Kawasaki Introduces Dual-Threat KLX300 Street & Trail Bike
For riders who want a motorcycle that can go anywhere, from city streets to back roads to woodland trails, Kawasaki’s new KLX300 is a dual-sport version of its KLX300R off-road motorbike. Pairing a long-travel suspension for trail use with a lightweight box-section perimeter frame for straight-line highway stability, the KLX300 packs a responsive 292-cc four-stroke engine. The versatile bike is available in Lime Green or Fragment Camo Gray.
Just Crack The Throttle
The KLX300’s liquid-cooled, DOHC, single-cylinder engine supplies strong low-end and mid-range torque as well as top-end pulling power, Kawasaki says. The motor comes with electric start for convenience and fuel injection for cold-weather reliability and emissions reduction.
The 302.1-pound (137-kilogram) bike transmits its motor’s power through a six-speed, return shift transmission with a wet, multi-disc manual clutch. A chain drive propels the rear rubber. Kawasaki fits the KLX300 with full-size wheels, 3- by 21-inch (76- by 787-millimeter) in front and 4.6- x 18-in. (117- by 457-mm) in the rear. Its single-petal disc brakes are arrested by a 250-mm (9.8-in.) dual-piston caliper and a 240-mm (9.4-in.) single-piston caliper in the front and rear, respectively.
The trail-tuned suspension of the KLX300 allows for 10 in. (254 mm) of front travel and 9.1 in. (231 mm) out back. The manufacturer says the street-and-trail machine has 10.8 in. (274 mm) of ground clearance. A 43-mm (1.7-in.) inverted cartridge fork provides adjustable compression damping for tunability. Likewise, a Uni-Trak gas-charged shock allows the rider to tweak the rear suspension’s rebound damping and spring preload. The bump absorber comes with a piggyback reservoir.
Sized Right
Kawasaki designed the KLX300 with 56.7 in. (1,440 mm) of wheelbase and a caster/rake angle of 26.7 degrees to promote quick handling. The dual-sport bike’s trail is 4.2 in. (107 mm) and its seat height is 35.2 in. (894 mm). An innovative fan directs radiator heat down and away from the rider for more comfortable traffic stops.
In front of its 2-gallon (7.6-liter) fuel tank, the KLX300 sports an instrument cluster of all-digital gauges. These include a digital speedometer, a bar-type tachometer, an odometer, dual trip meters, and a clock.
Source: Kawasaki