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Requesting review for Dual Sport Kawasaki 250S

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Pacific Coaster

Pacific Coaster

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Hello everyone!

Before we get started, you should probably know that I don't personally own a bike just yet, but after the past few months of intensive research on classes, gear, and bikes, I have come to the conclusion that the Dual Sport Kawasaki 250S sounds like a pretty good starter for myself. I am 18, 6'1, 165 Lbs, if that helps.

As such, I am curious to hear of any reviews you may have if you have ridden or dealt with this bike before!

What did you think of it? Would you agree to it being a beginner's first bike, or would you suggest starting elsewhere? What sort of body build should I have to use the bike? Are there any cons, or is there something about the bike that you didn't like? Is there something that you liked about it that you never found on other bikes, or this one does the best with?

I would just love to hear any and all feedback you may have! :D

Much appreciated.
 
That KLX250S always finishes third in comparison with the CRF250L and the WR250R. The KLX250S is not fuel injected and still carbureted where the other two are not. With todays fuels (Ethanol) with moisture in them its hard on your carbureted bikes, just causes your carburetor to clog up and they need to be cleaned, fuel injected bike don't have this problem.


Comparisons http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20620546&postcount=1627

John
 
KLX also comes in third place in price so depending on your budget might be the answer. The KLX's have been around a little longer also so you can find a used one at a fraction of the others price.

It also comes in third in horsepower but not really that far behind. If the KLX becomes underpowered for you so would the other two.

Excellent beginner bike and will not be too small for you either. Funny thing also, I know of many people that have owned or still own this bike. All are in good shape and get well taken care of. Have yet to see a beater or neglected KLX250.

_
 
I really love my KLX250S. Make sure you run the carbs dry after ride and no problems.
 
KLX comes in 2nd place, behind the WR-R.

Everything made by Green is fantastic. You're big enough to go KLR 650. I think the 650 is more versatile for dualsport. Unless your idea of D.S. is a lot of gnarly single track.

btw mine is for sale. Mine has a drain screw on the carb. Just top off the tank, drain the carb after every ride and never have to worry about ethanol.
 
I agree that you are tall enough for a 650 but we kinda need more information on how it will be rode. As in mainly street, dirt roads, trails, or jumps and knarley stuff. If it is just for street and dirt roads I think the klr 650 would be great good all around bike it does nothing great but does everything well. If you are looking more dirt oriented and looking catching some I would look at the 250's.
 
They are great bikes --- I ride with several people that have one. Gas and go - no problems.

Ethanol issues - yes in all carburetors / fuel injectors / -- you can drain and run a carb dry - not so with fuel injection. You let any bike sit for say 6+ months you could have issues, but not when you drain your carb!!!!
 
Thanks for the help guys, I've learned alot! Thank you Trainman for the comparison link as well!

And to address this comment:
longhorn2000 said:
...but we kinda need more information on how it will be rode. As in mainly street, dirt roads, trails, or jumps and knarley stuff.
Click to expand...

I don't plan on riding it off-road anytime soon at all; My primary (and pretty much only use) will be for
1.) Commuting about 13 miles to work each way, on the Highway,
2.) Going about 12 miles to college each way, on internal roads and some highway, and
3.) Going anywhere or doing anything else that does not require me to take / pick up a passenger or use cargo space.

I will probably also go on group rides, but I've still got a lot of ground to cover before I even consider that :P

Now, I do have one question after reading all the stats and feedback from you guys though; I noticed everyone saying that you have to "drain the carb" after each ride. Now, I just know that a carb is a carburetor , and that's about all I know of engines. So, could someone explain what it means to drain the carb and why it's important?

I'm sorry if I have so many questions, I am just not experienced with bikes much at all! What can I say? :-D
 
You might want to drain the carb only if you are putting the bike in storage. Like for 3 months or more. Some lucky people own lots of bikes in their garage and ride each bike very infrequent.

Some people add that Stabilizer junk in their gas, and never have to drain. But it's expensive junk.
 
TwoSmokeDS said:
You might want to drain the carb only if you are putting the bike in storage. Like for 3 months or more. Some lucky people own lots of bikes in their garage and ride each bike very infrequent.

Some people add that Stabilizer junk in their gas, and never have to drain. But it's expensive junk.
Click to expand...

I have a small squirt bottle of Startron in my tank bag and add it to each tank. No problems.
 
And I would look at the 650 being you said its 13 miles of highway to work. I had a 08 klr that I rode 35 miles one way to work everyday for about a year and it worked great no break downs. The great thing about that bike too is that if you do have problems they are normally cheap and easy to fix, and they have a great following. Easy to find help to figure out whats wrong with it. And as twosmoke said I wouldn't worry about draining the card unless its going to be parked for a while and draining the car is easy basically you turn the petcock valve to closed and idle the bike till it dies on its own and your done.
 
TwoSmokeDS said:
You might want to drain the carb only if you are putting the bike in storage. Like for 3 months or more.
Click to expand...

longhorn2000 said:
And I would look at the 650 being you said its 13 miles of highway to work. I had a 08 klr that I rode 35 miles one way to work everyday for about a year and it worked great no break downs. The great thing about that bike too is that if you do have problems they are normally cheap and easy to fix, and they have a great following. Easy to find help to figure out whats wrong with it. And as twosmoke said I wouldn't worry about draining the card unless its going to be parked for a while and draining the car is easy basically you turn the petcock valve to closed and idle the bike till it dies on its own and your done.
Click to expand...

Very helpful information, thank you guys so much! :mrgreen:

TwoSmoke, How much are you selling it for? I don't have alot of money right now, but I am curious and will keep you in mind.
 
Search "Kawaski KLX250" on this board; it's misspelled in the title and won't come up when you search "Kawasaki". I've asked the mods to change it....anyway, the 250 should be a spectacular starter bike for you. Best of luck!
 
$1500. Mine is not street legal. But would be easy to convert with a small pile of money, provided one is a great mechanical and electrical inclined person. Because the bike already has a street legal title. But mine has no magical start button. Mine has close gear ratio (i.e. low top speed about 60 MPH). Uncomfortable on pavement. It's basically the hardcore dirtbike version of the 250S.

I'm not a good salesman. That's why I'm tell you, mine is not a good choice for your type of riding.
 
TwoSmokeDS said:
$1500. Mine is not street legal. But would be easy to convert with a small pile of money, provided one is a great mechanical incline person. Because the bike already has a street legal title. And mine has no magical start button. 6 speed with close gear ratio (i.e. low top speed about 60 MPH). It's basically the hardcore dirtbike version of the 250S.

I'm not a good salesman. That's why I'm tell you, mine is not a good choice for your type of riding.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the honesty! I'm sure it would be too much for me to fix again anyway :P
 
For that use, I'd recommend the KL250 Super Sherpa. My wife and I have a pair of them. Both of us are over 6' tall and find them quite comfy for a little bike. Will do 70mph on the highway without a problem. 6-speed, electric start, air-cooled and as reliable as a hammer. I rode mine to Nacogdoches and back yesterday (130mi round trip) and averaged 81mpg.

sherpa1.jpg


Not as comfortable or highway-friendly as our 650's, but great for a beginner. After my wife first got her motorcycle license, used to commute to work on the Sherpa when we lived in North Dallas and she worked downtown. Riding a 250cc dual sport down Central Expressway twice a day will build your skills in a hurry! :)
 
TexBiker said:
For that use, I'd recommend the KL250 Super Sherpa. My wife and I have a pair of them. Both of us are over 6' tall and find them quite comfy for a little bike. Will do 70mph on the highway without a problem. 6-speed, electric start, air-cooled and as reliable as a hammer. I rode mine to Nacogdoches and back yesterday (130mi round trip) and averaged 81mpg.

sherpa1.jpg


Not as comfortable or highway-friendly as our 650's, but great for a beginner. After my wife first got her motorcycle license, used to commute to work on the Sherpa when we lived in North Dallas and she worked downtown. Riding a 250cc dual sport down Central Expressway twice a day will build your skills in a hurry! :)
Click to expand...

And so another great bike rolls into the arena! You guys are giving me too many good choices - I can't make up my mind! :)
 
TwoSmokeDS said:
It's normal to go thru half a dozen bikes before finding the ONE. It's an expensive.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and I'm not even aiming for "The ONE"; I'm, more or less, looking at and weighing pros and cons, trying to find which one is most practical and probably the best deal overall.

Plus, I am going for used straight off because I know I will drop it, and I will not want to have spent 5K+ on a bike just to break something and have to pay more to repair it >_<
 
I like my KLX250S. It is not a hardcore dirt thrasher like my CRF450X is, but that's not what it bought it for.

It is a very nice learner and a great city bike. I got it primarily for my 14 year old son to advance his skills off road and for me to putt (quickly) to the store. The boy will end up with this as his primary transportation when he first gets his license.

There are a lot of available options (seats, bags, etc) as this bike did not change much over the last 8 years. Parts are readily available and the knowledge base is deep regarding upgrades and quirks.

It does not have a ton of power, but it will cruise at 70mph just fine. This is true of any bike in the 250 class. You won't be doing much passing on the freeway.

If you are willing to sacrifice top speed for more more apparent power, you can change the gearing with a smaller front or a larger rear sprocket. Stock gearing is pretty good for street use and with 6 speeds first gear is plenty low for trail riding, so I plan to leave it alone.

The suspension is very adjustable if you ever decide to take it off road. I'm willing to bet that eventually you will.

Price wise, look at $2000-$2500 for a clean used model KLX. WRs are in the $4000+ range when they pop up and CRF250Ls should fall around $3500 if you can find one used at all.

You are welcome to throw a leg over mine sometime. I'll even let you ride it if you stay on the grass.
 
^

Excellent KLX synopsis RollingJ!

I've had my KLX since 2007. All around it's a great bike. It's not a highway bike by any means, but it will do 70 MPH. It does great on dirt roads and trails.

Alpine Ridge said:
Now, I do have one question after reading all the stats and feedback from you guys though; I noticed everyone saying that you have to "drain the carb" after each ride. Now, I just know that a carb is a carburetor , and that's about all I know of engines. So, could someone explain what it means to drain the carb and why it's important?
Click to expand...

In stock form, the KLX is a little sensitive with the carb. The best method to avoid trouble is -when you're done riding- switch the gas off at the petcock and let the bike run until it dies of fuel starvation. If you don't do this and you let the bike sit for a few days, it will be hard to start. You can avoid this all together by modifying the carb and exhaust.

This and a wealth of KLX information can be found here:

http://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum/klx-250s-71/
 
longhorn2000 said:
I have to congratulate you on being ahead of the curve for 18 year olds and not want something shiny and fast.
Click to expand...

Thank you!

I would rather be safe and gain experience by learning to crawl first instead of hitting the ground running. I don't want to be a squid! :-P
 
RollingJ said:
I like my KLX250S. It is not a hardcore dirt thrasher like my CRF450X is, but that's not what it bought it for.

It is a very nice learner and a great city bike. I got it primarily for my 14 year old son to advance his skills off road and for me to putt (quickly) to the store. The boy will end up with this as his primary transportation when he first gets his license.

There are a lot of available options (seats, bags, etc) as this bike did not change much over the last 8 years. Parts are readily available and the knowledge base is deep regarding upgrades and quirks.

It does not have a ton of power, but it will cruise at 70mph just fine. This is true of any bike in the 250 class. You won't be doing much passing on the freeway.

If you are willing to sacrifice top speed for more more apparent power, you can change the gearing with a smaller front or a larger rear sprocket. Stock gearing is pretty good for street use and with 6 speeds first gear is plenty low for trail riding, so I plan to leave it alone.

The suspension is very adjustable if you ever decide to take it off road. I'm willing to bet that eventually you will.

Price wise, look at $2000-$2500 for a clean used model KLX. WRs are in the $4000+ range when they pop up and CRF250Ls should fall around $3500 if you can find one used at all.

You are welcome to throw a leg over mine sometime. I'll even let you ride it if you stay on the grass.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear that it's not so much the beast as it looks by design and that there's a deep knowledge base for it! It's also comforting to know that price tag, as I'm just a college student with a PT job, barely making enough to pay my monthly car insurance :P You are right as well; I am planning to take it to the dirt after a year or so and with plenty of experience!

Also, I am about 230 miles away from you, and as much as I like road trips, I don't think I would be able to convince my parents to let me take a day trip to test drive a motorcycle! :lol:
But thank you for the kind offer :)

o_matic said:
^

Excellent KLX synopsis RollingJ!

I've had my KLX since 2007. All around it's a great bike. It's not a highway bike by any means, but it will do 70 MPH. It does great on dirt roads and trails.

In stock form, the KLX is a little sensitive with the carb. The best method to avoid trouble is -when you're done riding- switch the gas off at the petcock and let the bike run until it dies of fuel starvation. If you don't do this and you let the bike sit for a few days, it will be hard to start. You can avoid this all together by modifying the carb and exhaust.

This and a wealth of KLX information can be found here:

http://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum/klx-250s-71/
Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback! Reading this, and if I were to get a KLX, would you suggest staying off the highway completely, or only going a short amount of the highway on it?

In terms of the carb however, is it after a few days or a few months that the KLX will have a hard time starting up without use? Because in the other answers I have gotten, it has been suggested to drain it if it will be in storage for a few months instead, but maybe that is because they modified their bike?

BTW, Thank you for the site link!
 
I turn the fuel off at the petcock after every ride, but I don't run it dry or drain the float bowl. I make sure to take all my bikes out for a run at least once a week.
 
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