Kawasaki KX65

Overview

The smallest in the lot of off-road motorcycles from Kawasaki’s lineup in Malaysia, the KX65 serves as a fantastic entry level dirt bike for beginners. The motorcycle, with its petite dimensions and a decent powertrain, has the ability to traverse over off-road paths where other road-specific motorcycles will find difficult to conquer. The KX65 is being sold exclusively by Kawasaki for closed terrains in a sole shade of green.

Design

Like all the other dirt bikes from Kawasaki, the KX65 too boasts of a minimalist design with sharp body panels and lack of modern-day cosmetic features.

At the front, the Kawasaki KX65, like its stablemates, comes with a white colored plastic cowl in the place of the main headlamp, with the latter missing out on the motorcycle along with the turn indicators. The high mounted front fender too finds its coveted place here, however, it is styled in a very plain manner and is devoid of any cuts or creases which make it look less aggressive from the front.

The KX65 too comes with a high mounted fuel tank like all the other KX series of motorcycles from Kawasaki. However, here, the fuel tank comes with wider tank extensions. Apart from it, the KX65 misses out on side body cowls and the large cowl for the exhaust pipe aids in enhancing the visual size of the motorcycle from the side. The KX65 too comes with a flat and single piece seat, which, however, is compact and can seat only one rider at a time.

The KX65 misses out on conventional lighting assembly at the rear, and the bike comes with a pointy tail section. The small but wide off-road tyres make the bike look focused towards off-road riding. However, we would have loved to see an engine bash plate below the engine, as seen on other KX series of motorcycles. The spoke rims are finished in black color, which is a nice touch enhancing the visual appeal of the KX65.

As expected, the Kawasaki KX65 misses out on an instrument console, and the rider’s angle has a flat handlebar with round padding around the central portion of the handlebar. The lack of rearview mirrors is another attempt which makes it look extremely basic.

Ride & Handling

Kawasaki KX65 comes equipped with 33mm telescopic forks at the front and a Bottom-Link Uni-Trak with gas-charged monoshock at the rear. Considering the light weighted character of the KX65, the suspension has been tuned on a stiffer edge in order to make the motorcycle an easy-to-steer and handle machine on wheels. Given the compact dimensions of the KX65, the taller riders will find a bit difficult to detect spot-on ergonomics. In terms of braking, the KX65 is armed with 180mm disc brake setup at both the front as well as rear, which have sharp bite.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Kawasaki has employed its smallest engine in the KX65, which happens to be a two-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 64cc powerhouse. Kawasaki has refrained in declaring the power and torque outputs of the motorcycle, however, considering the extremely low kerb weight of just 57 kgs, the bike is expected to have a peppy performance on tap. The puny engine is mated to a complex 6-speed gearbox, which has extremely short gear ratios to make the full use of power available at early revs.

Braking & Safety

The Kawasaki KX65 is a learner’s motorcycle at a budget, which explains the fact that it is not equipped with modern day electronic riding aids. The bike even misses out on ABS, however, the disc brakes serve their purpose in keeping the motorcycle well under control.

Verdict

The Kawasaki KX65 might not be a motorcycle which one would aspire to own. The no-frills motorcycle might lack the visual appeal and features which one would like to have on his motorcycle to be ridden on a daily basis. However, this very basic appeal of the KX65 makes it a fun-to-ride machine. The light-weighted chassis, coupled with the puny but rev-happy engine, makes it a motorcycle which loves to be ridden hard.