21/08/2026
Kris Keefer could’ve picked basically any 450 he wanted to race at Loretta Lynn’s this year.
He chose the 2026 Kawasaki KX450. 👀🟢
And his reasoning is actually pretty interesting.
Keefer says the stock bike is a little sluggish, but he thinks the chassis is one of the most underrated in the class. He likes the front-end traction, the stability coming into corners and, most importantly for a vet guy trying to survive Loretta’s, how easy the thing is to ride.
He even chose it over the 350 he normally loves because he prefers the Kawasaki chassis.
For the motor, he kept it pretty simple:
Pro Circuit 14.2:1 piston.
Ti-6 Pro exhaust.
Vortex ECU mapped by XPR.
VP Pro6 fuel.
Not trying to build some fire-breathing monster. Just more torque, a longer second gear and smoother power.
