2020 Kawasaki KLX230R/300R review

Fun bikes or trail bikes? Kawasaki describes its new KLX230R and 300R as being capable of both. Fun on a dirt bike is a given and with long-travel suspension, 300mm of ground clearance, full-sized wheels and aggressive, knobby tyres, both Kawies also look ready to take on the trails, apart from one glaring omission: neither bike sports a headlight or any provision for the paraphernalia required to get a dirt bike through registration, recreational or otherwise.

To establish the best use for the KLX-Rs we needed a private property to legally put both bikes through their paces. Fortunately, the Shock Treatment suspension facility in Western Sydney, where we recently tested the 2020 Kawasaki KX250 features acres of grassy paddocks and a network of trails.

The KLX230R is based on the road-legal KLX230 but it’s been dressed in a sportier outfit. The new R model has none of the road-going equipment, it has a smaller plastic fuel tank instead of steel, more ground clearance, greater suspension travel and a taller seat height. The R model drops the dual-purpose tyres in favour of MX-style knobbies and has a non-ABS braking system.

The 300R has been introduced as a new model to the Kawasaki range, however the engine bears a striking resemblance to the much-loved KLX300R that disappeared from the Kawasaki line-up over a decade ago.

Sentimental Kawie riders might love the idea of the KLX300R of yesteryear being re-introduced, but the new version hits the dirt from a different angle. Like its smaller sibling, the new KLX300R can’t be registered so it’s restricted to private properties or public ride parks.

On paper, the 230 and 300 share the same seat height of 925mm, but in the flesh the 300 feels like a bigger bike. Perhaps the lower feel of the 230 is due to its softer suspension.

Thanks to a smaller fuel tank, 6.6 versus 7.9 litres, the 230 feels flatter across the top and has a nicer finish to the moulding of the tank. The taller fuel cell of the 300 has a rougher, less refined finish.

The power characteristics of the 230 and 300 are similar, yet they generate their power from different configurations. They’re both single-cylinder four-strokes, however the smaller sibling runs a simple air-cooled engine featuring two valves and single overhead cam, while the 300 is liquid-cooled, has four valves with a double overhead cam.

Both engines are fed with fuel injection and fire via electric start with no kickstart back-up.

There’s a keyless ignition system, with a single light to show riders when the ignition is on. There’s also a low-fuel warning light built into the minimalist dash. The inclusion of a light indicating when the bike is in neutral would have been a handy touch.

There’s nothing intimidating about the power delivery, so novice riders should quickly build confidence. All the action, subdued as it may be, lives in the engine’s basement so building speed is a matter of shifting gears rather than piling on the revs. Kawasaki aimed to make the engine useable at very low speeds, fitting relatively low gearing to further enhance the solid bottom-end.

Team Green certainly achieved its goal in this department. You can chug along at walking pace through tight trails without a hint of the engine wanting to stall. Then when it’s time to get cracking, simply grab a handful and off you go. Thanks to healthy bottom-ends, neither of the KLX’s need excessive clutch use to keep the good times rolling.

While the KLX300R boasts an extra 59cc over the 230, there isn’t night and day difference between the feel of the power. The 300 is a faster machine, but it still has a mild-mannered delivery well suited to entry-level riders.

The engines of the two Kawies feel similar and while there are similarities in the suspension there are also vast differences. To say their suspension is plush would be a compliment and an understatement. The fork and shock are sponge-cake soft and, in my opinion, far too soft for most riders who would line up for a spin on a 2020 KLX-R.

If you’re tall enough to throw a leg over the claimed 925mm seat height of either bike, you’re likely to find the 230 and 300 undersprung. I only weigh 60kg and neither bike needed much of a push to completely bottom out the suspension.

The soft suspenders might be appreciated by novice riders wanting to start off slowly and stick to smooth tracks, however the gentle power delivery of the KLX230R and 300 will quickly build confidence. With that confidence will come more speed and the willingness to take on more challenging terrain. At higher speeds over rougher tracks the standard suspension on both bikes is too soft.

The 230R runs a 37mm conventional fork with no external adjustability. Preload on the shock spring can be adjusted, but if you can’t tweak the fork to match the shock you could end up with a bike that’s not just soft but also unbalanced.

One saviour of the 230’s handling is when it falls through its suspension stroke it stays there, unlike the 300 that had a pogo-like rebound action. A bit like a boxer that’s been KO’d, when the KLX230R’s suspension goes down, it stays down. With its weight kept low through soft suspenders the KLX feels stable and easy to turn, like a go-kart.

The 300 sports a 43mm inverted fork with rebound adjusters at the base of each fork leg. The shock features rebound and compression adjustment along with spring preload adjustment.

Slowing the fork rebound and speeding up the shock rebound made a notable difference to the way the 300 handled braking and acceleration bumps of the trail loop. Having the extra adjustability on the 300 is a bonus, but both bikes will benefit from a visit to a suspension specialist.

Having tested the limits and found the shortcomings of the suspension on a typical trail loop, both bikes got a spin on the open paddocks. With a more flowing style of riding and without bumps, ruts and gullies both bikes felt more at home and a lot more fun to ride.

Braking on the green machines is impressive, with both bikes featuring front and rear disc brakes. In comparison, Yamaha and Honda run drum rear brakes on their 230cc fun bikes, giving Team Green the edge in that department.

Pricewise, the KLX230R also has the edge, selling for $6048 compared to the asking prices of $6199 for the Yamaha TT-R230 and $6398 for the Honda CRF230F. Meanwhile, the KLX300R is in a market of its own, with other 300cc off-road four-strokes, such as Sherco’s 300 SEF Racing and the SWM RS300R, being road-legal, more trail-oriented and more expensive.

The KLX300R scores fully adjustable handlebar mounts, like the Kawie motocrossers, but the 230 has fixed mounts. Both bikes run standard steel handlebars, no crossbar pads and the high-tensile handgrips Kawie has been fitting for years.

Aluminium handlebars, a crossbar pad, softer grips and handguards would be at the top of my shopping list. The handguards fitted to the KLX230R test bike are an optional Kawasaki accessory, not standard issue.

If you’re lucky enough to have access to private properties for riding dirt bikes, the new KLX-R models are a worthy option as entry-level fun bikes, capable of tackling beginner to immediate types of trails.

If, however, your trailriding involves exploring state forests and tackling challenging terrain, you should cross these bikes off your shopping list. With no option for registration you’d be forever on the lookout for park rangers or police who’d be happy to write you a ticket. The mild-mannered KLX-Rs wouldn’t make great getaway vehicles!

The strength of these two new models from Kawasaki is their unintimidating and useable power delivery, well suited to new off-road riders. Electric start, strong brakes, full-sized wheels and good ground clearance make both bikes easy to start, easy to stop and capable of negotiating some of the ups and downs of off-road riding.

Soft suspension and a lack of registration positions these machines firmly in the fun bike category for beginner riders and well short of what most Australian riders would consider a capable trail bike.

ENGINE
Type: Single-cylinder, air-cooled, SOHC, two-valve four-stroke
Capacity: 233cc
Bore x stroke: 67 x 66mm
Compression ratio: 9.4:1
Fuel system: Keihin fuel injection
Starting: Electric

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel perimeter
Front suspension: 37mm conventional fork, 250mm of travel
Rear suspension: Uni Trak 251mm of travel
Front brake: Nissin hydraulic, 240mm single petal disc
Rear brake: Nissin hydraulic, 220mm single petal disc
Front tyre size: 80/100-21
Rear tyre size: 100/100-18

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 115kg
Seat height: 925mm
Wheelbase: 1360mm
Ground clearance: 300mm
Fuel capacity: 6.6 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $6048 ride away
Warranty: Six months
Availability: Now
Bike supplied by: Kawasaki Motors Australia

ENGINE
Type: Single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve four-stroke
Capacity: 292cc
Bore x stroke: 78 x 61.2mm
Compression ratio: 11.1:1
Fuel system: Keihin fuel injection
Starting: Electric

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel perimeter
Front suspension: 43mm inverted fork, 285mm of travel
Rear suspension: Uni Trak, 285mm of travel
Front brake: Nissin hydraulic, 270mm single petal disc
Rear brake: Nissin hydraulic, 240mm single petal disc
Front tyre size: 80/100-21
Rear tyre size: 100/100-18

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 128kg
Seat height: 925mm
Wheelbase: 1435mm
Ground clearance: 305mm
Fuel capacity: 7.9 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $7348 ride away
Warranty: Six months
Availablity: Now
Bike supplied by: Kawasaki Motors Australia