klx 250 sf or s

[speedbird]

Hello Everyone,

I'm a newbie rider looking at a klx 250. I plan on using the bike 80/20 road/dirt.
No long distance highway riding until i get into a larger 650. I know a lot of people will say just go into the KLR right away,but i have made my decision on the bike i feel most confident on. My question is, would i be better on a SF or S ?

Thanks guys

 

[tomcycle]

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Although I dont have a KLX 250 I do own the KLX300, the predecessor to the KLX250s

All this depends on what you want to do, what is your experiance?

Off road I would think the SF would not work out very well. Its lower and with the supermotard wheels and street tires, would mean a work out off road

Everyone that I have talked to loves their S model, in fact I am alway jelous because of the electric start. Very capable off road bike with good road maners for a 250. A great bike as a introductory bike to off roading. Also with the 6 speed box it is capable of highway speeds. Last but not least its ez on the pocket book.

KLR650 Bigger does not mean better, I also own a BMW X challange 650.

Couple of the guys here ride the KLX 250S I hope they post, Steve H ?

Tom

 

[speedbird]

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Thanx Tom,

I'm a new rider and this would be my first bike. No previous experience dirt or road.

 

[tomcycle]

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Again it depends on what kind of riding you think you will be doing in the future

I dont think you can go wrong with the KLX250s the SF is a little more specialized. The beauty of the smaller dual sport bikes, they dont cost a fortune and you dont take a big hit if you decide its not for you. The bikes are made to fall over and repairs are cheap. Compare the KLX250s to any of the other small dispacement Dual Sport or off road and you will see that there is a ton of value. Remember I only speak of my experiance with the KLX300r but they are vurtually the same bike (except I dont have and electric starter )

I should think about being a Kawasaki salesman

 

[speedbird]

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Hi Tom,

I'm a little concerned about the knobby tires on pavement. Thats why i was thinking more the SF.If i understand you correctly, it sounds like your saying the S is better suited for both road and trail and the SF is more suited for road only.

Thank you

Jim

 

[tomcycle]

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Knobbie tires are fine on the pavement, particularly around here becuase our road are in such poor shape. I typically ride with real off road tires and have no problem on pavement. there are lots of threads on this site that address dual sport knobbie,most if not all are available for the size of rims the 250s have. Knobbies wear out faster than street tires, but are a lot cheaper. If you are a newer rider you probably will not push your tires to the edge, you will most likely building you skills.

T

 

[speedbird]

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Thank you for your advice Tom. Nice to get this info from experienced riders.
Now that you mentioned it, our roads do feel like FSR roads sometimes.
:hb:

Jim

 

[250ccforme]

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The S would make a better prelude to the KLR than the SF. S better on the street than the SF would be on the dirt. Very limited selection of any sort of knobby for the SF, closest would be the Kenda 270; the stock Dunlop605 on the Sis more dirt worthy. I had the 270 on the KLR250 I used to have, (KLX250S is way more of a dirt bike than the KLR250 could ever have hoped to be). There are some really knobby DOT tires for the S for when you've got a couple of weeks of no commute and want your DIRT bike. :clap:

 

[speedbird]

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Thank you,

Good point about the transition to a KLR. I think the S is probably the better choice.

Jim

 

[UnbForester05]

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Hi there. I have the 250s and love it. A great trail bike and great for commuting on public roads. For the money I would go with the 250s vs SF. More versatile than the SF if you do want to do dirt riding do to higher ground clearance and better gearing for offroad use. Its also cheaper than the SF version. Many folks on other forums have switched out their wheels for 17'' rims and street tires (switching back to stock size when they want to play offroad. Better value I think..

 

[franhoser]

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Knobies suck in wet weather. Specifically for breaking. I drove last year to work almost everyday and had knobies on like D606 or MT21's and did just fine. You just have to drive like 40t loaded mack truck when it comes to stoping. With comon sense they are fine.

 

[North]

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The KLX250s is a great bike. I got one 16 months ago for one of my kids who was 20 and just starting to ride. The bike is no power house, but it goes were everybody else goes.

The stock tires are fine on the street and the bike does well off=road.

With a bit of foam taken off the stock seat, most people can put their feet flat on the ground. Which is a plus when you are learning to ride.

My kid has only ridden May to Sept and has put 8,000 plus trouble free km on the bike.

 

[redpillar]

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I have put on about 14k on my 09 KLX S, about 50/50. I would agree that the S model would be a better all rounder for you. The bike handles well on the street even with more aggressive knobs than the stock 605s, which are just fine for the road. Look around and find a used one with some mods done. Don't worry about seat height as the bike will sag a fair bit with age, not unlike other things unfortunately.

 

[XL guy]

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Hi I have a 07- S model. I have owned quite a few bikes and this is the best one so far. I use it for commuting to work six months of the year, the knobby tires are fine on the street. A couple of buddies that I ride with where so impressed they have purchased them as well. If you are a new rider forget the 650. If you have any other questions pm me.