Kawasaki is proud to announce all-new race ready off-road KX™ XC models with the all-new 2021 KX™250XC and KX™450XC models.
As a brand that has a rich history in off-road racing with more than 25 championships in WORCS, National Hare & Hound, GNCC, and Endurocross over the past 20 years, there’s no denying the all-new KX XC models are powered by technology that hails from a legacy of champions.
The KX250XC and KX450XC share many winning traits with their motocross counterparts including the engine, frame, chassis, and styling, paired with unique cross-country tuning and settings such as suspension settings, gearing, off-road 21”/18” wheel combination, Dunlop Geomax AT81 tires, brake components, skid plate, and kickstand. The softer suspension settings and shorter gearing ratio help to create the optimal handling off-road race package for the KX XC lineup.
Developed to dominate off-road racecourses in both the woods and the desert, the KX XC lineup offers riders an arsenal of factory-style features along with the dominant engine and chassis performance right off the showroom floor.
Highlights of the 2021 KX XC Lineup
ALL-NEW Off-road optimized engine and suspension settings
ALL-NEW 21” front wheel and 18” rear wheel
ALL-NEW Dunlop GEOMAX AT81 tires
ALL-NEW Brake components
ALL-NEW Skid plate
ALL-NEW Kickstand
KAWASAKI KX™450XC
The all-new 2021 KX450XC has been designed as the flagship model of the KX XC lineup. Whether in the woods, desert, or cross-country the KX450XC is a race-ready championship winning machine right off the showroom floor, and shares numerous winning traits of its motocross counterpart, the KX450.
An cross-country race machine tuned for more experienced riders, the 449cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine, slim aluminum perimeter frame, Showa A-KIT technology suspension, hydraulic clutch and electric start are the ultimate combination of a championship winning package.
The KX450XC is built with race-winning components to help Kawasaki riders get to the top step of the podium. From the showroom to the racetrack, the performance of Kawasaki’s KX family of motorcycles is proof of its engineering pedigree.
ENGINE
The four-stroke, single cylinder, DOHC, water-cooled 449cc lightweight engine package utilizes input derived directly from the factory race team, with optimized engine mapping and settings for off-road racing. The potent KX450XC engine features an electric start, which is activated by the push of a button and powered by a compact Li-ion battery.
Kawasaki brought top-level road racing technology to the KX450XC valve train, using designs from Kawasaki World Superbike engineers. It uses a finger-follower valve actuation, enabling larger-diameter valves and more aggressive cam profiles. The intake and exhaust valves are formed from lightwight titanium, while a bridged-box piston uses the same design as the Monster Energy® Kawasaki race team’s factory motorcycles. For increased performance on the 2021 KX450XC engine, the piston also features a dry film lubricant coating on the piston skirt to reduce friction.
A close-ratio five speed transmission features lightweight gears and shafts to keep weight down, yet retains strength, while contributing to the motorcycle’s winning performance. The KX450XC has shorter gearing than its counterpart, the KX450, with a final gear ratio of 51/13. The transmission is paired with a coned disk-spring hydraulic clutch that is designed to provide a consistent feeling through minimal change in play as the clutch heats up during heavy use. The coned disc-spring contributes to a light clutch actuation and a wide clutch engagement range, which facilitates increased control.
CHASSIS
An industry-leading slim aluminum perimeter frame provides pecise cornering through excellent front-end feel and the ultimate agility when riding at high speeds. The frame’s lightweight construction is composed of forged, extruded and cast parts, while the engine is used as a stressed member and adds to the frames rigidity balance. A lightweight alloy swingarm is constructed of a cast front section and twin tapered hydro-formed spars in a raw aluminum finish, complementing the frame’s raw look. Engineers carefully placed the dimension of the swingarm pivot, output sprocket and rear axle locations, helping to focus on lower center of gravity and balanced handling.
SUSPENSION & BRAKES
The race-ready suspension found on the KX450XC features front and rear spring rates and damping settings that have been optimized for technical off-road and cross-country racing environments. High-performance Showa 49 mm coil spring front forks with A-KIT technology can be found up front, featuring large diameter inner tubes that are the same size as those found on Kawasaki’s factory racing team’s machines. The forks enable the use of large damping pistons for smooth action and firm damping. A super-hard titanium coating on the outer surface of the inner/lower fork tubes helps prevent wear and abrasion. The increased surface hardness of the dark navy-blue coating also helps to prevent scratches and damage to the tubes. Kashima Coating on the fork tubes also helps prevent wear and abrasion while optimizing performance.
On the rear, a new Uni-Trak® linkage system is designed to work in conjunction with the Showa shock, aluminum frame and swingarm. The linkage, which is mounted below the swingarm, allows for a longer rear suspension stroke and more precise rear suspension tuning. The Showa Compact Design rear shock boasts A-KIT technology with large diameter compression adjusters, improving on the high frequency movements found when racing cross-country. The Showa shock features a self-lubricating alumite coating on the shock body to help prevent wear and abrasion, while also reducing friction for smoother suspension action.
An oversized 270 mm, petal-shaped front brake rotor from the renowned manufacturer, Braking, is fitted to perfectly complement the powerful engine of the KX450XC. Optimized for cross-country riding and increased control, the rear is equipped with a 240 mm petal-shaped Braking® rotor that matches the large front disc. Both are gripped by Nissin master cylinder and caliper setups with XC-specific pads.
XC SPECIFIC COMPONENTS
The KX450XC is equipped with many specific cross-country components, such as the 21” front and 18” rear wheel combination paired with Dunlop GEOMAX AT81 tires, which were selected for optimal handling in off-road racing conditions. Other cross-country specific components include the durable plastic skid plate and side stand.
ERGONOMICS & ERGO-FIT® ADJUSTABLE COMPONENTS
Kawasaki continues its umatched commitment towards providing riders with class-leading comfort thanks to its ERGO-FIT® adjustable handlebar mounting system and footpegs to fit a variety of riders and riding styles. The KX450XC is equipped with factory-style 1-1/8” aluminum Renthal® Fatbar® handlebar, as standard equipment. The handlebars feature four-way adjustable mounts. The multi-positition handlebars offer two mounting holes with 35 mm of adjustability, and the 180-degree offset clamps boast four individual settings to suit different size riders. The footpegs feature dual-position mounting points, with a lower position that reduces the standard setting by an additional 5 mm. The lower position effectively lowers the center of gravity when standing, and reduces knee angle when tallers riders are seated.
BODYWORK & SEAT
Complementing the championship proven technology, the 2021 KX450XC features aggressive styling along with in-mold graphics on the radiator shrouds that result in an ultra-smooth surface and a factory-racer look needed to finish at the top of its class. The sleek bodywork has been molded to match the V-mounted radiators and narrow chassis design. Each piece of the bodywork has been designed to help facilitate the rider’s movement with long, smooth surfaces. The rims are coated with tough, durable black alumite treatment. Adjusters on the fork and shock both feature a high-quality green alumite finish. A gold finish on the oil cap and the both plugs on the engine cover further contribute to KX factory-racer looks and styling.
KAWASAKI KX™450XC
Color: Lime Green
MSRP: $9,599
Availability: Summer 2020
KAWASAKI KX™250XC
The all-new 2021 KX250XC has been designed for the rising stars in the XC2 250 Pro or Pro 2 Class and provides riders with a race-ready off-road motorcycle. Built from the legendary motocross winning pedigree of the KX™250 motorcycle and tuned to best suit off-road race-experienced riders, the 249cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine, slim aluminum perimeter frame, top of the line KYB suspension components, hydraulic clutch and electric start are the ultimate combination of a championship winning package.
The KX250XC is built with race-winning components to help Kawasaki riders get to the top step of the podium in all off-road and cross-country racing enviornments. From the showroom to the racetrack, the performance of Kawasaki’s KX™ family of motorcycles is proof of its engineering pedigree.
ENGINE
The four-stroke, single cylinder, DOHC, water-cooled 249cc lightweight engine package utilizes input derived directly from the factory race team, with optimized engine mapping and settings for off-road racing. The powerful KX250XC engine features an electric start, which is activated by the push of a button and powered by a compact Li-ion battery.
Kawasaki brought top-level road racing technology to the KX250XC valve train, using designs from Kawasaki World Superbike engineers. It uses finger-follower valve actuation, enabling larger-diameter valves and more aggressive cam profiles. The intake and exhaust valves are formed from lightwight titanium, while a bridged-box piston uses the same design as the Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team’s motorcycles.
A close-ratio five speed transmission features lightweight gears and shafts to keep weight down, yet retain strength, while contributing to the motorcycle’s winning performance. The KX250XC has shorter gearing than its counterpart, the KX250, with a final gear ratio of 51/13. The transmission is paired with a coned disk-spring hydraulic clutch that is designed to provide a consistent feeling through minimal change in play as the clutch heats up during heavy use. The coned disc-spring contributes to a light clutch actuation and a wide clutch engagement range, which facilitates increased control.
CHASSIS
The industry-leading slim aluminum perimeter frame is all-new for 2021 and provides precise cornering through excellent front-end feel and the ultimate agility when riding at high speeds. The frame’s lightweight construction is composed of forged, extruded and cast parts, while the engine is used as a stressed member and adds to the frame’s rigidity balance. A lightweight alloy swingarm is constructed of a cast front section and twin tapered hydro-formed spars in a raw aluminum finish, complementing the frame’s raw look. Engineers carefully placed the dimension of the swingarm pivot, output sprocket and rear axle locations, helping to focus on center of gravity and balanced handling.
SUSPENSION & BRAKES
High-performance KYB 48 mm coil spring front forks can be found up front, featuring large diameter inner tubes that are the same size as those found on Kawasaki’s factory racing team’s machines, but with optimized spring rates and damping settings for off-road riding. The forks enable the use of large damping pistons for smooth action and firm damping. Kashima Coating on the fork tubes helps prevent wear and abrasion while optimizing performance.
In the rear, a new Uni-Trak® linkage system is designed to work in conjunction with the KYB shock, aluminum frame and swingarm. The linkage, which is mounted below the swingarm, allows for a longer rear suspension stroke and more precise rear suspension tuning. The KYB rear shock features dual compression adjustability, allowing high-speed and low-speed damping to be tuned separately. Kashima Coating on the shock helps prevent wear and reduces friction for smoother suspension action.
An oversized 270 mm, petal-shaped front brake rotor from the renowned manufacturer, Braking, is fitted to perfectly complement the powerful engine of the KX250XC. The rear is equipped with a 240 mm petal-shaped Braking® rotor that matches the large front disc. Both are gripped by Nissin master cylinder and caliper setups and feature XC-specific pads.
XC SPECIFIC COMPONENTS
The KX250XC is equipped with many specific cross-country components, such as the 21” front and 18” rear wheel combination paired with Dunlop GEOMAX AT81 tires, which were selected for optimal handling in off-road racing conditions. Other cross-country specific components include the durable plastic skid plate and side stand.
ERGONOMICS & ERGO-FIT® ADJUSTABLE COMPONENTS
Kawasaki continues its umatched commitment towards providing riders with class-leading comfort thanks to its ERGO-FIT® adjustable handlebar mounting system and footpegs to fit a variety of riders and riding styles. The KX250XC is equipped with factory-style 1-1/8” aluminum Renthal® Fatbar® handlebar, as standard equipment. The handlebars feature four-way adjustable mounts. The multi-positition handlebars offer two mounting holes with 35 mm of adjustability, and the 180-degree offset clamps boast four individual settings to suit different size riders. The footpegs feature dual-position mounting points, with a lower position that reduces the standard setting by an additional 5 mm. The lower position effectively lowers the center of gravity when standing, and reduces knee angle when tallers riders are seated.
BODYWORK & SEAT
Complementing the championship proven technology, the 2021 KX250XC features aggressive styling along with in-mold graphics on the radiator shrouds that result in an ultra-smooth surface and factory-racer look needed to finish at the top of its class. The sleek bodywork has been molded to match the V-mounted radiators and narrow chassis design. Each piece of the bodywork has been designed to help facilitate the rider’s movement with long, smooth surfaces. The rims are coated with a tough, durable black alumite treatment. Adjusters on the fork and shock both feature a high-quality green alumite finish. A gold finish on the oil cap and the both plugs on the engine cover further contribute to KX factory-racer looks and styling.
KAWASAKI KX™250XC
Color: Lime Green
MSRP: $8,399
Availability: Summer 2020
Kawasaki Team Green™ Racer Rewards
Kawasaki Team Green Racer Rewards return for the 2021 racing season with more than seven million dollars in contingency available for eligible KX riders. With unmatched trackside support at over 40 events across the nation each year, Kawasaki’s Team Green program continues to raise the bar in support of amateur and professional racing by offering its payouts of over seven million dollars up for grabs, with an increased emphasis on payouts for off-road series, such as GNCC, National Enduro, JDay Off-Road, Hare & Hound and Full Gas Sprint Enduro. The off-road payout alone boasts an impressive $2.2 million dollars there for the taking, making it the highest in the industry.
