Kawasaki Big-Bore Thumper!

KAWASAKI BIG-BORE THUMPER!

Better belated late entry than into never! the Kawasaki 450cc four-stroke may be making a motocross game, but having had plenty of time to study the competition, the Japanese manufacturer should be in a good position to shake up the field, not to mention a few of its own traditions. The works version of the all-new KX450F made its public on-track debut at the opening round of the All-Japan 250cc MX

Championship this past April. Details are sparse, but the new machine is powered by a liquid-cooled, dohc, four-valve, 449cc Single housed in a semi-double-cradle frame with a

tapered-box-section backbone-say “bye-bye” to the old-style perimeter frame. The metal of choice is aluminum, the same highly refined beer-can material that gave Honda fits for years, though you’d never know it riding a current CR. Tetsuya Mizoguchi, who won the 125cc AllJapan MX title on a KX250F last year, will campaign the new 450 this year for on-going testing. No word on whether the bike is slated for 2005 or ’06 production. An allnew two-stroke KX250 is rumored, as well.

Jimmy Lewis