Love my 2023 kx250x amazing bike

i have a 21 kx250x and love it strongly recommend

It's literally my dream spec , nice keep it up sir!

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Will do!

Great video!

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Preach it dude! I had a Yz250fx in 21 went to ktm 350xcf in 22. This yr im on the same bike as you. I loved the engine in the 350 but i hated the airforks. The new kawi just ticks all the boxes for me. I love how narrow it feels like the ktm but still brings the KYB butter to the table. I couldn’t be happier with the bike and I recommend it to anyone who will listen. You cant beat it for the price point!

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Rocky! Stoked to hear that you're loving your 250X! I think people are drunk for the Austrian brands. I understand the draw, they make really good bikes and they actually invest in their off-road products. But you can't discount the Japanese brands, they make amazing motorcycles as well! With all the options we have these days, it not a bad time to be a rider.

One of the best breakdowns and real-world perspectives of this bike I've seen. I'm currently bike shopping, and trying to decide between a new 300 TBI or this bike. I grew up racing Kawi my whole life (I'm 39 now). The cross country and enduro scene here in Texas is dominated by Orange. I would be mainly riding with my son, and the occasional XC or Enduro race. When I quit racing almost 20 years ago I was an expert level offroad racer. In my opinion, 95% of riders and even racers would be better suited with a 250 4t. Thanks again for the excellent breakdown.

@harry_lyles

5 ай бұрын

Thanks man! Well price is a big factor. I even bought another one of these and did everything you could possibly do to it without engine work and it is still way cheaper than a stock ktm 300 out the door haha! Got the ECU done up and it has more than enough power for me i race 30+ A.

Great build, thanks for sharing! I've got a 2021 KX250X set up very similar to yours. Did you mod your Acerbis skid plate? It looks like the linkage cover may be removed?

Just recently bought one of these, and the larger tank and skid plate are the first go toos. Have you seen any lighting setups on the 2023 model yet? Loved the video and thanks for the ideas

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

It'd be fun to do, but no lighting kit in the future for me. One thing to consider doing too is to get the chain guide mounts on the swing arm beefed up with some thick welds! I ripped the welds right off two weekends ago at a race which caused a dnf.

Hi there Harry, I'm looking really hard at this bike. I had a beat to crud 05 KTM 300 I bought new. A few years back I let go. Currently I'm on a 2012 Beta 498 dual sport. I was thinking another 300 but holy cow over 10K!! Right in the next section of the dealership they had this 250X way cheaper. I was wondering about the flywheel weight. Thanks for the review. I watched a few of your other videos of you ripping on this. Looks like a solid machine for my trail riding I do these days. Thank you Sir!!

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Ollie! The price/value of this bike is unbeatable in my opinion. Especially, since there is a nation wide sale at dealerships on all KX models. Those saving can help you build up the bike with all the off-road essentials and then some. They really got the fly wheel right on this bike. I can chug it way down without the motorcycle stalling and flame outs are VERY, VERY rare. So no issues there. You're gonna feel like a hero on this bike after coming off that big bore Beta!

Hey man I love the bike! Looks sick and definitely putting one on the wish list. You should try out one of the new KLX300R's they rip well. I have one with a PC system plus injections tuning and its a whole new bike! really woke it up and im really happy with it, such a versatile bike! the price of those brand new is extrememly cheap if youre looking for an even more economical option that will perform well. quite an underrated bike!

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Ned! You know what, I was actually telling my buddies the other day that the KLX300R would be an awesome trail bike for scouting new terrain and burning in new trails with. I'll stick to my KX for racing, but I'd love to get my hands on one to test that theory!

@nedbergmeier8053

Жыл бұрын

@@harry_lyles Can't wait to see one up your channel! ;)

@the_beast4107

Жыл бұрын

how did you tune the bike

@nedbergmeier8053

Жыл бұрын

@@the_beast4107 I bought a Dynojet Power Commander 5 and plugged it into the ecu.

How do you like the radiator braces? I bought another brand and they don't exactly fit that great. Kinda wishing I would have gone with the works connection braces and keep the factory louvers up front. Great looking bike and good video. I love my '23 KX250 - great bikes! Great time to be a rider, no real bad (new) bikes out there.

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Thanks David! Yeah, I really like the WC braces, they are sleek and they work awesome. I've laid down the bike plenty of times and the radiators are still in great shape thanks to the braces.

How did you get the acerbis handguards on with the reservoir in the way? Im having that issue currently.

Been over 30 years since my last trails ride. I bought a 2021 KTM 350 XCFW with 5 hours and ready to buy a complimentary/buddy bike and it’s going to be a KX250X. Was close on the WR250F but I like the Kawi price and hydraulic clutch and power. Going to try and plate it as well, so looking for recommendations on a dual sport kit with lights, horn, and signals.

@harry_lyles

10 ай бұрын

That's awesome! Glad you were able to pick one up. Not sure where to get some dual-sport parts for this bike, but I'm sure Tusk makes some universal DS stuff that could work.

Just picked up a 21 for 4k

Harry, Question.........do you think those FCP engine mounts make the bike vibrate less while riding? I recently bought a 2023 KX250X and love it. I rode a 2023 Husqvarna TE300 and there was no vibration in the bike at all. I was amazed at how smooth that bike rode. $420 for 4 engine mounts seems like a lot of money but if it made my KX250X feel like that TE300 I'm sold! Thanks for your time and great videos!

@harry_lyles

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! The mounts are more for chassis feel rather than vibration. I didnt really notice a difference in vibration, but i wasn't really considering it when i tested them back to back to be honest. But i do feel like the mounts make a noticeable difference coming off the throttle into chops or sections with rocks. That's where i felt like the mounts shined and make the priced justified.

@dwightflandersjr426

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the reply and I appreciate your honest opinion! I will give FCP a call and talk to them some about the mounts. I do ride in rocky terrain in the Adirondack Mountains so they might still be worth getting. Thanks again and I will look for more of your videos!

@harry_lyles

11 ай бұрын

@@dwightflandersjr426 Nice! Kris at FCP will dial you in!

I got 2019 Kawasaki Z100 Café that I’m looking in ideally like to trade over to a Kawasaki 250 or 450 off-road bike

How is 1st gear i have really been thinking about getting one of these i have a yz250f first gear is to high for some of rough terain i have to go faster than i would like to have tourge

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

I'm running 13/50 gearing and I have no problem with my first gear and I use it a lot for all the super tech terrain here in AZ. I just cover the clutch with my index finger and let her eat. The 250X can chug down pretty low and not flame out either which was surprising for a small-bore four-stroke. I highly recommend getting one. Plus, you can't miss out on the deals that dealerships are having on these babies.

have you ever ridden a ktm 350 xcf? obviously completely different bracket than this bike. but ive had my eyes on either a 350 xcf or the kx250x. really curious which would be better for the west coast type riding i do. desert, hill riding, moto etc. if you have any thoughts id love to hear them! i do quite a bit of high speed stuff at ocotillo wells as well.

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Hi Jimmy, thanks for watching the vid! I've ridden the old 350s when they first came out and they are really impressive. A lot of my buddies are on the new gen 350s and they really enjoy them but most struggle with the air fork and end up doing a KYB conversion to make the bike work for them. Which to me, is a big turn off because of how expensive the KTMs already are and then to throw another $1,500 or more for a revalve and cartridge kit is a big bummer. The stock KYB stuff on the 250X is really good, I'm on the lighter side and I found a really good setting right away, even with the stock stuff. I'm in AZ now, but I grew up in the high desert so I'm very, very familiar with the west coast terrain and this bike is incredible for it. I'm currently running 13/50, one down from stock, and that's perfect for the single track trail riding and hare scramble/enduro racing I do, but if I would go out for a D37 desert race or H&H, I'd drop down to 13/48 so I could stretch out the gears for the higher speeds. I know it said it in the video, but the price is hard to beat compared to the KTM group brands. Kawasaki is having a huge nation wide sale on all KXs. $1000 off this 23' KX250X for example. Throw that grand you saved back into the bike with some aftermarket parts like some I added in the video and you have yourself a badass off-road bike! Long winded reply, but hopefully that helps! Feel free to reach out if you have any additional thoughts or questions!

@jimmyjizmejian7013

Жыл бұрын

this was very helpful. i appreciate your reply. i already really wanted a kawi. really the only thing holding me back was the fact that i really like the power of the 350’s and i also really like the six speed gearbox, as you said you did too in the video. but as you also said the price is really hard to beat for a bike that is a solid platform for west coat racing which is what i really want to do! thank you again! it really is great to get other people’s opinions beside just magazine tests and articles... now all that said, in the end we all have to agree, it would be sick if kawasaki made a kx350x with a 6 speed. wouldn’t it??

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

@@jimmyjizmejian7013 Oh 100%! Those 350s would be flying from dealers if they were made!

Wish it had a 6 speed trans and the Honda CRF250RX

@Blocanbentlyyahu

Жыл бұрын

Idk but I lowk prefer the 5 gear tranny even tho it’s more torquey it’s still good

@ridgeridermoto

8 ай бұрын

@@Blocanbentlyyahu close ratio 5 speed feels super powerful for sure. I have to say I wish my YZ250F had a 6th gear for desert, fire roads, etc. Top speed is ~58mph with 14/48 gearing. Wide ratio doesn't feel quite as punchy as close ratio but is worth it for trails IMO.

What coupler do you use and did you change any of the gearing?

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Hi Michael! I use the white coupler to get the most power out of it. In the future, I'll probably get an EDU for it with some better mapping. But it's pretty good as is. As for the gearing, I'm running a 13/50. Gives me a little top end speed and I can still use 1st when it gets techy and gnar. I felt with the stock 13/51 gearing, I was just out of the meat of the power and the chassis felt unsettled riding so high in the RPMs.

Thought of maybe a big bore kit in the near future?

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Naw, no need. It already has a strong enough motor package. I'm currently building up a second 23' KX250X now with a re-mapped ECU and a twin-air max air mod. I'll most likely create another video for this new bike.

Back and fourth on one of these and a 250 stroke. Do you think the 250 F has enough power?

@harry_lyles

6 ай бұрын

That's a can of worms! I've had both and both have pros and cons. I ride a lot of tight stuff in high dez and forest areas, so the 250f is perfect for me. I also like it because the power is manageable and it doesnt wear me out especially on a rough race course. Also, i weight 150lbs so it has plenty of ponies for me. It all depends on what you're riding, your skill level and weight.

Hey man where did you find your gas tank? I can not find one to fit my 23 250x no where.

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Dang sorry to hear, Mikel! I got my tank back in September. I also looked everywhere to find one for you but couldn't find anything in stock. Maybe ebay? Good luck!

@mikelcollins2701

Жыл бұрын

@@harry_lyles appreciate it very much

Just picked up a 2024 250x what map plug do you prefer

@harry_lyles

Ай бұрын

White for sure. I got another '23 250x and had the ecu done it. It's cleaned nicely since i mostly ride at 5,000-7,000ft

Just bought mine. Any cooling issues without running fans?

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Nope, this bike came with a 1.8 radiator cap. We ride some gnarly slow stuff here in northern AZ and I've never boiled over ever once. But I just got another kx250x and the new one came with a 1.1 which i though was weird because they are the same year bike.

@Gabe_Fe

Жыл бұрын

@@harry_lyles thanks for the reply!

Did you ride the CRF250RX or YZ250FX before deciding on the Kawasaki? Just wanted to get your opinion on how the Kawasaki compares.

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Hi Eric, great question. I wish I had the opportunity to try the other Japanese OEM off-road bikes but that wasn't in the cards for me. Full discloser, Kawi lent me this bike, but that doesn't make it immune to some feedback which i discussed in the video. But regardless, it's still been a really impressive motorcycle, even after 75 hours on the motor, I'm still loving it. Though, I'd love to give the YZ250FX a try, and I definitely take some good hard looks at them when I see them at the dealership. Thanks for watching, dude!

@ericgray8396

Жыл бұрын

@@harry_lyles That is the way to go if Kawasaki is going to give you a loaner bike. The points you made in the video about the KX250X being at a lower price point are what makes this bike attractive to me along with the engine update for 2023 to give it more low end. I don’t think it is that far off of the Yamaha or Honda price and performance wise but Kawasaki typically offers more rebates than Honda or Yamaha.

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

@@ericgray8396 Exactly, also Kawasaki is having a huge sale on all KX models right now. Up to 2 grand off of the 22' models and a grand off of this particular 2023 KX250X. Invest those savings back into the bike with aftermarket parts and you have yourself a really sick bike for almost 2/3s of the price of a stock 23 KTM.

Kawi has a good 6 speed available. It is a shame they don't put it on these XC bikes. The 5 speed kind of turns me off.

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Yeah @tokentombstone, it's not ideal, but I don't think it's a deal breaker. I don't know about you, but the only time I'm using my tallest gear is on forest roads cruising or on a fast section a race course. Other than that, I'm dancing between 2nd/3rd and Kawasaki nailed those ratios. I think they could have thrown in a wide transmission ratio, instead of the mx that is more linear, but one can hope they make that happen for the next gen KXs which will come out the end of the year for the 450 and next year for the 250. But I don't foresee a sixth gear in the future bike. It's too expensive to retool their machines to incorporate another gear.

@TokenTombstone

Жыл бұрын

​@@harry_lyles I'd be looking at this bike to plate so it would need to be able to do some occasional road work. I have a KLX 250 with the six speed and the gearing is awesome. It's a great trail bike but something like the 250x with double the power and 40 pounds less weight would be a lot more fun in the woods. I also have a plated XR650R so I'm kind of spoiled with being able to go fast on the roads. It looks like the Kawi 6 speed and the 250x cylinder jug would bolt right up, but only Kawi knows what they are going to manufacture. Thanks for the review.

Would this bike be good for a beginner/novice rider? I’m 200 lbs and 5’11 and trail riding is all I wanna do

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

If you got the itch to start racing a lot then i'd say bump up to a 450. But if you're just cruising around trail riding with your buddies, throw a pipe, skid plate, and hand guards on it and you'll be having a blast.

@go-joe2929

Жыл бұрын

@@harry_lyles thanks man

@dwightflandersjr426

11 ай бұрын

That's exactly what I did. Went to look at a klx230 and bought the KX250X instead. No comparison! Plus I saved $1500 off the 2023 sticker price as the 2024's are out. I just turned 50 years old and haven't ridden a dirt bike in over 30 years so I was a little intimidated but I am so happy with it. It's a beast when you want it to be but also tame when you want it to be. I did install the T-6 pipe on it too and am super happy with that.

Did I hear correctly? A couple hundred dollars for handguards, skid plate, and oversized fuel tank all from Acerbis? What are you talking about?

@harry_lyles

10 ай бұрын

$30 handguards, $65 skidplate, $215 tank totals to $310. You gotta pay to play with the Japanese bikes.

It's easier to fix the forks on an Austrian bike, then to deal with a 5 spd tranny on these Japanese "X" bikes. (YZ is exception) In Colorado we have goat trails that need a low 1st gear and desert open terrain that you have to have a tall 6th gear. KXf and CRf are missing a gear and there aint no aftermarket fix for that!

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

Good points, Ladon. However, I'm not the biggest fan of the WP stuff. Plus, you see a lot of Austrian bike guys switching to the KYB internals because the air fork is wonky and the KX250s come stock with them. Agreed, that a 6th gear would be nice. The 1st gear on the KX isn't bad, though. We have some gnarly slow tech stuff here and I never stall or flame out.

@slowrider9894

2 ай бұрын

Well, the new ktms and huskys come with spring forks so

why would someone get a 250 instead of 450?

@harry_lyles

Жыл бұрын

For the reasons stated in the video, modern 250s are really fast and a 450 can straight up be a handful when the trail/race course gets techy, rough, and when you're fatigued. 450s still have their time and place, and it all comes down to preference and what kind of terrain you mostly ride at the end of the day.

@dasboot9471

Жыл бұрын

They’re heavier, they have way more engine inertial effect, don’t handle as well and have way too much power for just about everybody except in open class desert racing or class, which none of us are in. There are plenty of dudes who actually have skills destroying yuppies with too much money on their old beat back low power bikes