NEW KAWASAKI DUAL SPORT BREAKS COVER
awasaki New Zealand has announced
that we’ll soon be joined by an all-new
Dual Sport machine in August, with the
new KLX230 sporting the modern features
needed to ensure it survives the coming new
regulations we face.
Developed jointly with Bosch, the 2020 KLX230
features Kawasaki’s first ABS system developed
specifically for both road and off-road
applications. That means the bike won’t be
facing the imminent demise of other – and you
could say much loved – road legal trail bikes
due to the overwhelming lack of ABS in much
of the segment.
Apart from the mandated whiz-bang nanny
aid, however, Kawasaki has kept the rest of the
KLX230 as a simple machine. At its heart is a
fuel injected 233cc air-cooled four-stroke single
which is wrapped in a tubular steel frame.
While the bike will be road-legal, Kawasaki
says the all-new frame was designed from the
start with off-road riding use in mind and offers
the handling stability needed for confident
trail riding.
Wheel choice is straight out of the trail bike
guidebook with an 18-inch rear and 21-inch
front wheel combo wrapped in 4.10-18 and
2.75-21 tyres respectively.
When it comes to suspension, Big Green
has kept the formula simple again, opting
for long-travel suspension front and rear
(250mm/251mm) with 300mm of ground
clearance. In terms of hardware, up front are
37mm telescopic forks while out back is the
expected Uni-Trak mono-shock.
Importantly, Kawasaki NZ says that the KLX230
does not replace the recently reborn KLX250S
which returned to the Kiwi marketplace in the
last year. With Kawasaki now boasting a multi-
purpose ABS system, we can assume that the
250 will receive it in the near future too. Pricing
on the KLX230 is yet to be announced, with the
first bikes expected in dealers in August.
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KIWI RIDER 23