2020 KAWASAKI KLX230, KLX230R & KLX300R
R I D E R E V I E W
P78
2020
KAWASAKI
KLX230R
The $4399 KLX230R is the dirt-only version of the
KLX230. This means that the 230R is stripped of all
the necessary equipment that keeps you from getting
a ticket for riding on the street. You won't see things
like a headlight, tail light, mirrors, added emissions
do-dads, LCD dash or passenger pegs, among other
things, on this bike. Without these things, though,
you get a nearly 40-pound savings in weight. That's
huge! Plus, since this bike will only be ridden on the
dirt, it needs stouter suspension, so there is more
wheel travel at both ends and stiffer settings. A down-
fall to all this is an inch-and-a-half taller seat height,
but at 36.2 inches, it's still acceptable for an entry-
level motorcycle.
With more wheel travel, stiffer suspension and 40
pounds less weight, the 230R feels quite different
than the street-legal 230. The 230R is a far more
capable off-road bike than the 230 and can be ridden
much harder and more aggressively on the dirt. And
taller riders will like the slightly increased legroom.
The 230 with the "R" is all about the dirt.
