2009 Kawasaki KLX250S… Beaten in Death Valley

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2009 Kawasaki KLX250S… Beaten in Death Valley

Neale Bayly heads west to challenge sand, rocks, and death, Death Valley that is, on the 2009 Kawasaki KLX250S.

Neale Bayly | Posted May 02, 2008 Charlotte, NC

The sure-footed KLX skips across the rocks and dirt with the confidence of a young mountain goat at play. (Photo: Kinny 'Mad Man' Jones)

Thirty years in the saddle have surprisingly not yielded a great amount of seat time in the dirt. Sure I’ve done some very demanding BMW GS off-road intros over the years and some crazy road bike stuff in South America and India, but hitting the trail for serious dual-sport ride has been an experience that has eluded me. Until yesterday that is. Slapping me up side the head like my old English teacher’s black board duster, a day in the saddle of the 2009 KLX250S on the spectacular and challenging trails in Death Valley has got me instantly addicted and made me realize what I’ve been missing all these years.

On the face of it, to the uninitiated, the KLX250S could seem a little pedestrian. A low horsepower, 277-pound 250cc single cylinder motorcycle doesn’t sound like a recipe for too much fun. Hit 40mph on a twisting, turning, rocky trail through the picture book stunning Echo Canyon, where a wrong move will have you doing some serious aerobatics before you hit the ground, and that perception is instantly kicked to the curb. Providing all the adrenaline you can handle, forcing a level of concentration equal to being at a racetrack, the sure-footed KLX skips across the rocks and dirt with the confidence of a young mountain goat at play. Of course you can slow down a little to sniff the proverbial roses, and while this is a tad less exciting, it’s still a mind blowing experience absorbing the wild desert scenes playing out in the 360 degree scenic panorama flooding through my face shield. Floating over every different kind of surface you can imagine without drama, the KLX 250 did absolutely everything I asked of it and more.

Back at silly speeds again chasing Kawasaki PR man, Jeff Herzog, and all my peers meant goodbye scenic view hello 100% concentration. Involving virtually every muscle in my soft, office-shaped body and delivering the biggest collection of sweaty grins I have seen in a while when we paused for liquids and a snack, I am now totally sold on the benefits of Dual Sport riding. And, in my humble opinion, the KLX250S might just be the perfect tool for the job. As a class I am not familiar with, a little research has revealed Honda and Yamaha make similar sized DP bikes, but at this point I can’t make a comparison so I’ll stick to the small Kawi.

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