Hi There

New to the forum, i've been driving around a Suzuki RV125 Van Van for the past 7 years and have just passed my full driving test so i'm looking for bike that is idea for the streets of London (UK) a lot of pot holes and stopping and starting. I thought the KLX 250 would be ideal because it's very narrow so can easily filter through traffic and will give me a little boast in speed compared to what i'm use too on the 125cc.

The only thing that has put me of buying a dirt trial bike in the past is that the seats are quite high up, i'm 5 feet 9 inches that's around 175.26 cm, anyone know without having to lower the suspension would i be able to touch the floor flat footed without having to learn over and tip toe? I'm going to see the bike on Saturday but thought i'd ask as i'm quite curious.

Also the new 2012 colours seem to be either green or red which i don't personally like however luckily i found a Kawasaki dealer selling a new klx 250 in black, anyone know what model or year the black one is from, it's just on there website it says 2011/2012 but i find that hard to believe. I know the special edition one in black and white was 2010, maybe the black was 2009 or 2011? Anyone know?

Last question, does the LED display on the front warn you if you are running low on fuel (gas)?

 

I think the fuel injected bikes do tell you when the fuel is getting low. The USA bikes are not fuel injected yet. I am not sure if they are in London.

There are some lowering links for the rear. They lower the rear by 1". And that is really alot when trying to fit on a bike.

Kouba Link

You may find some cheaper on eBay.

 

Here in North America all that has changed since '08 is the colours. And there seem to be lots of New Old Stock bikes to be found. Since the plastics are the same it's possible someone did a "custom" mix 'n match.

 

The 250 is about the shortest dual sport bike you can buy. You can get the 1" link, soften the rear suspension a little to match the front. You'll want to get some good rain/road tires right off.

 

The Honda 230 and the Suzuki DR200 are both lower than the Kawi. Having said that; installing the lowering links is *VERY* simple to do. Remove a couple bolts, remove the old links, install the new links, replace the 2 bolts. Anybody with even very basic skills can easily do it.

 

Welcome to the forums! The Yamaha XT 225 and now the 250 is a better fit for shorter guys. My wife's 2006 XT is at least 3 inches shorter. maybe 4

 

OK, but all those shorter bikes I feel are a little long in the tooth as far as technology is concerned. While they will be shorter, the boost of speed he is looking for would not be a match for a KLX.

 

5'9" you don't need to lower it.

 

I'm 5'8 with a 29" inseam... I lowered mine with 1" dogbones and then had a custom seat made that dropped it another 2-3". I'd love to go down one more inch but it isn't gonna happen... I don't want to sacrifice ground clearance, and I've already bottomed out the rear shock on the fender a couple of times (it snapped off the factory tail kit).

The key is to get an aftermarket seat that is cut down.. plus once the rear shock breaks in, it will sit lower once your weight is on the bike.

Rob

 

Guys thanks for all your advice. Yesterday i went and put the deposit down on the bike, i'll be able to collect it hopefully later on in the week.

My first thought seeing it in person for the first time was damn it's huge, i was really depressed because i thought there's no way i'm going to even be able to tip toe while sitting on the bike, then i sat down on it and to my surprise the bike fit me like a glove, also both feet were touching the ground, not completely flat but more than enough for me to feel comfortable stopping, it's not like i had to lean to one side or anything. Haven't been able to stop thinking about the bike since and can't wait to ride it off.

Now i'm thinking about how best to customise it. It's all in black so i think i'll buy a lot of the ZETA red aluminium parts to start of with and change the mirrors, in Europe they put really ugly rounded mirrors on it, they have to be replaced for the diamond shaped one's before even driving of the court. I'll keep you guys posted and let you know my thoughts after driving it home : )