Motorcycle Review: 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM

Kawasaki is one of the few manufacturers to offer a fun Supermoto in its line-up, but is it a bargain?

Costa Mouzouris

Jul 10, 2021 • July 10, 2021 • 4 minute read • Join the conversation

Photo by Costa Mouzouris

Kawasaki’s new KLX300SM can trace its roots to a television reality show. Decades before the Kardashians invaded the airwaves, the ABC television network tried its hand at reality TV with something called Superbikers. It aired from 1979 to 1986 and was completely created for television.

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The Wide World of Sports show combined three forms of motorcycle racing — road racing, flat track, and motocross — into one. Held at California’s Carlsbad Raceway, the course featured a paved track, a motocross section with jumps, and a long left-hand turn on dirt, just like flat track mile or half-mile course. Top racers from all disciplines competed in a one-size-fits-all race, with the winner crowned the year’s official champion Super Biker. Racers used specially designed motorcycles, mostly consisting of motocross bikes modified with lowered suspension, smaller-diameter wheels, wider tires, and a larger, more powerful front brake.

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Over the decades, the multi-discipline races evolved, becoming known as Supermotard in Europe and Supermoto in North America; hence, the SM in KLX300SM. And, much like those original race bikes, it is very much a modified version of the off-road oriented KLX300 dual sport machine.

The differences between the SM and the KLX dual sport include smaller, wider 17-inch wheels (dirt–oriented 21-inch front, 18-inch rear are standard on the KLX), a 300-millimetre front disc (250 mm on the KLX), and lower, firmer suspension at both ends. The lower suspension does make the KLX300SM a better choice for riders with a shorter inseam, since it drops seat height to 860 mm from the dual sport’s skyscraper-like 895 mm.

The SM remains fairly Spartan in its street-oriented equipment, however. The LCD instrument panel offers some pertinent info such as speed, rpm, time, and two trip meters, but it lacks a beginner-friendly gear-position indicator. The display also doesn’t have a high level of contrast making it difficult to see in sunlight.

Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris

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The liquid-cooled 292 cc single-cylinder engine, meanwhile, claims a modest 26 horsepower and 17.7 lb-ft of peak torque. Engine torque is abundant at lower revs (relatively speaking for the bike’s small displacement), and the engine continues pulling with gusto all the way to 9,000 rpm, then tapers off as you close in on the 10,500-rpm redline. The mild output promotes vigorous use of the six-speed gearbox if you’re throwing the bike around your favourite backroads. Thankfully, the shifter is light, with short, precise throws.

The KLX300SM can also comfortably maintain highway speeds with enough reserve power for passing. That said, it is a bit buzzy at the handlebar and seat at about 110 km/h. And while the wide handlebar is great for maneuvering the SM through city traffic, the added leverage enables a slight, rider-induced weave at speeds above 110 km/h.

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The suspension is also quite firm for such a light bike, though it does feature a surprising amount of adjustability for a bike on such a tight budget. The 43-mm inverted fork has adjustable compression damping, though the adjuster is inconveniently located at the bottom of each fork leg, below the front axle. The shock is adjustable for rebound and compression damping, and preload. Backing out the compression damping at both ends did improve the ride to a comfortable level on bumpy roads, without compromising handling.

Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris
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Photo by Costa Mouzouris
Photo by Costa Mouzouris

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That said, after a while in the saddle, the seat reveals its off-road origins. It is both narrow and firm; you’ll begin lifting butt cheeks for relief after about an hour. On the other hand, the riding position is quite comfy, with lots of legroom for taller riders, and a relaxed reach to the handlebar. The bike also has a narrow midsection, which facilitates reach to the ground for shorter riders.

At 138 kg wet (304 lb), the SM is a featherweight among street bikes. It steers with barely a nudge at the grips, and it loves being flicked through successive tight turns. The aforementioned light weave at highway speeds, and the lack of wind protection make it less appealing on the open road.

Even while wringing the engine in the upper rev range for most of the day, the KLX300SM proved to be quite stingy with fuel, consuming a mere 3.2L/100 km. That’s 88 miles per gallon! This gives it a theoretical range of 240 km from its 7.7-litre fuel tank, though the fuel light came on consistently at about 155 km, at which point it took about 5 litres to fill the tank.

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The Kawasaki KLX300SM ticks many of the right boxes. It’s light, it’s nimble, it’s fun to ride, it’s frugal, and it makes a great beginner bike. The one fly in the ointment is that beginners are typically on a budget. While the $6,799 Kawasaki KLX300SM doesn’t have any real competitors, there are a few other bikes in the sub-400 cc category that one might also consider. Suzuki still offers the DR-Z400SM, which has a larger 398 cc engine, and a higher price, at $7,999. Other alternatives include naked bikes, like the Honda CB300R at $5,999, and the Yamaha MT-03 at $5,899, and both of those come with ABS, which the KLX300SM lacks. Some boxes are being un-ticked.

The original intention of Supermoto bikes was to compete on a racecourse; the genre has since become mostly a styling exercise. Only Husqvarna and KTM offer real competition models, as well as high-performance road models, and anyone of them costs about twice as much as the KLX300SM. But it’s still hard to justify the cost of the KLX300SM when compared to its closest Japanese competitors. Even Kawasaki is giving the SM a hard time by offering the Z400 naked bike for a full $600 less, with ABS. All of these factors make the KLX300SM somewhat of a tough sell.