Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127847
NEW BIKES 1998 Kaw asakiMXersand O o ff·R aders ittl a ges (Lett) The KX80 Is all new for 1998, including a new cylinder with KIPS power..verve system. clutch. sw ing arm and 36mm Inverted fork. (Len) Kawasa ki claims the new KX125's engine has more overall power and overrev than last yea r's ho-hum mill. (Below) The KX250, and the 125, feature pow er-jet Keihin carburetors for '98, instead of 8mm. In addition, the footpeg brackets have bee n beefed up, and , in a we ight-saving move, the sides tand and mounting tab have been rem oved. Th e KX got a 36m m in verted fo r k wi th al umi num upper fork tubes with 18-wa y co m p r e ss io n d a mping . T he KX I OO a ls o rece ived the a luminum upper fork tubes for '98. Out back, the shock has re vise d damping se ttings, and the swing ar m uses larger cross-section beams for more rigidity and now incorpora tes cast -aluminum drive-chain-adjuster sections, like those found on the bigger KX mod els. In the brakin g department, new discpad materials are used, and the forgedalumi num rear brake pedal is new and reportedly stronger, and there are new seals at th e pivot area. Both front and rear wh eels have been made stronger wi th th e use of bigger sp okes, a nd to increase d ura bility, tw o w heel bearings are used on the drive side of the rear hu b, and there are new se als in the hub s, both fro nt and back. The re ar axl e als o fe atur es a large r diameter. O the r d etails incl u de th e kickstart lever tha t is attache d by a single bolt threaded into the kickstart shaft ins tead of a pinch bolt in the s pline area; the front number plate is now fastened wi th on e bolt instead of three; the fuel petcock is the same as those used on the KXI25 and 250; and the new green-colored seat cover features tough Kevla r reinforcement in the front area. Still, the only differences between the KX80 and the KXIOO are the frames and sus pe ns io n components (larger and longer on the KXI OO), cy li nd e r bore (48.0rnm for the 80 and 52.5mm fo r the 100), and the wheels, which, of cou rse, are slightly larger in diameter on the 100 (17/1 4 in ches vs . 19/16 in ches). The KXl OO has a claimed dry weight of ISO pounds and the KX80 143 po unds, and the KXIOO has a 1.2-inch taller seat height than the 80, at 342 inches. The KX125 and 250 took o n a few changes of their own. Starting wit h the KXI25: Its cylinder now feat ures two exha us t po rts instead of four, fo r "be tt e r lo w -e nd an d m idra nge p owe r," Kawasaki cla ims . Other eng ine change s include a 2mrns ho r ter connecting r od, and a lig hte r piston tha t featu res an intake "window" for "more top-end power." The power-valve sys tem is a ll new on the 125. It uses a sp lit gu illotine valve awas will agai n offer a full line of motocross and of f-road aki motorcycles for 1998, and the most changed are the KX80 and KXIOO models. The KX80 an d KXI OO (which d ebuted in ' 95 as a 100cc machin e) received a comple te going - through for '98. For starters, the KX80 (unless stated otherwise, all cha nges regardi ng the KX80 apply to the KXIOO, as we ll) gets an all-ne w cy linder fo r ' 98, including Kawasaki's KIPS power-valve system, which co mbine to increase overall horsepow er and torque, Kawasaki claims. The clu tch has been finely tuned for better feel and durability. The clutch hub now rides on needle bearings , and the clu tch p lates a re 9mm larger in d iam eter; also, the clutch-release lever ratio is changed for lighter clutch- lever actio n. And to top things off, the clutch lever and perch is borrowed fro m the KXI25 an d 250. Maintaining the clutch is a little easier now that there is a separate clutch cover for q uick serv icing. No longer do you have to remove the wa ter pum p to repl ace the pla tes. Even servicing the air cleaner has been made eas ier since the igniter has be reloca ted , leaving more roo m for your ha nds. Furthermore, the air-cleaner...lement retain ing bolt is leng the ned, and the element base plate is chang ed fo r "ea sier and mo re secure ins talla tio n," Kawasaki claims. Chassiswise - no big changes. The foorpegs, how ever, are wider by 6mm and mad e of_stronger cast steel, and use a larger IOmm pi vot K 32