Kawasaki Launches KX100 And KX250 Dirt Bikes In India

The move makes Kawasaki the first and only bike manufacturer to sell competition-only bikes in India

Yes they are not road-legal. Now that we have that out of the way, let us assure you they are immense fun. The smaller Kawasaki KX100 might have a small 100cc mill but dont let it fool you for a bit. That tiny 100cc motor is a 2-stroke, water-cooled, 99cc single that delivers anywhere between 25 to 30PS. Wait, we have more. The dirt bike has a steel perimeter frame and lightweight panels that pegs the bike at a featherweight 77 kilos. This is again achieved by removing the number plate holder, headlight, electric starter and instrument console. All that power in that small chassis makes for some serious power and for those wondering, performance is way more than the KTM 390 Duke.

All that performance gets some serious kit in the form of 36mm inverted telescopic forks with 20 way adjustability at the front and Uni-Trak monoshock unit with 24 way compression and 21 way rebound damping adjustability at the rear. The 21-inch front and 19-inch rears are a spoked affair and run off-road trail knobblies. The engine comes mated to a short ratio 6-speed gearbox.

The bigger KX250 is is powered with a 4-stroke 249cc water-cooled single isnt low on power either and makes around 45-50PS. The bike is tuned for better mid-range performance and gets a 5-speed gearbox. This bike too gets a steel perimeter frame and is stripped of all ancillaries that keeps the weight down to 104 kilos. The bike rides on 48mm USD Showa SFF forks with 40-way spring preload adjustability and 22 way compression and 20 position rebound damping adjustability with 310mm travel at the front and multi-adjustable Uni-Trak monoshock with 310mm travel at the rear. Braking is via a 270mm semi floating petal disc upfront and 240mm petal disc at the rear.

The bike gets a launch control system that gets the power down cleanly in the fort two gears in loose road/ trail conditions and automatically disengages in third gear. Now with a lot of people showing interest and participating in Motocross, here are two options that you can look at. Mind you they are not road legal and even if you are not into motocross, should make for a fun weekend ride at the farmhouse. Now, they are not exactly affordable. Being CBU's, the KX100 is priced at Rs 4.69 lakh and the KX250 retails for Rs 7.14 lakh. These are not ex-showroom prices since the bikes are not road legal, you do not pay for registration and road taxes.