Dirt Bikes Reviews

The Kawasaki is a big bike. It’s larger and more spread out than a Suzuki or Honda, and way larger than a Yamaha YZ250F. That suits big guys fine, but if you just came up from the mini ranks or if you’re Villopoto-sized then you might check into some growth hormone shots. It isn’t a seat-height issue, but the rider compartment is pretty spread out. With the new shock valving, the bike stays higher in its rear suspension stroke too. We set the bike to 100mm of sag, like we did to last year’s bike, but it rode higher. To tell the truth, we liked it. The bike felt more agile and was easier to drop into turns. That’s clearly one of the KX’s strong points. It feels light and it wants to turn. Setting up for a corner on a rough track can sometimes seem a bit hectic. The bike isn’t as stable or well-planed as a Yamaha or a Honda. But once you’re there, the KX loves to lean over and nail the corner. The rear suspension also seems slightly stiffer. This is a common theme among the 2008 models. The new Yamaha YZ250F got stiffer springs but still feels softer overall than the Kawasaki. At least the KX is consistent in suiting bigger, heavier riders.

The 2008 Kawasaki KX250F got such minor changes that you would never notice, even if you had the 2007 model side by side. We are talking about things like the engine mount spacers and the crankcase thickness. The gear dogs on four gears have less chamfer, the kickstart ratchet is beefier and the head gasket has a redesigned seal. That’s about it for the motor. The suspension got a few more changes, but the 250F did not get the “Diamond-like coating” on the fork tubes. Inside, the rods are 0.5mm thicker and the valving is different, as is that of the rear shock. The aluminum frame, which looks almost exactly like that of a Honda, is back. The motor still has four titanium valves and a dry sump design that pumps the oil out of the crankcase and “stores” it in the gearbox like an oil tank. That lets the crank rotate more freely without the drag that pooled oil creates in the sump. The head is hand-polished, which is something Kawasaki also does to its top-line street bikes. In fact, you can see a lot of road-race technology in the KX engine.

Some of the difference can even be found in the pipes. The Yamaha is quiet and the Kawasaki is free and loud. The new bike sounds a little more quiet than previous 2007 version bike. The bottom line is that the bike should at least come from the factory with a decent muffler because that’s as quiet as a bike will ever be. The brakes are great, the clutch is good and the bike starts easy, hot or cold.

For now, the Kawasaki remains a good bike in a field of good bikes. But being the best is another thing.

Hits:

-Black rims

-New plastic and graphics

-Renthal bars

-10mm wider engine spacers to decrease torsional rigidity

-Improved Shifting

-Better top-end power

-Suspension works really well

Misses:

-Black rims look worn out quicker than silver

-Black plastic looks worn out quicker

-Stock muffler still sounds a little loud