handlebars, but the three-stage mapping cannot be changed on the fly. Instead, you’ve got to pull back into the pits and swap out green, white or black plugs (otherwise known as couplers) to select normal, soft and aggressive maps.

Additionally, there’s no traction control either. While that may sound a bit precious for a big-bore motocross bike, it’s basically standard fare on every other mainstream 450 aside from the Suzuki.

Even so, the Kawi is still quite competitive where kerb weight is concerned, tipping the scales at 110.2kg wet.

You learn a lot about the 2023 Kawasaki KX450 just by sitting on it.

It’s a super accommodating cockpit for a broad spectrum of riders, with lots of handlebar and footpeg adjustment, a soft seat and amenable ergonomics suitable for riders of all shapes and sizes.

The 6.2L fuel tank area isn’t quite as slim as other rivals – the new YZ450F immediately springs to mind – but the cockpit is generally user-friendly and well considered. For the most part…

Cheap, hard grips, flimsy plastics that don’t align quite as well as they should and a header pipe that protrudes prominently above the clutch cover are a few of the foibles that let the KX450 down out of the box. Granted, some of those can be addressed with aftermarket replacements, but could be better thought-out in the first place.

Even after a handful of hours, the Kawi’s radiator shrouds and airbox bears obvious black marks from where knee braces have rubbed. Based on your tester’s previous experience, the Kawi has a knack of chewing through consumables including chain guides, plus its standard chain and sprocket set, quicker than its rivals, too.

Other than that, the outright gripes include access to the airbox, which requires the removal of two different-size hex bolts, one 8mm and the other 10mm.

Our test aboard the 2023 Kawasaki KX450 takes place at the Macarthur District Motorcycle Club, located in Appin, NSW.

We have two test pilots on-hand – an intermediate rider in your correspondent and an elite rider in professional off-road racer Glenn Kearney – and have left the bike stock apart from setting its sag to 105mm.

Anyone who has ridden the traditional Appin track over the past 25 years can probably imagine the conditions of the day: muddy and waterlogged in the morning before turning hard-packed with a skatey surface in the afternoon.

With its varying, off-camber corners, elevation change and berms, it’s a great layout to exhibit the KX450’s core strengths.

The KX450’s powerplant is initially telegraphed by some jerkiness upon small throttle openings, but the engine soon segues into a smooth low- to mid-range cadence. Out of the current 450 crop, it feels less aggressive in its power delivery and more user-friendly as a result.

For Glenn, the KX450 didn’t quite deliver the punch nor the immediacy that he ideally likes; it’s thereabouts but could be better, he reckons.

Surprisingly, we found the softer ‘white’ engine coupler delivered excellent drive and traction across Appin’s skatey layout; to the point where you are occasionally arriving faster at obstacles than with the more rambunctious aggressive mapping.

Similarly, the clutch take-up here is light and predictable, and the gearbox offers an adequate spread of ratios: the real-world translation being you can ride a gear lower and explore the engine’s potent upper reaches, or sit a gear higher and rely on abundant low-down torque.

Dynamically, the word that immediately springs to mind here is stability. The Kawasaki is plush and surefooted, the forks offering a reassuring linearity through the stroke, the engine mellow in its delivery, and the front end super square and devoid of any tucking or knifing.

Although its 2185mm length isn’t out of the ordinary, the KX450 feels like a long motorcycle, which is good for stability, but perhaps not as good for agility. Similarly, the brakes aren’t as light or bitey as Euro rivals, and the aforementioned bulky header pipe is occasionally restrictive when trying to get your weight over the front wheel.

If anything, you initially feel as though the suspension is going to be too soft – and that may well be the case on tracks with bigger jumps and more undulations and g-outs. However, we reckon this is where the Kawi’s cheaper purchase price comes to the fore, leaving some change for revalving its suspension or tailoring it more to your tastes or skill level.

In any case, for the occasional weekend rider it’s a match made in heaven. The KX450 is a bike that’s easy to gel with, offering moderate balance, sound ergonomics and a suspension package that feels plush over small edges yet compliant enough to soak up harder hits, too.

In Glenn Kearney’s words, the KX450 is a machine that most novice and intermediate riders would gel with quickly, such is its ability to inspire confidence.

“I think the average punter would feel really comfortable on this bike. It’s really plush, really soft and fairly well balanced,” he said.

“We ended up tweaking it a bit because it was really hard-packed and skatey later in the day. I didn’t have any trouble with knifing the front on it but I did have trouble getting it stopped and turned so I ended up pulling the forks up through the clamps a bit, trying to weight that front end a bit and getting the turns a bit easier.”

Even with some running changes, we find the KX450 ultimately doesn’t turn in to some riders’ liking. The inherent stability and predictability in the front means it’s not as willing during directional changes and requires more effort to rotate. Conversely, it’s a machine that tracks confidently with its rear wheel and offers great drive in mixed surfaces.

For Glenn, the apparent heft means slower lap-times, but for an intermediate rider, it means more fatigue over a 20-minute moto distance. It’s certainly not deal-breaking, but it’s a big consideration nonetheless.

The Kawasaki KX450 is a sound and well-rounded machine.

It’s certainly not without some fundamental flaws, but after a time those issues soon become small foibles rather than all-out complaints. And you can only assume some of those gripes will be top of mind when the anticipated replacement model arrives for the 2024 model year.

All in all, we reckon the 2023 Kawasaki KX450 is a relevant and cohesive package, especially for those who aren’t venturing out to the track every weekend. It’s strangely endearing, and with the money you save at the purchase point, is a machine ready to be tailored to your own liking.

Specs: 2023 Kawasaki KX450

ENGINE
Type: Four-stroke, single-cylinder
Capacity: 449cc
Bore x stroke: 96mm x 62.1mm
Fuel supply: EFI, 44mm throttle body

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multiplate, hydraulic

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Perimeter aluminium
Front suspension: 49mm Showa inverted telescopic fork, 305mm travel
Rear suspension: Uni Trak single shock with linkage, 307mm travel
Front brake: 270mm disc
Rear brake: 250mm disc
Tyres: Dunlop Geomax MX33, Front 80/100-21, Rear 110/80-19

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed kerb weight: 110.2kg
Seat height: 955mm
Ground clearance: 340mm
Fuel capacity: 6.3L

OTHER STUFF
Price: $12,794 ride away
Colour: Green, black