The idea of a purpose-built, off-road ‘playbike’ may be an unfamiliar one in the UK, but in the USA it’s big business, as proven by Kawasaki’s all-new KLX140.
‘Playbikes’ are essentially what the name implies – a novice and teenager-friendly, small capacity dirtbike for just that, playing on in your larger than average American back yard. But Kawasaki’s KLX140 newcomer has taken the concept a stage further.
When Kawasaki decided to develop what it claims to be the ultimate version, it assembled a development team of pro motocross riders, youth testers, and the vital ingredient of Kawasaki’s motocross engineers.
The result is a high tech, high performance enduro, albeit of only 144ccs, that’s versatile enough to appeal to a wide range of riders, young and old.
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January 17th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I learned to ride on my cousin’s old 175 Kawasaki out on the marshland. This new bike would have looked like science fiction to me back then.