Kawasaki Klx110

KAWASAKI KLX110

Quick Ride

Two-wheeled kiddie carrier

ARE YOUR KIDS READY for their first dirtbike? Kawasaki’s KLX110 is picture-perfect for first-time trailriders-and it makes a pretty good pitbike for grownups, too!

One of many recent editions to the popular entry-level play-bike category, the KLX is powered by an air-cooled, sohc, two-valve 11lcc Single with a three-speed gearbox and an automatic clutch. Think that’s too much displacement for a newbie, especially when you compare the KLX to its main competition, Honda’s XR70R and Yamaha’s TT-R90? Not to worry: Paranoid parents can easily match performance to skill level via an adjustable throttle-stop screw, and a restrictor welded within the headpipe further neuters the bike’s bark. Even in restricted form, the engine has good get up and go, but not a lot of top-end punch. Hey, you wouldn’t want to scare the little ones on their first ride, right?

The frame is a simple “hanger” design, essentially a steel backbone with the engine suspended from it. The fork is borrowed from the two-stroke KX60, while the single shock is

a generic unit. Kudos, then, to the engineers for grafting current-generation KX65 bodywork onto the smallest KLX. The motocross-style panels give the

bike a racy look that will have kids jumping up and down with excitement.

Kawasaki’s littlest four-stroke fires up easily-unless you only weigh 60 pounds, that is. Then, it

might need a stab or two on the kickstarter from an adult. Once running, the “big-bore” kiddy bike is not prone to stalling. The transmission ratios are widely spaced, but with the engine’s broad spread of power and comparatively huge torque output, a small rider can simply put it in second gear and go. In fact, that’s exactly what most of the less-experienced, non-shifting kids who rode our testbike did.

Maybe the biggest surprise, though, is how well the KLX’s suspension performs, especially the fork. It has real damping! That’s a good thing, because with the current generation of kids watching freestyle jumping contests on television, it won’t be long before airtime comes into play. The forks on the XR70 and TT-R90 aren’t nearly as good as those fitted to the KLX, particularly on big bumps or jump landings.

What Kawasaki has done is kick the level of performance up a notch in the playbike market. Not only does the $1699 KLX outhandle its competition, it outruns it, too, thanks to a sizeable displacement advantage that comes without the penalty of added weight. As such, the KLX is an e-ticket to family fun. Just ask any kid riding one.

-Jimmy Lewis