VOLUME ISSUE DECEMBER , P121
>
The seventh-, sixth- and
fifth-place bikes all found
themselves in a close grouping.
The Kawasaki, however, gets
shuffled back to seventh.
The KX250 is an all-new
bike for 2025, and while it's
ranked lower than expected in
our comparison, there is still a
lot we like about this bike. The
new chassis and new Showa
suspension work in harmony.
The bike feels much more com-
fortable and easier to ride over
a longer period than the 2024
KX. The frame and chassis make
you and the bike feel at one with
the ground, and the bike is very
predictable. It goes where it's
pointed. It requires little to no
effort to make it lean in for the
corners, and it stays planted
in the ruts. The fork and shock
are also much more compliant
and do a good job of soaking up
the bumps rather than simply
bouncing off them.
Another plus is the electron-
ics. Finally, the Kawasaki has a
handlebar-mounted switch with
two programmable maps, and
they are simple to use. Kawa-
saki's Rideology phone app also
allows you to tune the bike or
change maps. The stock map
is good, but more experienced
riders will quickly break out their
phones and come up with a
more aggressive setting.
At this point, you might be
wondering why we rated the
KX seventh. Mainly because of
its slow-revving motor, which
makes the bike feel, dare we
say, slow in comparison. Inter-
mediate- and expert-level riders
have to work a little harder just
to keep up with their competi-
tors. Carrying momentum and
keeping rpm in the upper range
KAWASAKI KX250
M
$8999
WET WEIGHT: 240 LBS.
Kawasaki's KX250 enters the
lineup as one of the all-new
models for 2025. It now
matches its KX450 counterpart
with a new frame, engine de-
sign and center-port exhaust.
The bodywork is redesigned for
2025 with fewer bolts, fewer
seams and tool-less air-filter
access. Mapping is controlled
by the handlebar-mounted
switch, which offers two differ-
ent modes and traction control
that can be further tuned via
the updated Rideology smart-
phone app. ODI Lock-On grips
and Showa suspension are
new features. The Kawi gained
three pounds over the previous
model and, at 240 pounds, is
the heaviest 250 in this test.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>