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{{Motorcycle | {{Motorcycle | ||
|name = | |name = Kawasaki KLX250 D-Tracker | ||
|photo=Kawasaki-KLX250D-Tracker-97.jpg | |photo=Kawasaki-KLX250D-Tracker-97.jpg | ||
|aka = | |aka = | ||
|manufacturer = Kawasaki | |manufacturer = Kawasaki | ||
|parent_company = | |parent_company = | ||
|production = 1997 - | |production = 1997 - 2008 | ||
|model_year = | |model_year = | ||
|predecessor = | |predecessor = | ||
|successor = | |successor = | ||
|class = | |class = Dual purpose | ||
|engine = Four stroke, single cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve | |engine = Four stroke, single cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve | ||
|bore_stroke = | |bore_stroke = | ||
Line 52: | Line 52: | ||
It came with a 110/70- 17 front [[tire]] and a 130/70- 17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Single 250mm disc 2 piston caliper in the front and a Single 230mm disc 1 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a 43 USD cartridge fork with 16-way adjustable compression damping while the rear was equipped with a Bottom-Link UNI-TRAK with gas-charged shock, adjustable preload, 16-way rebound and compression damping. The KLX250 D-Tracker was fitted with a 10 Liters / 2.6 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 116 kg / 255.7 lbs. The wheelbase was 1480 mm / 56.3 in. long. | It came with a 110/70- 17 front [[tire]] and a 130/70- 17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Single 250mm disc 2 piston caliper in the front and a Single 230mm disc 1 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a 43 USD cartridge fork with 16-way adjustable compression damping while the rear was equipped with a Bottom-Link UNI-TRAK with gas-charged shock, adjustable preload, 16-way rebound and compression damping. The KLX250 D-Tracker was fitted with a 10 Liters / 2.6 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 116 kg / 255.7 lbs. The wheelbase was 1480 mm / 56.3 in. long. | ||
== Photos == | == Photos == | ||
<gallery mode='packed-hover'> | |||
File:Kawasaki-KLX250D-Tracker-97.jpg|600px|Kawasaki KLX250 D-Tracker | |||
File:Kawasaki-KLX250D-Tracker-04--5.jpg|600px|Kawasaki KLX 250D-Tracker | |||
File:Kawasaki-KLX250D-Tracker-04--6.jpg|600px|Kawasaki KLX 250D-Tracker | |||
Kawasaki KLX | </gallery> | ||
== Review == | |||
It used to be the motorcycling crowd could be divided cleanly | |||
between superbikers and off-roaders. | |||
The superbikers hang around at Hard Rock Café and go riding to Genting on the | |||
weekends. | |||
The off-roaders on the other hand spend most of their time jumping in the | |||
jungle and are rarely seen. | |||
But now, a strange hybdrid of the two is forming on the fringes of the local | |||
biking scene. | |||
Supermotos, or also known as supermotards are fast gaining popularity. | |||
For those who don't know much about bikes, a supermotard is basically a | |||
scrambler with superbike tires. | |||
You would think that a tall scrambler would be horrible to | |||
ride around twisty roads. | |||
But as I rode the Kawasaki D-Tracker around some sharp bends in the | |||
neighbourhood - this myth was quickly proven to be untrue. | |||
The D-Tracker is basically a Kawasaki KLX-250 'scrambler' with 17-inch street | |||
It is powered by a single-cylinder 250cc thumper that lacks | |||
any sense of urgency - and can power the 119 kg bike to a mere 145 kph. | |||
However, despite the lack of straight line speed - this bike can be quite a | |||
load of fun in the twisties. | |||
You will also learn a totally different away of doing essentially the same | |||
thing - that is going around corners quickly. | |||
To do this, sportsbikers lower their center of gravity by dropping their body | |||
toward the inside of a turn and putting their knees down. | |||
Supermoto riders on the other hand adopt a totally different approach. | |||
Unknown to many, the fastest way around a turn is actually by sliding through | |||
it. | |||
The supermoto rider sit high up on his bike and uses a skillful combination of | |||
brakes and clutch to 'slide' the rear tire and change the direction of the bike. | |||
It is a neat trick - this. Think of it as drifting - but on just two wheels. | |||
It is this sliding that makes the supermoto rider adopt his typical 'foot-out' | |||
pose. This position is necessary to prevent the bike from sliding too much and | |||
dumping the rider on the tarmac. It's just not to look cool in photos. | |||
This may all sound very exciting, but I'm not sure if the | |||
D-tracker can really be called a supermotard. | |||
It is a bit small and underpowered, most supermoto bikes are actually 450cc and | |||
above, and some people I talked to even doubted the D-Tracker is actually | |||
capable of being "backed in" - as it is called. | |||
In Malaysia, there are already a few manufacturers who that already bringing in | |||
these 'real' supermotard machines. | |||
But what is exciting about the D-Tracker is that it costs about RM23,000, | |||
making it about half the price of it's nearest competitor. | |||
It is still not cheap - but we will probably be seeing a lot of these bikes on | |||
the road, as many beginners buying their first bike may find it within their | |||
budget range. | |||
While it's supermotard credibilty has yet to be determined, what is suprising | |||
about the bike though is how well it is adapted to the city. | |||
Oddly enough, despite it's jungle underpinnings - the bike turned out to be | |||
quite the urban warrior. | |||
I rode the bike for 500kms, most of it commuting between Kuala Lumpur, Bangsar | |||
and Petaling Jaya. | |||
The more I rode it, the more I became convinced this is exactly the sort of | |||
bike you need in an environment such as this. | |||
For starters, the bike sits way above traffic, with the | |||
handlebars clearing all but the tallest MPVs and SUVs. | |||
The high seating position means you can see for hundreds of metres in front, | |||
even above the car in front of you - which is great since most car drivers in KL | |||
have a habit of jumping on the brakes. | |||
You sit upright, with your weight off your wrists - which is good for long | |||
rides. | |||
The bike is also narrow compared to most other types of bikes, making filtering | |||
through heavy traffic a breeze. | |||
In fact, after a few days I realised even the Kapcais were having a tough time | |||
catching up with the tall motard in traffic. | |||
Another thing that many riders might be interested in is that the D-tracker has | |||
loads of suspension travel in it's front forks. | |||
At 28.4 cm - it's so long that it makes the bike look like it's standing on | |||
stilts. | |||
This means you can glide over all but the biggest potholes without even feeling | |||
them. | |||
I hardly slowed down when I passed the entrance to my housing estate - which is | |||
incredible since with so much construction going on, it resembles a Martian | |||
landscape more than a road. | |||
There are a few downsides to the bike though - the miniscule | |||
petrol tank can only hold 7.5 Litresof fuel - giving you a range of just over | |||
100kms. | |||
Because of it's height - the bike is also unstable at very high speeds. | |||
But in all other respects, it's a practical enough bike. In fact, if the | |||
price were around RM15,000, I think I would buy one right now - just to | |||
commute. | |||
Think of it as sort of a giant Kapcai. The only difference is you can pretend | |||
to be a supermotard rider and wear really cool helmets and riding gear. | |||
The D-Tracker comes in an assortment of three colors: black and candy blue, | |||
black and orange as well as Kawasaki green. | |||
For more information, call Sunrock Kawasaki at 03-55665688. | |||
Source by: Shah | |||
Marley. | |||
== Specifications == | |||