RIDING IMPRESSION
2014 KAWASAKI KX250F
shifting, especially under a heavy
load. Did it work? Sure.
Kawasaki recently introduced the
new KX250F to the media, giving
us a chance to get a quick ride on
the bike, and we found the bike to
change gears quite well. To be honest, we really didn't have any shifting issues with last year's bike (a few
years ago, maybe, but not lately) either, but what Blake Baggett might
have detected with the 2013 KX, well,
we didn't really notice. All we know is
that the KX250F shifted well last year
and it still shifts well this year (2014),
but we've only had a few hours on the
2014 KX250F, so we'll see if it stays
that way. But for now, all is good in
the shifting department.
The biggest news about the 2014
KX250F does involve the motor in
a roundabout way. It's now been
fitted with Launch Control Mode
(LCM), something the KX450F got in
2012. As you probably know by now,
Launch Control Mode involves a button on the left handlebar that, when
pushed, alters mapping (retarding
the ignition) and ultimately tones
down the power a bit so it doesn't hit
so hard when you first grab a handful of throttle when the starting gate
drops. You know how it is, you're
amped up, the adrenaline is flowing, you want to get to racing, and
sometimes all that throttle/clutch
technique that you just learned
at the Donnie Hansen Motocross
Academy goes out the window and
you end up botching the start. Now
you're midpack or worse just one
turn into the race and that just plain
sucks. Launch Control helps prevent
that from happening by thwarting unwanted rear wheelspin and side-slipA new white rear fender gives away its
2014 identity. To give it the Villopoto
look, the 250 also gets white, instead
of black, number-plate backgrounds.
We fitted our bike with aftermarket Dirt
Digit backers.
P78
