BDI I'm not arguing that the KX doesn't run stronger. I'm just saying you obviously had a bad experience that anybody else would be hard pressed to share. Your CR sounds like it needed a fresh piston...
Roger Decoster on the '95 CR500R (Dirt Bike '95 pg. 60)
"Right up front, I have to say this is my favorite motor...you can put it in a tall gear and let the revs drop to a point you can hear each power pulse...CR has gotten mellow over the years...on top the revs are choked off by chicanes in the silencer...most appealing aspect of the Honda motor is how civil it is...Honda was able to make the power delivery smooth without using excessive flywheel weight, which makes the bike feel surprisingly nimble."
Decoster on the KX, "comes on more aggressively than the Honda at first...in stock form, the KX should be able to outpull the CR on top...clumsy feel and slow throttle response...jetting the Kawasaki is a little rough...engine runs raspy off the bottom...shifting and clutch pull are good on the KX, but not as smooth as the Honda's."
I'm not biased towards one bike or the other. I own and ride both. But everybody should know the CR has got a darn good motor.
And yes my CR starts one kick
Doesn't your KX?