2008 Kawasaki KLX450R Bike Test Photo Gallery

Our second date with the all-new 2008 Kawasaki KLX450R was on familiar ground as we took the Green beast to our home turf in Oregon for a month of woods blasting. Check out our 2008 Kawasaki KLX450R Bike Test

2008 Kawasaki KLX450R

We had to get the KLX450R back home to Oregon for some woods testing to fully appreciate the bike's enduro capabilities.

The motor is still the most endearing quality of the KLX450R.

The KLX wanted to stand up in corners which took a little effort to sort out with the suspension. But, the available torque was sure handy to get over obstacles immediately after a turn.

It’s a little bulky and some people don’t like the shape, but 87 decibels is nothing to scoff at.

The KLX is steady enough for us to confidently attack this log pile and use it as a jump rather than crawl our way over.

The headlight still shines as bright as it did on our first ride, but it still doesn’t point downward far enough.

A flat profile and comfortable ergonomics allow for the rider to move around plenty in the saddle.

Whoever says 18-inch rear tires don’t act as shock absorbers ought to get their story straightened out.

The extra-stable chassis and suspension was a benefit when jumping over waterbars and off cut-banks, but it could stand to lose a few pounds.

After a solid month of thrashing, the KLX came away running like a top and we came out with a better appreciation for what this bike can do in tighter terrain.

Though the KLX feels pretty svelte when in motion, it really shows its weight in awkward predicaments like these.

Peak horsepower was a little down from what we expected, but the torque was right in the ballpark and is what makes this bike so fun.

Standing on the bike was comfortable and made for easy transitions when surprise ditches like these popped up.

With sizeable weight and power, railing the outside of wide turns was a blast. The chassis and suspension also lend themselves to a fluid style rather than point and shoot.

Getting more weight on the front end transformed our test bike from a slow-turning beast into a relatively agile machine.

Getting a wheel in the air is what the Kawi does best.

We were sure glad that we took the bike home for some woods riding. More time with the KLX has shown that it has some drawbacks to riding in the tight stuff.