- Features proper off-road-ready setup
- Equipped with a saree guard, upswept exhaust, and a flat bench seat
- Will rival the Hero Xpulse 200 4V in India
Kawasaki India has been testing the KLX 230 dual sport bike in India and we have caught a glimpse of it again. This test bike was spotted in Pune and here is what we already know about it.
The Kawasaki KLX 230 isn’t a new model and has been on sale in the international market for a while. But, it will be the Japanese brand’s latest offering in the smaller capacity off-road bike segment for the Indian market. Although camouflaged, it is evident that the KLX 230 is nearing its testing stage. The test bike is equipped with elements like the saree guard and front number plate hinting its homologation is being done for the country.
Powering the KLX 230 is a 233cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine. The setup is quite basic and the expected power figures should be around 19bhp and 20.6Nm. That said, the international market gets two trims of the KLX 230 – standard and S. We think, the bike would be launched in India in the S variant. It gets 830mm of seat height which is much more accessible than the standard model’s 884mm.
The KLX 230 not only looks compact but also weighs just 131kg. Its overall setup too is quite simple – gaitered telescopic front forks and a monoshock with a front and rear disc brake. It gets a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear spoke wheel setup with block pattern tyres.
Since Kawasaki has its facility setup in India, we expect the brand to be able to localise the KLX 230 to some extent and price it aggressively. Once launched, it will rival the Hero Xpulse 200 4V. That said, the KLX 230's debut could take some time and we expect it to happen around year-end or early 2025.
