VOLUME 58 ISSUE 26 JUNE 29, 2021 P101
This didn't surprise us too much
since the CRF gives away 12cc's
(286cc to 298cc) to the KLX right
off the bat.
However, one of our testers felt
the Honda had better overall perfor-
mance and torque in the low-to-mid-
range, which should be advanta-
geous, again, for newer riders.
Excessive vibration was a non-
issue for both bikes. Neither bike
had problems cruising comfort-
ably along in the 60-65 mph
range on the pavement.
Both bikes carry about the same
amount of fuel: 2.0 gallons for the
Kawasaki and 2.1 gallons for the
Honda, which, for most beginners
and novices and even many experi-
enced riders, is more than enough
for one sitting on these bikes.
FIT & FINISH :::
If these were our own motorcy-
cles, we'd be plenty happy riding
them just how they are for quite a
while, but there are a few things
we'd do to them right away.
Both bikes would benefit
nicely from some aftermarket
handguards. Even the simplest
and "cheapest" (least expensive)
plastic guards would be excellent
additions to both bikes.
It makes us nervous riding any
kind of motorcycle off the pave-
ment without engine protection
underneath the bike. The Honda
comes sans skid plate, so we'd
look into that right away when it
comes to the Honda. The Ka-
wasaki arrives from the factory
with a small but effective bolt-on
skid plate and brush/rock guards
welded onto the lower frame rails
that help protect the lower side
cases and water pump and help
keep your mind at ease.
As mentioned, larger footpegs
are in order for the KLX.
The stock tires on both bikes
are decent, and we'd probably
get some wear on them first be-
fore seeking out more aggressive
and better-sticking DOT-stamped
knobbies for the dirt unless we
