2005 KX250F		2005 KX250F
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MN Off-Road Test - 2005 Kawasaki KX250F
Model Details

Kawasaki 2005 KX250F
An easy bike to ride, and one of the most enjoyable as well
Kawasaki launched their sole 4-stroke motocrosser just last season. We were lucky to sample the new model early on with other magazines. Our conclusion – we loved it. It’s easy to ride, has extremely well balanced suspension and terrific over-rev - the 250F impressed us in every way.  It must have impressed many of our readers as well, as our video of the bike has been downloaded thousands of times. So many times in fact – the boss is pissed-off because the hosting company raised our fees for all of the bandwidth we’re using.

The 2004 250F roosted out of dealer showrooms early in the season, but it soon became apparent that some bikes were experiencing overheating problems. Aftermarket companies came to the rescue and rushed various fixes to market for the apparent problem. It’s difficult to determine just how wide spread, or not, the problem was as everybody modified their bike, usually without ever experiencing a single problem. With that said, Kawasaki went to work on addressing any and all possible consumer issues for the 2005 model.

Refining the KX250F for 2005 didn’t require a lot as it was already a fine package. However, this didn’t keep Kawasaki from doing even more to upgrade the model. First, the radiator size was increased, and third and fourth gears (another rumored possible trouble area) were shotpeened for greater durability. This is all Kawasaki really needed to address for 05, but they went much further.

The exhaust port inside the liquid-cooled 249cc four-stroke engine was straightened and both the exhaust and intake ports were worked over to help deliver more low and mid-range power. Ignition timing was revised and what was already great over-rev was improved further by the use of a spark drop-out control.

The clutch received new friction plates, more durable clutch springs, and a Teflon lined cable for even smoother operation. In the chassis department, the steering head area was made thicker for better steering, the footpegs made wider, and the chain guide roller now uses two bearings rather than one. The 48mm inverted Kayaba cartridge fork now uses lower friction seals, the handlebar mount has been widened to prevent the bars from bending as easily and the front brake uses a new pad material for improved performance.

If that isn’t enough changes for you motorheads, the seat got a new non-slip top covering and is slightly raised near the middle for easier transitioning up over the tank. The Kawasaki green plastic has also been enhanced to stand out even more – if that’s even possible.

Powered by a 249cc, DOHC Four-Stroke single cylinder mill, the 204 lb. 250F features a 5-speed transmission, four valves, and a Keihin FCR37 carburetor. The perimeter style frame carries 48mm inverted Kayaba cartridge forks with 16-way compression and rebound adjustment and 11.8 ins. of travel. The rear is suspended by a single shock Uni-Trak system with 16-way compression and rebound adjustment as well. Rear suspension travel is 12.2 ins.

We couldn’t wait to throw a leg over the 2005 model, as we were stoked over the 04 machine. Just like last year, our riders took to the 250F like green takes to grass. The new seat cover and slightly altered seat shape both worked well for all of our riders. This is one fun, easy-to-ride and forgiving machine.  The chassis just fits most riders well, instilling lots of confidence. Our riders instantly felt comfortable roosting around Southern California’s Cahuilla Creek MX Park’s mostly sand motocross track. What’s more, the little 250 4-stroke has more low-end and mid-range power, just as Kawasaki claims. The once wonderful top end is still there, and the over-rev properties of the engine are enhanced as well - almost seamlessly blending into the engine’s power characteristics. You’re not forced to shift this baby to make it to the next corner, like with the Honda CRF250R, just hold it on and it’ll rev till you get there. The most remarkable thing about the KX250F may be it’s power plant. With a good low-end and mid-range hit, as well as a strong and free spinning top-end punch, the stock 250F delivers a wide powerband and easily makes enough power to blast around this soft, power robbing track. The exhaust note was quite raspy sounding last season, and some riders told us they didn’t like the bike because of that. For 2005, the raspy sound has been tamed substantially.

A motocross machine this fun to ride must have a lot more going for it than a great engine, and the 250F does. The somewhat softly sprung, almost plush suspension is superbly balanced and soaks up everything you throw at it. Our expert riders could land So Cal’s Elsinore MX tracks huge jumps without any fuss, the KX soars nicely and feels neutral in the air. Slower riders can come up short while sorting out a new track without much fuss as well. All this, and we never needed to change the suspension settings when switching between riders. The only change we made from stock was adding one click to the compression damping in the rear – that’s it. We tried to find something we didn’t like about the KX suspension, but the closest we could get is that it lands a little hard, or slams a bit more than we’d like, on flat landings or when hitting square edge obstacles.

The 2005 Kawasaki 250F has received a bad rap this season for it’s front forks – but we like them. When pushed hard by fast riders the suspension is certainly on the soft side, but this is one of the things that makes this bike so nice for novice and intermediate riders. The easy-to-use power output makes things easier for these riders as well. The terrific over-rev would make this our engine of choice for any long distance off-road events. The KX250F doesn’t have a monster mid-range power hit, but this makes the bike easier to ride when riding lap after lap for conditioning, or when you are just plain worn out.

In the handling department the KX works as nicely as the suspension. Steering is light and precise, though the 2005 Honda will turn a sharper line for sure. From cutting an inside line to roosting an outside berm, the KX does follow rider input well. The brakes are very strong as well, though we could use a little more feel and feedback to the rider. We had no complaints with the revamped tire pattern, but the kick-start lever resides too darn high – even for tall riders.

The KX package is finished off with smooth and precise clutch action, excellent shifting, nicely chosen gear ratios, and easy starting - most of the time. A few times when the bike was hot and our rider tired, it didn’t want to fire. With its easy to use engine characteristics, well-balanced suspension, and excellent handling the KX250F rates an A from us. Few bikes are as easy and enjoyable to ride – and we didn’t have to touch a thing on the bike during our testing period. An expert can ride this bike fast (though he’ll want to stiffen up the suspension), a novice can take it slower and learn to ride in relaxed and reassuring fashion – without a huge hit in the mid-range to rip him, or her, off the bike. Either way, the 2005 KX250F delivers the goods – unfortunately we couldn’t come up with a good excuse to keep our bike in the MN shop any longer. The KX250F is fun to ride and we didn’t want to see it go. We didn’t care if we were tired or it was getting dark (we closed down the track a few times), we just wanted to ride the 250F – and that pretty much says it all.
MN

Model Details 2004 KX250F | 2004 KX250F Video

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