VOL. 53 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 23, 2016 P103
the Honda CRF230L and the
Yamaha TT-R230, the Kawasaki
is over 30 pounds lighter! That's
a huge difference—for many it's
the difference between being
able to pick up a dropped bike
or not. Very important.
Beginners will love the
KLX140G for its narrow profile
and low 33.9-inch seat height.
While the larger wheels might
make the seat height 3.2-inch
higher than the KLX140 and 2.4
inches higher than the KLX140L,
it's still confidently and comfort-
ably low for most older kids and
adults.
The newbie will also love the
KLX's electric starter (but none
more so than Dad and/or teach-
er). The bike doesn't even have
a manual kick-starter, which is
great for helping reduce weight
but not so great if the battery
goes dead out in the hills, which
really isn't likely to happen.
The larger wheels of the
KLX140G give it a distinct advan-
tage over the smaller KLX in per-
formance, like when being rid-
den over soft or sandy ground,
or bumps and rough terrain,
especially at higher speeds. The
bigger wheels tend to roll over
the bumps rather than into them;
this makes the bike handle bet-
ter and give it more stability, es-
pecially in sandy conditions. You
also get more ground clearance.
These are all things a larger and
more experienced rider will ap-
preciate. Kids on a KLX 140 or
140L, on the other, won't care
about these things, they're just
happy to be riding.
An experienced rider will, of
course, want more power out
of the 140G, that's a given, but
there's definitely enough in this
144cc, SOHC, carbureted four-
stroke engine to make fun out
of. The beginner will appreciate
the KLX's smooth powerband,
controllable power delivery and
light-clutch pull. And they will
also think it's pretty fast, too,
when they open up the throttle.
Suspension is quite good. The
rear shock is rather adjustable. It
has the usual spring preload adjust-
ment as well as 22-way rebound
damping adjustments. The fork is
none adjustable, but it's dialed in
nicely right from the factory. For a
bike designed for beginners, the
KLX's suspension can really take a
beating from an experienced rider.
We were impressed.
The bigger wheels tend to roll over the bumps rather
than into them; this makes the bike handle better…
(Left) The G's 21-inch front wheel, combined with the 18-inch rear wheel,
improves stability over rough terrain. (Right) The 144cc carbureted four-stroke
motor is easy to control for the beginner rider.
