Kawasaki KX100 First Ride Review

How does it ride?

Now, given my complete lack of competition experience, I didn’t bother with any of the suspension changing wizardry. I just hopped on – which is a lot easier than the 250F given a much lower seat height – kicked the KX alive; and then stalled it. I stalled it again a few more times tackling mud mounds, whoops and even while exiting a bermed corner.

But it was times like these that really made me appreciate this two-stroke’s lack of weight and the manageable seat height. If it were the tall and relatively heavier 250F, I would have been blowing a lot of mud out of my mouth, repeatedly. But, this gratefulness for two-stroke tech was extremely short lived. After all the stalling and managing to stay upright in the two sighting laps, I decided it was time to give this manageable, easier to exploit and a lot less intimidating version of the KX all I had. Big mistake.

As I have confessed many times in the past, I am a short-shifter. And that makes me as inept at handling high-strung two-stroke motorcycles as I am at supervising kids. Yes, I am quite pathetic at both. So, coming down the straight, I go up three gears in quick succession and hold the throttle wide open like I would on a 150cc commuter. But, I don’t find much go.

So, I keep the throttle pinned as I make the fast left-hander that leads onto the first of the tall mud mounds. Half way into the corner, the KX100 hits its powerband, and as if by magic, the good-natured pony I am riding turns into a scared and violent horse. Braaap! It’s clearly trying to escape from under me rearing, sliding and bucking all at the same time. And I am so taken aback (read scared); I refuse to let go off the throttle.

Good move that because within seconds the KX100 has righted itself. But, it is now charging for that mud mound. I roll off, touch the front brake, and slow down enough not to land head down exiting the mound. Time now to make the bermed right-hander. But, in all this life-saving excitement, I again forget that this is a race two-stroke and dropping a couple of gears just isn’t enough. So, I stall, again, half way on the berm, waiting to fall over.

I don’t. Now I have the whoops, a couple of bermed corners and a few mud mounds to negotiate – not to mention a really tight and sandy left hander – before I can complete the lap and go out and embarrass myself yet again. I decide to give the whoops a miss. Given the sensitive and explosive power delivery high up in the rev band and nothing really in the mid or bottom, it’s a good call for I don’t want to fight THAT fleeing horse all over again.

But, no matter what, I can’t get myself to hold those revs high and ride the KX100 as it is intended; flat out. And so, these terrifying moments – every time the KX hit its powerband – continue; sometimes exiting corners and at other times while negotiating mounds. Eventually, I pull in. I can’t take this excitement anymore. I am no teenager. And this bike clearly isn’t for me.

Anything else I should know?

Well, for starters the KX100 isn’t as scary as I might have made it sound. At least it wasn’t for the 10-year-old motocross prodigy who was putting up quite a show. He was jumping the KX, sliding it, and wheelie-ing it out of corners with no effort at all. What’s more, he was whipping the rear out on jumps as if it was the easiest thing in the world. This bike then works for 10 year olds as well!

And growing 10 year olds at that. And that’s the reason Kawasaki says the KX100 gets adjustable ergonomics. As kids grow – and they do, at an alarming rate – they would need a different handlebar-seat-footpeg position every few months. Therefore, instead of buying a new bike, one can simply alter the height and proximity of the handlebar on the KX. And for this 2016 model, the 100 also gets slimmer bodywork, and improvements in the engine, chassis and suspension departments. So, buying an old, used KX100 then might not be the best option.

Should I buy one?

I, for one, would not. Not with it being so demanding and excitable for a non-two-stroker like me. But then, I am also no teenager. However, if you have a teen or a ten-ager even, who you think has a shot at being a successful or even playful motocrosser, and you have Rs 4.69 lakh to spare, go for it! There’s nothing else in the official market like it.

Where does it fit in?

As we just mentioned above – there isn’t anything like it on the official market. So, clearly, the KX100 has no competition. Much like its elder, more powerful and surprisingly, more manageable sibling the KX250F, the 100 too is in a class of its own.

Photography by Sanchit Arora