Kawasaki Super Sherpa reviews

Ok I am in Tasmania Australia not Alabama so thank the auto select. I first bought a KL250 Super Sherpa purely for my wife to learn on (having pillion with me around the globe on a GSA she decided to learn). It was the perfect set up, cheap to buy, low seat, low weight, thin, nice bars to pegs ratio, no radiators or alike to bust, disc brakes and electric leg. What I didn’t expect is that I would enjoy it too. We now own four. Two purely set up for the dirt with renthals, carb kits, bark busters 14/47 etc and two set up for the back of our camper on road bias hoops. I paid $1500 Aussie for each with under 10,000kms in each - one has now done 28,000 kms without a hitch (Stockman version in Australia has racks Show less

The Super Sherpa 250 is better than I expected. I bought this bike based on other reviews I had read from around the world. This little dual purpose bike is perfect for me and out performs my previous expectations. It gets 90-101 mpg and sounds great. The seat could have a little more comfort to it, but it is better than the equivalent Suzuki or Yamaha models. I give this bike a definite thumbs-up!! Show less

After 23 years on a 650cc BMW, I decided I wanted something different. My Sherpa, bought 2nd hand with 5000km, is a delight to ride in traffic and around town. Far from being the compromise I expected, it handles tarmac very well. I expected the knobby tyres to be positively dangerous on wet roads; they are better than I am. Off road the bike is ideal for a novice trail rider. With a low seat height and low gearing, I can go everywhere without having to go hard and hope I don't need to put my feet down. I trailered it up to the Flinder Ranges and Arkaroola in Central Australia soon after I got it, and had a great time exploring places I would not have taken a 4wd in such remote country. A competent city commuter and off road explorer in one bike, well built, easy to live with. Show less

Bought this bike used in '01, only 67 miles! The nubs were still on the tires. Used to competitively ride 2 stroke bikes in Enduro's, and had some smaller street Hondas long ago. Wanted a light weight, totally street legal dual sport with excellent brakes. And one that my teenage kids could learn to ride on. The SS delivers on all these counts. The Suzy DR400S was just too tall for my daughter. I only can complain about SS's slow warm up, and it's a bit small for my 6 foot size, when you stand on the pegs for off roading, I gotta hunch down a bit. Power level is good for a 4 stroke, you can force it to run 70 mph expressway speeds, but it really likes casual back roading, dirt or asphalt. Seat is good for 2 hours solo. Brakes are strong, wet or dry. Not enough suspension travel or dampening for agressive off roading, but good for "touring type off roading". And as a divorcee, I'm pleased to say you can ride real cozy with a date snuggled right in. In 3 years, I've washed it, changed the oil, lubed the chain, and replaced the battery once. Too bad Kawasaki stopped importing them to the US. Show less

This bike is one of the best dual-sports, and surely the best in its class (250cc). Goes anywhere, even on some real tough mountain trails. It is nimble, quiet, smooth, has great fuel mileage (I got even 85mpg), comfortable for all-day riding (I could bet it has the most comfortable stock seat of all dual sports). Though it's a tough dual sport, it has a nice digital speedo with huge digits, clock, odometer, and two trip odometers. It's just a tad bit small for me and I wish the bars were a bit higher, but then not everybody is the same. I still think it's very comfortable. I pushed it to 84mph once, but it tends to run out of power around 60mph or so, but that's in my high-altitude area. If you want a bike that will take you anywhere, great in the city and on trails and even slower highways, get this one if you can find one. They're great! Show less

I've had my bike for a month and I can say that I have yet to find something that I can't jump or go through. In my life I have had 3 bikes and this Kawasaki is the best. Show less

I bought this bike brand new as my first bike, and found that it handled terrific on the twisties or for off road fun. As a woman rider I found this bike perfect for work commutes, cheap on gas and insurance. The only engineering flaw I found was the front-end suspension that tended to bottom out on serious off road terrain. Recently sold the bike to my father to get a mid size cruiser. My father also has a Honda Shadow that seems to get far fewer miles now that he owns the Super Sherpa. Overall the Super Sherpa is a great bike to own for those wanting to get into motorcycling, or those that want to ability to go on or off road. Show less

I'm a mountain biker just getting into motorcycles. I did much research before settling on the 'Sherpa. I took the MSF course and rode Hondas--this bike is heads and tails above Honda in quality. Excellent construction and great overall engineering (yeah, I'm an engineer). Good power for a 250, and I love the simplicity of an air-cooled engine. It handles well, too, and the dual disc brakes have good stopping power. Great job, Kawasaki. I can't see anything that I'd do different with the exception of including a tach which is not included in the digital instrumentation. Quality, fun, practical, and nice attention to detail at a reasonable price... Show less

I am really impressed with this motorcycle. I feel that it lives up to the Super Sherpa name. It reminds me of the old days when you would see folks on Bultacos climbing logs. Very easy to ride, Plenty of power for it's size and very capable of precision riding as low as 4 mph. Overall very smooth and nimble I would recommend this bike to any one wanting to learn to ride. Keith.... Show less

Whether busting through tank trails or commuting to work this bike has been excellent. I agree completely with the other reviewer. The bike is bullet proof, dependable, economical, light, and capable of some heavy duty trail riding / hill climbing. I did replace the low front fender with the KLR250 high fender though. The stock (trials type) fender can load up with TX mud enough to totally lock-up the front end. I can hit 75 to 80mph, I get 60-70mpg, and total coverage insurance is $80 a year. It doesn't get any better. Show less