Kawasaki KLX 300R

The Kawasaki KLX 300R sticks to the very basics of the off-road dual-purpose motorcycles, with the overall design kept minimalist and the tall stance depicting the true nature of the motorcycle. Size-wise, the Kawasaki KLX 300R looks compact but big enough to make it look purposeful, as the flagship dual-purpose motorcycle.

The front view of the Kawasaki KLX 300R looks plain jane, like any other dual-purpose motorcycle, with a clean white-coloured plastic cowl in place of the conventional headlamp, below the handlebar. The high mounted front fender extends to the very front end, making the Kawasaki KLX 300R look rough and tough, which only gets better with an off-road spec front tire.

The side profile of the Kawasaki KLX 300R looks even more purposeful, with the motorcycle having a wide body design, courtesy of the wide but slim cowls for the fuel tank. The high ground clearance and off-road spec tires further enhance the overall toughness of the visual appeal of the motorcycle. Other bits like high mounted exhaust pipe covered with a broad white plastic cowl and the slim tailpiece makes the Kawasaki KLX 300R look lean. The flat single-piece seat is good enough for only one person at a time, in this case, the rider himself.

Every cycle part of the motorcycle below the body, including the engine, the rectangular swing arm and exhaust pipe, have been finished in a theme of grey. The rest of the motorcycle has been kept very simple, with almost no other major component present here like in any other conventional road-spec motorcycle, like instrument console, rearview mirrors and turn indicators. Even the switchgear is very basic with the presence of only the essentials here. 

The handlebar of the Kawasaki KLX 300R is purely flat, with aluminium finished levers for the front brake as well as clutch giving it a premium look. This flat handlebar, along with mildly rear set footpegs, give a very sporty riding posture, which is perfect enough to ride over off-road trails with complete ease.

The Kawasaki KLX 300R has been engineered to take on the hardest of beatings from off-road trails, which is why the overall chassis setup feels sturdy. A pair of simple hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and a single fully adjustable monoshock at the rear serves the purpose of making the Kawasaki KLX 300R glide smoothly over the roughest terrains. When it comes to brakes, the Kawasaki KLX 300R has been fitted with petal disc brakes at both ends.

The Kawasaki KLX 300R gets the manufacturer’s biggest single-cylinder engine in the current lineup – a four-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 292cc engine. Paired to a 6-speed gearbox, this engine, here in the Kawasaki KLX 300R, produces a maximum power output of 28.8 PS of maximum power and 26.3 Nm of maximum torque output – figures which are perfect enough to give it a punchy low-end grunt and strong midrange.

Given that the Kawasaki KLX 300R has been made keeping minimalism in mind, the motorcycle is devoid of proper and more sophisticated electronic riding aids as well as safety features. This also helps in keeping the overall weight of the motorcycle quite low – 128 kgs, in this case.

Apart from a sturdy and light-weighted chassis under its skin, the Kawasaki KLX 300R has also got a potent single-cylinder motor. This perfect combination of all the traits makes the Kawasaki KLX 300R a perfect tool for off-road getaways, despite missing out on many conventional and advanced features on board.