P94
RIDE REVIEW I 2026 KAWASAKI KLX230 S SHERPA ABS
The Sherpa is designed to get you anywhere;
maybe not fast, but you'll get there.
The IRC Trails GP tires perform
well both on and off-road. How-
ever, if you're going to be spend-
ing most of your time in the dirt
on
the Sherpa, you'll eventually
want more aggressive knobbies,
especially at the front. Your rear
options might be limited because
it's tubeless, which is uncommon
on smaller bikes like the Sherpa.
Tubeless is convenient because,
in 90 percent of cases, a punc
-
ture can be plugged easily on the
trail.
Why the front isn't tubeless,
too, is a bit of a mystery. Yes, it's
easier to remove and reinstall
the front wheel and tube than the
rear, but changing or patching a
front tube on the trail still in
-
volves a lot of work and is no fun.
Weighing around
300 pounds,
the Sherpa isn't a lightweight,
but you won't notice. It feels
agile and maneuverable in mo-
tion, but lifting it after a tip-over
—well,
the Sherpa doesn't seem
so light anymore. With some
practice, however, anyone half
its weight can learn to easily
right the ship all by themselves.
Kawasaki deserves applause
for equipping the Sherpa with
high-quality aluminum tapered
handlebars that give this entry-
level bike a quality feel and
won't bend easily. Plus, you get
durable handguards reinforced
with a metal bar. Kawasaki
could have gone the cheap route
and just installed flimsy plastic
guards like everyone else does,
but they stepped up with these.
Thank you, Kawasaki. And
thanks for the helmet lock!
