Used 144cc Four-Stroke Trail Bikes To Buy in 2025

While three Japanese motorcycle manufacturers offer options in the 125cc four-stroke trail bike category, Kawasaki is the only one that doesn’t, instead opting for a 144cc displacement. Team Green is the sole major OEM with such an engine size for recreational off-road riding, and has offered it in two trims since 2008 and added a third in 2017.

For model year 2026, the least and most expensive 144cc four-stroke trail bikes from Kawasaki retail for $3699 and $4299, respectively. If those figures are out of your budget, you might consider a pre-owned model. If so, this article is one to read as we go over what model years of KLX140s are available and some differences between them.

Kawasaki brought two 144cc four-stroke trail bike models to market in 2008, one of which was the KLX140. It was called “KLX140” from its introduction year through 2020 before Team Green renamed it to “KLX140R” in 2021. With 17-inch front and 14-inch rear wheels, the KLX140R has been the smallest 144cc four-stroke trail bike available its entire life, with one example of this being its claimed seat height of 30.7 inches (for MY26).

The other 144cc four-stroke trail bike that Kawasaki introduced in 2008 was the KLX140L. That name survived from 2008–2020, until it was changed to “KLX140R L” in 2021. The most visible way the KLX140R L differs from the KLX140R is through use of larger wheels with a 19-inch front and 16-inch rear. Another way the larger machine separates itself from its smaller sibling is rear suspension—the KLX140R L comes with a shock that’s adjustable for compression and rebound, while the KLX140R features no such damping tunability. Both models are adjustable for spring preload.

The KLX140G was brought to market in 2017 as Kawasaki’s first and only 144cc four-stroke trail bike with full-size wheels. That was its name from 2017–2020 before Kawasaki changed it to “KLX140R F” in 2021. With 21-inch front and 18-inch rear hoops, the KLX140R F’s claimed seat height is highest of the trio at 33.9 inches (compared to the KLX140R L at 31.5 inches and KLX140R at 30.7 inches). Unlike the KLX140R and KLX140R L, which use IRC IX05H tires, the KLX140 R F is outfitted with IRC VE-35F rubber in stock trim. Speaking of which, KLX140R F owners can select from a wide variety of tire options like they can with other segments of dirt bikes that use 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels such as cross-country, enduro, and most dual sports.