Kawasaki Klx650r
KAWASAKI KLX650R
CYCLE WORLD TEST
A DIRT THUMPER FROM THE SAME FOLKS WHO BROUGHT YOU THE ZX-11
INTEREST IN KAWASAKI'S NEW-FOR-'93 KLX650R, the first big-bore four-stroke dirtbike from Kawasaki, has been enormous. Would it be good enough to challenge Honda's popular XR600, and maybe even go toe-to-toe with the Husqvarna 610 for King of the Thumpers honors?
When our testhike arrived, opinions immediately began forming. The KLX's purple seat and frame, lime-green plas tic parts and pink-yellow-and-orange graphics were an instant turn-off for some.
IIISL4III 1U111(J11 101 SOIIIC. Doubt about the seriousness of the bike was voiced when the CW scales groaned under the KLX65OR's 298-pound dry weight. The Kawasaki is 16 pounds heaver than an XR600, 32 pounds heavier than a 610 Husky and 54 pounds in excess of a Husaberg 501. Checking the 650R's specification sheet cast more dark shadows-a 28.5-degree rake, 4.8 inches of trail and
a 2.1-gallon fuel tank. Great, an off-road bike with a fuel tank the size of a 125 motocrosser's, and rake and-trail numbers that appeared to be at least 15 years out of date.
This was not looking good, and the disposition of our chief test rider didn't improve when it came time for the Kawasaki's first outing. After turning on the fuel petcock and pulling the remote choke knob located to the left of the KLX-R's resettable, 99-mile odome ter, he searched for the manual decompression release that would ease starting chores. The 650R doesn't have one. More moans.
But a couple of easy pushes on the aluminum kickstart lever had the 650 1 _~1 • -
awake and purring. Turns out the Kawasaki has an automatic decompression system. Few big four-stroke Singles start as easily and fuss-free. Things were looking up.
More gooa news. I tie engine requirea severai minutes or warm-up before it would accept throttle without the choke, but once up to temperature, it was exceptionally responsive and crisp. From that point on, the opinions of the KLX65OR grew more and more favorable as riders forgot the KLX's specifications and simply enjoyed the ride.
A lot of the smiles are supplied by the R’s liquid-cooled, dohc, fourvalve engine. Its instant throttle response, equal to a finely tuned twostroke Single’s, can be attributed in part to its perfectly jetted 40mm Keihin CV carburetor. A slick-shifting fivespeed transmission and a strong, progressive clutch add to the entertainment.
Even more pleasurable was the Kawasaki’s continued easy starting. The 65 OR never required more than one or two prods when warm or cold. The KLX starts so well that we set traps for it, including laying the bike on its side, petcock on, for a couple of minutes to make sure the engine was sufficiently flooded. Every time, the 650 fired right up after a kick or two.
Further enhancing this engine’s appeal is its broad, electric-motor type of power. Excellent power is available immediately off-idle, which means the bike can be ridden in second gear at a walking pace. When accelerating from that speed, the power is fluid, progressive and controllable. The 650 is easy to wheelie, especially at lower engine speeds, so lofting the front end to clear rocks and tree roots is no problem. Though strong enough to be exciting, the KLX650R is no match for a 610 Husqvarna, but it is a match-and then some-for its main competition, the Honda XR600R.
Excellent handling and trail manners can be added to the KLX-R’s résumé, too. The bike tracks straight, holds a line through wide and tight turns, and feels well balanced. Climbing tall hills is easy, thanks to the engine’s smooth power and spot-on carburetion. Descending these hills poses no problem, either. Both brakes are strong and progressive, and easy to modulate. Our only complaint is that the front brake squawks badly when used on long, steep downhills. Replacement brake pads in a softer compound should cure the problem.
The KLX650R appears to have top-notch suspension, but its KYB units aren’t as smooth working as the high-quality components used on Kawasaki’s KX motocross line. The R’s inverted fork lacks rebounddamping adjustments-the shock has both reboundand compression-damping adjusters-and neither end of the bike has the plush, finely honed feel of the KX motocross mounts.
We set the rear suspension’s sack at 3.75 inches (as delivered, it measured only 2.25 inches), and then experimented with different damping settings. For casual riding, we
liked the fork and shock compression adjusted to 16 clicks out from full stiff. For riding at brisker speeds, 13 clicks worked well. Aggressive riders liked the damping set six or seven clicks from full firm. Had the fork allowed adjustment of its rebound damping, one click slower would have improved its performance considerably.
With the suspension set up, the R stays straight across medium-sized whoops and seldom bottoms. Charging into gullies will induce rear-end bottoming, due in part to the R’s weight and its somewhat limited 11 inches of rear-wheel travel.
$4499
KAWASAKI KLX650R
Regardless, the R is a fun motorcycle to ride. We would like to see a few components changed, however. First to be tossed would be the tiny, 2.1-gallon fuel tank, though fitting a larger tank will be difficult due to the 650’s perimeterstyle frame. As is, the R barely has enough off-road range to get you out of sight of your pickup truck. Next on the complaint list is the lack of an O-ring chain. The stock chain was flopping and rattling after four hours of use. We would replace it at purchase time. Using the stock chain will surely accelerate the wear of the drive sprockets.
Less expensive to replace, the stock handguards should be deep-sixed. The same as used on Kawasaki’s KDX200/250, the right guard is useless. It flops about and can’t be secured without resorting to lashing it with wire or plastic ties. Why Kawasaki continues to use this miserable part escapes us.
Another concern is the small size of the 650’s radiators. We had no overheating problems during our testing, but the temperature was in the low 50s at the time. The 650 has a coolant-overflow catch tank mounted behind the left sidepanel, and we think that it will have a high probability of being used when the temperatures get up around the century mark, though this is speculation.
Less speculative is our overall impression of Kawasaki’s new KLX650R. We like it. The 650 masks its weight well; it starts easier than any big four-stroke Single we’ve ever ridden; it has good stability and trail manners; and it’s a blast to ride. Husky’s 610 is still safe at the top of the Thumper heap, but as a four-stroke playbike, the new Kawasaki is going to give Honda’s XR600 all the competition it can handle.
