VOL. 54 ISSUE 16 APRIL 25, 2017 P109
Kawasaki joined the big-wheel-bike wars
this year with its new KLX140G. It's now the
third 140 in Kawasaki's play-bike lineup,
joining the KLX140 and KLX140L. Both of
the previous 140s have smaller wheels (and
subframes) than the new G model, which
sports an 18-inch rear wheel and 21-inch
front wheel, just like the big bikes and
just like Honda's CRF230F and Yamaha's
TTR230, comparable models with higher-
displacement engines.
All three bikes are designed for just about
anybody, but mainly for growing kids and
adults who don't want to grow up. They also
make great learner bikes for adults and for
smaller women who just want something
unintimidating and easy to ride around on.
The Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda share
many features. They all have steel frames, car-
bureted single-cylinder air-cooled four-stroke
engines, electric starting and are not street
legal. None of them have lighting, though they
are all California Green Sticker legal.
Hitting The Trail
Right off the bat, the KLX140G has a lot
going for it. For one, of the three bikes in
this comparison, it is by far the lightest. At a
claimed 218 pounds (full of fuel), it's a good
30 pounds lighter than both the fully fueled
CRF230F and the TTR230. That's a huge
difference and big confidence booster for
any beginner or novice; heck, even for the
experienced rider. And, the KLX has the
lowest seat height among the three, though
not by much (less than half an inch). Still,
this is giant double-whammy in the KLX's
favor when it comes to playing into the
entry-level or beginner rider's hands. Our
5'6" female tester, who is what we would
call an "experienced beginner," fell in love
with the KLX for those two reasons alone.
Her favorite type of riding is technical, and
she felt more in control and comfortable on
the KLX than she did on either of the other
bikes in this setting. She said the Kawasaki
is noticeably easier to steer and maneuver,
and also said it feels the slimmest in the
seat and is the easiest to plant both feet
firmly on the ground.
Bigger wheels
for the KLX140G
mean more
versatility, not to
mention better
handling.
