It’s pretty obvious that there is a huge market for the smaller entry-level play bikes, as every manufacturer has numerous models in this category, and Kawasaki is no different. In previous years, though, they haven’t had a bike to compete with some of the other middle-line bikes in the category—namely Yamaha’s TT-R125. For 2008, Kawasaki has decided to step it up, now offering an all-new bike—the KLX140.
With heavy influence from the bigger KX models in the line up, Kawasaki put their best engineers on the job when designing the new KLX140, and it shows.
Beginning with the motor, Kawasaki engineers started from the ground up, and built an engine that is completely new. With a lot of focus being put on younger beginner riders, Kawasaki opted to make the air-cooler 144cc four-stroke engine electric start, which makes the bike much simpler to get going. Also aimed at younger riders is the fact that the bike has an easy-to-use manual clutch, which is made to help younger riders learn how to use the clutch and shift properly. The clutch also features a two-stage engagement that allows for half-clutch use under low-rpm conditions, thereby making it easier to use while riding slow through tight sections or if a young rider is just learning to ride.
Moving on to the chassis and suspension, which is where Kawasaki used a lot of their technology from the bigger KX bikes, the KLX features a box-section perimeter frame that is highly rigid and uses the same upper tubes as the KLX250S. The front forks are 33mm—a full two millimeters bigger than the KLX’s closest competitor the Yamaha TT-R—and are also fully adjustable with model-specific spring rates and dampening settings. As for the shock, it differs between the big wheel and small wheel versions of the KLX, with the better fully adjustable shock with a piggyback reservoir, 4-way compression dampening, and 22-way rebound damping can be found on the big wheel 140L version of the bike. This more advanced shock, however, can be mounted on the smaller KLX. To bring the bike to a stop it, both the L and regular version comes equipped with petal disc brakes on the front and rear, just like the larger KXs. In fact, the front brake system is the same exact size as the one found on the KX250F and KX450F.
Finally, it’s easy to see that the styling of the KLX is very advanced and modern. Like we said, a lot of influence for the design of this bike came from the bigger KX bikes in the line up, and it’s painfully obvious in the appearance of the bike. The plastics look very modern and aggressive, while the exhaust system is equally so, featuring a longer, curved design to help maximize length and overall power.
Above this write-up you’ll find a short video featuring the two KLX140 models in action. We elected to just showcase the bikes in this fashion, because after all, they’re all about having fun. If you want to know more about the little KLX or when the bike will be released, which should be in a few weeks, visit www.kawasaki.com.
SPECS:
Price KLX140/KLX140L $2,699/$2,999
Engine Four-stroke SOHC, Two-valve single
Displacement 144cc
Bore x Stroke 58.0 x 54.5mm
Cooling Air
Carburetion Keihin PB20
Compression ratio 9.5:1
Ignition CDI
Transmission Five-speed with wet multi-disc manual clutch
Final Drive Chain
Frame High-tensile steel, box-section perimeter
Rake/Trail 27 degrees/3.3 in (KLX140)/3.8 in (KLX140L)
Front Suspension 33mm telescopic fork
Rear Suspension KLX140 UNI-TRAK linkage system and single shock with five-way preload adjustability, (KLX140L) UNI-TRAK linkage system and single shock with five piggyback reservoir, fully adjustable preload and 22-way rebound dampening
Front Tire 70/100-17 (KLX140), 70/100-19 (KLX140L)
Rear Tire 90/100-14 (KLX140), 70/100-16 (KLX140L)
Front Brake Single 220mm petal disc with a dual-piston caliper
Rear Brake Single 186mm petal disc with single-piston caliper
Overall Length TBD
Overall Width TBD
Overall Height TBD
Wheelbase 48.6 in (KLX140)/50.6 in (KLX140L)
Ground Clearance 9.3 in (KLX140)/10.0 in (KLX140L)
Seat Height 30.7 in (KLX140)/31.5 in (KLX140L)
Dry Weight 194 lbs (KLX140)/198 lbs (KLX140L)
Fuel Capacity 1.5 gal
Color Lime green
