Monster on the loose. Unstoppable
Rear sprocket bolts come loose. Need to keep an eye on them. Caused by all the torque the bike puts out on take off.
This is a bike to not be taken lightly. Very fast and dangerous if not an expert rider.
Very torquey; just wants to go and dig.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th August, 2010
One of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden
When I had first gotten the bike, I rode it a couple weekends, and the right fork seal went out.
The bike also had a water pump seal going out, therefore I was getting water in my oil after a few runs of the bike.
O Rings on the expansion chamber were bad.
Great bike, very fast when you get into the pipe, and has great low end for a two stroke.
The seat starts to hurt after a few hours of riding, but, that's why you stand up.
The handling is great, very easy to throw around in the trails.
Jumping it feels weightless, lifts right up, and very easy to control while it's in the air.
Overall, it's a great bike.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th March, 2010
I love it and will keep it forever
Nothing at all, just normal maintenance.
I purchased this bike brand new, and to date have not had one problem. The clutch and top end are original. The only items that I have had to replace are the chain and sprockets, and the front fork seals and tires, that's it!
I have owned a lot of different motorcycles, and was not much of a Kawasaki fan until now. I loved my Hondas, but the dealer was bad, so I switched to Kawi. I run Yamalube R at 32:1 with the stock jetting and a twin air filter. The bike is stock.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th November, 2009
98 KX250 best all around desert/moto bike
Nothing other than normal wear items ie: sprockets, rings, etc.
I have a 98 KX250 coming from a KX500, everything is better except for the top end, can hang with 4strk with my low grunt punch and beat them with my mid and top hit.
Best bike all around.
Expert desert racer.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th November, 2009
A really good sought after bike
My throttle cable snapped second time out.
My kickstart gears started to wear until I replaced them.
I think these bikes are fantastic and really worth the money.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 7th May, 2008
It's a fun, exhilarating ride, every time
The rear shock absorber blew out in 2006 after doing a 12M jump.
The kick starter bolt keeps coming loose, even with a longer bolt, thread glue & heavy spring washer.
The exhaust seals at barrel don't seal for more than 2 rides.
The rear inner tube punctures when pressure is dropped below 16PSI, even with a heavy duty tube.
This bike has been a wheel spinning, wheel standing power house from day 1.
Mine has a performance muffler, reeds, piston, & it leaves all standard 250's behind.
It does have a bad habit of stripping tyre tread, even on a hard terrain tyre, in 4 hours of riding time.
These bikes handle well & when set up properly for the rider, & are very reliable when maintained correctly.
Bolts will loosen with age as vibrations increase, but the use of thread glue on threads stops this.
It's a good cross country bike too, when gear ratio is lowered, & handles the extra load of a higher ratio (47 tooth rear), for open track, but does delay power band characteristic.
They are a well engineered bike & they are a pleasure to work on.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th April, 2008
An excellent bike that I will never sell
Nothing major, just basic and not so basic maintenance.
Brake pads, fork seals, pistons, tires, etc etc.
Great bike all around. They are high performance machines and need to be treated as such.
I have never owned a 2 stroke dirt bike with such good throttle response as this one. That is what sold me on this bike.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th March, 2005
I have a 99' kx250. I'm 14 years old, so it's a lil bit too much for me, but I'm 6'6 and it's the biggest I can get.
I haven't rode it much, but I plan on doing so. And when people say that they have so many problems, I haven't had one yet.
I own a 1999 (kx) 250 2 stroke and I love the thing.
I do mostly track riding, and the power always there.
I have not had any problems with this bike out of the ordinary. I rave the crap out of it, and the bike keeps going.
I am overall happy, and plan on keeping it.
I'm 13 years old, and I have a 1997 KX250 and love the quickness. It was my first bike, and has many after market parts such as Boyesen reeds, FMF fatty pipe, Procircuit KYB works kit front shocks, Procircuit rear, twin air intake, moose bars, IMS footpegs, and DP brake rotors. I've never ridden any other bike, but I ride trail.
I first had problems with the bike flooding, but then adjusted it because it was running too lean. I don't plan on getting rid of it, and I find it a good trailbike for wiping around turns, with instant throttle response for logs etc.
The 07 KX250's are sluggish down low and wouldn't be that great for riding over logs or any enduro. They are more mid-top end. The steering on the 07 is also one of the worst to come out for the KX250's, so cornering or wiping corners would not be great either; that's coming from someone who owns one.
I have a 2006 KX250. It's great and good for hitting 90ft doubles and T-tops. Nice and smooth delivery of the powerband.
A very fast MX racer with low quality
Fork seals blew in the first 3 months.
I had to replace them every 2 - 3 months after as well.
I rebuilt the motor after 2 seasons and discovered that the cylinder was worn out. I later saw in a mag that the KX 250 was infamous for bad cylinders. Replacement cost was $550, plus the cost of the piston, rings, gaskets, etc.
I purchased this motocross bike brand new and loved everything about it. The power, layout, and handling were all excellent.
After two seasons on it, with only four or five races run, I decided to rebuild the motor as a preventative measure. I discover that the cylinder walls had worn out, which I later learned is common with this year of KX 250's. The dealers would not warranty this.
Worst brakes in the class.
My dealer was however very helpful with setup, and regular maintenance.
My last Honda CR 125 lasted for 4 years with nothing major going wrong with it. I worked on this bike to keep it running all the time.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 30th January, 2005
Motocross bikes, such as your KX250, are higher maintenance than say a 4 stroke trail bike such as an XR250. It is not uncommon for 2 stroke motocross riders to have to do the top end twice in a year, depending on how hard and often they ride.
The cylinders can be re-plated at Eric Gorr. If you check your top end before it self destructs, there will be less damage and cost to do the top end. I believe it is unrealistic to expect a motocross bike top end to last longer than a year if it is being ridden hard or raced.
15th Mar 2007, 18:25
My Kx 250 is not a good bike at all. Never have I had a bike with so many problems in my life. It seems like every time I ride, something new breaks.
I have replaced the transmission, which isn't cheap, and there's a lot more problems to list, so many that I can't even remember them.