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
tha t re gulates th e two la rge exhaust ports - no longer does it use the rotating drum valve. Other e ngi ne c hanges to t he 125 include a sma ller intake area for qu icker thro ttle respo nse, and the Keihin carb ure tor feat ures a larger 36mm (from 35mm) bore. . Both the KXl25 and KX250 incorporate a power-jet car bu retio n syste m, whic h uses an electronic sole noi d to close a fuel pas sageway at high rpm to extend the power peak, allowing more top-end and overrev, Ka w asaki cha nged th e 125' s fi nal gearing from 13/ 50 to 12/48. Suspe nsio nwise, the shock is slightly sho rter and fea tures a new triple-rate spring with new damping rates. Up fro nt , th e up per fork tubes are smaller in diameter at the lower clamping area to reduce rigidity, and the forks themselves are held 5mm higher in the triple clamp to - along wi th the shorter shock -lower the bike's overall center of grav ity. The forks also feature a new oilcushioned, hydraulic bottomi ng system in the last 40mm of st roke. Other details include a new bra ided front-brak e ho se, a ne w seat co ver, a front d isc-brake cove r, a d ifferent han dlebar bend, and new gra phics, just like (Left) Bac k l or the l ourth year Is the KX1CO, Which features many of the same changes as the KX80 . (Left ) The KXSOO has a new look but no new mech anical cha nges. the race-team bikes . Th e 250 features pretty much th e same basic changes as the 125, bu t it does take on some significant changes of its own. A new cylinder featu res a new ma in and new sub-ex haust ports to enhance low-end an d mid range torque. Ka w asa ki also modified th e power valve by widening the center KI PS valve, while going to smaller rotating d rum valves to work in conjunction w ith new smaller sub-exha ust ports . Ot her changes were made to the to p end to improve lubrication. The new Keihin Power Jet PWK38 carburetor feeds into the cylinder thro ugh reed valves that are longer and have 1mm more lift, and are made of a new material. The KX500 is back for another yea r, b u t fea tures only cos metic cha nges, includi ng a g reen-co lored seat cov er (which d oe not feature the Kevlar reins forcement). On the opposite end of the spectru m is the KX60, which is also u nchanged, except for graphics. Kawasaki will again offer both KDX off-road models: the 200 an d 220R. They too are unchanged for '98, just like the four-stroke KLX300R. In the dual s po rt de partme nt, Kawasaki will aga in offer the entry-level KElDO, and the KLR250 a nd 650 fou rstoke models. The prices of th e 1998 Ka wasa ki mo tocrossers and off-read ers are as follows: $2,219 for the KX60; $2,999 for the KX80; $3,299 fo the KXlDO $4,799 for the ; KXl25; $5,649 for the KX250; $4,999 for the KX500; $4,299 fo r th e KDX200; $4,599 for the KDX220; and $4,600 for '" the KLX300. (Right) Both the KDX220R (shown) and KDX200 off-road models wtll be back tor '98 with no major changes. (Below) Kawasaki's lone four-stroke off-road model ~ the KLX300. Again . no changes for '98. (Betow ri ght) The KX60 gets a lace-lifl. 33