Haven't Been in here in a While...just spent the day on the new Green K4.5 Thumper...here's my review...
Just got off the bike and here's what I can tell ya after puittin' 4 Gallons of Race Gas thru it at the Track:
1. None of the other 450s are gonna feel as good in the Air.
None of them...Nada...Zip...Nothing. PERIOD!
This is after directly (As in Today) comparing the Bike to an '06 YZ250F, '06 KX250, '06 CR250R and an '06 CRF450R and having personal time on all the other 450's (Except the '06 YZ450F...however, after havin' a few conversations with Dr D, the YZ250F is close enuff in the Ergo's...BTW, the '06-YZ250F is an EXCELLENT BIKE! Compared to the '05, It's lighter-feeling, it's quicker -AND- It's got a Really BITCHIN' STOCK PIPE! And, it's a Yamaha..so..it'll LAST!).
I rode an Out-Door Track with PLENTY of Jumps (1:50 Lap by Fast Pro's) and a "Gran Prix"/WORCS type course with a Killer Uphill-Down-Hill Section.
This thing is LIGHT! It whips and responds like a 250/2-Stroke...heck...better than the CR250R at that!
You know those jumps that're right at THE EXIT of a TIGHT TURN?
NO SWEAT!
2. It ain't gonna loose too many Drag-Races (Starts and Hills is what I'm thinkin' of here...)...it ain't gonna get pushed outta the Inside-Line of the 1st turn, either.
It needs the Initial Jetting cleaned up a bit and it flames out as delivered...kinda like the early CR-Fs...it's kinda "Coughy" down low off of idle. The easy fix during break in is to turn the idle up a lil' bit.
3. The Suspension is TOO GOOD (Those are my words) for Beginner/Novices...in-fact...anyone slower than a Good Ametuer/Intermediate is gonna feel the bike is too stiff; HOWEVER!!!
Before you go changin' springs or throwin' down the $ for a revalve, you should know this...the Stock Settings were determined by someone who likes to FLY OFF THE JUMPS...and it WORKS! The Faster you ride it...THE BETTER IT WORKS!
WORK WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS! This bike responds like a Works Bike in the Suspension Department! (I know of some "Test Riders" that work for other Factories that are pretty impressed with the STOCK KX Stuff!)
4. It's Really Nice right outta the Box.
We had:
A. A fast Novice (about to go Intermadiate, 145 #)
B. One of the guys from Langston's..fast Intermadiate...(a Big Dude at 200#)
C. My-slow-fatass that can do pretty well in the "Off-Road" and Fatass Vet classes
D. -2- prettydam-fast pro's (One of them commented that the Ergo's are a bit more "to the rear" than his CRF450R)...the other guy thought that it was REALLLLY close, and "Narrower" than his KX250-'06. He's Really Happy with it(The New 450F)...it's his bike for the '06 Nat's...
The Novice kid is a Jumper and he was in Love! His usual ride is a new CR250R. He wants the Green-450 now!
The Intermediate was on the '06 YZ250F and thought the KX-F was the fastest 450 he's ridden..he rides a lot of "Nice Stuff" due to his job at Langston's.
I got my azz-handed to me...this thing is Fast and Torquey...in other-words it takes more energy to ride it fast than I have! IT's Really Fast on the MX Track...it's not that it's hard to ride...it just wants to be Ridden FAST! Like the Low-boy Honda's of the '80s/90's!
Off-Road it is UNBELEIVABLY NICE! GO FIGURE!
Charge Down-Hills as Hard as you can, Ignore those Ruts, Blast those Sandy/Loamy Sections...Rail those Fire-Roads!..and Up-Hills?
I feel sorry for the guy behind this thing!
Sure would like a lower 1st and a 5th gear at the end of the NICE TALL 4th!
As long as you respect the Throttle...the Bike will Inspire Confidence.
The Pro's both made lap times that were right there with the laps of their "Every-Day" bikes...that's REALLY Impressive. Both of them felt they'd pick up more than a few sec's a lap with a lil' time on the bike and some "Dial-In".
The KX250 Rider was FASTER thru the realy Fast Sweeping stuff and was just figuring out the really difficult jumps as the day was ending...he's reallllly HAPPY! After-all...we got these KX450F's for him to ride in the '06 Nat's...and we're glad we did.
The Regular Stuff and the Details:
Gas filler hole's nice -n- easy to fill from those crappy cans that race gas comes in.
The stock tires were pretty-dam good! (the new 756 Rear was wearin' pretty well..in the ROCKS, too!)
Stock Bars were a lil' tall for my liking (I'm 5'9", 30" in-seam) and the levers and Grips...especailly the new grips...were Awesome!
The plastic seems to hold up well with knee-braces and riders that put the "Squeeze" on.
Spokes held-up...kinda skinny, though...we're building Black Excells on S/S spokes this week...better Safe, than Sorry...we do this on EVERYTHING.
Seat was nice! Kinda like a Good Aftermarket Foam and the Cover "Holds" you in place pretty well.
It's a lil' loud...although VERY TORQUEY Sounding..."Snappy". Just like when the 1st Perimeter Framed KX250 came out...it has it's own sound!
This bike came out of the Crate Last-night! It is BONE-Stock.
It WAS worth the WAIT!
If you're just getting yours -or- your still waiting for it to get in...Don't Worry...it IS WORTH WAITING FOR!
Now, I need to go spend more time on the 250F just to try to get in shape before I ride this thing again!
