to be fitted . Unfortunately , we didn ’ t get the chance to try the alternative engine mount to see what difference it would make to the bike ’ s characteristics . In terms of suspension , initially I found the 49mm Showa fork to be on the harsh side , feeling a punch through the bars near the entry of most corners . Three more clicks of compression seemed to solve the issue and I didn ’ t touch the fork or shock for the remainder of the day . Both the fork and shock were working well together giving a very balanced motion ( there ’ s that word again ). I think riding a few different tracks would help fine tune the settings , as I think there is a lot of potential to make the suspension work even better ( although I ’ m more a fan of the KYB 48mm forks for the feel they provide and I ’ d like to see the KX450 use KYB forks in the future - like its little brother the KX250 does ).
STEEL FIST IN A VELVET GLOVE One thing I can not fault about the KX450 is the way this motor delivers huge amounts of power . It has that huge punch you expect from a 450 , but it has such a great deal of useable torque . The kind of torque that lets it to pull a higher gear then you might expect around any given corner , but in a smooth way . It ’ s impressive .
42 KIWI RIDER