Kawasaki Kdx250
KAWASAKI KDX250
CYCLE WORLD TEST
SIMPLY OUTSTANDING
"Want a good enduro bike, one that doesn't cost a fortune, one with gobs of torque and low-speed pulling power, great steering and handling?” asked the salesman. “This green KDX250 over here is the best you can get, and we’ll deal on it.”
“Sure,” the shopper mumbled, “had a Kawasaki once a long time back. Handled like a dump truck with a flat front tire.”
This could apply to almost any brand of off-road motorcycle, but, it’s most often heard about Kawasakis. Kawasaki’s KDX 175 (now a 200), and the KDX250 enduros have been very good, competitive machines for several years now. Still, many riders find it hard to believe. But the KDX 250 has won our best enduro of the year award a couple of times; the last win was 1982.
So, what’s the point? Don’t make the mistake of not riding a KDX enduro because you rode some old swapper Kawa-
saki some years back. The KDX line
iVKl has developed into serious enduro weapons.
The ’82 KDX250 was an especially fine motorcycle. It produced exceptional power over a broad rev range, had good suspension, strong frame, good brakes and precise handling. We weren’t surprised when it didn’t change radically for ’83.
A sharp observer, or an owner of a 1982 KDX250, will quickly spot minor changes. The ’83 KDX has a new headlight / numberplate, new rear fender and taillight, side number plates (they didn’t have side number plates last year, just a small piece of green trim), frame grab handles, smaller rear hub, different tires, quickchange brake rod, aluminum rear suspension strut, new tool bag, a foldi n g - t i p shift lever and an electronic enduro timer/ odometer.
Digging deeper into the specs and removing the plastic parts, more new is evident. Some of the excess tubing that supported the rear frame loop has been discarded, replaced by massive gusseting that makes the frame look more professionally built and cleaner. The engine has one significant change; the primary gearratio has been changed from 2.75:1 to 2.50:1 so all six speeds in the transmission have become taller.
The engine was borrowed from the motorcrosser last year and then slightly detuned. No need to fool with a good thing. The piston has dual rings, the aluminum cylinder is coated with a hard surface and has proven durable in the past, even though it’s not reborable. Transmission ratios are well spaced and there is one for every situation a rider can get into. A 36mm Mikuni carb feeds gas through a giant eight-petal fiber reed. The clutch is large and doesn’t slip or grab. The ignition is electronic, doesn’t require maintenance and it’s not affected by moisture. The seat is thick and comfortable. The big gas tank is positioned low on the frame and most of it is below the seat’s top so it’s easy to slide up on top of it when necessary.
A new, smaller rear hub is used for ’83. Brake drum diameter has been reduced from 5.5 in. to 5.1 in. Smaller is actually better for rear brakes on dirt bikes. Smaller means lighter, and smaller also means there is less chance of locking the brake and stalling the engine. Most hard braking is taken care of by the front brake anyway.
Otherwise, there’s little different. The front of the strong frame with a 29° head angle and good triangulation, is unchanged. Handlebars, seat, 38mm KYB forks, KYB rear shock with remote reservoir, high-mounted pipe with an extralarge silencer, final gearing.
Being picky, we think the engineers should have changed the airbox. Its cover doesn’t fit tight and water gets in when fording extra-deep creek crossings. And too many screws must be removed before the filter can be squeezed dry. Too bad the cover doesn’t fit and have a quick-change feature. Basically it is well designed with the air inlet high on top of the unit, under the seat. Taping the cover will stop water from entering but if the bike sinks over the inlet, plan on spending more time drying it out than your buddy on his Husky or IT.
The KDX250 is one of the more difficult 250s to start. It doesn’t take any more kicks than other 250 enduro bikes, they just have to have more authority to them. If the engine is kicked over with the same prod you’d use on other 250s, the engine won’t start. The KDX250 requires a hearty, open-bike-type kick. Otherwise the ignition won’t make enough spark to fire the plug. Kicked hard, it’ll be running in one or two kicks, hot or cold.
Under way the KDX250 is great. The engine makes power over such a broad rev range it needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. And unlike many enduro motors, this one makes a lot of horsepower as well. It’ll humble any 250 enduro bike climbing steep hills. And it can outclimb many expensive open-class enduro bikes. Raising the ratio of the primary drive gears has made low gear more usable. Before, low was so low it was seldom used. Now it is used when the going gets nearly vertical. Second still works well for crawling around on the edges of sheer cliffs playing mountain goat.
Twenty-nine degrees of rake and 5 in. of trail sound too kicked out for positive, agile steering in tight woods. It works fine. The KDX is quick without being spooky, positive without being overly positive. It goes straight at speed (on hard ground) with no head shake but still manages to make direction changes with a minimum of effort.
The KDX250 isn’t as stable in sand; the bike jumps around at speed and is a handful. Experienced riders just let it jump and dart while keeping the throttle wide open. It feels spooky but won’t throw you off.
The suspension is stiff at both ends. Mostly it’s the springs. The KDX is set for an A rider. And A riders go a lot faster than B or C-class enduro competitors. When ridden at the ragged edge, the suspension is right. The stiffness makes control through tight woods at speed better also. The bike will follow twisty trails with ease, never feeling vague or anything but positive and under control. Lighter riders or beginners might want to opt for softer springs front and rear. Kawasaki also lists stiffer springs as options.
The rear shock has four rebound damping adjustments and spring preload adjustment. Compression damping isn’t adjustable. Fork adjustment includes oil weight, oil volume, air pressure and optional springs. We liked the shock set at the standard number 2 position. The stiff (standard) springs front and rear were liked by some of our riders, disliked by others. We decided to leave the springs stock.
Last year’s KDX250 topped 80 mph across a dry lake bed. The ’83 is even faster due to the higher primary gearing. Figure over 85 sitting straight up in the seat. This is truly a 250 enduro bike with the power and speed of an open bike, but without the weight. Usually when so much power is pumped into an engine this small it becomes pipey, or it burns a lot of gas, or both. The KDX has a power spread that’s broader than many open class enduro bikes and it’s easy on gas. The 3.3 gal. tank is good for 80 mi. or more when ridden by an expert rider. It’ll easily go beyond 100 mi. with a normal trail rider aboard.
Sounds too good, doesn’t it? Okay, what’s the catch? It probably breaks a lot, huh? Nope. It’s one of the most reliable bikes we’ve had in our garage. It’s always ready to go, even after being put away wet. Never mind the air filter hasn't been cleaned and the bike hasn’t been checked over the past two rides, it’s ready to go, and go whatever distance it’s asked to go.
The only exception is during the first 100 mi. of break-in. The spokes loosened quite a bit the first 50 mi. and to a lesser degree the next 50 mi. That’s it.
There is a lot to be said about fine tuning an already exceptional bike. Small design flaws apt to be in first year designs have been eliminated. Production tooling has been adjusted so it’s spot on, and the engineers can spend their time with small but significant things like making the rear hub smaller, and the bike lighter. The 244 lb. ’83 KDX250 has lost 7 lb. thanks mainly to the new hub and the elimination of excess frame tubes.
The ’83 Kawasaki KDX250 is an example of a good product that’s been honed into an excellent one. SI
KAWASAKI
KDX250
$1999
SPECIFICATIONS
