KAWASAKI KLX140L
RIDER:
RIDING TYPE:
ENGINE TYPE:
CAPACITY:
STARTER:
GEARBOX:
BRAKES:
SEAT HEIGHT:
WHEELBASE:
WEIGHT:
PRICE:
11-14yrs, beginner to intermediate
Paddock, trail, club days
Air-cooled, four-stroke, carburettor
144cc
Electric
Five speed, manual
Disc front, disc rear
800mm
1285mm
90kg
$5985
T
he KLX140L has a
19-inch front wheel and
16-inch hoop on the back,
and offers over 180mm of
travel at both ends of the
bike with 33mm forks up front and
a linkage suspension system in the rear.
Further making the bike an excellent bridge
machine, a rider can begin to experiment
with suspension tuning, as the shock has
22-way rebound damping adjustment,
C
oming from a race bike down
to a trail bike isn’t always easy,
but the KLX140 was so easy
to ride and, to be honest, I was
thinking that it was going to be
heavy, which would make sense
because of all the features packed into the
bike. I also thought it would slide around
in the mud and just be annoying to ride
but I was proved wrong. When I got on the
bike I hit the jump track and the KLX was
a lot easier to control than I expected. It
was a little heavy around tight corners but
I can’t see that being a problem on a trail
ride or riding on farmland. Then I rode it
along the flat track and the bike handled it
well. It was quite hard to lean into ruts, but
I guess that’s not important when you’re
out on the trails.
Having the electric start is so helpful – it
starts up so quickly and it never failed to
start – every time. The suspension on the
KLX140 is so plush and it never bottomed
out over the jumps. The seat is very nice
and soft and it would be perfect for a long
journey across farmland or other tough
terrain. Also the KLX140 comes with a
disk brake on the back – this is a great
feature to have because it makes you feel
safer and a lot more daring to have a good
time. Overall the bike has smooth throttle
response, plush suspension, great brakes
and is perfect for what it was built for.
CAMPBELL WHYTE
94KIWI RIDER
along with spring preload adjustment. Still,
the most important thing about a trail bike
like the Kawasaki KLX140L is that it is easy
to use, as well as reliable. It also has disc
brakes front and rear which are far better
than drum brakes that are on some other
brands, and require less maintenance. The
144cc four-stroke mill is also electric start.
This bike would be perfect for a young
person who lives on a farm and wants to
trail ride and maybe start doing some fun
day motocross races.
KIWI RIDER ARCHIVE