Kawasaki KLX250S reviews

Klx is a really fun bike.It would get 5 stars but a little underpowered on the road but great for commuting. I put 2500 miles on it this summer. 25 miles one way to work. Oh besides the exhuast getting real hot and clutch was hard to shift but switched to thicker oil and that fixed it. Would recommend 20w50 in the southern states. It gets hot enough here and klx seemed to love it. That other oil only had 800 miles of commuting and wouldnt switch to second. I really found a bike that i love though and want to ride every day. Gets alot of attention and including cops making sure its street legal lol. Bike has almost 5k now and have put half of it this summer. Havent seen any abnormal engine wear. Doesnt use or burn any oil and runs as good as i got it. So i would say if you use it for commuting 100k wouldnt be too far out of its range. Just my opinion. Judging by the 2500 miles i put on it. Bought it in may so a shortened summer at that plus 2 weeks in the shop to get the carbs rebuilt but still running a little choked up. Show less

It all depends on what you want out of a bike. I live in the country, gravel roads (which sometimes means mud, ice, snow). When I do get to a paved road it's a highway. I have access to a lot of back country roads, paved and unpaved, straight and twisties, good conditions and terrible. I'm 58 and I haven't had this much fun on a bike, ever. I've dropped it so many times I can't count, crossing streams, getting hung up on logs, negotiating rocks, crossing low water bridges covered with slick moss, parking on a hillside and watching the kickstand sink in the mud, so I need something I can pick up. I can pick this up. And, it seems to be bullet proof, but if something does break (carry pliers to pull the shifter away from the engine after you drop it). It isn't going to cost an arm and leg to fix. As for comfort, it's upright, which is great. The seat is narrow, which is great for standing up, and I stand up a lot. It is fairly hard, though not bad. I bought a Corbin, which I didn't like. It passed on vibration, and it was too wide to comfortably stand. This isn't a highway bike. It will do it, but it's tiring. Having said that, that sixth gear is fantastic when you do get up to speed. And this bike is no slouch. I have made no mods except hand guards, which I recommend. Lots of folks want to do the slip-on exhaust and carb kit, which I may do, but if you're going three miles an hour on a steep, rocky hill, or 50 on gravel, you don't really need more power. The gearing is about right. Brakes and suspension work for me. I fill the tank at about 100 miles, and haven't run out yet, not even close. It sips fuel, generally. It's almost embarrassing to pull up the pump and put in a gallon or two of fuel, which is usually the case. I've used the reserve once, after spending most of the day going up and down trails, then hitting the highway to get home. It's a great weekend bike, commuter bike, on/off road bike. The only kind of riding I wouldn't want to do is long haul on a highway. It's light and simply isn't designed for it. But I would take it across the country on back roads. Show less

I use it primarily for street use, going to and from work when the weather cooperates. The bike has always been reliable. It gets extremely good gas mileage, even when pushed hard. I would recommend this bike to anyone. Show less

Just did the Black Dog Dualsport ride, Mt. Hood Oregon on my 2009 KLX250S, 270 miles over two days. The bike did great in every way, pavement to dirt. I'm very happy with my choice. The seat is a little hard after 150 miles. Show less

A dual sport will always sacrifice in some ways, both on and off road, and before buying one you MUST accept this. It is not the street or the dirt king. However this bike does both amazingly well. I am awestruck. I ride 4 miles to work everyday on it, and I play in the dirt every day on it. The longest street treck has been 150 miles in one sitting & one fuel stop. (my kiester was sore) Yes it has a firm seat and small fuel tank, and is quite choked up from the factory, but these are things you will get acustomed to, and they do not limit the bikes ability too much. I have had this bike airborn many times & have never bottomed out the suspension. The highlight of the bikes life with me was in box canyon in Florence Az. The klx went everywhere the straight dirtbikes did, and I mean everywhere. From pearock riverbeds to bowling ball sized rock riverbeds, stairsteps & steep hills, anywhere. Its lack of power and higher gearing became evident here, but I still got through everything just fine, you learn to alter your aproach to these obstacles. (I got to the old goldmine through the river bed) If you want a bike to dirt and street on, this is the one. I have had not one issue, the bike is amazing. I would recommend it to ANYONE! Show less

This bike out preformed all of my expectations. It has plenty of power when you need it, but is still fairly tame for new riders. The klx 250s can take the punishments of trails like a champ and still rides nicely on the road. If you ride a KLX 250s, you will certainly be impressed. I would not hesitate to recommend this bike to anyone. Show less

I'm getting on in years but didn't want to entirely give up dirt bikes. This is more of a trail bike instead of a serious performance machine but that's ok because that's what Kawasaki set out to do. Surprisingly fun on the twisty paved mountain roads we take on the way to the trails. Great gas mileage (I average around 70 mpg)even when flogging the heck out it. Overall very pleased with this purchase. Show less

This is a great bike for riding, commuting or just having fun. Break in was tough at first; not going over 4000 rpm the power felt low. Now that I am over the 500 mile mark and can go to 6000 rpm, what a difference when the motor is broken in! I use it for riding and running around town. Off road the bike is great. The weight is great for trail riding and it is geared low enough for tight trails. You can jump back on the road to ride home at 60 mph (6000 rpm limit until 1000 miles). I had a KLR 650 but it was too big and heavy. This bike is just right and is great on gas (70 mpg). I went 100 miles before using the reserve. No regrets. Show less

The KLX_250 is a good street bike as well being capable off road. Thr suspension is soft and forgiveing but the riding posison is a little hunched over. The engine is smooth and the trans. shifts nice, but at speed the revvs are high (4,000 rpm at 40 mph) wich limits where you can go during the first part of the break-in. On the other hand the acceleration is relly good. Show less

I got my KLX 250 so I could ride to the trails instead of having to load the trailer and use three times more gas. I have found it to be a very nice trail bike, light and nimble. The suspension is very good as long as you don't get too crazy. I would recommend this bike to any one looking for a play bike that does double duty as a commuter also. Show less