The bike that builds champions. This has been the KX slogan for several years, and it is pretty hard to argue with that. The coveted team green spots across the globe are a dream for most up-and-coming riders. I mean why wouldn’t they be, they’ve produced some of the greatest the sport has seen. On that list, you’ve got Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, plus all of the talent on this side of the pond, including new SX2 world champion Max Anstie. All of these riders grew up on green.
The KX450 is no stranger to the podium circle. In its early days, James Stewart piloted the machine to an undefeated season in 2008. Since then it has seen success with Eli Tomac, Gaultier Paulin, Ryan Villopoto, and most recently Romain Febvre; to name a few. Anyone who follows the sport and gets as excited as I do when a new model is released will straight away notice the bodywork. There is a much more sleeker and modern finish to the 2024. No more harsh edges to snag your kit on and a much easier bike to move around on.
But this is merely the tip of the iceberg. The 2024 KX450 is brand new, right the way down to the frame. The frame has been redesigned to accommodate for the updates to the engines intake and exhaust system.
After riding the older model for most of this year, it was quite apparent to me all of the changes on the 2024 model. The 2024 model is 2 kg heavier than the older model. This was not something I noticed per se but the increased weight coupled with the new frame did give me more feel with the front end coming into rutty corners.
A cool feature of the new frame is that you have the option to fit engine mounts in different places. The braces are an optional extra and if fitted will increase the rigidity of the frame. Not something that I would be looking to do, but if you are a bigger guy/girl and you want to stiffen your ride up then it’s an avenue worth exploring.
The bike also has an incredible interface system. Whether you are 7ft tall or 4ft tall, various points on the motorcycle can be adjusted to suit your style and build. Whether it’s the footpegs, which can be adjusted down 5mm from the standard position, or the handlebars and mounts which can be fitted in 6 different variations.
My favourite update to the 2024 KX450 is the new filter box and side cover. Similar to the Austrian brands the filter cover just pops off out of two rubber grommets to allow you easy access to the air filter. Then you flip two metal tabs and slide the filter out. Repeat in reverse order to fit the air filter. It is a big improvement on the old-school style of undoing the seat bolts and a sub-frame bolt to gain access to the filter where you have to undo a long bolt that holds the filter in place.
Also new to the 2024 model is the cluster box on the handlebars. The box consists of KTRC (Kawasaki Traction Control), this button is marked ’T’. There are 3 settings for the traction control. No light means no traction control, a solid green light means light traction control and a blinking light means full traction control. To move between each mode you must have the bike running and be idle, then press the “T’ button for around 1 second.
I tried all 3 settings and could really tell the difference between off and full KTRC. If the back wheel started to break loose or spin up it stepped in and retarded the ignition to find traction again. I think the KTRC is something that you would benefit from in either muddy or super hardback conditions. We had quite a loamy track and I could still feel the difference.
Next up is the all-new power mode button, indicated with a blue ‘M’. This replaces the old DFI couplers and brings the bike into the modern era. The button has 2 modes. Normal and Mild. Both of these maps can be adjusted and tweaked in the Kawasaki RIDEOLOGY app. Keep in mind this app is not for the faint-hearted. It is very in-depth and can be quite daunting when you first start using it. After a couple goes I began to get my head around it but I still haven’t 100% cracked it. It works in a grid format with numbers 1-16 where you can alter the ignition and the fuel injection. As confusing as it may look, you needn’t worry as Kawasaki does have fail safes in place to make sure you can never do any damage to your machine via the RIDEOLOGY app. Personally, I can see this changing to a more user friendly slide bar for 2025 with the option of the graph if you are technical enough. If you are not sure, I would recommend going online and finding pre-loaded maps and downloading them to your bike via the app.
When you first start your bike it will be set to the normal mode. You can flick between the 2 modes by pressing the ‘M’ button. But like the KTRC the bike has to be running and idle. Something I think needs to be looked at in the future so you can flick between maps whilstat a race pace.
Finally, on the box is the launch control. In short, this is traction control for the start. Not something you would necessarily need if you are starting on a grippy or a mesh start but for something like concrete or grass; absolutely, you would definitely benefit from the launch control. You set the launch control by holding down the ‘M’ and the ’T’ simultaneously whilst the bike is idle. After a second or two a purple light will appear on thebox. This means the launch control is set and will disengage once you hit 3rd gear.
Another new upgrade for 2024 is the Brembo front brake system. Kawasaki has moved away from the Nissin front brake and over to Brembo. The Brembo system has a great feel to it but can be sensitive if you are not used to it. It’s odd that they have only elected to change the front system and not both, as the rear brake is still a Nissin. The rear brake still feels great and I had no issues throughout the day with rear brake fade or the system overheating. And there were some long ruts so I was dragging that sucker quite a lot.
On to the engine, and what seems to be the concern for a lot of people. I have had messages from people asking me if it’s slow, if it’s flat or gutless. Let’s get one thing straight. This is a 2024 450cc machine, it’s far from slow. Unless you are gifted enough to be using all the power the bike has to offer you will not be short of horsepower. The new KX450 has a much smoother linear power hit than the 2023 model, and is also probably the smoothest hit of all the 450s. But I don’t see this as a negative.
I am lucky if I get to ride once a week and find time to do some form of training 2 or 3 times a week. In that instance this bike is ideal. If like me you just enjoy racing your dirt bike but either don’t want to be in the gym every day or you don’t have the time to consistently log hours on your bike, then this bike is perfect. The smooth linear power allows you to actually race the bike for the full moto rather than 3 or 4 laps then you are just along for theride.
Some things can be done to give the bike a more aggressive hit. The app would be the
best place to start. Increase the fuel injection and the ignition to give it more bottom end.
I’ve heard there is a rubber grommet in the filter box that can also be removed to increase that hit you’re looking for. Although I do not know that for a fact but it may be worth looking into.
I rode the bike for around 2.5 hours over the day with 5 sessions in the day and 2 in the evening. After the first two sessions where I was just feeling the bike out in its stock form and getting used to the track, I then started playing around with the app and the traction control. I found a setting that I liked with slightly more hit on the bottom but smoother onthe top.
The bike handles like your typical Kawasaki. With SHOWA forks and shock, you would expect nothing less. Very planted over the chop and sits into ruts exactly how you would want it to. The new KX450 does feel shorter than the 2023 model and as a result I was struggling to corner around some of the flatter turns with no ruts to get into. It just didn’t give me the same confidence in the flat corners that I had become accustomed to after racing the 2023 all year. That being said I dropped the forks down through the triple clamps slightly and this did seem to help that issue.
I did find that I was in 1st gear an awful lot in some of the tighter sections which isn’t ideal as you’re running the risk of hitting neutral. I did try a couple of times to feather the clutch in 2nd gear but with the turns being so tight and deep it just wouldn’t pull out the turn the same as when I was in 1st. It is not something that overly bothered me but if it’s an issue for you I would recommend going up 2 teeth on the rear sprocket to allow you to pull that 2nd gear.
Some other notable features of the 2024 KX450:
The old black glued-on grips have now been replaced with a grey and green ODI lock-on grip.
Kawasaki is still using the hydraulic clutch.
The electric start seems to be sharper and more reactive than the 2023 model. 6.2 Litre fuel tank
DUNLOP MX34 front and rear tyres.
Thicker front brake lever.
2024 KX450 price of £9149.00
2024 KX450 50th anniversary edition price of £9349.00
As Kawasaki is celebrating 50 years of KX there will be a 50th anniversary edition available in 2024 for both KX250 and KX450. Based on the 1990 KX250, the bike will have retro logos, silver rims and clamps, a blue seat cover, and a variety of different plastics.
Overall the 2024 KX450 is a great piece of machinery. It is both better looking and better running than its predecessor, the bike has plenty of power and several ways to get that power where you want it. Whether you are a vet guy, a weekend warrior, or someone that’s competing at a high level the KX450 has you covered and is a great choice.
Tested and written by Brad Wheeler.
