The pitboard was out, lap times were logged, and settings were further dialed in while testing the 2023 Kawasaki KX450SR with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team.
Check out the full story here: https://www.dirtrider.com/tests/kawasaki-kx450sr-test-day-with-monster-energy-kawasaki-team/
Video By: Mason Owens
Read more from Dirt Rider: https://www.dirtrider.com/
Check out the full story here: https://www.dirtrider.com/tests/kawasaki-kx450sr-test-day-with-monster-energy-kawasaki-team/
Video By: Mason Owens
Read more from Dirt Rider: https://www.dirtrider.com/
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Hello, Casey Casper here with DirtRider.com.
00:10 Today we have something unique happening at Glen Helen Raceway.
00:12 I get to ride this beautiful 2023 Kawasaki Kicks 450 SR and we get to learn from the
00:18 pros Jason Anderson, Adam Cianstrillo, who are prepping for the second half of the outdoor
00:23 series.
00:24 We'll do a little start practice, we'll go through the bike, see what makes it tick,
00:27 sag, bars, levers, the importance of the factory mechanics insight.
00:33 Follow along.
00:34 Let's go.
00:48 Alright, let's go.
01:12 Alright, let's go.
01:36 Alright, let's go.
01:56 Alright, let's go.
02:16 Alright, let's go.
02:37 Alright, let's go.
02:59 Alright, let's go.
03:26 Finishing up here at Glen Helen Raceway, very productive day with the crew.
03:29 Made a few solid bike changes, going a little bit softer on the front end, a little bit
03:34 more sag on the back.
03:36 Little changes go a long ways.
03:38 It's amazing what a couple extra sets of eyes and a few technicians will help with.
03:42 Highlights on this bike compared to the standard Kicks 450, definitely the motor package.
03:48 It's not only strong but usable.
03:50 We have some big hills out here at Glen Helen and this thing pulls second, farther than
03:55 stock, but you can also short shift to third and it makes it so much more usable.
04:00 Between the exhaust, the head work, the ECU tune, it's as close to factory as you can
04:05 get.
04:06 We still have to dine on this bike and we'll definitely be sure to report the numbers back
04:09 to you, but I can say it's definitely a healthy advantage over stock in the Kicks 450 engine
04:13 department.
04:14 Suspension, this isn't anything you can buy.
04:17 It's coated, it's the premium stuff from Showa, from the leaflets engraved on the top caps
04:22 to the anode everywhere, it's just so trick.
04:25 Every little bit ties together and that's the beauty of having Kawasaki do it for you
04:29 with the SR platform.
04:30 It's all blended together from them.
04:32 You don't have to outsource any aftermarket parts.
04:34 It's done.
04:36 Extric clamps help an already amazing handling bike be that much more tunable from the adjustment
04:42 on the offset for bar positions, retaining the standard 23 offset.
04:48 It works so good for a little bit more front end feel.
04:50 DID chain and Renthal sprocket, Dunlop MX-33 tires, it's a solid package.
04:57 The best part about being a factory Kawasaki rider for the day was definitely getting the
05:00 pit board treatment.
05:01 Having a couple extra eyes on you when you're riding, holding you accountable for all the
05:05 laps and then just seeing how big the spread is from a real pro like Anderson or Sincerel
05:11 is to us, 8-10 seconds a lap and they just keep at it.
05:16 We might have one or two sprint laps in us on this bike, as good as I felt, still doesn't
05:21 hold a candle on these days.
05:23 This thing is amazing to ride.
05:25 It's the best production bike I've ridden and they're still on dealership floors.
05:30 So if you want to pick one up, now's the time to do it.
05:33 I'd like to thank the whole Kawasaki team, not only the race effort, watching Adam Sincerelo
05:38 and Jason Anderson out here, but also the PR side, Brad, Megan, Mike, Aaron, Derek,
05:44 thank you so much for the opportunity to ride this bike and be a factory rider for the day.
05:49 Opportunities like this don't come around very often and I'm definitely grateful for
05:51 it.
05:52 All in all, we spent about an hour and a half more on this bike, blew it up the header just
05:56 a little bit more.
05:58 So fun being able to ride the closest thing on the showrooms to a full race bike, lined
06:03 up next to the big number 9 and big 21.
06:06 Amazing day.
06:07 As always, thank you for watching.
06:09 Check out DirtRider.com for more updates.
06:11 We'll see you on the next one.
06:11 [00:06:57] [END OF AUDIO]
06:12 [00:07:22]