Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/249466
SHOOTOUT P40 2014 250F MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT >> QUICK REVIEW We've been big fans of the Kawasaki KX250F as of late. It won our 250F Shootout last year without working up much of a sweat. It didn't really blow us away in any one particular area – well, maybe the motor – but it did do everything well. It had a very powerful motor, a sturdy chassis and very good suspension. No other bike could touch it when it came to having the best overall package. After a few years of significant upgrading, especially last year when it got dual injectors, among other things, Kawasaki chose to let the KX250F ride for another year. The 2014 KX, however, wasn't completely ignored; it did get Launch Control Mode for the first time, minor tweaking to the transmission for smoother shifting, and some minor fork tuning. It also got new softer-compound grips that are also a little shorter in length. In reality, the 2014 KX250F is really the same machine as before. We really can't tell much of a difference, though our chief tester, Jason Abbott, said he could feel a slightly more compliant fork in certain areas on the track, mainly when entering bumpy turns at speed. He said that he thought the bike felt just a bit more predictable when setting up for the corners, otherwise, the bike reminded him of last year's. Once again, the KX250F has an explosive motor that is hard not to like. Bottom-end might lag a bit, but from midrange on up, the KX simply rips and has tons of over-rev. We really didn't notice any differ- ence in shifting, but we had no real complaints in that department last year. We are also fans of the KX's quickchange couplers for its ECU. With the bike, you get "hard," "soft," and "standard" pre-tuned couplers to choose from, and they can be swapped out in literally seconds if you want to make minor changes to the motor's power characteristics. We love the coupler design for their simplicity. The Kawasaki handles as good as ever, and it still has one of the best suspensions in the business. Usually all it takes is a few clicks here and there to get the KX completely dialed in from track to track. The KX handles well on all kinds of surfaces, is very stable (especially on rough and fast tracks) and turns well, too, though it is not the sharpest cornering bike out there, nor is it the most agile. However, it still does these things well enough to gets the job done very effectively. Brakes are very good, too, and the bike is just plain comfortable and easy to ride. For some, the KX might feel a little wide between your legs, but it does give your knees something to grab on to. The real main difference between this year's bike and last year's is the addition of Launch Control mode, which we find to be very useful on the 450 and almost as useful on the 250, more so on dry and slick surfaces than on grippy surfaces. Despite seeing little changes for 2014, the KX250F is still a worthy contender. The most notable change to the 2014 Kawasaki KX250F is the addition of Launch Control Mode.