Kawasaki has the KLX 300SM with 17-inch wheels and tires for taking on the street but if you are dirt bike riding enthusiast then the KLX 300 might be right for you. We tackle the age-old debate: Supermoto or Dual Sport?
Check out the full story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/kawasaki-klx300-and-klx300sm-first-ride/
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Check out the full story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/kawasaki-klx300-and-klx300sm-first-ride/
Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/
Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld
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SportsTranscript
00:00 What a day! I had an awesome opportunity to ride a dual sport and a supermoto
00:04 back-to-back in similar riding conditions and really break down the
00:07 difference not only between the KLX 300 and KLX 300 supermoto but just supermoto
00:13 and dual sports in general. They share a lot of the same similarities you know
00:16 they're based off dirt bikes so it's a dirt bike platform for both of these
00:20 bikes but the things that are gonna make them different really translate to a
00:23 different sort of riding experience and just a different type of person who's
00:28 gonna buy these motorcycles. So both bikes utilize the same engine a 292 CC
00:33 single cylinder liquid-cooled four-stroke engine four valves per
00:37 cylinder. Both bikes utilize the same suspension component a 43 millimeter
00:42 inverted cartridge fork but the supermoto is gonna have about one inch
00:45 less suspension travel as well as stiffer spring rates to be a more
00:50 roadworthy orient of the two. The supermoto also has 17 inch wheels front
00:55 and back that's what makes it a supermoto along with a large front rotor
00:59 the 300 millimeter front disc where the dual sport is gonna be a 250 millimeter
01:04 front disc. We started off on the dual sport and both of these bikes just
01:08 riding them back-to-back in a nice group of buddies it really just shows why dual
01:13 sports and supermotos are so much fun. You can do just about any type of
01:16 riding on a dual sport. We started off you know going through town popping some
01:21 wheelies cutting some skids get up on the dirt and you this bike can do you
01:26 know good off-road riding. It has plenty of suspension travel it's plush in the
01:30 initial part of the stroke keep the wheels planted but if you start jumping
01:34 it or really kind of going fast on it it has enough hold up that you aren't
01:39 bottoming out and it just maintains a really nice ride height. Another thing
01:42 that makes the supermoto different than the dual sport other than the 17 inch
01:46 wheels the shorter suspension travel is also the final gearing. The rear sprocket
01:51 has three less teeth than the dual sport so it's gonna you know be able to carry
01:55 out of a corner a little bit longer when you're on the twisty back roads like we
01:59 were today you can kind of hold off on a shift until either you hit the next
02:03 corner and get on the brakes or just get more drives before you grab that next
02:07 gear. If you're familiar with the KLX 300 and KLX 300 supermoto you'll know that
02:13 for 2024 these bikes have not changed dramatically it's mostly styling updates
02:17 for both of these models. They've now have new plastics, new colors, a new seat,
02:23 a new headlight cowl with an LED headlight and an LED tail light. So really
02:28 today was more about which person should buy a dual sport and which person should
02:32 buy a supermoto. Both of these offer really similar riding experiences. Both
02:37 of them have a really neutral riding position they're very flickable, agile,
02:40 very approachable. They're not very powerful but they still have a nice
02:45 chug ability. Another thing that's really great about these bikes is the
02:49 affordability. But that's something that's nice about a dual sport or a
02:52 supermoto is that if you drop them replacing the plastics on a dual sport
02:57 is gonna be a lot more affordable and easier than replacing something like a
03:02 Ninja 400 fairing. So what should you choose a supermoto or a dual sport? For
03:07 me I'm more of a dirt guy so I've always leaned a little bit more towards a dual
03:11 sport and you can still kind of get supermoto-y on the dual sport but for
03:16 those coming from more of a street background who really want to take
03:20 advantage of that extra grip for no stoppies, larger wheelies, backing it in
03:24 and just putting the power down on a twisty canyon road the supermoto is
03:28 gonna be the choice. But again both of these bikes will do a lot. They're very
03:33 flexible, very versatile, they're approachable, accessible and they're just
03:37 really fun bikes to ride whether you're a beginner or all the way up to you know
03:41 an expert rider. Look for the link in the description for a more in-depth review.
03:45 If you enjoyed this video hit that like button and drop a comment below. I'll get
03:49 back to you. Let me know what you think. Are you a dual sport guy or you supermoto
03:53 guy? Let me know.
03:55 Thanks for watching!
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03:59 Thanks for watching!
04:01 Please subscribe!
04:03 (wind blowing)
04:06 (lion growling)