Kawasaki KLX 230 S Spotted Testing Again: A Closer Look At The Bike

Quick Highlights

• The Kawasaki KLX 230 S was spotted testing again

• Likely to launch in early 2025 in India 

• Will rival the Hero Xpulse 200 4V

The upcoming dual-sport bike, the Kawasaki KLX 230 S was spotted testing again, it is already sold in the international market and is likely to be launched in India by early 2025. We had a peek at the bike in May. Here’s what you can expect from the Kawasaki KLX 230 S:

The Kawasaki KLX 230 S has a purposeful dual-sport bike design with its body panels inspired by Kawasaki’s motocross bikes, a high fender, motocross-style handlebar, and an upswept exhaust. While the bike overall has a good-looking design, Kawasaki has added a saree guard to comply with the laws.

While the official specifications are not out yet, we think the test bike has similar specs as the internationally sold KLX 230 S. It looks like the test bike is powered by a 233cc, 4-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that produces around 19PS and 19.8Nm. Its rival, the Hero Xpulse 200 4V comes with an air-/oil-cooled 4-valve single-cylinder engine, producing 18.9PS and 17.35Nm.

The power figures of the KLX 230 S and Xpluse 400 4V are close. However, what sets the KLX 230 S apart is its kerb weight of 134kg as opposed to the Xpluse 400 4V’s kerb weight of 159 kg. A massive weight difference of around 25kg, which matters a lot while riding off-road. 

It has a perimeter frame and is suspended on a 37mm telescopic fork with 158mm wheel travel and a monoshock with 168mm wheel travel. The long wheelbase will help the bike be more stable on the highway and has a good amount of ground clearance of 210mm. Its accessible seat height of 830mm paired with its sleek design will be welcomed by entry-level riders looking to develop their skills on the bike without getting intimidated. The bike rolls on 21/18-inch wheels and is wrapped with dual-purpose tyres from MRF. The braking department is taken care of by 240mm front and 220mm rear disc brakes, with dual-channel ABS.

The KLX 230 S has a basic headlight, signal lights setup and an LCD instrument console that displays speed, fuel level, time, odometer and trip meter readings. It also comes with Bluetooth smartphone connectivity via Kawasaki’s RIDEOLOGY app. An important feature for the offroad enthusiast is the switchable ABS feature, which will enable the rider to turn off ABS for the rear wheel, for a better offroad riding experience.

All these things sound sweet, however, Team Green will have to price the bike competitively to challenge the Hero Xpulse 200 4V priced at Rs 1,46,276 (ex-showroom, Delhi). To tackle this, the bike will be heavily localised and we would like to see the Kawasaki KLX 230 S priced under Rs 3 lakh. Having said that this will be Kawasaki’s most affordable dual-sport bike in India and overall a good package for an entry-level rider.

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