With its reliable engine, comfortable geometry and affordable price, Kawasaki’s KLX250 series is one of the best and most affordable 250cc options around. Never leaving well enough alone, we set out to “ADVMotize” this already great bike into something with higher performance. In the process, we also made it more comfortable and usable to a wider range of riders and purposes. A KLX you could take to the store, on dirt trails, or around the world…and not have to be over six feet tall to ride.

GEOMETRY AND COMFORT

If you followed our ADVersys project, you may already be familiar with how we love to play with wheels. One of the scariest problems for many riders is a bike that’s too tall for off-roading. Balancing several hundred pounds of hot steel on tiptoes is tough enough on pavement, let alone on loose, uneven surfaces. And, dirt exacerbates this problem, especially for beginning adventure riders. To help solve this, we started with a stock KLX250SF, the motard version, with the benefits of a 1" shorter, but stiffer suspension, 9" of suspension travel, a friendlier seat height floor, and an upgraded 300mm front rotor— good for stopping with the added weight of luggage.

The KLX250SF after stage one. Now much more dirt capable.

To keep things simple, we kept the 17" rear wheel, but performed a front 2" front upgrade from the wheel maestros at Woody’s Wheel Works, giving the bike a 17/19-inch combo. After testing by several riders of various sizes, backgrounds and skill levels, we ultimately ended up loving the ability to flat foot the bike while still having enough ground clearance for trail riding. Woody’s built the wheel with a Rad Manufacturing billet hub, heavy-duty spokes, and a black Excel Takasago rim, making it strong enough for bikes twice the KLX’s weight. The wide 2.5" rim width mounted with Vee Rubber’s dual-sport 163s, results in a nicely predictable ride on the street, perfectly capable of soaking up the bumps on gravel and trail.

The front 17" motard rim was a bit crazy when mated to the oversize 300mm rotor (only on the SF), but the 19" mod tamed the brake’s performance to a friendlier level, while lifting the front end a bit—all adding up to an overall more comfortable ride. If you’re going for more dirt-oriented feel, it may be worth putting a 2.15" wide rear, and a 19" rim on the front, which runs a bit narrower and may give you a lighter wheel with quicker steering.

Not being a large bike means that many of the dimensions are rather small, this includes the location of the mirrors, which hinders the ability to see what’s going on behind you. Although many dirt riders often remove their mirrors altogether, those looking to get daily use, especially in traffic or on highways, will appreciate SW-Motech’s beautifully finished mirror extenders.

PERFORMANCE

Woody's Wheelwork 19" front wheel is bulletproof on this 250.Perhaps the biggest complaint about the KLX250 is its severely restricted performance settings from the EPA-compliant factor. Although this is a very common problem in small one-lungers, there are a few options available. After testing several of them, we went with the Dynojet KLX300 carb kit, which has a dramatically more progressive taper to the needle, delivering power much faster off the throttle… especially when mated to the 128 main jet.

Hot gas exiting the engine has fewer problems thanks to Flying Machine Factory’s (FMF) Q4 exhaust muffler and PowerBomb header. Both stainless pieces are beautifully crafted, and provide a wonderful exhaust note, while shaving several pounds off the bike. Although the rear passenger heel standoff had to be moved out about half an inch to make room for the fatter pipe, installation was easy, and the hardware is top notch.

We’re bound to use the extra power now on tap, so oil maintenance is even more important. Changing the oil under various conditions on long distance, especially international rides, will inevitably mean that oil filters won’t be available at some point. While paper filters are cheap and easy to come by in developed nations, having a washable stainless steel filter version pretty much solves the availability problem. The Moose stainless filter fits great, and provides piece of mind knowing this critical component can be reused no matter where you are.

LUGGAGE AND PROTECTION

Givi's 33 liter Trekker is great for commuting or short off-road trips.Nothing hinders rideability more than damage incurred from impacts. Despite the capabilities of the KLX250, very few armor manufacturers offer robust accessories for this steed. Due to TCI’s deep appreciation of the KLX, they’ve developed probably the most complete line of accessories, luggage and body armor for the bike today. 

Starting up top, their Adventure Touring Windscreen works wonderfully, doing a great job of keeping the chill off, even for a 6-foot plus rider. While not very sporty looking, its functionality can’t be denied. But, if you don’t plan on much sustained highway riding, or winter commuting, then the same mount can be used to install a nifty front rack over the headlight—a great place to put a video camera and tool kit.

TCI’s Skid Plate and Engine Guard combo are very solid, and can be used separately. If you plan on off-road riding, a skid plate is recommended. And, TCI’s radiator guards help ensure that you get home with coolant in the engine. The quality of construction and finish are excellent throughout the TCI product line, but we wish their installation manuals were better written. 

TCI’s Borrego rack is also very strong, and wide enough to accommodate any load you’d want to put on a 250cc. But, it requires the replacement of the OEM bolts, and also makes seat removal a bit trickier in the field (especially if you drop or lose the small spacers). To be fair, there’s not many sturdy places to attach a rack on the KLX, so it’s still making the best of a tough situation—an issue that’s common on many bikes for accessory manufacturers. 

On top of the rear rack, and mostly to accommodate commuting and photography equipment, we fitted one of the new Givi TRK33N Trekkers, and were impressed with its overall strength, style and multi-use functionality. Although adding top cases to dual-sport bikes doesn’t seem to be in style, it is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to triple the daily utility of your bike.  

For extended trips on small bikes, soft luggage makes a lot of sense, and there are a few options worth exploring—especially Wolfman’s modular systems, or Giant Loop’s Coyote tail bag. We installed a Giant Loop Diablo tank bag, which looks like it was made just for the KLX. The removable base exposes the No-Toil billet venting gas cap perfectly, and the bag itself is waterproof—large enough to hold your keys, wallet, phone, snacks and some water. Upgrading to the Fandango, for more room, is easy and uses the same base! 

Last, but definitely not least, long-range trips need more fuel than the tiny two-gallon stock fuel tank can handle. Clarke, Acerbis and IMS all offer tank options for KLX250 models, but only IMS uses the OEM plastics, requiring no modification to install. Moving from 1.9 to three gallons is a big jump in range, but also adds some extra wind protection, and makes it easier to pinch the tank with your legs during out-of-the-saddle riding.

CONCLUSION

"...we ultimately ended up loving the ability to flat foot the bike while still having enough ground clearance for trail riding."Like any project bike, not all of the bits and pieces we added will be necessary for some riders. However, we can safely say that having a modern, lightweight dual-sport bike, with a low seat height, capable of real trail riding, commuting, and some two-lane overlanding, is a largely ignored design from the factories. The ADVMoto project KLX250SF is proving to be a real crowd pleaser!

Now that we’ve made ourselves a good KLX250 for street, travel and trail riding… what’s next? Look for more power, comfort and gnarlier tires from the KLX250SF as we take this project bike a little farther down the road!

PARTS LIST

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Read: KLX250SF - Part II, Click HERE!