Design Kawasaki KX250F

Kawasaki KX250F Design

We liked the 2010 model so much we were afraid Kawasaki was “fixing what ain’t broken,” so it was interesting to collect feedback from Greg Jones, the son of three-time AMA MX Champ Gary Jones. We left Budds Creek enthusiastic about the new machine, but were still a little skeptical. Let’s face it; a pro rider on a world-class motocross track, surrounded by factory-trained technicians, isn’t an accurate representation of how a bike will work in the real world.

It seems weird to only have one fork spring, but the new Showa Separate Function Fork (SFF) system has adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping and weighs 1.5 pounds less than the old fork. It also has less stiction and is less expensive to service or modify. The tripleclamp offset has been reduced to 22.5 mm in the quest for increased front wheel traction.

Kawasaki KX250F Engine

Ergonomically the KX250F feels a little thick for a 250F. It has a comfortable seat and a fairly wide fuel tank. Compared to some motocross bikes that are a little too hard edged to be truly comfortable, the KX-F feels almost like a trail bike. But this is a race bike, pure and simple. Unlike Honda’s CRF250R, which can sometimes trick you into thinking you’re aboard a play bike, the KX250F always feels like a racer. It is stable enough at speed, but despite the chassis changes the KX-F still doesn’t own the corners like an RM-Z. The brakes were excellent, and the entire KX250F package encourages you to ride faster.

Things our testers didn’t like were the obnoxious exhaust note, the noisy (but effective in shaking mud off the chain) serrated chain roller and the way the bike aged right before our eyes. It’s obvious we really like the KX250F. From our preview at Budd’s Creek we knew we liked it as a motocross bike, but now we also like it as a woods racer. So far it’s at the top of our list for 250F of the year. The KX250F is a great motocross bike, and when ridden aggressively will happily become a very effective new-school enduro racer.