At first glance the Kawasaki KL250J Stockman looks like an ordinary enduro bike with carriers tacked on at both ends – but a couple of days aboard KHI's first purpose-built agribike will soon convince you otherwise.
It's a remarkably user-friendly working bike, specifically designed to be ridden by people who don't have time to think about the mechanics of controlling a motorcycle, surefooted enough that it almost rides itself.
It's powered by a very compact 249cc single with a single overhead camshaft and four valves, rated at a conservative 15kW, with maximum torque of 20,6Nm delivered at 6000rpm. The KL's all-digital instrument pod doesn't run to a rev-counter, so it's difficult to quantify, but the motor ran smoothly and exhibited no signs of stress until well past its torque peak.
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Under perfect conditions, on a cool morning with my helmet hard against the brace bar, I got the bike up to an indicated 131km/h, but 122 sitting up was closer to the mark; in fact the bike cruises at its smoothest just on 98km/h, so that was the speed I tended to settle down to, wherever I was going.
Under perfect conditions I got the bike up to an indicated 131km/h The rest of the drive train is also very straightforward, with a typical (read indestructible) Kawasaki clutch driving a six-speed constant mesh gearbox. In time-honoured KHI fashion the engagement dogs on the gears have been cut with a little too much clearance, leading to excessive driveline lash and a slightly jerky 'change, especially from first to second.
But it also means that the 'box never misses a shift, with or without the clutch - and it will go into neutral anytime you want, as long as the bike is standing still, a Kawasaki idiosyncrasy that dates back to the 1960s. It takes a little getting used to, but once you remember to stop in first, it's dead easy to use.
The bike is fitted with an all-stainless exhaust system, complete with catalyser, which runs incredibly hot in service, and stays that way long after you park the bike.
The KL has am 830mm saddle height, making it the most sure-footed dirt-bike I've ridden
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