VOLUME 59 ISSUE 3 JANUARY 19, 2022 P79
The KX250 still
shines in the
motor, chassis
and handling
departments.
Suspension,
however, needs
attention when
tracks get rough
and choppy.
super predictable and do everything
as expected. This allowed us to stay
on the gas longer down the hills at
Glen Helen and hit jumps faster at
Cahuilla. Our more experienced riders
voiced their approval of the bike early
in the days. On the flip side, later
in the day, as the tracks became
rougher, so did our experience on the
KX. The rougher the track, the rougher
it was to ride the KX, especially
through choppy braking bumps.
The Kawasaki does excel in many
track conditions, just as long as those
conditions are prepped. The KX is
nimble in the tight sections, and it's
also stable in the wide-open ones. But
as the track begins to break down,
so does our confidence in the KX.
The awful OEM grips, which are just
too hard, and the awkwardly shaped
skinny levers don't do the rider any
favors, either. The engine is noticeably
loud, which, for some, is a nuisance. If
you do not ride with earplugs, be sure
to pick up a pair with your new KX.
As we said earlier, we don't think
the Kawi is a last-place bike. It does
many things exceptionally well. But
all it took were a few "annoyances" to
hold the KX back.
Our testers noted that the Kawasaki
would be a great project bike. We'd bet
that 99 percent of those who buy this
bike won't leave it alone, at least not
for very long. Replacing the Kawi's bars,
grips, levers, noisy chain guide—which
you'd probably swap out anyway—will
be first on their lists. We obviously
can't make these changes during our
shootout days but we will go on record
to say these mods will do a world of
good for the Kawasaki.
