Claimed to be the ‘Most powerful KX250 ever!’

After the new KX450 was released last year, it was no surprise that 2020 is the year of the KX250. It now closely matches its bigger brother with similar updates across the model. But as you will find out - they still missed the boat on one important aspect.

KEY UPDATES

Revised bore and stroke for high rpm focused engine character
New finger-follower valve train designed by Kawasaki’s World Superbike engineers
New slim aluminium perimeter frame with revised rigidity
New front brake pads, new rear brake disc and rear master cylinder
Adjustable handlebar and footpeg technology
Factory-inspired green number plates, black rims and coloured accents
KYB Spring fork makes it return
Launch control at the push of a button

In More Detail

Showa SFF out, KYB springs in

The KYB 48mm coil-spring forks are back in the Kawasaki 250 F with new inner tubes which allow 25mm damping pistons allowing the same damping force with a lower internal pressure and in turn that means a firmer damping setting and increased riding comfort, Kawasaki claims. The high and low speed damping, compression and pre-load adjustable forks have a stiffer spring rate from 9.4 N/mm to 10.0 N/mm.

The new 250 also uses a new KYB shock which has a stiffer spring rate as well, up from 52 N/mm to 54 N/mm.

Finally the SFF has been thrown away for the more reliable, easier to use, standard spring fork setup. Good Work Kawasaki!

250 Engine Gets Attention

Straighter intake ports increase intake efficiency and performance while a stronger cam chain in the cylinder head is used to help reliability and cope with the increased loads from the more aggressive cams and higher rev limit.

A larger throttle body and 60mm shorter intake funnel both aim at strong power higher up the rev-range.

The 2020 KX250 engine has a 1mm larger bore and 1.4mm less stroke which allows for larger valves and the shorter stroke to help boost high-rpm performance, Kawasaki says.

1mm larger intake valves (32mm) also have 1mm higher lift, while the exhaust valves jump 1.5mm to 26.5mm and have 0.4mm more lift.

Featuring finger follower valve actuation, most notably adopted by the Ninja ZX-10RR World Superbike machine of Jonathan Rea, the new engine has a higher rev ceiling and more aggressive camshaft timing whilst reducing overall valve train weight, Kawasaki claims.

Boasting an increase in peak power of approximately 2.4 kW (3.2bhp), and performance focused on the high-rpm range.

A downdraft-style intake routing increases the intake air’s approach angle into the cylinder from 29.5º to 32.5º, improving cylinder-filling efficiency and contributing to increased engine power.

Frame Action

Main chassis changes are kept to a minimum but they include a lower front engine mount (now stud bolts not a through-bolt) to improve overall frame rigidity and work with the new shock. The rear brake disc jumps 10mm to 250mm, and the rear brake master cylinder and brake line have been revised to reduce weight too.

The 2020 KX250 now uses the same front brake pads as the 2019 KX450, which are designed for a more linear brake force application and better control.

The Miss Hit

Starting the motorcycle is taken care of via a manual, leg-swing actuating lever, meaning your flat battery will never hinder you from starting this motorcycle.

But in all seriousness, bringing a revised model to market in 2020 without electric start is a huge mistake. Add to that, the minimal overall changes/upgrades made to the bike and it seems to me that this isn’t the machine Kawasaki are working on in their R&D department right now. This is the bike that will tide them over and keep the Kawi enthusiasts happy and on the brand for another 2-3 years, when the real bike is revealed.

Still no date on when they arrive in NZ but keep an eye on your local Green Machine dealer for more information.