Kawasaki Kdx200 Checkpoint Magic
KAWASAKI KDX200
CYCLE WORLD TEST
CHECKPOINT MAGIC
ENDUROS ARE TOUGH ENOUGH in themselves. But the really tough part comes long before the first hill, the first water-crossing or even the first check; it's when you set out to buy the bike. It is plain hard to find serious enduro motorcycles these days, and it's getting harder all the time. The Japanese, in fact, sell only three dedicated enduro machines in this country.
One of those three is Kawasaki's KDX200, generally thought to be the best enduro bike in the 200cc class. But the KDX isn't just the king of its displacement range; it's competitive with enduro bikes of any size, and is capable of scoring an overall win in most kinds of enduro events. And while the KDX is considered primar ily a competition machine, it is a world-class playbike, as well, one
that works just as nicely for beginners as it does for experts.
Last year's KDX200 also was an excellent dirt bike in almost every way, but it has been improved for 1986 in certain key areas. The engine is virtually the same six-speed, aircooled two-stroke used last year, but with a larger flywheel, plus a bigger filter element in a larger airbox. The new KDX also incorporates the Ka wasaki Integrated Powervalve Sys tem (KIPS) used on the KX moto cross models. KIPS broadens the powerband by changing both the vol ume of the exhaust header pipe and the effective height of the exhaust port according to engine rpm.
KIPS mak~s the RDX ee1 slower than last year's bike, but only be cause the engine comes on the power band much earlier and smoother than
before, resulting in a less-abrupt power delivery. But in actuality, the new bike is faster, as we learned by racing our `86 KDX against a wellmaintained `85 we had borrowed. The new bike would run away from the `85 during flat-out acceleration contests, yet it would lug up hills at low rpm more effectively. The `85 also required an occasional slip of the clutch on some slow, steep uphills where the `86 did not, even though the newer bike hasa taller first gear.
Really, about the only timè the new KDX has any power disad vantage is when it's compared to larger enduro bikes; and that's evi dent only in certain places-such as thick mud or deep sandwasheswhere brute power is the answer. On tight trails, however, the KDX200 will leave most other enduro bikes in the dust. Its responsive engine and easy-to-use power allow the rider to concentrate on the trail rather than on keeping the engine buzzing.
Still, it's more than just the engine that makes the KDX one of the quickest bikes on the trail: the im proved chassis is responsible for most of the bike's agility. The frame is much like that on last year's KX125 motocrosser. but modified somewhat for enduro riding. The overall han dling is noticeably improved com pared with last year's KDX, due in large part to a new 43mm front fork.
In addition, the steering head angle is two degrees steeper, which allows the bike to steer more precisely and quickly, but front-wheel trail has been increased by a half-inch to pro vide better high-speed stability.
As delivered, our test bike's sus pension was rather soft for our test riders, so we added 1.2 ounces of oil to each fork leg. This stiffened the front suspension so it wouldn't bot tom except at high speeds over the roughest terrain. The rear shock, which has 13 adjustment positions for compression damping and 20 for rebound, also was too soft for our staIThrs, who average in the 170pound range. Kawasaki lists an op tional stiffer spring, but one wasn't
yet available: so we instead set the rear-end sag at 3.5 inches. and turned both the compressionand the re bound-damping adjusters three clicks stiffer than stock. At those settings the rear end worked well, although bigger and/or faster riders still felt that the suspension was too soft.
Thankfully. that slight softness causes no major handling difficulties. And one reason why is the KDX's size. It's a small bike, at least by cur rent dirt-bike standards. A rider un der six feet tall can sit on the bike and plant both feet on the ground. for the
seat, at just 35.5 inches high. is al most two inches lower than on last year's bike. The low saddle, com bined with the short. 56-inch wheel base, makes the KDX easy to pitch around tight turns. And when the go ing gets really tough. the low seat al lows the rider to paddle with both feet if necessary.
On the other hand, the KDX's smallness can be a liability in some instances. Tall riders complained that the footpeg/seat/handlebar rela tionship was cramped. and that the handlebar was too low for comfort able stand-up riding. Also, because the bike does not have gobs of ground clearance, it tends to drag its under belly on rocks and logs that many
other bikes roll right over. There is no skidplate, but the frame is fitted with auxiliary tubes to protect the cases.
Where the ground clearance hurt the bike the most, though, was with the rear-brake lever. Ours got bent on nearly every ride due to rocks bashing into it. Fortunately. the pedal could always be bent back into shape with little difficulty. Our test riders quickly learned to keep their feet tucked in and their toes up.
At least the brakes, both front and rear, work flawlessly. The front disc provides a near-perfect balance be-
tween sensitivity and strong stopping power. This makes using the full po tential of the brake without fear of locking up the front wheel a simple matter. The drum brake in the rear also provides good feedback to the rider, though he can lock up the rear wheel any time he so desires. And neither the front or rear brake fades when it gets hot or wet.
There's also little cause for com plaint about the KDX's instrumenta tion, which consists of an electronic tripmeter/odometer and timer unit. The tripmeter can be manually reset in tenths of a mile either up or down, and the timer has a reset switch. All of the buttons are easily accessible, and the LCD display is easy to read while riding. The unit is not as so phisticated as Honda's XR-series in strument. which can be programmed with automatic resets; but with the addition of an enduro roll-chart holder, the KDX's instrumentation is adequate and complete.
Still, all is not perfect on the KDX. The plastic handguards are little more than cosmetic touches, for they are too easily pushed back into the levers by small branches or other trailside foliage. In addition, the right handguard pins the rider's leg against the fuel tank on tight, slow-speed
righthand turns. Furthermore, the in crements between the detents in the cam-type chain adjusters are too large, so the chain always seems ei ther a bit too tight or too loose. These might be nitpicks, but on a bike that otherwise is so wonderful, they are blemishes that intrude and annoy.
Make no mistake, however: The KDX200 is wonderful, blemishes notwithstanding. It performs the mir acle of being a highly capable compe tition machine that also is one of the world's great playbikes. As such, it can help any off-road rider perform
closer to his potential, no matter who he is or where he rides it. An experi enced rider can use a KDX on Satur day to win an enduro, and the same bike on Sunday to teach his girlfriend how to trail ride.
What this means then, is that un like most machines in its general size! price range. the KDX is a small-dis placement dirt bike that most riders won't easily outgrow. It also means that despite the shortage of true-blue enduro bikes, the search for a truly great one need not go any farther than your local Kawasaki dealer.
KAWASAKI KDX200
SPECIFICATIONS
$1899
