Letter of the Week: KDX Rebuttal

Dear Dirt Rider,

In your August issue you wrote that the KDX 200 has two-thirds of the performance of the KTM and Gas Gas 200's. I hate to tell you this but you're very wrong. I happen to own one and most of my friends either have 200 or 250 EXC's and none of them can keep up with me on my KDX. Their bikes are constantly breaking down and having problems whereas my KDX has never had anything wrong with it.

So next time you write about the KDX you better say something a little better than that because the Gas Gas and KTM have nothing on the KDX 200.

From,

A true trail rider

True Trail Rider,

As wonderful as it is that you are a better rider than your friends, it doesn't make the KDX200 perform any better. We said in the article that the KDX was dead reliable, and we do think it's a great bike and an even greater value. Nevertheless, Kawasaki hasn't changed anything of note on that model in 10 years. Maybe that works you, but it doesn't for most riders. Kawasaki should at least upgrade the suspension settings. Compared to the Gas Gas and KTM the suspension isn't very plush, but it bottoms easier. Steering accuracy is nonexistent compared to bikes with an inverted fork.

We all have friends who show up for rides on 10- or 15-year-old bikes and roost big, but that doesn't mean that bikes haven't improved in a decade. If you are faster than your friends on newer Gas Gas and KTM 200s, the difference is the rider.

Karel Kramer