for a longer moto. Our vet riders
praised the KX for its smooth
character and easy roll-on. The
secondary map on the Kawasaki
toned things down even more and
was rarely used by any of our rid-
ers. If you want a bike that you can
ride hard and not be afraid of, this
is your pick.
A Brembo front brake and ODI
Lock-On grips gained points for
Team Green. These were previ-
ously areas of improvement that
we nitpicked for years, and we're
thankful they've been added as
standard OEM components. Kawi's
Ergo-Fit system was another
welcomed trait for our taller
riders, who made adjustments to
accommodate their height.
The Kawasaki's MSRP is the
most expensive of the Japanese
bikes and is also one of the heavi-
est, tying the Honda at 247 pounds.
Consistent is a good word to
describe the Kawasaki. It doesn't
stand out as doing one thing
exceptionally well, but nothing is
noticeably bad either. It's predict-
able in terms of the engine and
chassis, and overall it's just easy
to ride. As mentioned, two rid-
ers ranked it first and two riders
ranked it last. As for an average
score, the Kawasaki lands right
smack dab in the middle.
VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P109