Some things we noticed, which were only slightly disconcerting, were excessive amounts of compression braking on the KX250F and a substantial amount of exhaust noise. We quickly diagnosed and solved the compression-braking issue by turning up the idle (an old four-stroke trick). But the bike's decibel volume is a little loud when on the pipe, especially under a load. We're curious to see how it stands up to a decibel meter and are pretty sure a good portion of the noise is coming out of the airbox.
Why build a new bike from the ground up when your current model is winning championships? It's called progression or advancement or maybe just gambling. And for '06 Kawasaki decided that winning six championships in two years wasn't quite enough for its 250 four-stroke, so it rolled the dice on an all-new bike. A bike it now feels is the best it has ever built.
For two years now, this bike has been a fork away from winning our shootout. The '06 model solved that problem with the addition of the Showa suspension and a functional new chassis. Just for fun, the green guys improved the power and added great brakes, too. How will it stand up in this year's shootout? We'll find out soon enough. Until then, everybody else better bring plenty of ammo
Opinions
I wasn't sure what to expect from Kawasaki's first try at an aluminum frame on a motocross bike. But after a day riding the bike, I'm really surprised at how good it is. How good? Well, you don't even notice that the bike has an aluminum frame, which is strange because for every other manufacturer that swapped materials, well, you noticed some changes, and they weren't always 100 percent positive. There were always some trade-offs, and I'd usually spend a little time playing with the suspension to figure out the new bike. I didn't even feel the need to fiddle on the KX-F. I set the sag and just rode. It felt as good as the CRF250R I rode last month in the chassis and handling. The motor, on the other hand, seemed very tight and a little reluctant to rev. Plus, it had a bit much compression braking. But it was powerful. Now I'm really hyped to ride the KX450F and Yamaha's new aluminum-framed bikes.-Jimmy Lewis5'10"/175 lb/Vet Pro
After spending a lot of time riding the '05 KX-F/RM-Z, I was stoked with all the changes on the '06. The first thing I noticed was the aluminum frame. It felt solid but not stiff. The bike's ergonomics were comfortable right from the start, and the Kawi never hesitated to go where I wanted it to. The motor has a lot of snap off the bottom and has good roll-on power, and I love how responsive it is all the way through the powerband. The suspension was awesome. Usually I don't like stock settings, but the KX-F felt as if it was set just for me. The fork was very plush on big landings, and the bike was very stable on the rougher sections of the track. Brakes ruled: It stopped on a dime. Kawasaki has definitely stepped it up in the right direction with the '06 KX250F, and I think this bike will bring home a lot more championships. -Matt Armstrong
5'7"/150 lb/ProThe 2005 KX250F has been my bike of choice for most of this past year. It works well for me. The ergos fit my size and riding style the best out of all the 250 four-strokes. Plus, the power delivery allowed me to ride it more aggressively, like a 125 two-stroke. From the first few laps on the '06 KX250F I noticed the bike didn't really change the things I liked about the '05 KX-F but repaired all the things I didn't like. The most noticeable difference in the two bikes for me was suspension. The new bike felt really good through small chatter bumps that were a huge issue for the '05 model and soaked up most of the big bumps and landings. I felt I could corner much better and brake harder on the '06. The only thing I could really pick on about the new KX250F is how loud it seemed. All in all, I really think the bike is going to be a strong contender this year. -Joe McKimmy
5'9"/155 lb/Novice