We at Live Motocross were excited to be invited to the delayed press release of the 2022 KX-F 250/450 X bikes. Kawasaki announced they’d be jumping back into the offroad scene again in 2021 with their first model of the ‘X’, which came as a surprise to the market as the Japanese manufacturer had not released a bike tailored for Enduro/Offroad in a number of years. The 250X and 450X are derived from the motocross KXF ranged sister bikes with a number of differences to adapt them to Off Road/Enduro styed terrain and competition. So, lets dive straight into the specifications and what we thought of the bikes.
Features the ‘X’ has in comparison to its MX counterpart to tailor it to Offroad/Enduro.
Both Bikes feature:
- Softer suspension settings
- Shorter Gearing
- Offroad Mapping
- 21”/18” Wheel Combination
- Dunlop Geomax AT81 tyres
- Brake Components
- Skid Plate
- Kickstand
- ERGO-FIT Adjustability
These features changed the characteristics of the motorcycle in comparison to its MX counter parts and you definitely felt like you were riding a more off-road specked model of bike, however I feel these changes only tailer it to cross country rather than an all out enduro machine. This bike for me fits in that hybrid category rivalling the XC-F produced by KTM and based on it being in that category is a very capable bike and does what it says on the tin, however I can’t help but wish there was a full-on road registered enduro bike you could purchase from Kawasaki.
250X
I really enjoyed riding the 250X and even though I usually ride a 450 machine, I preferred the 250 from this range in the types of riding we were doing on the test. The motocross ranged KXF 250 has always been a great handling bike and has proven that with Championship success over the years so with that as the base it was always going to handle great, and I definitely thought so on the test. The bike was light, nimble, wanted to turn and was great in the low speed tight technical sections of riding we were doing. The hydraulic clutch provided great feel and didn’t miss a beat whilst tackling some of the more extreme areas where it was put under more stress. I also feel the shorter gearing worked well on this bike and you could feel the difference it made on the cross-country terrain. This partnered by the off-road mapping provided very rider friendly power delivery. I really enjoyed riding this bike and finished the day on this particular model.
450X
Moving onto the 450X I was excited to see what this bike could offer because in my head if I was going out to purchase a cross country bike, this is size of bike I would be looking to go for. When I jumped on this bike it was nice and familiar and straight away got to grips with it around the motocross section of the test, this is obviously where this bike excelled given it is derived from the motocross model. It was fast, throaty and you could really lug it through the turns which was beneficial on the day as it was very hard and quite slick. Being a cross country bike, green lanes will play a big part in the type of riding you are doing, the 450 was perfect in this area, you could cruise in a long gear and the suspension would soak up everything for a smooth ride. The changes Kawasaki have made to the motocross Showa suspension in regard to softening them up with different settings and softer springs really transforms the bike and in particular this 450. I loved the suspension and really got a good feeling for the machine underneath me on the forestry type conditions, Kawasaki did a great job in getting this right. I did find the 450 a little bit of a handful at times with the kind of stuff we were doing on the test, we did some more extreme sections and, in these areas, the 450 was a bit too heavy and clumsy, I also found first gear was too fast for these sections and the bike liked to stall out a little. This is where a weighted flywheel and possibly a more enduro tailored gearbox would come in handy, however you have to remember this is a cross country bike and not an all-out enduro machine.
Summary
All in all, I really enjoyed the day and Kawasaki were very hospitable, the bikes were exactly what they said on the tin, they were cross country bikes and performed in all the ways they should have. I was surprised by the fact the 250 model was my favourite on the day however the type of riding we were doing on the day suited that model. I would of liked to have seen the addition of a weighted flywheel on the 450 to further adapt that to the type of riding this machine will see, however all in all it was a good cross country bike that I enjoyed riding. We thoroughly enjoyed this test, and it was nice for us at Live Motocross to branch out into the offroad/enduro scene.
Tested and Reviewed by Rhys Roberts
