2024 Kawasaki KLX 300SM - DM Review | Test Ride
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- The KLX 300 Super Moto promises to be a super fun package. But the problem is, all motorcycles are fun. So some of the compromises of the KLX might not be worth it to you. But it serves a purpose!
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Just grabbed a 2023 with 300 miles for commuting in NY. Bike is PERFECT for my area. 25 local speed limit. 50 parkway.
I bought one for a fun hoon around town bike. Lean it over far for no reason at all, hit a small kicker and get some air, small wheelie (allegedly) all while commuting to work. I love it for what it is. I came off a 2016 Aprilia Tuono 1100 so it is quite literally the opposite and that’s what makes it fun for me
considering getting one of these as my first street legal bike!
I’m learning how to ride (in general) on a 1997 Yamaha YZ80. No abs, no tc, just a straight up dirtbike. Funnest thing I’ve ever done😂
Have had my 300sm for a year. It's a blast every time I ride it.
I find myself on gravel roads a lot lately. The occasional ATV trail. I got a skid plate plate yesterday just in case..
There is an axiom although it is about cars it perfectly applies to this bike. "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow." This bike would be an absolute traffic weapon. For the city it is a brilliant machine. WTG Kawasaki. I saw a video where they got a bunch of hard core Harley riders to spend the day riding Honda Groms. You could NOT get the smile off any of their faces.
Grandson just bought this bike. I have been riding for 48 years now so when we got it home, I took it for a ride. My thoughts are the seat is not all that comfortable. The shifter is too short, meaning the distance between the peg and the shifter is too short so I had a hard time getting the toe of my work boot under the shifter. Something else that really disappointed me and him was no fuel gauge or gear indicator. Bikes of this size are very often purchased as a first bike as is my grandson's case. They would surely help those new riders. I explained to him how to use his trip and warning light so he should be just fine, but still no excuse for this in 2024.
Hey man there are bikes for everyone everything you mentioned I’m looking for in a bike low profile sturdy seat short shifter means faster shift times
inline 1 for the win! that was hilarious lol
I'm an older rider with more than one bike so I can afford to make choices that are more narrow in focus. I put 4500 km on one of these before trading it in on something else. That stupid persistent itch to get something new betrayed me with the SM. Add a luggage rack and a top case and it's a perfect urban runabout especially if you live somewhere that has dodgy roads. For the role of around town runabout I'm currently riding a KTM SMC R. Sure it's better in some ways but for the basic requirements needed for milk and egg runs to your local shop, the KLX300SM does everything it needs to at a modest cost.
Grandson was OTD for 6,000 Sept. 2024.
In Australia we dont get the 300, only the 230SM. Though, they havent even released the 2024 version and may possibly discontinue it here. It's air cooled though. Been so keen to get a new one.
There are tie down points on the frame under the rear fender. There are also cargo straps in the little tail bag. I just use a spider net over the rear fender to carry stuff. That blue color is terrible though.
Get a delkevic exhaust asap.. it gives it something
The bike that ticks all of your boxes would be the 2024 Triumph Scrambler 400X for less money and fuel gauge and I get 81mpg after breaking it in. I forgot to mention that I also traded my heavy 22 KLR 650 for my light 23 KLX 300 SM and I love it along with my Scrambler but if I only had one bike it would be the Triumph 400 Scramler
Super curious to try that one out!
SM does fine in the dirt. Proper supermoto racing includes dirt and paved sections
No it does not lmao. You've clearly never taken a sumo offroad before because you're slipping and sliding everywhere.
@@DB-sd3cw Sounds like a skill issue. I’ve put 10k miles on and off road between two supermotos in the last year. Have you ever watched supermoto racing? It’s dirt and paved sections.
@@wasawasablingbling no you haven't lmao
@@DB-sd3cw you don’t have to believe me but I can tell from this interaction that I could ride circles around you LOL
@@DB-sd3cwBro, just look up " S1GP " on UA-cam. World championship supermoto racing involves tarmac, gravel, dirt, and jumps. Check out any of the races in Romania, Piemonte, Valenciana, Sardegna, Catalunya, or Belgium.
Do you know what new riders didn't have throughout all of motorcycle history? They didn't have a "gear indicator" and they didn't have "ABS". Count your gears as you ride and learn to stop your bike without an electronic nanny doing it for you. And you know what motorcycles never had in the past? A "fuel gauge". Look at your odometer when you fill up and estimate how many miles you can go before you hit reserve. Stop waiting for the motorcycle to hold your hand to cross the street, you're in control, it's on you.
You know what else the motorcycle industry has? Dying numbers. If we want more enthusiast bikes then we need more people on two wheels. Just like Porsche needs to sell Cayennes and Macans to fund 911s and 718s.
@@DailyMotor Start making less expensive motorcycles. They have escalated the price of motorcycles to the point of ridiculous in the last 25 years. GET THE PRICE WAY DOWN. Motorcycling is supposed to be an AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE to driving a car, MAKE IT SO.
You can’t be so stupid that you’re calling ABS an electronic nanny. Lmao more safety features will never be a bad thing and if you think it, you’re about as Braindead as they come.
I'd really like a side by side of this KLX300SM with my Modded Chinese KPX250 SM that cost me only $2900 +$550 for 17/120 17/160 Tires/Hoops and Spokes. The stock KPX as a stock luggage rack and fuel gauge that works great. EFI, 6 spd with similar power.
Definitely! Any chance you're near the west coast?
These bikes are great if you plan to stay off of interstates. It will handle them but is definitely not where the bike shines. Better to take the US highway roads rather than interstates.
Which if you commute with this, will really add on time to your commute
If you want more low end power, remove the secondary throttle plate. I regularly go 120miles on a tank and have 1/2 gal left when the lo fuel warning comes on. And whata shame that without all the electronic controls you have to actually learn to ride.boo hoo!
You would think all the big Japanese Motorcycle Companies would have started including Gear Indicators & Fuel Gauges by now.
RPM's ✅
MPH ✅
Gear Indicator ✅
Fuel Gauge ✅
what city is that? it looks so open and clean, nice roads, nice trees, nice buidlings. do you live in GTA?
He is in Irvine Ca-
I recognize the streets - used to live around that area-
Definitely NOT new Orleans!!@@DaveEPie
That price seems way high especially when compared to bikes like the CB300R and the new Triumph 400s!
it definitely seems overbuilt, so you're basically getting a tank, but yeah it's expensive for a single cylinder. Granted it's still much cheaper than a Vespa 300.
Yeah but those bikes are completely different too.
Duel sport bikes have always been expensive.
Better suspension than either example you cited costs money, that’s the difference.
As in the Honda equivalent engine, it is 100cc's short of being a best seller....Imagine a 400cc single, like the Triumph's 39.5 HP engine as in their Scrambler, on this bike, which weighs 90 lbs less.
How do these smaller supermotos compare to single cyl street bikes like Duke 390, CBR300R
I've owned a KLX300SM for about 4500 km and I've ridden the 2024 version of the Duke 390 at a KTM demo days. The Duke is an impressive machine. It's definitely a better all around bike but is is a bit cramped. If you're not a bigger rider and you don't live where the roads are so bad you want the dirt bike suspension the KLX provides, the Duke is probably a better choice. The KLX has a taller seat and the wider handlebars which gives you a tall upright seating position. The KLX seat is narrow and I'd feel it on rides over a hour or so. The Duke will be better for highway rides. I think it makes 42 hp.
if only theyd put the 300 engine from the versys =D
I want them to put the Ninja 500 motor in the Versys!
Don't!at least get a drz.I have an fjr for going far or fast or both and traded my drz sm in on a new klr a little while back.the drz was a blast but I can't even imagine a 300 cc bike anywhere besides around the yard or something.
You don’t need a gear indicator. It doesn’t matter what gear you’re in, what matters is staying in the power band. You’re not doing that. Drop the gear shifter until you’re in the power band .
You will be a road crayon soon I'm sure riding as you do.
Not 33hp
I've been trying to find a reputable number, since Kawi doesn't publish one. What number do you have?
@@DailyMotor sadly it's only about 20 horses at the wheel
The 250 klx was 22hp at the crank. The crf250l was 23hp. I think the crf300l is 26hp now. I think it ends up being 17hp at the wheel.
@@chrishart8548 I did see 27 somewhere else, so maybe that's closer
@@DailyMotor Honda says 27 not sure about that.
You don't need abs on that
Bike goes to 75mph, you might need it
@@alastairtheduke that's 1st gear on a zx6r and no abs.. abs is just a marketing gimmick for non motorcycle people to become motorcycle people lol good brakes and even better technique will you get you better results .
@@pjb4653I’ve been riding 25 years and a daily rider in rain and sometimes even slight snow. Your comment on ABS is a marketing gimmick, you’re absolutely wrong and I would say you don’t even ride. ABS was a game changer and saved my ass on rainy days at 50 mph and it getting killed. Know what you’re talking about before you steer someone wrong. I own this KLX-300SM, it’s not ABS and prefer it not because I do like to slide and have the rear end loose control sliding on my dirt roads and my gravel roads in the country. I also have a 300cc ABS bike that is way more difficult to get to slide the rear tire and the front on hard packed dirt roads because the ABS works to good. I shared this more for the new riders to read. How many years have you been riding and have you had to slam on your breaks at 75 mph avoiding a crash on the freeway with an ABS motorcycle? Something tells me you have not.
You can definitely take it off road, and it's definitely not a dirtbike frame
Ill never own a bike with ABS. It makes a sloppy rider.