VOL. 54 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 31, 2017 P99
ed as low in the frame as possible to
aid a low center of gravity.
Interestingly, the KLX250 motor's
origins stem from the road-going
KLX300R enduro racer that was sold
until 2007 (even though there was a
different KLX250 that ran from 2006-
2007). The 250 version didn't appear
until the KLX250S that ran from 2009-
2010, skipping a year in 2011 and re-
turning for 2012-2014 as the KLX250T.
Confused? You're not alone.
The front brake consists of a twin-piston caliper gripping
a 250mm petal-style disc while the rear has a single-piston
caliper biting down on a 240mm disc. And there's not a
large amount of mass to stop, with the Kawasaki tipping
the scales at a claimed 298-pound curb weight with a
90-percent-full tank.
That's the first thing you notice when you climb on
board a KLX250—that there's not much underneath you.
The bike is slim and extremely light, and although the seat
height of 35 inches could upset a few of the shorter rid-
ers out there, the height is offset by the fact the KLX is so
easy to maneuver in tight situations. You get a solid 11.2
inches of ground clearance on the KLX with the 21 x 18-
inch wheels, so you'll have to be doing some pretty gnarly
terrain to go bashing the undercarriage.
The KLX is almost like the adventure bike for those that
don't want an adventure bike. It's got an ease of mobility
larger off-road-based bikes simply dream about, but this is
(Below) KX-style radiator shrouds are a
nice touch. (Below right) There's a proper
kick in the power from the single-cylinder
powerplant at 7000 rpm. (Bottom) There's
11 inches of ground clearance, but even
if you bottom out, you've still got sturdy
engine guards on your side.
The frame is unchanged from the
bike that left us three years ago in the
high-tensile-steel, perimeter design
with a box-section aluminum swingarm.
Keeping that show rolling is the
KLX's 16-way compression-adjustable
43mm cartridge forks (although
rebound is strangely left off), but you
do get preload and 16-way rebound
and compression-damping adjust-
ment on the shock, meaning you'll be
able to dial in an almost perfect set-
ting provided you know what you're
doing.
