TEST. 1996 Kawasaki KX250
"u<_~/when the 1996
awa
J 10<250 rolled into
OUI offices, the first thing we
noticed was the gaudy, new,
purple plastic. Paired with a hideous
fluorescent yellow and pink radiatorshroud graphic, almost everyone agreed
that the KX was an eyesore, and no one
was overly anxious to throw a leg over
the new bike. Last year, a few of our
testers disliked the KX because of its
brutal powerband. A lack of low-end
power, coupled with a monstrous
midrange hit and so-so top end left
many of our testers with pumped-up
arms and a bad taste in their mouths.
Why would we expect this year's KX250
to be any different? After all, when a
manufacturer goes for a radica I new
look, it usually means that there haven't
been many technical updates.
Boy, were we wrong. Though the
updates made to the 1996 10<250 seem
minimal on paper, the end result on the
track are quite impressive. Though OUI
testers still feel that the new color
scheme is atrocious, the KX has quickly
beeome a favorite in the Cycle News
garage. Just how good is the new KX?
This could very well be the year of the
purple people eaters.:.
I
HOW 'BOUT THOSE CHANGES?
To the eye, the only outwardly visible change is the larger Kayaba 46mm
inverted forks. The huge legs are now
exactly the same size as the works forks
guys like Mike Kiedrowski and Mike
LaRocco have been running for years.
The massive tubes are designed to have
Jess flex than the smaller 43mm tubes of.
old, and the increased oil volume equals
better compression and rebound damping control.
To compliment the new forl>s, the
Kayaba shock was revalved and paired
with a new Uni-Trak linkage. The new
linkage is said to provide a more linear,
more controlled stroke that translates
into better hookup. The swingarm was
beefed up near the pivot and linkagemount areas.
Enginewise, only ~ few minor modifications were. made. For snappier
I.t)
0\
0\
rl
'.D~
~
(l)
E
u
(l)
(l)
o
16
engine response and better low-end
power, the sub-exhaust and transfer
ports were altered, and the ignition
curve was modified to compliment the
new porting. The 38mm Keihin PWK
carburetor has "wings" on the intake
side that channel air straight to the needle jet, and Kawasaki claims that better
. throttle response is the benefi t.
To better handle the power put out
by the KX250 motor, the shift fork's
internal diameter and shift-rod diameter
have been increased by 2mm.
Other changes include a new rear
brake pedal that is said to be more rigid,
and a new· 60mm-shorter front-brake
hydraulic line that is supposed to
improve the KX's braking power. The
