With the Keihin injection system coming inside the Kawasaki KXF450 2009 some new opportunities are given to the riders and mechanics. As an extra next to the KXF450 a software kit including an ECU-Controller is available to adjust injection settings and the ignition timing.
On top comes a Data recording inside the controller to check what the rider really did on the track.

While the EFI bikes of Suzuki and Honda offer only basically adjustments the Kawasaki opens a new page with its software offering endless possibilities for the mechanic.

We visited Kawasaki Europe to get first information how the system works.
After that we took the test bike and the software kit and went to some tracks to check out if there is a benefit if you start bringing your laptop along while between the riding sessions.

The mapping changes both fuel injection and ignition setting separately or you can use one of the seven mapping files that are already included. To get started this was very helpful as this technology is very new for almost everybody there is a lot to learn before starting to make your own settings.

Next to the ECU Controller and the cables that come along with the kit you need a 12V battery to make let the system work while the engine is off. For sure you need a computer too. The software is designed for Windows XP and Vista.

With the stock setting the 2009 KXF450 is already nice and easy to ride. It offers quick and smooth power throughout the entire powerband with its best performance in the middle. We uploaded the ‘hard riding’ setting which should fit hard ground better than the standard setting. The result was astonishing. Some added hit in the bottom made it easier to accelerate out of the corners while the top end was significantly smoother to avoid spinning on hard and slick surface.

We continued with the ‘soft riding’ setting. Here the top end and over rev was improved to use the full power a 450 can deliver. For tracks with lots of grip the setting was very useful but it is also a matter of personal preferences. There are other mappings available like a ‘beginner’ one which softens the power throughout the entire revving spectrum and makes the bike much easier to ride.

Although we did no dyno testing yet but the result was somehow like using an aftermarket pipe. It5 seems like nowadays it is much different and needs less effort than before to change engine settings significantly.

With the 250F bikes coming with fuel injection systems in the future too there will be more systems like this available but Kawasaki can be proud of having the first and easiest to handle adjustment kit so far.

The KX FI Calibration kit is available at your local Kawasaki dealer. The retail price is around 480 Euros in Germany.