Kawasaki Kdx200
CYCLE WORLD TEST
KAWASAKI HAS DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE. IT HAS BUILT A dirtbike with terrific high-speed stability that can still carve figure-8s through tight, tree-lined trails. A bike with a suspension soft enough to pamper its rider over punishing terrain, but stiff enough to absorb high-speed whoops without pitching that same rider on his head. A bike that's just at home plonking along cowtrails at a casual pace as it is running wide-open all day in off-road competition.
I his wonderbike is the 1989 KDX200. a completely redesigned machine destined to become one of the great all-around dirtbikes of all time.
Although last year's KDX200 was a pretty good machine. it wasn't quite as sharp as it needed to be for serious competition. But this year's KDX might be the best enduro bike you can buy. Period Better yet. the KDX has lost none of its charm as a great playbike, in spite of having being completely redesigned from stem to stern.
KAWASAKI KDX200
Setting new standards of play and competition
RICH CHENET
Heading the list of changes on the new machine is the liquid-cooled engine. The bottom-end is from last year’s 200 engine, but the single-cylinder top-end is all-new. The 198cc, reed-valve two-stroke incorporates the KIPS (Kawasaki Integrated Powervalve System) used on the KX 125 for a smoother, wider powerband. A larger, heavier crankshaft helps dampen vibration and further softens the engine’s power delivery.
These changes have given the KDX one of the nicest, most usable powerbands found on any two-stroke dirtbike on the market. The engine starts pulling hard just above idle, with no noticeable dips or surges until the power falls off a bit at the very top end. The 200 feels like it only makes about the same peak horsepower as a strong 125, but its power is spread over a much wider range; and because the increased flywheel effect lets the engine rev more slowly, the 200 is considerably more tractable and easier to ride than ever before.
By comparison, this year’s KDX makes last year’s feel peaky. And the new 200 even transmits considerably less vibration. Both bikes are about equal in the speed department, but the ’89 model goes faster easier.
One other significant change concerns the clutch, which, on last year’s bike, was prone to overheating, then dragging, when subjected to normal trail abuse. So, Kawasaki upped the spring preload and increased the number of clutch plates on the ’89 200. The lever pull remains light, but the feel is improved and overall performance is noticeably better and more consistent.
These engine refinements alone would have made the KDX a much better bike for 1989, but Kawasaki took the opportunity to put the improved engine in a new chassis. The frame is basically a 1987 KX 125 unit from the swingarm pivot forward, and the single rear shock mounts to a linkage similar to the 125’s. The shock has 16 reboundand compression-damping adjustments for a wide range of tuning possibilities. Up front, the fork is more or less the same 43mm item as used last year, but with the addition of 16 compression-damping adjustments. Wheel travel at both ends is just under 12 inches, so the bike maintains its comparatively close-to-the-ground attitude.
KDX200
No one would have criticized last year's KDX for being a poor handler: but these chassis ánd suspension changes have transformed the handling from merely good into sheer magic. The steering is superb, offering pinpoint control and allowing the bike to be flicked around like a 125cc motocrosser, even though the KDX is 30 pounds heavier than the KX125. And during high-speed sections of trail or fireroad, the KDX never does anything unexpected, always behaving in a predictable and manageable fashion.
But, like previous KDXs, this year’s 200 comes with soft springs best-suited for riders under 140 pounds, practically forcing heavier riders to buy the optional stiffer fork and shock springs. Once the suspension is dialed-in for the rider’s weight, however, it works wonderfully. The rear end doesn’t kick or bounce around, and the front smoothly soaks up all normal trail obstacles. Whether poking along at a walking pace or trying to make up time in a special-test section of a race, the KDX makes the rider feel he can do no wrong, and even manages to forgive a host of rider errors.
That chassis redesign did not just benefit the handling; the ergonomics also have been improved to provide a more spread-out riding position. The seat-to-handlebar relationship is more roomy than before, and the seat itself is contoured into the rear of the tank, making it easier to slide forward and get more weight on the front tire. But while the seat-to-footpeg dimension has been lengthened slightly, which is good, the seat is too soft, which is not so good. The seat compresses too far when an average-sized rider sits on it, and that not only negates much of the increased seat-to-peg distance, it also can be uncomfortable. And although the footpegs themselves are higher than on previous KDX200s, they still are a bit low, making the rider’s feet vulnerable in rocky sections of trail.
There was no such trade-off involved in the change from a drum rear brake to a disc, though. The rear discs on other Kawasaki dirtbikes have a reputation for being ultrasensitive, but the KDX rear offers great feel, and complements the excellent front brake. As a system, the brakes are very confidence-inspiring, always letting the rider know just when the wheels are about to lock up.
But as good as the new KDX200 is—and believe us, it is wonderful—it still has a couple of problem areas in addition to the seat. One is the handguards, particularly the right one, which is so poorly designed that anything much stronger than a stiff breeze will blow it into the front brake lever. Despite the fact that this is a technological problem the average high-schooler could figure out, KDX handguards have been—and continue to be—a joke on an otherwise exceptional motorcycle.
What’s more, the digital instrumentation that has been standard KDX fare for the past several years has been replaced by a mechanical odometer/tripmeter. This is intended to help keep the overall cost of the bike down, but some riders trading up to the ’89 model may miss the convenience of the electronic unit.
Those complaints border on nit-picking, however, and shouldn’t prevent anyone who is interested in the bike from buying one. Because in the end, the 1 989 KDX200 is an improvement in every significant way over the model it replaces. It has superior handling, better power and easierto-use brakes, and with its restyled plastic, it even looks more modern than the previous KDX200.
So, Kawasaki has indeed done the impossible. It has taken an absolutely wonderful motorcycle and made it better. Yes, it does cost more; but you will be hard-pressed to get more versatility, excitement or competence from any other dirtbike in 1989, no matter how much money you spend. É
KAWASAKI KDX200
$2699
SPECIFICATIONS
