KFX450R Racer Build Up

[Ajmboy]

KFX450R Racer Build Up

By John "Doogie" Howell

Mar 21, 2007

Click on Relate Media for all the pictures!

Astute readers may remember Cyle Chislock’s name from our April 2007 issue when he and his Honda 450R were featured in our Monster Energy story. As we were working on the article, Cyle picked up a support ride aboard a new Kawasaki KFX450R and was awaiting his machine’s arrival. Well, luckily for him (and the rest of us!), that time has finally come.

Cyle called and told us that he was in the process of building up his new race KFX and asked if we’d like to snap some photos of the process. Cyle’s plan is to contend the entire 2007 ITP QuadCross series, assorted WORCS races, and even the Baja 1000 aboard his new machine. So enough of the gabbin’—let’s check out his new ride.

Up front, Cyle partnered with the popular Roll Design/Elka Suspension combo that the factory Kawi crew will be using on their own race bikes. The Roll Lobo II front end is made from 4130 chromoly and comes with PFTE composite lined bearings and hardened steel pivot pins. The upper arms are fully adjustable (both castor and camber can be tweaked) and the setup comes with 4130 chromoly, zinc-plated tie rods. Cyle plans on running the stock rear swingarm for now—from what we’ve heard, the lightweight aluminum stocker is pretty stout and should hold up to the stress of racing quite well.

The front Elka Factory shocks are brand new and are also very high tech. The new shocks come with features like a high-flow piston, DLC coating on the shaft (giving it an extremely hard coating), plenty of hard-anodized parts, and optional titanium springs. The biggest feature, however, is Elka’s new, patented Track System. The Track System helps provide a plush ride when hitting harsh jolts and high-speed hits, and it allows you to further adjust the high- and low-speed compression without any compromise in handling. Elka also provided Cyle with one of its new System 3 steering damper setups, which features high- and low-speed damping and return-to-center damping adjustments.

When it came time to outfit the bike with a pipe, Cyle turned to the guys providing the power to the factory crew—Pro Circuit. PC adds some serious snap to Cyle’s new ride in the form of a new T4 pipe. The T4 features a titanium header and midpipe, which is mated to a stainless steel can. Getting that power to the ground is a full set of ITP’s newest QuadCross tires, which is designed to shine on real slick or hardpacked surfaces, with the standard 20-inch fronts with 18-inch rears. (Cyle’s machine here sports the standard Holeshot tire—at the time of the photoshoot, ITP was still testing the brand-new QuadCross tires.) Other miscellaneous odds and ends include Streamline brake lines, an IMS Intimidator bumper and nerfs, and a Quad Tech ATV seat and carbon fiber front nosepiece.

When we talked to Cyle about the new Kawi, he backed up what we felt during our test of the stocker. “It’s more stable than the Honda that I was used to riding—there’s no bump steer, it’s easier to ride longer, and there’s hardly any body roll,” he explained. “The stock motor is a little stronger and torquier than other stock sport quads, and it pulls longer. The addition of the Pro Circuit pipe really helps to wake up the motor.”

Courtesy http://www.quadmagazine.com/quad/features/article/0,24942,1601255,00.html