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Model(s) covered: 2006 ATK 450 MX, 2006 Honda CRF 450 R, 2006 Kawasaki KX 450 F, 2006 Suzuki RM-Z 450
The bigger the better, eh? Well that is the American way, and motocross in the USA will live and die by that cardinal rule. The 450cc thumpers are the supreme motocross weapon. All the big names have officially traded in their pipey pre-mixers for the booming bikes, and even the race series' names indicate supremacy; Supercross with a capital S. The biggest stars race the biggest bikes for the biggest purse in what has become the world's greatest supercross series.
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Model(s) covered: 2006 Kawasaki KX 450 F
Let's face it. No one likes to be picked last, but that's exactly what has been happening to Kawasaki in the 4-stroke motocross arena. All the other major manufacturers have developed and released their own 250 and 450 models since Yamaha blew the lid off the industry with the YZ400F in 1998.
Last year, Kawasaki revealed a prototype of the KX450F. It was being tested for future competition in the AMA Supercross and Motocross divisions, but instead of releasing the bike for 2005, Kawi decided to hold off releasing its production bike until 2006.
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First Impression: 2006 Kawasaki KX450F (Transworld Motocross)
Model(s) covered: 2006 Kawasaki KX 450 F
As the last of the major players in motocross manufacturing to produce a 450cc four-stroke, Kawasaki definitely suffered this summer at the outdoor Nationals. James Stewart, Michael Byrne, and Sean Hamblin were the only top pros on two-strokes, and their results surely suffered from it. Not that the KX250 two-stroke isn’t a good machine, but when up against the best riders in the sport—all on the more powerful 450cc four-strokes—there’s a point at which the 250cc powerplant can’t be squeezed any harder, and in the end it just comes up a bit short.
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