Kawasaki KLX230 review: Dream come true?

The bike you see here is emissions-compliant, ABS-enabled, and saree guard-equipped, which means it can be registered for road use in our country. That’s a big deal because no Japanese manufacturer has yet attempted to sell one of its road-legal dual sport motorcycles in India, and for that reason alone, Kawasaki deserves your praise. But does it also deserve your money? And how much should you be willing to spend on this motorcycle? 

Kawasaki KLX230 design, underpinnings, seat height

What goes in the KLX’s favour is that it’s the real deal. This is a proper, purpose-built dual-sport motorcycle with a perimeter chassis, 21-inch/18-inch wheels, and exactly the sort of uncompromising ergonomics and bodywork you’d want to see. Long-travel suspension with 240mm/250mm of front/rear travel and 265mm of ground clearance are impressive numbers that make for a wonderful pairing with a low 139kg kerb weight.

With an authentic dirt bike form factor must come a tall seat, and the KLX’s stands at a towering 880mm. That’s a frightful number for a market that’s deeply sensitive to tall seats, but bear in mind that this bike is much slimmer than your regular motorcycle, which makes reaching the ground a little easier than the number suggests. Some of my colleagues, who were about 5’7” tall, found themselves on tip-toes but able to manage.

Another side effect of the slim proportions is a tiny 7.6-litre fuel tank, but the KLX’s mellow engine should help stretch the fuel range decently far. The simple air-cooled, 2-valve, 233cc single-cylinder motor sends a humble 18.1hp and 18.3Nm to the rear wheel via a 6-speed gearbox.

Those numbers may sound quite underwhelming, but in an off-road scenario, the performance is more than enough to keep you engaged without being intimidating. First gear is very short, and I found myself in second and third most of the time. A small dab of the light clutch lever gives you a decent kick of power if you need to raise the front wheel over a crest, and there’s enough juice to slide the rear wheel around in the first few gears as well. At the same time, the power also felt completely trustworthy, with no threats of the bike snapping out of control. This is just the sort of performance that a newer off-road rider would enjoy on their journey towards becoming more skilled.

Kawasaki KLX230 off-road ability

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try the KLX out on the road, so how it functions as a street bike remains to be seen, but a few safe assumptions can be made. The first is that it won’t be very comfortable for long durations with that thin seat, and the engine probably isn’t geared for easy high-speed cruising either. That being said, the motor feels impressively refined, even when hammering it at redlining speeds off-road.

The MRF tyres that Kawasaki India has equipped this bike with were quite decent on dry, muddy terrain, but you’ll want something more off-road appropriate to properly exploit the bike. While the KLX is designed to look like one of Kawasaki’s angry KX motocross racers, it’s actually quite a gentle thing. The non-adjustable suspension is absorptive and can take in some pretty big hits, but it’s also on the soft side, which makes it easier for less-skilled riders to read the terrain underneath. The braking works well off-road, and you can deactivate the ABS (front and rear) with the push of a button. What I also like is that, despite this being a relatively small bike in Kawasaki’s off-road line-up, it’s still a physically large machine and will fit bigger riders as well.

By definition, this is a simple, lightweight motorcycle, so don’t expect much in the way of features. That being said, it’s not all bad. It gets a good-looking LED headlamp and a clean LCD that includes ‘luxuries’ like a clock, a fuel gauge, and even Bluetooth compatibility. Jokes aside, the only thing some folks might miss in the display is a gear position indicator.

Kawasaki KLX230 verdict and expected price

To sum up, I am not as good an off-road rider as I’d like to be, and this is exactly the sort of bike I’d like to spend some time on in the process of getting better. The fact that Kawasaki is going through the pains of bringing this bike to our market alone deserves your appreciation. However, if you’ve been following our news on this bike over the past few months, you’ll have noticed that we reported Kawasaki was working on localising the KLX for our market and that its target price would be around Rs 2 lakh, which would make it a fantastic rival to the Hero Xpulse. 

However, the localisation process is still underway, and Kawasaki has decided to bring the bike here as a CKD import for the time being. That means the price will not be as tempting as we hoped, at least not at the start. We were given to understand at the launch event that a price between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, ex-showroom, is fair to expect, which is not bad but not great either. We’ll know for sure when Kawasaki formally reveals the price at the India Bike Week in early December.

There are two ways to look at this. The first is that it means the KLX will cost very close to the likes of the Himalayan 450, which will undoubtedly be a turn-off for many. The other perspective is that you’ll finally be able to get your hands on a road-legal, quality Japanese dual-sport for a realistic sum of money, and that will undoubtedly be music to some ears.

With the way things currently stand, I believe that this bike will find takers, even if it will be quite niche. However, I also believe that Kawasaki would find more success if they brought in the KLX 230 S as well, which is essentially the same motorcycle with reduced suspension travel and a more palatable 845mm seat height.

Nevertheless, what’s without doubt is that we’re lucky to finally have the option of a bike like this, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with it.