Sand Addiction - August 2007 - (Page 33) compression adjustability (high-speed and low-speed damping can be tuned separately) as well as rebound damping adjustability. Overall, I liked the feel of the KFX450R better than the Honda 450R. Performance: Power delivery is very smooth and controllable. Compression ratio in the KFX450R is 12:1 and the 32-bit EFI helps it put down 43 Horsepower and 31.1 foot pounds of torque. Overall, I would give the stock KFX450R edge over other 450cc ATVs on the market. Time will tell how they compare once it is uncorked. Transmission: The five-speed transmission shifted smoothly and quickly through all the gears, but I was looking for sixth gear on long downhill slopes. I would bet most riders will be looking to re-gear or go with larger paddle tires. Reverse gear is very easy to use. Gearing is like all quads with first gear being lowest, but then below that is reverse. Pull in the clutch, push the reverse lock release lever, kick down the gear selector, and you're there. Quick, simple, and shifting into and out of reverse doesn’t require you to move your hands off of the handle bars. Emission control?: This is the first quad I have owned that has “emission control.” In the manual it actually states that tampering with the emission control system and noise control system is prohibited. It is amazing what the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board can do to try and ruin our fun. Aftermarket products are already starting to hit the store shelves, so we’ll have to see how adding a pipe, intake, and an inline fuel-injection adjustment unit will work out. For more info contact Kawasaki Motors Corporation 9950 Jeronimo Rd. Irvine, CA 92618 Website: www.kawasaki.com Stay tuned as we continue to research and test aftermarket products to make our KFX450R into a more dune-capable vehicle. First up, we will be searching for more power and then we’ll take a look at suspension. www.sandaddiction.com 33 http://www.kawasaki.com http://www.morphicino.com http://www.morphicino.com http://www.sandaddiction.com
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