Kawasaki D-tracker X

[Travelmate]

DRZ look too costly when compared to the D-Tracker. Let face it most of the time it will be the same.

[cookie1]

You right Allan,

Okay, personally I have to say that the Kawasaki D-tracker is a a bike, which stole my heart. I had huge experience with all type of Adventure and Motard bikes. With most bikes nothing wrong they got my attention and create a smile no road bike how fast how powerful can create, it is simple and simple it is what motorcycling is all about. Most people forget that the simple pleasure of riding a motorcycle you not get from the power of the engine or the size of the bike.

To remember something like that we need to get back at the time that we where riding this small displacements bikes, can anybody remember how much fun that was?

When everybody is thinking about that feeling they had when they had only a few horsepower between there legs. And where really proud that we could lose a Police guy on a huge motorcycle, or we where able to fly home without seeing any thing call traffic jams.... yes guys that where the days...

Today, I was in our garage downstairs and looked at our bikes, and a feeling of disappointment got me. Sure we, have bikes for any mood, but what about a real fun bike. I have a Honda CRF450, but that one is upcountry and I did not touch that for something what feels ages. A 450cc in rural isan mud feel like ice-skating without the proper training and tools. I had my 450cc Honda during the raining season.

Okay back to the Kawasaki D-tracker 250, with the D-tracker which most people will call at first a reworked or redesigned KLX250, but this is not completely true. Sure Kawasaki uses lots of technology from the KLX series for the D-tracker (But then the latest Honda car is not a Formula 1 car). The Kawasaki D-tracker 250 is what everybody should try before thinking to buy a motorcycle.

Riding a Kawasaki D-tracker is fun, and then not because it is big or impresses people, nope it is fun because it is amazing to ride... I would almost like it brings the teenage boy back, we still have a D-tracker at home, and with the most ridicules excuses I still did not bring it back.

Closed competition is the Suzuki DRZ400 which is also lots of fun, but in downtown traffic the D-tracker has that little advantage I can lose my expert g/f in a few minutes... I need to say that next year things maybe going to change, as Honda has a excellent 230cc motard motorcycle all lined up.... And that baby is sweet.... Anybody want to show-off on a big Enduro CRF450 with all papers and plates?

(Sorry Allan I write this from behind my bar, I have something like a party.... Also had a few beers)

With reference to your CRF450 enduro,is it still for sale & how much are you wanting for it?Any chance you could email me some photo's & price etc.

Cheers Cookie

email. [email protected]

[Richard-BKK]

Sorry,

The Honda CRF450 is not anymore for sale, the g/f not let me buy another bike so better I keep it for now

[dave_boo]

40 hp in a streetlegal 250 fourstroke single is science fiction.

Is it now? The 'weakest' CBR 250RR was rated at only 40, with the top 'o the line all the way up to 45. Granted, when you're pimping an 18 000+ redline, you can get away with those ratings. In fact, Kawasaki offered a 40+ HP bike, as did Suzuki, and even Yamaha had a version. BTW, they'll stomp all over those 400s running around......

[Richard-BKK]

Hi Dave,

I had some information not so long ago that Honda started the manufacturing of a 2009 Honda Hornet 250 in Japan which is still unsure if it will ever been introduced into the Japanese market, the power to engine displacement would indicate that it was not intended for the Japanese market, as the new bike produces more horses then legally allowed for Japanese 250cc road bikes. Also by early piston design and engine specifications would make it a 250cc very similar to the CBR250RR.

Considering that Honda is not in any hurry to enter the Thai market and some talk from Thai Honda people they not scared to lose business to Kawasaki. Maybe a month or two ago I said the Honda VTR-250 was the only 250cc Honda motorcycle produced in Japan. So now we know that they build a more powerful 250cc motorcycle then Japanese law allows for Japan, combining this information with the Honda (Thailand) CEO comment that bigger then 125cc bikes would be imported from Japan, under the zero import duty free-trade-agreement ...start to make sense...

Still the Honda Phantom AT200 is then the questionably bike... Maybe the AT200 would be replaced by the CBF250 also still on the table, they officially started production of the CBF250 in Malaysia at the ASEAN manufacturing hub.

[thaicbr]

Richard the old hornet 250 was very,very similar to the cbr250. not so many revs but still high at 16,000 plus. if they had one at a resonable price i would consider it.

ALSO Dave

Hangdong said "street legal 40hp fourstroke SINGLE"

and i think he is right about that.

Cheers Allan

[Richard-BKK]

The old pre-2009 Hornet 250 was not build in Japan, a similar model was ever build in Japan... around 1998 if I recall correct. In Japan they had a Honda 250cc it was also called the Hornet by some Japanese motor clubs, but the engine had different specs. It was later replaced by the current available V-twin cylinder VTR-250. Which is to Japanese standards the closest Japanese answer to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

This probably would change if Honda is pulling a old "CBR250" rabbit out of the hat, with some new half fairing and 4-inline equipped with the latest PGM-FI two-step injection technology. To early rumors would this bike be not that much less powerfull the the current 400cc CB400. Which on its own would maybe indicate that the CB400 is also history, as they did not got any details of a new 2009 400cc Honda road bike.

[dave_boo]

Richard the old hornet 250 was very,very similar to the cbr250. not so many revs but still high at 16,000 plus. if they had one at a resonable price i would consider it.

ALSO Dave

Hangdong said "street legal 40hp fourstroke SINGLE"

and i think he is right about that.

Cheers Allan

Yeah, I'm a 1/2 blind idiot.....apologies to all.

@Richard:

If Honda could pull off what you suggested in your last paragraph, I'd be ALL over it. Only hope they don't offer a 1/2 fairing, since it would be a much better seller in full fairing I would think. If they did the fairing design up right, the customer could remove the bits and pieces to get a partially faired bike that more fits their likings.

I agree though that such a bike would quickly obviate the 400 range, would offer much better milage at the same top power and a much more nimble form.

[imaneggspurt]

Richard the old hornet 250 was very,very similar to the cbr250. not so many revs but still high at 16,000 plus. if they had one at a resonable price i would consider it.

ALSO Dave

Hangdong said "street legal 40hp fourstroke SINGLE"

and i think he is right about that.

Cheers Allan

I have a 250 single with 54bhp !,. husqvarna wr250 2 stroke,.

[thaicbr]

Spurt it says "fourstroke"

but hel_l yes i would grin like mad with that husky as well. i remember back in the Uk riding a mates Maico 490 in a fun Enduro. that was some bastard to kick over.

Is it here in LOS.

ALLAN

[HangDongRider]

Does anybody know, which kind of gastank the tracker has? Is it still in japanese tradition made from steel or spend the company a modern plastic one?

[imaneggspurt]

Spurt it says "fourstroke"

but hel_l yes i would grin like mad with that husky as well. i remember back in the Uk riding a mates Maico 490 in a fun Enduro. that was some bastard to kick over.

Is it here in LOS.

ALLAN

yes, i have 3 bikes here, a wr400 for overland, a dr250 djbel for local, and the husky for sunday blow outs,the husky never fails to make me smile, i havent seen another one in thailand

[dpsalad]

Wake-up Hang Dong Rider !

The Honda NSR 150SP 2 stroke, puts out 39.5 HP. This is a 149cc bike !

The 1998 Kawasaki Serpico SS 149cc two stroke puts out 43 HP.

( - : dpsalad

[LivinLOS]

40 hp in a streetlegal 250 fourstroke single is science fiction.

Is it now? The 'weakest' CBR 250RR was rated at only 40, with the top 'o the line all the way up to 45. Granted, when you're pimping an 18 000+ redline, you can get away with those ratings. In fact, Kawasaki offered a 40+ HP bike, as did Suzuki, and even Yamaha had a version. BTW, they'll stomp all over those 400s running around......

What like a 15 year old engine design putting out 60hp in the Bandit GSF400 ??

[dave_boo]

40 hp in a streetlegal 250 fourstroke single is science fiction.

Is it now? The 'weakest' CBR 250RR was rated at only 40, with the top 'o the line all the way up to 45. Granted, when you're pimping an 18 000+ redline, you can get away with those ratings. In fact, Kawasaki offered a 40+ HP bike, as did Suzuki, and even Yamaha had a version. BTW, they'll stomp all over those 400s running around......

What like a 15 year old engine design putting out 60hp in the Bandit GSF400 ??

Guess that would depend on how far the race is; I'd suppose the Bandit may run out of gas first......

Wake-up Hang Dong Rider !

The Honda NSR 150SP 2 stroke, puts out 39.5 HP. This is a 149cc bike !

The 1998 Kawasaki Serpico SS 149cc two stroke puts out 43 HP.

Don't know if you've heard of Tyga, but they've specced the NSR 150 at just shy of 30; respectable but nowhere close to the claimed HP.  Can't find any reputable site listing the Serpico's HP so I won't comment on that.

[thaicbr]

the figures for the NSR are ps not hp and measured at the drive font sprocket with no ancillary's fitted so 30hp on a dyno is about right.

Stripped down and lightened i think a NSR150sp would be very interesting as a cheap track bike. But an NSR or TZR250 would be better

Allan

[LivinLOS]

I always thought PS = HP ?? PS being the Euro description of the same measurement in some other language ??

So what is the HP / PS ratio then ??

[thaicbr]

livin do a google on hp wiki. it explains it all. but ps is the name for the test its done at the drive sprocket rather than at the wheel. so no losses in relation to drive train.

allan

[dave_boo]

the figures for the NSR are ps not hp and measured at the drive font sprocket with no ancillary's fitted so 30hp on a dyno is about right.

Stripped down and lightened i think a NSR150sp would be very interesting as a cheap track bike. But an NSR or TZR250 would be better

Allan

....

livin do a google on hp wiki. it explains it all. but ps is the name for the test its done at the drive sprocket rather than at the wheel. so no losses in relation to drive train.

The numbers from the factory may have indeed been PS, but PS =/= HP.  In fact 1 PS = 0.98632 hp (SAE).  I think what you're thinking of is brake horsepower (gross hp).  Since the majority of the dynographs come from the States, hp (SAE) is used.  Germany and Japan like using PS (don't ask me why Japan does).  Also, if we're to assume that Honda rated it at 39.5 PS at the crank, with no ancillaries (which would mean no water pump!, transmission, etc), than total loss would have to be 17%; a bit higher than the accepted norm for driveline loss on motorcycles.

[thaicbr]

Dave being a mere human i have no idea what 'the accepted norm for driveline loss on motorcycles' actually is and would it not depend on chain or shaft etc.

also the manufacturer's are able to use a hand built unit.

but it still means that 2stokes rock

Allan

[dave_boo]

Dave being a mere human i have no idea what 'the accepted norm for driveline loss on motorcycles' actually is and would it not depend on chain or shaft etc.

also the manufacturer's are able to use a hand built unit.

but it still means that 2stokes rock

Allan

Yes the do. Don't know if you read the whole article about horsepower, but in the States they have what is called SAE Certified rating. The agency sets the conditions and makes sure that there's no manipulating the numbers. One of the few times America has actually done something right in the auto industry. BTW, I believe that Germany has a similar programme.

[gregchambers]

Hi guys, I finally found the Chiang Mai Kawasaki showroom and was rather taken with the ER-6n untill I found how heavy it was (200kg) for a 650cc vertical twin and also reports of about 40mpg. So I sat on the D-tracker expecting it to be too high but could get both feet on the ground... just wondering what kind of fuel mileage you guys are getting and top speed. Eventually, I would want two inch lowered suspension, some proper mudguards on it and maybe even a restyle as a proper motorcycle but only worth the effort if the engine is efficient for what is a very low powered single (25hp-ish from what I read here). Not intetested in the 250cc Ninja, too race replica for my taste.

[nikster]

Hi guys, I finally found the Chiang Mai Kawasaki showroom and was rather taken with the ER-6n untill I found how heavy it was (200kg) for a 650cc vertical twin and also reports of about 40mpg. So I sat on the D-tracker expecting it to be too high but could get both feet on the ground... just wondering what kind of fuel mileage you guys are getting and top speed. Eventually, I would want two inch lowered suspension, some proper mudguards on it and maybe even a restyle as a proper motorcycle but only worth the effort if the engine is efficient for what is a very low powered single (25hp-ish from what I read here). Not intetested in the 250cc Ninja, too race replica for my taste.

I am getting about 30km/l which in U.S. Miles would be about 70MPG. This is riding it rather hard over the mountains. If I ride it 12 km to town and back once a day, MPG rating is slightly worse.

Top speed is 110km/h on a straight. I don't know what it is it seems like the engine would happily go faster. It might be the gearing which is laid out for more low end torque vs high end speed. Or it might be the FI. I'll leave that to more knowledgeable people to decide.

The D-Tracker X is happiest at speeds from 0 - 100 after it's broken in. 110 is a bit strained. It is absolutely awesome on twisting mountain roads as long as you have no passenger. Very lightweight and likes to carve corners with the street tires. I also fly over our dirt roads at home thanks to high clearance. Even very deep pot holes are absolutely no problem. I expect the street slicks be not so good in muddy conditions - we'll see how it holds up when the rainy season arrives.

Edited February 8, 2009 by nikster

[LivinLOS]

110 max ?? Really !! You can get that much out of a tuned up wave !! A 150 raider or CBR will fly past that !!

[gregchambers]

Hi, thanks for the quick reply... 30km/litre does it for me. The low top speed is almost certainly down to the gearing, so that would be another mod on the list - a bigger engine sprocket if there is room to fit one; should also improve the fuel consumption. I think I once got 110km/hr out of the girlfriend's 110cc Yamaha Spark before she went into rib digging routine. BTW, the Chiang Mai dealer quoted 149k for the D-tracker but I would probably be on the lookout for a nearly new one being a mean old bugger who has been hammered by his British pounds going down the currency exchange drain. Even on the Spark, I usually plod off in second gear as I find it makes up in speed the time it would otherwise waste clunking from first to second. On the D-Tracker I would expect 140-150km/hr from its quote power, which would be an extra two or three teeth on the gearbox sprocket (or more off the rear sprocket or some combination of the two). Anyone interested in doing this could check out the effect by referring to the gear ratios and moving off from a standstill in second or third to see the difference in low end acceleration. Bikes are produced with ill-conceived gearing so that they look good in the accelaration tests in the motorcycle magazines.

[dave_boo]

110 max ?? Really !! You can get that much out of a tuned up wave !! A 150 raider or CBR will fly past that !!

But they're not as comfortable (well at least from my personal experience the CBR 150 isn't on the long haul...) and you wouldn't dare take either of them the places that a D-tracker would go. I'd assume that in town the D-tracker would also eat up either of those bikes in stop and go riding just due to the greater torque and lower gearing.

[LivinLOS]

But come on.. 110 kph ?!?!

Thats a tuned 50cc bike top speed. Somethings up with a 250 that maxes at 110 ??

[pacovl46]

HI, I just got a black D-Tracker X 2 days ago in Chiang Mai. Apparently the waiting list is pretty short when you pay cash - ordered on saturday with BHT 1000 deposit (surely a first!), came on wednesday. They seem to be selling like hot cakes, two others were sold while I was getting mine.

I am no expert but it's certainly a lot of fun to drive. It's no racing bike but it has very good handling and I have to say it's super easy to ride. It's my first real bike and I had no troubles. Acceleration is perfect, but top speed was 110kph which seemed a bit low. I am thinking it might get faster once I got a few kms on the engine.

Rode it from Chiang Mai to Pai with a smile on my face all the way

Of course I am already thinking about tuning it. Maybe you experts can tell me what would be the best upgrade for a little extra power. Replacing the muffler? Twiddling with the FI (fuel injection) settings?

How much did you pay for the bike? I came across one 2 days ago in bkk. Impressive sound and looks to kill but didn't stand a chance against my cbr 150 ;-) I'm thinking about getting one but a top speed of only 110 is a bit slow for my taste.

[mickba]

Forget that - just seen the other thread.

Edited November 2, 2010 by mickba