1994 Kawasaki Klx250

1994 KAWASAKI KLX250

CW RIDING IMPRESSION

SMALL WONDER ON WHEELS

WHILE KAWASAKI’S 1993 KLX650R DIRT Thumper was snagging headlines in the U.S., a smaller, 249cc version was winning friends in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Now it’s our turn to sample the first new small-bore four-stroke to hit the dirtbike market in years.

Kawasaki invited Cycle World out for a one-day trail-riding impression; we were so impressed that we arranged to borrow the bike again for a day at the track. The KTX250 we rode was a 1993 Japanese model equipped with the updates slated for the ’94 production model that should be in U.S. showrooms in January.

The 250 is a small bike. Its 244-pound dry weight and 35.5-inch seat height make it 54 pounds lighter and almost 2 inches shorter than the 650. The seat is also 1.5 inches narrower than the 650’s, making the bike feel as slim as any dirtbike we’ve thrown a leg over. Short-legged pilots will feel secure on the 250, as it is easy for them to plant both feet flat on the ground, yet accommodations are not cramped for riders over 6 feet tall. Physically, the Kawasaki is the same size as Honda’s XR250, its main competition, which means that it is a little smaller than a standard 250cc MX bike, but the KLX is 14 pounds lighter than the XR and seems to carry its weight lower.

Starting the liquid-cooled, four-valve, dohc motor takes a couple of kicks, less if you give it a good boot, more if you’re a little lazy. This is a very peppy engine. Initially, low-end power feels a little flat, but from midrange up, the KLX rips. The only reason the low end feels a little soft is that the upper-rpm surge is so astonishing. The power is not in the same league as a two-stroke 250, but this bike has it all over the XR250 and should even give Suzuki’s DR350 a good run for its money.

Equally impressive is the KLX250’s handling. Suspension is first-rate; so good, in fact, that we left the adjusters on their as-delivered settings both days. For trail use, the fork and shock were plush at all speeds; roots and rocks didn’t deflect the front end and the rear

tracked well over the ugliest terrain. Motocrossing the 250 wouldn’t be out of the question, either. The bike will handle slamming into berms and landing from big jumps without bottoming, and it hammers through whoops without a hint of swapping, a rarity for a four-stroke. Turning also is nearperfect. Aided by the thin tank, a KLX rider can slide up to weight the front end and the 250’s Dunlop knobby will go exactly where it’s pointed. Slides? No problem. Wheelies? Easy. Jumps? The KLX feels lighter than a KX125 motocrosser in the air and lands almost as well. All this from a 250cc four-stroke trail bike.

So, is there anything wrong with Kawasaki's new KLX250? Functionally, not really. If we were pressed to make a complaint, it would be that the shifting lacks feel, though this caused only a few missed shifts. The biggest hurdle for the KLX to overcome will be its price. It will probably retail for about $4200, which will be at least $500 more than the Honda XR250. Big question: Is it worth it? For many riders the price will be an unassailable deterrent. Others, searching for the quickest, best-handling, most fun 250cc four-stroke dirtbike to come down the trail in years, probably won’t be put off. -Jimmy Lewis