The standard KLX450R MSRP here in the U.S. when it came out was pretty much in line with the KX450F...8K-9K, so it wasn't the relative bargain of the KLX250. You pay for high tech whether it's KTM or any high tech Japanese bike, so you wouldn't get much if any price point advantage to speak of. Right now, on your question if I had the money to buy any bike, it would probably be the KTM690 Enduro. Mucho expensive but mucho impressive...and it only has as least 3 times the horsepower of the KLX250 with about the same weight...LOL! This bike has the best likelihood of fulfilling a decent pavement bike roll along with being a good dirt bike with least compromise.

 

Looks like the CRF450X and CRF250X are both Street legal in AU. At least looking at the pictures it looks like they are.

http://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Off_Road_Enduro

 

maybe easier/cheaper or manufacturers to get street legal certs in AU? possibly better market there too?

 

OK, new plan. Take a KLX250S, yank the 250cc and plug in the 450cc... done! I'll go aftermarket for the other stuff.

 

Funny you mention that. At the shop I used to work part time at, they have one of those last Honda 125 2-strokes MX bikes without an engine. That frame and suspension is superior to our KLX. I wouldn't mind having my 300 engine in that frame, and I wouldn't mind trying to stuff another more powerful engine into it. But frankly, those kinds of projects are usually more work than they're worth.

 

quite a common mod over here was to put a xr engine in a cr frame, makes for a great trail bike

 

Plenty of road legal klx450's in Aus.

Used KAWASAKI KLX450R Motorcycles For Sale - bikesales.com.au

 

Something like this, maybe?


Well, except for the missing 6th gear, lol.

Mine has a 3.4 gallon Acerbis tank, full Baja Designs dual-sport kit, the seat has been cut down 1", the forks shortened 1", and Devol lowering link in the rear. I only have a 30" inseam, and 38" seat heights don't cut it for me. I can plant the ***** of my feet pretty easily with this set-up.

Here's the thing about the KLX450R. With the gear spacing it has, you have 2 choices. Gear it down for tight trail riding, or gear it up for the highway. There isn't a lot in-between, and you can't have both at the same time. Mine is geared lower than stock for single-track and tight trails, but on the road, it's really unhappy at any speed above 50mph. Sure, it will probably go 75mph as-is, but you'll turn 13k RPMs to do it. With the stock gearing, 1st was good for 30mph, and 5th would probably top 100mph - great for the desert, but not so much for east-coast trails. A decently spaced 6-speed transmission would make this bike so much better.

It's an awesome off-road bike, and I keep as such. I only got it street-legal so that I can connect the trails and ride the organized dual-sport rides. The power it makes is downright addicting.

 

Very nice. We did you get it? California won't allow you to plate a dirtbike. It's gotta be a factory dualsport. No way to register it and get plates out here.

 

Thanks. It's a 2008 that I bought new in 2010 as a leftover. In Pennsylvania, there is a process to plate a dirt bike. It's not all that easy, but it can be done. However I learned that all KLX450Rs came with a MSO that says "Motorcycle" instead of "OHV" or "For Offroad Use Only", just like KTMs. When I got my title from the DMV, it also already said "Motorcycle", so all I had to do to get a plate was apply and pay for it. I needed the dual sport kit to pass inspection, and then I was good to go.