A Good-Looking Lineup
With the death of the venerable KLR recently, we’d hoped that Kawasaki would have a replacement, and the rumors are that it likely does. However, that bike will not be making it to production for 2020. Kawasaki recently announced all of their dual-purpose and off-road bikes. It’s a good lineup, and we’re pumped.
The All-New Bike
The big news is the all-new KLX230. It’s a dual purpose bike that’s perfect for the person who doesn’t need a ton of horsepower. The bike is a full-size motorcycle with a steel frame, 21-inch front wheel, 18-inch back wheel, and a nearly 35-inch seat height. That might sound super high, but these dual-purpose machines sink down quite a lot when you put any weight on them, so it should be manageable for most riders.
The engine is a 233cc mill. Kawasaki failed to provide power numbers, but it did say the non-ABS price is set at $4,599 and with ABS the bike starts at $4,899. There’s also a designated off-road version of this motorcycle called the KLX230R. It’s the same bike save for all the goodies that make the KLX230 street legal.
The Rest of the Venerable Lineup
The rest of the lineup for Kawasaki looks great. There’s the KLX300R with its 292cc engine, which is a fantastic off-road machine for just about anyone. It’s fitted between race bikes and typical off-road bikes. Next up is the KLX140, KLX140L, and KLX140G. These bikes are mostly the same, but the G offers more suspension travel whereas the L is lower to the ground.
The KLX110 and KLX110L handle the kiddo portion of the market, or the minibike portion if you want a small dirtbike as an adult. Both feature a 112cc engine. Again the L designation is for a lower bike.
Finally, the racing bikes from Kawasaki include the KX65, KX85, KX100, KX250, and KX450. Each of them as you can tell by the names is a step up from the last in terms of size and engine displacement. The KX250 is new for 2020. The company updated everything, making this the most powerful and capable MX250 ever. I’d love to dig into these bikes at a later date and even get some time in the saddle of Kawasaki’s various bikes.