• 2 days ago
The 2025 Kawasaki KLX230R and KLX230R S are all about fun, accessibility, and adventure. With improved low-end torque and a playful chassis, these trail bikes offer the perfect balance of performance and approachability. Whether you're a beginner looking for confidence or an experienced rider wanting a lightweight, flickable ride, the KLX230R lineup delivers. The updated ergonomics, soft suspension, and manageable power make it easy to get out and play—just as Kawasaki intended. Load up, hit the trails, and enjoy the ride! #KLX230R #Kawasaki #trailriding

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Transcript
00:00We just wrapped up the day riding the 2025 Kawasaki KLX230R and KLX230RS, the short version.
00:09Behind me is the new KLX230R, heavily updated for model year 2025. Kawasaki has done a lot to
00:15update this bike, not only to give it a little bit more performance, but to also make it just
00:19a little bit more approachable and accessible to new and beginning riders. Updates to the engine,
00:25there's now a counterbalancer, smoothing out the vibration, airbox has been redesigned,
00:31subframe has been redesigned, all new styling, making it a little bit more aggressive,
00:35kind of matching the KX250 and KX450 motocross bikes, giving it just that aggressive look.
00:40You got some real nice Dunlop tires on here, Sports D952, see a big chunky knobby hooking up,
00:47nice. The levers have actually been shortened too on both sides to give it a little bit of a more
00:51modern look, but also prevent it from hanging out a little too far if you have a tip over and
00:56bend or break your lever. The fuel tank is now larger too, right around two gallons I believe.
01:01Suspension has also been updated, I believe valving and springs. Seat height is now shorter
01:06as well. 230R and 230RS that we'll ride later have both have reduced seat heights for 2025.
01:13Now all the bikes have this key ignition and a gas cap that you got to use the key for.
01:18It used to be only the California models, but now all 50 states have it, which I like actually,
01:22like if you weren't camping, you know, you know, overnight you can just pull the key,
01:25bring it in your tent, not have to worry about your annoying friends stealing your bike or
01:30something. Both bikes $4,999, really good price point. We're going to go throw the helmet on and
01:36see what this thing's like to ride. All right, we're getting our first time on the 2025 Kawasaki
01:43KLX 230R. I've always loved the bike. It was a little bit vibratey, some kind of old school
01:49feeling. This counterbalancer, it's a lot smoother. I noticed that instantly. For some reason, it
01:54almost feels like it revs a little quicker too. Still a two valve head, but just a little bit
01:59more lively and free revving. There's also been updates to the suspension and the subframe. The
02:05suspension, they actually revised the valving and the spring rates. It's feeling really agile. It
02:11turns into the corner really easily. It's got a short wheelbase, lower center of gravity,
02:16transfers onto the side of the tire really nicely. Just kind of look where you want to go and it's
02:21just an easy bike to turn and steer. Makes it super confidence inspiring and just like a nice
02:26little torquey engine, puts the power down really well. This is a recreation bike, you know, it's
02:31not, but even there, you know, this fork did not bottom. It's really comfortable, absorbs it nicely,
02:37but has enough holdup for jumping and stuff like that. But yeah, the whole thing here is this bike
02:43is like a play recreation bike. It needs to be, you know, approachable and accessible for the
02:48new and beginning riders. But then Kawasaki emphasized that they still wanted to have some
02:54performance to entertain the experienced riders. And that's what I like about the soft suspension.
02:59It makes the bike really playful. You know, you can kind of bounce around the trail, but then it
03:03also helps keep and maintain traction. Another thing too, is I'm about 5'7", 125 pounds. The
03:11suspension doesn't feel overly soft for me. It's just right for this kind of play riding. And then
03:16also the rider triangle. For me, I'm standing up right now. I feel like I'm in a really good
03:21aggressive standing riding position. Some of these downhills, the brakes are really nice and touchy.
03:26Lock up the rear, skid into a corner, load the front. There's almost like a mountain bike style
03:31trail. And this thing is just so fun to ride on this stuff. It doesn't feel too big for the trail
03:36or too powerful. They actually reduced the wheelbase on both the R that I'm on and the RS,
03:42which are the gray bikes we have today. This helps make the thing turn like a tight corner like that.
03:48Just come in, make the corner. Both bikes, the R and the RS is available in both colors. This
03:54lime green and they call it battle gray. This is not just a beginner's bike. This is
04:00just a fun play bike for an experienced rider, kind of a toy maybe. Or if you haven't been riding
04:06a long time and you want to just get back into the sport, this is a really good option. It's just fun.
04:11All right, now I am on the 230 RS, the gray bike here, shorter version. Shorter seat height,
04:19little bit less suspension travel, but same chassis, same engine, same suspension components.
04:25Definitely a similar riding experience. Maybe the suspension almost feels just slightly stiffer,
04:32but by no means is it harsh or anything. It's just a little subtlety there. A little bit
04:39lower center of gravity. I believe the wheelbase is actually slightly shorter on this one. A little
04:44bit more agile, but just barely. They both are very similar. Same braking components. Man,
04:50these brakes are good. The rider triangle standing up, it doesn't really feel too different
04:55for me. Maybe you feel a little bit more over the front, especially on a downhill with a little less
04:59travel, maybe deeper in the stroke. I think either way, you can't really go wrong. It does seem like
05:05it kind of can just, you can steer the front with a lot of handlebar input a little bit easier than
05:10on the other bike. It's really splitting hairs between these two. Let's see. Surprisingly,
05:16the suspension did not bottom there. That's nice. Good direct throttle response,
05:21blowing up a berm, kicking up some dust. It's got a six-speed transmission. Yeah, I think for me,
05:27I like the suspension action for just a little bit of a faster pace on the R a little bit better.
05:32These are kind of those areas where the R was kicking me in the butt on some downhills with
05:36some bumps like that. Right there, some of this chop. Yeah, a little bit harsher feeling in my
05:40hands. You're going to kind of charge bumps on the RS than on the R. The saying for this bike is
05:46get out and play. And that's exactly how it feels. All right, I got three pros ahead of me right
05:52here. I got Axel, Sean, and Leonardo. I think that's how it's pronounced. A couple of Monster
05:57Energy athletes. They're having fun on these things too. Big updates to this platform for 2025.
06:03They really pumped some R&D into this bike and just made it even better. One of the updates I
06:08noticed and appreciated the most was the updates to the engine. They have that primary balancer
06:14that reduced the vibration. Something that I kind of knocked the bike for in the past. Being just a
06:19little bit buzzy and vibrating. It's air-cooled single. Obviously, there's going to be some
06:23vibrations and buzzing, but a lot less for 2025. You get some internal updates, some ECU tuning
06:29to increase the load of mid-range torque. And that's something I noticed very quickly while
06:34riding the bike. It always had good mid-range in the past, but the bottom end, you had to get the
06:40thing past 2,000 or 3,000 RPM or so. Really get into that mid-range and keep it happy. Now, this
06:45thing, right off idle, just has a super good, just hunchy feeling, and tractable. And yeah,
06:50whether you're popping a wheelie over an obstacle, or sliding a corner, or blowing up a berm,
06:56it just has a really nice direct feel and throttle response. Expansion updates. The bike is still
07:02super plush, which I really appreciate out of a play bike. It absorbs the bumps in the road and
07:06the trail really nicely, especially at moderate paces. And then it has holdup if you're kind of
07:11charging through stuff or you're jumping it. Yeah, I bottomed it out a couple times, kind of
07:16jumped into flat, but kind of got to expect that. They shortened the wheelbase, made the steering
07:21geometry a little bit sharper, and it's just such an agile motorcycle. Changes direction super
07:27easily, and that's kind of the theme here. Accessible, approachable, beginner-friendly
07:32motorcycle, but it still has plenty of performance to entertain the experienced, or even pro riders.
07:38You can pass it over to your friends or family members that are less experienced. It's going to
07:43be a very confidence-inspiring motorcycle. It's not going to scare them, and just a great segue
07:48into off-road riding. I like the R a little bit better, just the additional suspension travel
07:53for jumping and that kind of stuff. Don't overlook this bike. You're not too good to be
07:57riding a KLX 230R. If you enjoyed the video, consider subscribing to let me know if you
08:02have any questions about the bike, which one you would get, the R or the RS. Drop a comment below,
08:08we'll get back to you. Thanks for watching. We'll see you in the next one.