2022 Kawasaki KLX300SM Review | MC Commute - video Dailymotion

Motorcyclist

In this episode of MC Commute, we review the 2022 Kawasaki KLX300SM as we rip the roads and racetrack.  --  The only thing that keeps the 2022 Kawasaki KLX300SM from flying under the radar is the thin arcs of rear tire rubber painting a trail directly to the Motorcyclist HQ front doors. Simply put: Team Green’s unassuming small-bore supermoto uses darkies to brush a picture of a seriously good time on two wheels.  Built upon the versatile and capable KLX300 platform, the SM shares the same basic architecture as its dual sport and off-road siblings, but relishes in a number of supermoto-specific tweaks. The SM receives 17-inch spoked wheels, specifically tuned long-travel suspension, and a larger front brake setup, among other differences.  The KLX300SM’s light and nimble handling makes it an excellent around-town ripper. At a relatively low 304 pounds on the Motorcyclist scales with its 2.0-gallon fuel tank topped to the brim, the KLX is playful and easy to handle for even the less experienced riders. To add to that, an accommodating 33.9-inch seat and relaxed reach to its one-piece motocross-style handlebar promote a comfortable, yet in-control riding position...  Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/2022-kawasaki-klx300sm-mc-commute/  Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine   See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/

Transcript

00:00 Good morning everyone and welcome to another episode of MC Commute where we test motorcycles

00:06 on the way to the Motorcyclist Headquarters in Irvine, California.

00:10 And today we will be testing none other than the 2022 Kawasaki KLX 300 SM that you see

00:17 here behind me.

00:19 Now this is one of three KLX 300 variants that Team Green offers and arguably this is

00:27 the most fun.

00:29 I want to keep this short and sweet.

00:30 We got something a little special planned for the end of the episode here.

00:34 So let's hit the road.

00:37 Alright ladies and gentlemen, the 2022 Kawasaki KLX 300 SM.

00:43 Now I already mentioned that this is one of three variants of KLX 300 that Kawasaki offers.

00:51 Now number one, what are the other offerings?

00:54 That would be the KLX 300 R which is their enduro off-road style motorcycle.

01:03 The KLX 300 which is a dual sport motorcycle.

01:06 It's got a license plate, a little bit more off-road oriented performance, and what you

01:13 have here is the KLX 300 SM.

01:17 Now that stands for Supermoto.

01:19 So how does this vary in comparison to those?

01:22 Well, other than the aggressive, bold looking, badass styling in my opinion, it has a 17

01:30 inch front and rear wheels fitted with IRC Road Winner tires.

01:36 It's got specifically tuned long travel suspension that we'll talk about once we get on the road.

01:42 It's got a larger front brake setup with a 300mm disc up front.

01:49 And of course, not to forget, just like the rest of the KLX 300 line, it shares the 292cc

01:56 liquid cooled dual overhead cam engine that will power us down the road.

02:02 We're in neutral, just filled up the tank, 292cc of fury.

02:10 Yeah!

02:12 Alrighty.

02:17 Let's get this bad boy going.

02:20 And off to the motorcyclist offices.

02:26 This 300, as previously mentioned, shares the same 292cc single cylinder as its stablemates.

02:37 Now Kawasaki essentially updated that motor when it released the new KLX 300, I believe

02:44 that was in 2020.

02:46 It was previously a 250cc or 249, and it achieved that by increasing the bore diameter by 6mm.

02:57 Fun fact.

02:59 So that's the nitty gritty details of the engine thrown up on the motorcyclist dyno.

03:05 It produced a very modest 23.9 horsepower and about 15.5 foot pounds of torque.

03:13 I wouldn't call it the most impressive thing in the world, but it is a very mellow and

03:20 approachable engine platform.

03:23 Something that I truly believe, you know, that seasoned and experienced riders can really

03:30 take advantage of and have a blast on.

03:34 They always say it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow, and this

03:39 absolutely holds true in the 300SM.

03:43 But it's also something that is absolutely friendly for beginners.

03:50 This motorcycle, the more I ride it, the more I want to recommend this to first time riders

03:57 or riders looking to move up from even a slower bike, smaller bike, maybe someone looking

04:02 to come from the KLX 300 variants and get out on the road more.

04:10 But a lot of that has to do with the friendliness of the power plant.

04:17 It's been a blast, and the more we get to ride, the more I'll get to show you guys,

04:21 and I'm pretty pumped.

04:24 So being that this is a supermoto, the KLX 300 comes with very dirt bike inspired ergonomics.

04:36 You got this one piece handlebar, although quite narrow, but not too narrow.

04:41 I still feel like I have a ton of leverage to steer the motorcycle, kind of weave, do

04:49 what I need to do in slow speed maneuvers.

04:56 The rest of the motorcycle, you got the one piece seat, just like a dirt bike, very basic

05:01 ergonomics package.

05:03 And to add to that is a 33.9 inch seat height that we'll pull up to the stop sign and show

05:09 you guys.

05:10 33.9 inches, I'm 5'7", I can't quite confidently...

05:17 I take that back.

05:19 I can't quite flat foot on both sides, but I can easily get both feet down for a confident

05:28 stance like so.

05:30 Boom, boom, and we're off.

05:37 All righty, so you pair those ergonomics, motocross style ergonomics, a relatively low

05:42 33.9 inch seat height, and 304 pounds fully fueled on the motorcyclist scales.

05:53 And what you have is a really lightweight feeling, nimble handling motorcycle that is

06:00 just a ripper around town.

06:01 It's perfect in the small confines of city riding or neighborhood riding, headed to the

06:08 coffee shop, and really pairs well.

06:12 Obviously, Kawasaki has given this Supermoto specific suspension, that being a 43 millimeter

06:19 inverted fork up front with a 16 way adjustable compression damping.

06:27 Now you also have a rear shock out back with rebound and preload adjustability.

06:35 And to give Team Green credit here, they've done an excellent job of finding the good

06:41 balance of support and compliance with the 300SM.

06:46 If there's one small gripe, that sometimes on harsh roads, on imperfect roads, the suspension

06:56 characteristics are a little bit soft, sorry, stiff, duh, stiff, and translate to just,

07:06 you have a lot of feeling and connection with the asphalt, which is a great thing, but it's

07:14 all kind of translated through the bars and gets a little rough in your hands.

07:18 I don't want to say jarring, but kind of just pogo's off the small bumps.

07:23 But to justify that, the 300SM is made for some more aggressive riding where you're going

07:30 to load the chassis, load the suspension, get it deep into the stroke, and not necessarily

07:38 just be cruising over harsh roads.

07:43 Kind of be wailing.

07:44 I think that's what, as beginner friendly as this motorcycle is, it's also about just

07:49 kind of wailing Supermoto style.

07:51 It's got SM for a reason.

07:54 Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, giddy up.

08:00 Man, small bikes are fun.

08:03 If you watch the rest of my episodes, you know that I'm always a big fan of small bikes

08:09 for many reasons.

08:11 Obviously approachable and yet entertaining at the same time.

08:16 They won't get you into so much trouble, not only with yourself and maybe the asphalt,

08:22 but the law.

08:24 You can kind of wail on these motorcycles and not draw as much attention as you might

08:29 on a big, I don't know, Kawasaki ZX6.

08:34 Little 300s are a blast.

08:37 So we got the 300SM.

08:41 It's got different brakes than the Kalex 300, a little bit larger.

08:46 If there is one gripe, I'm going to say this in a very, very easy way.

08:54 If there's one gripe, if I'm thinking about true beginners riding this motorcycle, the

08:59 only gripe I may have is that it does not have ABS.

09:05 But that is what makes it so much fun at the exact same time.

09:10 Being able to do some hooligan antics, really learn to use the rear brake, be able to master

09:21 downshifts, throw this thing sideways and lock it up, do some skids for the kids, professional

09:29 rider, close course, but that is what makes this motorcycle so fun.

09:36 We can do a little skid here.

09:38 How about that?

09:42 Nice.

09:45 Painting darkies all over the cities of Southern California.

09:50 And we're off.

09:52 I'm feeling like a racer right now, especially because we got the infamous roundabout.

10:03 Let's deck this thing.

10:05 Put the IRC Road Winners to the test.

10:11 Boop, boop.

10:13 We're going to feel the bump, see how the suspension fares on the bump.

10:20 Man, this bike actually took it quite well.

10:25 Now we're off.

10:27 Seeing what the little 300 can do out on California's Highway 5, headed to the motorcyclist's offices

10:37 now.

10:38 We're in top gear, 6th gear, headed about 77 miles an hour, which is, I honestly feel

10:48 a little bit below average for normal highway speeds here in Southern California.

10:54 And the 300SM is spinning about 7600, or sorry, spinning about 7500 RPM at 76 miles an hour,

11:05 and we're getting cut off right now.

11:08 Alrighty, tucked in.

11:11 We got a little bit of vibrations.

11:13 We're spinning about 8000 RPM doing 80 miles an hour.

11:16 I will say the max I've ever seen on this little 300 is about 92 miles an hour.

11:23 Now that's me getting small, getting tucked in, ducking behind a semi and opening this

11:30 thing up as much as she'll go.

11:33 Not the fastest bike in the world, but it does handle highway speeds fairly okay.

11:41 I would say that it has some power left in reserve.

11:44 I'm doing 70 miles an hour and I feel like if I had to jump by these cars, I have some

11:49 power left in reserve to do so.

11:52 Let's try it actually.

11:53 No problem.

11:55 So that being said, I like that.

11:59 I like that we have enough power to get in and out of situations safely and not feel

12:05 like a sitting duck out on the highway.

12:08 It does have a little bit of vibrations happening through the foot pegs, a little bit through

12:13 the grips, but overall pretty comfortable ride.

12:18 The mirrors, I would say paint a relatively clear picture, not the most stable in the

12:26 world, but I can see what's going on behind me, no problem.

12:30 Now obviously the 300SM has this small LCD display up front with important and vital

12:37 riding information.

12:38 You've got a digital tachometer, you've got your clock, you've got your trip.

12:44 The only thing that I wish it did have is a gear indicator just because I like having

12:48 a gear indicator.

12:50 The more familiar I become with motorcycles, the more I always know exactly what gear I'm

12:56 in, but as I get acquainted, it takes me a little bit of time to really understand the

13:04 ratios and where I might be in the gearbox.

13:07 Just a small little thing, personal liking.

13:10 Man, what a blast this bike is.

13:12 Super approachable, super friendly for beginners.

13:16 Like I said, if there's one little gripe I might have just for those riders is the lack

13:20 of ABS, but that's also what makes this motorcycle so fun for the seasoned veterans to be able

13:27 to utilize its lightweight, the nimble handling, and I don't know, just kind of throw some

13:35 skids and have a good time despite the lack of power, but we're going to open this up.

13:42 It's by no means slow, as you can see.

13:47 And for $6,199 as Kawasaki retails this here in the United States, I think this motorcycle

13:57 can sometimes be a no-brainer for someone looking for a little round town commuter.

14:02 I've had a blast aboard this thing.

14:05 Let's throw a skid.

14:09 Nice.

14:10 I need to work on my skids on this little bike, but I would say that's pretty good.

14:18 All right, ladies and gentlemen, what do you think the surprise here is on the little 300

14:27 SM that could?

14:30 Uh-oh, the van's out.

14:35 It's ready to be loaded.

14:37 Where are we going?

14:39 All right.

14:43 Any guesses?

14:44 We'll see you guys in a little bit.

14:47 All right, ladies and gentlemen, the surprise, the big fun for this KLX 300 SM.

14:54 We are at Apex Racing Center in Riverside, California as part of a motorcycle track day.

15:03 We're going to test out this little SM, see what she's got.

15:08 It's kind of the cool part about this bike is it has versatility.

15:13 It can be your everyday commuter, kind of no-frills, simplistic bike, and yet it's got

15:21 the capability to come out here and have a little bit of fun.

15:26 Put the little, put the Supermoto in its name.

15:31 Yeah.

15:33 Oh, chatter.

15:39 My right wrist gets tired.

15:43 My right wrist gets tired from holding it wide open everywhere because there's not a

15:49 ton of power on this thing, yet it's still a blast to come out here and rip on in this

15:59 little 300, actually kind of hold its own.

16:04 It may not be a competition spec Husqvarna FS450 or KTM 450 SMR, but it does all right

16:17 for itself out on the racetrack.

16:25 It does all right for itself out on the racetrack.

16:27 All right, how about one more lap here?

16:32 All right.

16:36 The IRC winner tires.

16:42 Once they get warm, they actually have a fair amount of grip.

16:48 They have a fair amount of grip, but they are no competition spec tire like the Bridgestone

16:56 Slicks or the Metzeler Slicks that these other Supermoto bikes are on.

17:05 The most neat part about having a kart track is you can come here and exploit your skills

17:14 in a relatively safe and controlled environment at moderate speeds.

17:22 One more lap.

17:23 This is a blast.

17:27 To do it on something like the SM rather than a 450 Supermoto or we got a rider down here,

17:38 a 450 Supermoto or even there's an Ovali 190 GP behind me, is you can do this for a

17:45 relatively low cost and then be able to ride home if you really want.

17:51 All right.

17:59 Here comes a little Ovali 190.

18:02 There he goes.

18:05 Wow.

18:06 Wow.

18:07 That's awesome.

18:08 All right, guys, let's pull off into the pits here.

18:18 Let's talk about this little Supermoto.

18:24 All right, guys, that is it for our time aboard the 2022 Kawasaki Kalex 300 SM.

18:31 And man, what a blast.

18:33 Not only on the road as a versatile, fun commuter, kind of no-frills package, no ride mode, no

18:41 electronics, no ABS even, just a very simplistic motorcycle, offers a lot of versatility, a

18:49 lot of approachable performance, especially for those first-time buyers.

18:53 I would have no problem recommending this to less experienced riders.

18:58 But also it's just a blast to rip around town, rip some skids, have some fun in a safe manner.

19:04 And it has the capability to come out here to the Supermoto track and really kind of

19:09 hold its own without much convincing.

19:13 It does okay.

19:15 Maybe swapping some tires to more competition spec, grippier race tire would be beneficial

19:21 for it.

19:22 But overall, this 300 SM holds itself really, really well.

19:26 I had a blast on this.

19:27 I hope that you guys did as well.

19:30 If you like this video, be sure to like it, comment.

19:32 We want to hear from you, and subscribe to the Motorcyclist YouTube channel.

19:36 Head over to MotorcyclistOnline.com to read the full story, and we'll see you guys next

19:40 time.

19:41 [00:06:10] [END OF AUDIO]

19:42 [00:06:20]

19:50 [END OF AUDIO]

20:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]

2022 Kawasaki KLX300SM Review | MC Commute

Category

Transcript

Recommended