MXA RACE TEST: THE REAL TEST OF THE 2026 KAWASAKI KX450

THE GEAR: Jersey: O’Neal Hardwear, Pants: O’Neal Hardwear, Helmet: Arai VX-Pro4, Goggles: EKS Brand Lucid, Boots: Alpinestars Tech 10 Supervented.

Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2026 KX450 BETTER THAN THE 2025 KX450?

A: It is certainly not a no, but it also isn’t a “Yes!” It would be a stretch to say that the 2026 Kawasaki KX450 overshadows the 2025 KX450. Plain and simple, it is a clone. We will admit that having two full years to analyze where Kawasaki went wrong in 2024 gave the Kawasaki engineers a golden opportunity to fix some of their most grievous mistakes.

The 2024–2025 KX450 had an all-new frame, all-new engine, all-new bodywork, all-new electronics, all-new front brake, all-new airbox, all-new geometry, all-new electronics package and all-new price tag. It stood a fairly high chance of suffering from the first-year model curse—and it did! The bugs, quirks and gremlins on the 2024 KX450 weren’t terminal, but they definitely were debilitating.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ATTRIBUTE OF THE 2026 KAWASAKI KX450?

A: Most MXA test riders like the changes that Kawasaki made to the frame geometry starting in 2024. The 1-degree-steeper head angle (from 27.6 degrees to 26.6 degrees) and reduced trail (4.8 inches to 4.5 inches) delivered quicker steering at the cost of a little twitch of over-steer at turn-in and even more obvious degradation in high-speed stability (read head-shake). We admit that gaining sharp cornering while losing straight-line stability is the inevitable outcome of giving to get, but there are backyard fixes for both handling issues. Overall, The KX450 chassis is really good. It is stable in the rough, agile in motion, and it turns like a jack rabbit through the tight and twisties. All in all, handling is one of the KX450’s best attributes.

The rider position is excellent. The adjustable footpegs, engine mounts and bar mounts are nice for personal adjustability.

Q: WHAT’S NEW ON THE KX450 SUSPENSION?

A: The fork is really comfortable, but it is a bit soft. The quickest fix is to go in on the compression a couple clicks. Depending on your weight or speed, you might need to switch to 52 kg/mm fork springs (or even split the difference with one stock spring and one 52 kg/mm fork spring).

Although a little soft, the forks are very vet-oriented.

The rear shock is really in the ballpark. The spring rate suits a wide range of rider weights, and for the typical sportsman racer, we never felt the need to send it out to get it re-valved. However, most MXA test riders preferred to run the rear wheel farther back in the rear axle slots to improve straight-line stability and weight bias. We added two links to the chain, which makes the chain 115 links instead of the stock 113 for the stock gearing. And for riders who switch to a 51-tooth rear sprocket, we run a 118-link chain.

If it looks familiar, that’s because it is version number three of the 2024 design update.

Q: HOW DOES THE 2026 KX450 RUN ON THE TRACK?

A: The Kawasaki KX450 is not the fastest 450 in 2026. The KX450 has a very smooth and mellow power character, which is why some MXA test riders refer to it as the 2026 KX350. Test riders mostly complained about the lack of thrust off the bottom. It doesn’t offer a lot of git-up-and-go. The easiest fix is to add a 51-tooth rear sprocket to increase the amount of available snap; however, MXA has test riders who gear it taller with a 49-tooth rear sprocket to enable them to get more use out of second gear. Of course, many riders fall back on using the clutch aggressively to facilitate the jump to third gear. Plus, we see new riders on the KX450 staying in second gear way too much. There are solutions available in mapping, airbox and gearing mods to make third gear the primary gear.

Q: HOW DOES THE 2026 KX450 RUN ON THE DYNO?

A: The KX450 makes 58 horsepower, which is a competitive number in the 450 class. The problem is that you have to get the engine pulling in the midrange to feel that power. The 2024–2026 KX450 engines benefited from some very contemporary updates. The cylinder head featured a new center-port exhaust, which allowed the exhaust pipe to exit straight forward. It also enabled the intake tract, intake valves, exhaust valves and throttle body to align themselves in a straight run from the downdraft intake to the combustion chamber. These updates were praise worthy, but in spite of all of the changes, the Kawasaki KX450 did not deliver a corresponding increase in usable power. It was, and still is, slower than the engine specs would predict.

Q: WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE A WASHING MACHINE?

A: The worst aspect of racing the Kawasaki KX450 is vibration. MXA test riders noticed it immediately, because they switch back and forth between every brand of 450. There is a lot of feedback through the handlebars. We used FCP engine mounts and head stays to cut down on engine vibration. We also replaced the ODI lock-on grips with glue-on grips, because glue-on grips have twice as much rubber between your palms and the bars. Of course, there are all kinds of solutions—from different grips to different bar mounts to flexier handlebars.

Q: WHAT WAS KAWASAKI THINKING WITH ITS AIRBOX DESIGN?

A: Kawasaki’s airbox design is a train wreck. Not every brand can copy the KTM system, but trying to reinvent the wheel can lead to disastrous consequences. Take the 2024 KX450 airbox/air filter system. It combined KTM’s no-tools airbox cover idea with Yamaha’s “flat piece of toast” air filter in an overall design that offered minimal airbox volume mated to minimal air filtration, (which had to be band-aided by the infamous “rubber plug”). It was a very poorly thought-out combination that literally killed throttle response and overall power.

For 2025–2026, the KX450 got a larger domed air filter (a less effective version of the Twin Air Power Flow design); however, the domed filter takes up additional room in the already small airbox and thus does little for the power picture. MXA test riders resorted to the tried-and-true method of drilling holes in the airbox cover and using a Dremel to cut away any excess airbox plastic that interfered with airflow.

Q: WHAT’S NEW ABOUT THE ELECTRONICS SUITE?

A: Kawasaki has one switch box to handle the power settings, Traction Control and Launch Control.

Power maps: The 2026 Kawasaki KX450 comes with two built-in map choices on the upper left side of the switch box. The activated mode shows up as a blue light on the rectangular indicator light at the top of the switch. The push button controls two power settings: full power and mid power. Full power mode (aggressive) is activated when there is no blue light on the indicator. Mid power (mellow) is activated when the blue light is lit. The mid power setting felt weak and anemic.

Traction Control is engaged via the push button on the lower left-hand side of the switch. Traction Control is activated when a green light shows up on the rectangular indicator light at the top right of the switch. There are two Traction Control modes: (1) If the green light is on, that means Traction Control is set at its lowest setting. (2) If the green light is blinking, that is the strongest Traction Control setting. Be forewarned that the Traction Control mode can only be activated when Launch Control is not turned on and when the throttle is closed and the engine is idling. On a sour note, Traction Control worked well but further detuned the already soft power delivery.

Launch Control has two different settings that both retard the ignition timing at preset rpm ranges. The two rpm ranges are 6000 to 9500 rpm and 9500 rpm or more. The engine’s ignition timing will be retarded at any rpm below the selected rpm range–and returns to full power once the rpm gets above that preset rpm. Retarding the ignition timing means the engine doesn’t make maximum power until it hits the higher rpm setting, which means that there is less chance of wheelspin. To engage Launch Control, the rider has to press both the power mode and Traction Control buttons at the same time. The left rectangular indicator light will turn purple. The indicator light will blink slowly if you have selected the 6000-rpm to 9500-rpm range and blink fast when the engine speed is above 9500 rpm.

It has such a pleasant powerband that it could be called the “KX350.”

Q: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ABOUT THE RIDEOLOGY APP?

A: In 2024, Kawasaki introduced a communication module mounted to the left rear frame rail that allowed KX450 owners to connect wirelessly to Kawasaki’s Rideology app from their smart phones. Once connected, the rider could make his own fuel and ignition maps using Kawasaki’s six-by-six grid. It sounded good, but it wasn’t actually true. Instead, if you designed your own map and put it in the “light on” spot on your map switch, the KX450’s computer would detune your map by 15 percent. The automatic detuning feature was installed to keep backyard engineers from building maps that tried to exceeded +2 on any setting. In short, it set every increase in ignition timing back to +1.

For 2025, the smartphone controlled Kawasaki Rideology app got wider parameters to allow more leeway in designing your own maps. However, most MXA test riders prefer to have Twisted Development map their Vortex ignitions. This was one of the best KX450 mods we made to the powerband.

Q: WHAT DID WE HATE?  

A: The hate list:

(1) Airbox. Engines are nothing more than air pumps. They pump air into the combustion chamber and pump air out through the exhaust system. If delivered in the correct quantity, air is a thing of beauty. The 2024–’26 KX450 airbox needs a total redesign.

(2) Weight. The 2024 Kawasaki KX450 weighs 239 pounds without gas in the tank. That is heavy

(3) Plastic. The fork guards will break if roosted by rocks. Kawasaki plastic is the most brittle of all the brands. We put fork guard graphics on our KX fork guards, not because we want graphics on the fork guards, but because they help keep them from cracking.

(4) Bar mount twist. If you fall over, your bar mounts will twist. You might think that you bent the bars, but you didn’t. It is just the bar mounts. Loosen the bolt underneath and twist them back in place. Then think about getting a set of Luxon or Ride Engineering bar mounts.

(5) Radiator shrouds. Several test riders had their knee braces snag under the radiator shrouds when riding aggressively.

(6) Metallurgy. Kawasaki is not known for durability. After the first race, we found a small hole in the clutch cover and oil all over the bike stand. Invest in aftermarket clutch/ignition covers to protect your engine.

The simplest mod is to change the gearing to get more drive out of the corners.

Q: WHAT DID WE LIKE?

A: The like list:

(1) Power mode switch: We never liked having to juggle plug-in couplers. Now, you can change the KX450 maps at the handlebar switch, an idea that was obviously borrowed from Honda. It features two engine maps (stock and mellow), plus Traction Control and Launch Control.

(2) Brembo. Somebody at Kawasaki is a genius, spec’ing a complete Brembo front brake system was an enlightened choice. It is a great front brake

(3) Bodywork. Kawasaki has never been known for its sleek bodywork, well-chosen ergonomics or a seamless interface, but the new lime green plastic is a big step up in design.

(4) Handling. This is the first Kawasaki in recent memory that actually wants to turn.

(5) Footpegs. The KX450 footpegs can be moved down 5mm if you so desire. On the new chassis, depending on your leg length, the lower position might feel better.

(6) Bar mounts. The bars can be adjusted to four different locations. They come stock in the front holes with the bar mounts swiveled rearward, but most MXA test riders run the bar mounts in the rearward holes with the bars swiveled forward.

(7) Grips. Thankfully, Kawasaki has stopped vulcanizing their grips to the bars. The new ODI lock-on grips make changing grips much easier.

(8) Rear hub. The 2024–2026 rear hub is now 58mm wide; it was 46mm wide. The wider span increases rear-wheel strength.

It vibrates from the footpegs to the handlebar. There are lots of aftermarket tricks to cut down on the constant hum.

Q: WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK OF THE 2026 KAWASAKI KX450?

A: If you were among the racers who noticed that Kawasaki dropped the price of their leftover 2024 KX450s, you got a great deal. Even if your friendly local dealer hit you up for a shipping fee, setup charge and a hokey $1000 upcharge, you still saved enough money to buy everything you need to make your 2024 bargain into a homemade 2025 or 2026 KX450.