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Kawasaki KLX 300R

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Make Model

Kawasaki KLX 300R

Year

1997 - 99

Engine

Four stroke, single cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve

Capacity

292 cc / 17.9 cu-in
Bore x Stroke 78 x 61.2 mm
Cooling System Liquid cooled, 50% distilled water & 50% ethylene glycol base antifreeze
Compression Ratio 11.0:1

Induction

Keihin CVK34, constant velocity, diaphragm

Ignition 

Digital CDI
Starting Kick

Max Power

33 hp / 24.1 kW @ 8500 rpm

Max Torque

28.4 Nm @ 7500 rpm
Clutch Wet, multi-disc, manual

Transmission

6 Speed 
Final Drive Chain, 520, O-ring, 14-tooth front, 50-tooth rear
Gear Ratio  1st (30/10) 2nd (30/15) 3rd (27/18) 4th (25/20) 5th (21/20) 6th (19/21)
Frame High tensile steel perimeter

Front Suspension

43mm inverted cartridge fork, 20-way compression damping
Front Wheel Travel 285 mm / 11.2 in

Rear Suspension

Single shock, 20-way compression damping and 18-way rebound damping
Rear Wheel Travel 280 mm / 11.0 in

Front Brakes

Single 250mm disc 2 piston caliper

Rear Brakes

Single 220mm disc 1 piston caliper

Front Tyre

80/100-21

Rear Tyre

100/100-18
Rake 26.5°
Trail 106 mm / 4.2 in
Wheelbase  1435 mm / 56.5 in
Seat Height 924.5 mm / 36.4 in
Ground Clearance 320 mm / 12.6 in

Dry Weight

105 kg / 231.5 lbs

Fuel Capacity 

10 Litres / 2.6 US gal

We're willing to bet that most off-road enthusiasts are acutely aware of this by now, but in case you haven't heard, two-stroke off-road vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1997 are now prohibited from operation on public lands in California. For those of you operating two-stroke machinery outside of the Golden State take note, for this may very well foreshadow the future of off-road vehicle design. Sure, consumer demand still influences direction of the motorsport market, but laws have a funny way of creating rapid change. No need to remember the Alamo, just think back to when three-wheelers were on showroom floors. It's a raw deal for many reasons but let's face it - are you really going to wait for clean-burning two-stroke machines to go into mass production? Give us a call when they're ready - we'll be out enjoying the latest thumpers until then.

Different Strokes

A while back we were invited by Kawasaki to their KLX300R introduction in Idaho. We were so completely delighted by the bike's handling prowess that we hurried to compare it side by side with one of our all-time favorite four-stroke trail bikes - Honda's XR400R. The XR is powerful, nimble, and way too much fun. Both bikes present great values, but which one is right for you and why?

Apples to Oranges We admit that comparing a single cylinder motorcycle to another that has nearly 100cc of additional displacement may initially seem unfair. However, we found that given the proper conditions the KLX could hang with the Honda. Sure, we initially considered throwing the XR250R in the ring, but after spending considerable saddle time on the smaller Honda and the Kawasaki, it's clear that a fair fight would have to include the 400.
Let's get the displacement issue out of the way. Using the highly accurate MO Dynojet dynamometer to measure rear wheel torque and horsepower, we've generated plots to illustrate the unique power characteristics of each bike:
 

Source Motorcycle.com