2005 Kawasaki KDX Review

At a time when other major motorcycle manufacturers were shifting away from making single cylinder, two-stroke dirt bikes in favor of four strokes, Kawasaki continued to make its KDX line of two-stroke dirt bikes. The Japanese manufacturer offered three KDX models in 2005, the 50, the 200, and the 220R, all in Kawasaki’s trademark lime green. Kawasaki introduced its KDX line in 1980 with 175 cc and 250 cc engine sizes. The 175 cc was upgraded to 200 cc in 1983, and Kawasaki dropped the 250 cc model a year later. Kawasaki introduced the 220R in 1997. The KDX 220R has a bigger bore, 69 mm, compared to 66 mm for the KDX 200, giving the engine an extra 18 cc of power. Both the 200 and 220R are agile on the trail and do a good job of keeping up with bigger bikes, such as 250 ccs.

Riders say it has a more comfortable, softer seat than many other dirt bikes, but is still not that soft. The bike comes with a compact repair kit that should get riders through most situations should a breakdown occur on the trail.

The KDX 50 is for the younger crowd of dirt bikers. It is simple enough for riders as young as four years old to learn to ride on and develop their riding skills. The KDX 50 is a miniature version of the KDX 200 and KDX 220, with a different transmission. While the bigger bikes have manual transmissions, the KDX 50 has a single-speed transmission with an automatic clutch, making it easier for little ones to handle. It comes with an adjustable power limiter that parents can use to set how fast the bike will go. It also has a child-sized kick-starter.