2018 Kawasaki KX250F Review | INITIAL RIDE

The 2018 Kawasaki KX250F is the second season of the brand’s newest generation quarter liter motocross bike. The 2017 model was an all-new device, so Kawasaki sought to improve on their newest generation bike by making refinements to the engine and suspension. The particular changes made to the engine had been implemented to try and improve the power plus torque throughout the rev range as the new suspension settings were targeted at better overall compliance.

The particular changes made to the engine include a new throttle body with a less vertical injector mounting angle, a brand new fuel pump, a revised intake duct and shorter intake funnel, a brand new cylinder head design, a new intake camshaft, revised ECU settings, and a new header pipe.

The changes to the suspension were made in both front and rear of the bike. Up front, the Showa Separate Perform Fork (SFF) has a softer spring and added preload in the correct fork while the left fork receives a new compression shim setting, a new rebound shim setting, and a new BCV shim setting. The rear surprise changes are a new rebound shim setting, compression shim setting, plus new plug-bolt setting.

After my initial few laps, it became very obvious that the KX250F engine has a linear powerband. I didn’t notice any kind of part of the RPM range that I felt was lacking or left myself wanting more in one area yet another. Because of this, I could ride the bicycle, for the most part, however I wanted. I could haul it down low in the Rpm and short shift it, or even I could keep it singing and bouncing off the rev limiter. The ability to haul the engine was very nice for me personally, especially because I have spent a substantial amount of time lately testing 450cc four-strokes. As a result, I have become used to being able to lug the bike and trip it as I please. The KX250F offers this same luxury.

There were several times when I kept the bike lacking in the RPMs and a slip or even pop of the clutch was required. In these instances, I did so and the bike immediately got back on the pipe. Also, I rode with the white-colored (aggressive) coupler because the dirt on Cahuilla was soft and exotic, so I wanted to get every bit associated with power out of it that I could. We look forward to testing this coupler along with the other two options in a variety of monitor conditions to see if this map works equally well on hard packed terrain, too. Also, shifting the KX250F was smooth and didn’t require a big effort on the part to grab a shift, even under a load.

Moving on to the suspension, the front fork has a somewhat firm feel that is mostly noticeable in the beginning from the stroke - almost as if a possibility very progressive in this area. The fork handled braking bumps and hurdles well, especially the harder landings. I am eager to try and soften the original part of the stroke more to my liking. However , with that being said, the fork soaked up braking bumps and hard landings just fine and I didn’t feel any kind of negative feedback in my hands. The particular track didn’t get too rough at Cahuilla during our test day, so it will be interesting to see how this fork performs when faced with a rougher track. For the rear shock, I started using at the beginning of the day with 100mm associated with sag, which worked alright, but I wanted the rear to squat a bit more and have less weight on the front. The Kawasaki technician working with myself for the day, Casey Stewart, adjusted the particular sag to 104mm, which proved to be the right move as the bike experienced more balanced after we produced this change.

The handling of the KX250F can best be described as nimble. I felt like I could put the bike wherever I wanted with the particular slightest bit of input. This sensation is noticeable in several parts of the track, especially when entering ruts in tight corners. I was able to stage the bike in the direction I desired and it complied every time. Also, the bike feels very skinny between your legs as the plastics are hidden in nicely on each aspect.

After a day time of spinning laps on the 2018 Kawasaki KX250F, I was very amazed with the bike overall. The framework is nimble and easy to move close to on while the engine offers a “no surprises” type of powerband that is abundant, yet predictable. The suspension will be firm and absorbs all of the huge impacts well, but also soaks in the small bumps, too. I think it can be even better once we get the initial area of the stroke to move more. I look ahead to spending more time on this bike prior to our 250F MX Shootout to see how it performs on various tracks and different types of dirt.