Team Green’s 250 four-stroke motocrosser was granted several updates for 2023, many of which were to the engine. Here’s how it performed on the Dirt Rider dyno.
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Kawasaki’s KX250 was given all the attention in its motocross bike lineup for 2023. Some changes were made to the suspension and chassis, but most were focused on increasing power across the rpm range.
The fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke 249cc engine boasts new intake valves with a 1.5mm-narrower pitch and increased clearance at the valve seats for improved peak performance. Intake valves themselves have been reduced by 1mm for increased cylinder head and valve seat reliability, and to accommodate the tighter valve pitch.
Further down in the powerplant, a bridged-box piston with a 14.1:1 compression ratio features a revised crown to match the valve size and pitch changes. Other power-related updates include a straighter intake duct, repositioned upstream injector (from above to below the duct), advanced ignition timing, increased moment of inertia in the magneto rotor, and a 3.9-inch-longer header pipe.
When run on our in-house dyno, the 2023 Kawasaki KX250 produced 40.9 hp at 13,400 rpm and 18.9 lb.-ft. of torque at 8,600 rpm. Compared to last year’s model, that’s a bump of 1.4 hp and 0.4 lb.-ft. of torque at peak. On the track, we noticed improvements on our first ride on the ’23 model, but found some areas it still needs to be better when putting it up against the rest in our 2023 250F Motocross Shootout.
“Personally, I really enjoyed riding the KX250, but would have a harder time racing it where more mistakes are made,” test rider Casey Casper said. “I had to be most precise with gear selection on it too, as the green machine likes to stay in lower gears (first through third) more than any other 250F. This is a great engine for experienced riders and revvers.”
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Video By: Bert Beltran
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