Kawasaki KLX 230 First Ride Review – Dual Sport for All Roads!

Kawasaki’s proper off-road machines are on the expensive side, and if you own one, you also need a pickup truck or trailer to transport them to your off-road riding destination. Lots of hassle, which is the reason behind Kawasaki introducing the KLX 230 in India. We recently experienced off-road cycling, albeit for a short time, and here are our first impressions.

The KLX 230 looks identical to the 230R S but gets additional parts to make it roadworthy. These include a headlamp, a license plate holder, grab rails, an LCD instrument cluster, dual-purpose tires and a support stand. As expected from Kawasaki, the fit and finish of the bike is top notch and looks nice in the bright Lime Green color scheme. In terms of features, the bike has an LCD screen with basic information that the rider can easily see. There’s also a USB charging port offered as part of the official accessories.

The KLX is a slim, purpose-built motorcycle with excellent ergonomics for off-road use. The seat height is 880 mm and the ground clearance is 265 mm. The wide handlebar and slim profile of the seat ensure that standing on the pegs and riding off-road feels natural. The suspension is soft, so it gives a little sag when the rider gets on the horse, making it easier for shorter riders to ride. There is also an accessory seat that reduces the seat height by 14 mm.

The peripheral features a 233cc engine that produces 18.1 PS and 18.3 Nm of maximum torque. I spent most of my time in the first two gears while tackling the trails and felt it was a very useful and fun bike. This engine is mated to a six-speed transmission, so it should be capable of highway cruising as well. This is something we will test when we have the bike for a longer period of time. The engine performs well at low and mid-range revs, paired with a light curb weight of 139 kg, providing an engaging driving experience. Clutch action is also light and shifting gears in the gearbox feels slick. What remains to be seen now is how it performs in the city. The fuel tank capacity of the KLX 230 is 7.6 litres, which is small but acceptable as this is a dedicated off-road machine. Kawasaki claims that the bike has a riding range of around 250 km on a full tank.

The bike uses a 21-inch front wheel with 240 mm of wheel travel and an 18-inch rear wheel with 250 mm of wheel travel, giving it excellent off-road capabilities. It can traverse off-road sections with precision and glide over rough terrain with ease. The suspension is well tuned and settles perfectly when going through unpredictable off-road sections and after landing from big jumps. There are MRF dual-purpose tires that can strike a good balance between on-road and off-road driving, but if a rider is going to use it only off-road, they should replace these tires with a more grippy off-road tire. will allow them to take full advantage of the chassis’ capabilities.

While this is definitely a fun machine to experience, it all depends on how much it’s priced. For now, bookings for the token amount of Rs 5,000 are open and prices will be officially announced in December. The motorcycle will mainly compete with models like the Xpulse 200, so if Kawasaki wants to shake things up with the KLX 230, they will have to make sure it is priced competitively. The bike comes as a CKD unit, so we can expect a price tag between ₹2.50 to ₹2.70 lakh (ex-showroom). Kawasaki can even localize the product according to demand. Anything above Rs 3 lakh and the KLX will be too expensive for the target audience, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed hoping for a competitive price tag.