VOLUME 57 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 27, 2020 P119
Kawasaki found
the right mix
of cush and
control when it
comes to the Xs'
suspension.
2021 KAWASAKI KX250X ($8399) / KX450X ($9599)
ENGINE
4-stroke, liquid-cooled /
DOHC, 4-valve, single
DISPLACEMENT
249cc / 449cc
BORE X STROKE
78.0 x 52.2mm / 96.0 x 62.1mm
COMPRESSION RATIO
14.1:1 / 12.5:1
FUEL SYSTEM
DFI w/Keihin 44mm throttle
body & dual injectors
IGNITION
Digital DC-CDI
TRANSMISSION
5-speed
CLUTCH
Coned-disc-spring, hydraulic
RAKE
27.8° / 27.6°
TRAIL
4.8 in.
FRONT SUSPENSION
48mm coil-spring KYB fully
adj. fork / 49mm coil-spring Showa
fully adj. fork
REAR SUSPENSION
Single KYB shock, Uni-Trak,
fully adj. / Single Showa shock,
Uni-Trak, fully adj.
FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL
12.4 in. / 12.0 in.
REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL
12.4 in. / 12.1 in.
FRONT TIRE
80/100-21 in., Dunlop AT81
REAR TIRE
110/100-18 in, Dunlop AT81
FRAME
Aluminum perimeter
FRONT BRAKE
Single semi-floating 270mm
Braking petal disc
REAR BRAKE
Single 240mm disc
WHEELBASE
58.3 in. / 58.5 in.
GROUND CLEARANCE
13.0 in. / 13.2 in.
SEAT HEIGHT
37.2 in. / 37.4 in.
FUEL CAPACITY
1.64 gal.
WEIGHT (DRY, CLAIMED)
230.2 lbs. / 235.8 lbs.
WEIGHT (CURB, CLAIMED)
240.2 lbs. / 246.0 lbs.
SPECIFICATIONS
tween your legs and very maneu-
verable on
the trail. And the brakes are
strong and have excellent feel.
The downside? Kawasaki
forgot to install handguards at
the factory and chose not to go
with a higher-capacity fuel tank,
which, with the Xs' 1.64-gallon
tank, could be an issue in a typi-
cal 40-plus-minute grand prix, or
multi-hour-long races (aka GNCC
and WORCS), or for extended
trail rides with your buddies.
But if Kawasaki had given the X
a larger tank, we'd probably be
complaining about how bulky it
felt (compared to the KX MXers).
This has always been a Catch-22
thing with the manufacturers. So,
Kawasaki chose not to mess with
it. Right or wrong? That's up to
you, really. But aftermarket tanks
are already available for the Xs if
you need more mileage.
But if a small gas tank and no
handguards are all we have to
complain about, we'd say that
Kawasaki hit the mark with both
these bikes. CN
