The Final Verdict
The reality is that you can hardly go wrong selecting any of these 450cc motocrossers for your next moto session. As we said from the beginning, none of these 2018 450cc motocross shootout is perfect, but some are simply at or near the top of the class because they are more refined than others. It should come as no surprise, then, that the 2018 Kawasaki KX450F slots into sixth place in our shootout for that very reason.
An all-new KX450F just has to be waiting in the wings for 2019, and if it isn’t then Kawasaki needs to get on the gas. While there are no major flaws in the KX450F’s current design, it simply doesn’t keep up with the competition in a class that has seen significant development over the past two years. The KX comes up short in terms of its overall power delivery, and that air fork has got to go. The Kawasaki still appears to have a lot of potential, but to extract it will require shopping the aftermarket. An $8849 MSRP makes it the least expensive 450 in this test, but in our opinion it may be worth the extra Benjamins to start with a newer or more dialed-in machine to attain berm-bashing nirvana. That said, if you have a really good Kawasaki dealer in your home town, and you like green machines, the KX450F could be the bike for you.
We were surprised… no, shocked… to learn that when our comprehensive Motorcycle.com Scorecard was filled out by all of our riders, the Honda CRF450R—our 2017 class champion—finished fifth in the 2018 450cc motocross shootout. Seeing the forest for the trees, however, the final tally shows that the Honda, the Suzuki and the Husqvarna all battled valiantly for the final spot on the overall podium, and a few points here or there could have really swung the results the Honda’s way. The CRF still boasts the exciting power delivery that made it a winner last year, and its electric start system as a standard feature endears it to us even more than the 2017 model, but there was also a slight price increase that does influence our objective scoring and penalizes the CRF450R by a few points right off the bat. On top of that, Honda’s decision to fiddle with the CRF’s damping and spring rates was, in our opinion, not a good one. The 2018 CRF may stand up better in braking bumps and other chop, but some of its fluid, supple feel has been lost in the process. Many of our testers also noted that finding the right sag adjustment is even more critical in getting the Honda suspension set up than on other bikes.
It may just be the difference between our chosen test tracks from 2017 to 2018, or we may be in the minority viewpoint here, but that’s fine — we were when we selected the Honda as the winner of our 2017 450cc Motocross Shootout as well. The bottom line is that the points are the points, and while it is a bit surprising to see the Honda slip down the order this year, our takeaway is that it is still a podium contender and a great bike overall.
We don’t know whether or not to be as surprised by the Suzuki’s fourth-place finish because in redesigning the RM-Z450, Suzuki engineers addressed many of our complaints with the 2017 model and gave the bike what it needed to raise its level of competitiveness. All of the classic Suzuki positive traits are still there, but the 2018’s chassis is less reactive to harsh bumps, and its new suspension is worlds better than the previous model. Even so, there is still some more refinement work to be done on its shock absorber, and its engine could use even more punch even though the new power curve with its greater top-end thrust makes the RM-Z450 easier to ride fast than ever before. The RM-Z450 still lacks an electric start feature, and its DFI coupler tuning feature is archaic compared to every other model but the Kawasaki KX450F. Still, Suzuki managed all the 2018 RM-Z450 changes while keeping the MSRP under nine grand. That’s more impressive than the Suzuki’s final standing in our 2018 450cc motocross shootout might otherwise indicate.
That the Husqvarna FC 450 finished third in our 2018 450cc motocross shootout is easier to understand. Husqvarna only made minimal changes to the FC 450 for 2018, and it finished third in our 2017 shootout, a year in which the Honda CRF450R was the only all-new bike in the class. With two all-new designs from Suzuki and Yamaha hitting the stage in 2018, the competition was bound to be that much tougher for the Husky, and at $9699 it is the most expensive bike in the class. One thing that our Scorecard really helps with is to weed out bias and force our test riders to really compare the bikes by assigning point values in a lot more categories than we could talk about in our story. So even though the FC 450 may have felt less exciting than some of the other machines in the class, our testers couldn’t deny that the polished overall package performs really well. At the end of the day, its muted power feel and slightly odd ergos robbed it of the points it needed to stay match the KTM 450 SX-F even though the two machines share a lot in common.
We said last year that if KTM had supplied us with its standard production 450 SX-F rather than its Factory Edition, it would have won our 450cc shootout, so we expected the KTM to be a real contender in our 2018 450cc motocross shootout despite the minimal revisions found in the 2018 model. The KTM is simply a badass 450cc motocross machine by virtue of being highly refined and possessing zero quirks or weird traits to hold it back. Its power delivery is forceful yet mirror smooth, and it handles like a dream. The small change that KTM made to the 450 SX-F’s fork is a larger step forward than we expected, and it only increases our faith that, indeed, someone can manufacture an air fork that matches the supple feel of a coil spring fork.
However, the added maintenance factor of the fork is still consideration, as is the KTM’s $9599 MSRP, the second highest in the class. Really, though, were it not for the invasion of the all-new model that won our shootout, the KTM would have. If that sounds like we’re making excuses for the 450 SX-F, forget it. Good riders will haul ass on this orange bomber, and KTM’s loyal legion of fans won’t care that it didn’t finish first. The 450 SX-F is one mean machine but in the nicest way possible.
That leaves the 2018 Yamaha YZ450F as the champion of our 2018 450cc motocross shootout. Where Honda basically reinvented the CRF450R’s character by making it more rowdy in 2017, Yamaha’s all-new redesign of the 2018 YZ450F actually took the blue bike’s unruliness down a notch. The YZ is still the brawny battle wagon that it always has been since the rearward-inclined engine design came online, but Yamaha has continued to evolve the beast without taking away what makes it so exciting in the first place: awesome engine performance.
The YZ450F’s new chassis goes a long way toward ridding the bike of its bulky ergonomic feel, and it carves corners much better than the old chassis without sacrificing stability. Add Yamaha’s already excellent suspension performance, electric start and technology-stretching wireless tuning capability, and you have a motorcycle that pushes the envelope toward the next generation of motocross performance more than any other.
The 2018 Yamaha YZ450F isn’t perfect, but it is the best 450cc motocrosser available in a dealer showroom today.
2018 Honda CRF450R Specifications
MSRP: $9149
Engine Type: 449cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke
Bore and Stroke: 96mm x 62.1mm
Compression Ratio: 13.5:1
Valve Train: Unicam, four valves
Fueling: Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI), 46mm downdraft throttle body
Ignition: Fully transistorized with electronic advance
Transmission: Close-ratio five-speed, multi-plate wet clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Front Suspension: 49mm inverted Showa fork with rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.0 in. of travel
Rear Suspension: Linkage system, Showa BFRC single shock with adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.3 in. of travel
Front Brake: Single 260mm disc w/two-piston caliper
Rear Brake: Single 240mm disc w/single-piston caliper
Front Tire: Dunlop MX3S 90/100-21
Rear Tire: Dunlop MX3S 120/80-19
Wheelbase: 58.3 in.
Rake: 27° 22′
Trail: 116mm (4.6 in.)
Seat Height: 37.8 in.
Ground Clearance: 12.9 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.7 gal.
Claimed Curb Weight: 248 lbs. (Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and full tank of fuel—ready to ride.)
Measured Wet Weight: 249.3 lbs.
Available Colors: Red
2018 Husqvarna FC 450 Specifications
MSRP: $9699
Engine Type: 449.9cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke
Bore and Stroke: 95mm x 63.4mm
Compression Ratio: 12.8:1
Valve Train: SOHC, four valves
Fueling: Keihin Fuel Injection, 44mm throttle body
Ignition: Keihin EMS
Transmission: Five-speed, multi-plate wet clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Front Suspension: 48mm WP AER 48 air fork with rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.2 in. of travel
Rear Suspension: WP single shock with adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 11.81 in. of travel
Front Brake: Single 260mm disc w/two-piston caliper
Rear Brake: Single 220mm disc w/single-piston caliper
Front Tire: Dunlop MX3S 90/100-21
Rear Tire: Dunlop MX3S 120/80-19
Wheelbase: 58.4 in.
Rake: 26.1°
Trail: n/a
Seat Height: 37.8 in.
Ground Clearance: 13.4 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.85 gal.
Claimed Dry Weight: 222.6 lbs.
Measured Wet Weight: 235.5 lbs.
Available Colors: White/Yellow/Blue
2018 Kawasaki KX450F Specifications
MSRP: $8849
Engine Type: 449cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke
Bore and Stroke: 96mm x 62.1mm
Compression Ratio: 12.8:1
Valve Train: DOHC, four valves
Fueling: DFI, 43mm Keihin throttle body
Ignition: Digital DC-CDI
Transmission: Close-ratio five-speed, multi-plate wet clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Front Suspension: 49mm inverted Showa SFF-Air TAC air fork with rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.0 in. of travel
Rear Suspension: Uni-Trak linkage, Showa single shock with adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.0 in. of travel
Front Brake: Single 270mm disc w/two-piston caliper
Rear Brake: Single 240mm disc w/single-piston caliper
Front Tire: Bridgestone M403 80/100-21
Rear Tire: Bridgestone M404 120/80-19
Wheelbase: 58.9 in.
Rake: 28.2°
Trail: 127mm (5.0 in.)
Seat Height: 37.4 in.
Ground Clearance: 13.2 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.66 gal.
Claimed Curb Weight: 239.8 lbs. (Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and full tank of fuel—ready to ride.)
Measured Wet Weight: 240.1 lbs.
Available Colors: Lime Green
2018 KTM 450 SX-F Specifications
MSRP: $9599
Engine Type: 449.9cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke
Bore and Stroke: 95mm x 63.4mm
Compression Ratio: 12.8:1
Valve Train: SOHC, four valves
Fueling: Keihin Fuel Injection, 44mm throttle body
Ignition: Keihin EMS
Transmission: Five-speed, multi-plate wet clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Front Suspension: 48mm WP AER 48 air fork with rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.2 in. of travel
Rear Suspension: WP single shock with adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 11.81 in. of travel
Front Brake: Single 260mm disc w/two-piston caliper
Rear Brake: Single 220mm disc w/single-piston caliper
Front Tire: Dunlop MX3S 90/100-21
Rear Tire: Dunlop MX3S 120/80-19
Wheelbase: 58.3 in.
Rake: 26.1°
Trail: n/a
Seat Height: 37.8 in.
Ground Clearance: 13.4 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.85 gal.
Claimed Dry Weight: 220.1 lbs.
Measured Wet Weight: 234.3 lbs.
Available Colors: Orange/White
2018 Suzuki RM-Z450 Specifications
MSRP: $8899
Engine Type: 449cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke
Bore and Stroke: 96mm x 62.1mm
Compression Ratio: 12.5:1
Valve Train: DOHC, four valves
Fueling: Keihin Fuel Injection, 43mm throttle body
Ignition: Electronic CDI
Transmission: Five-speed, multi-plate wet clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Front Suspension: 49mm inverted Showa fork with rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.0 in. of travel
Rear Suspension: Pro-Link® Showa single shock with adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.3 in. of travel
Front Brake: Single 270mm disc w/two-piston caliper
Rear Brake: Single 240mm disc w/single-piston caliper
Front Tire: Bridgestone Battlecross X30 80/100-21
Rear Tire: Bridgestone Battlecross X30 120/80-19
Wheelbase: 58.3 in.
Rake: 27.8°
Trail: 120mm (4.7 in.)
Seat Height: 37.8 in.
Ground Clearance: 13.0 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.6 gal.
Claimed Wet Weight: 246.4 lbs.
Measured Wet Weight: 250.3 lbs.
Available Colors: Yellow/Blue
2018 Yamaha YZ450F Specifications
MSRP: $9199
Engine: 449cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke
Bore x Stroke: 97.0mm × 60.8mm
Compression Ratio: 12.8:1
Valve Train: DOHC, four valves
Fueling: Mikuni Fuel Injection, 44mm throttle body
Ignition TCI: Transistor Controlled Ignition
Transmission: Constant-mesh 5-speed; multi-plate wet clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Front Suspension: KYB Speed-Sensitive System inverted fork; fully adjustable, 12.2-in. of travel
Rear Suspension: KYB single shock; fully adjustable, 12.5-in. of travel
Front Brake: 270mm disc w/two-piston caliper
Rear Brake: 245mm disc w/single-piston caliper
Front Tire: Dunlop MX3S 80/100-21
Rear Tire: Dunlop MX3S 120/80-19
Wheelbase: 58.5 inches
Rake: 27.33°
Trail: 119mm (4.7 in.)
Seat Height: 38.6 in.
Ground Clearance: 13.0 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.6 gal.
Claimed Wet Weight: 245 lbs.
Measured Wet Weight: 248 lbs.
Color: Factory Yamaha blue, white
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