Kawasaki KLX230 S Spied Testing In India, Upcoming Hero Xpulse 200 4V Rival

The Kawasaki KLX 230 S has been spotted testing in India. From the design to the engine, almost all the bits look very similar to the model sold abroad. The dual-sport bike will be heavily localised in India, just like the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and Kawasaki W175.

The Kawasaki KLX230 S gets a 233cc air-cooled 2-valve single-cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed gearbox, producing 19PS and 19.8Nm (in the Indonesia-spec model). Comparatively, the Hero Xpulse 200 4V makes 18.9PS and 17.35Nm. However, the India-spec KLX230 S may make slightly less power and torque to comply with stringent BS6.2 emission norms, which require emissions compliance in real-time.

Built on a perimeter frame, it comes with a 37mm telescopic fork and a monoshock and has 158mm wheel travel at the front and 168mm wheel travel at the rear. For perspective, the Xpulse 200 4V has a 190mm front and 170mm rear wheel travel. Braking is handled by 240mm front and 220mm rear petal discs, with dual-channel ABS, with the rear being switchable. It is equipped with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels. The KLX230 S has an 830mm seat height and weighs 134kg kerb, the Xpulse on the other hand has an 825mm seat height and weighs 25kg more at 159kg.

The bike gets a minimalistic LCD instrument console with only the essential info on display. It gets a speedometer, odometer, trip meter, fuel gauge, and a digital clock. It has a 7.5 litres of fuel tank capacity whereas the Xpulse has a 13-litre fuel tank.

It is evident from these comparisons that the Hero Xpulse 200 4V has the upper hand when it comes to outright performance, thanks to its 4-valve engine. While the Xpulse enjoys greater wheel travel, the only aspect where the Kawasaki has a clear advantage is the kerb weight. All in all, the Kawasaki dual-sport bike doesn’t really make all that sense in India, especially considering the presence of the Xpulse, which also has the advantage of a much more widespread service network, not to mention affordable maintenance costs compared to the Kawasaki.

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Considering the heavy localisation, the Kawasaki KLX230 S is expected to be priced under Rs 3 lakh (ex-showroom), while we hope for it to be priced between Rs 2.5 lakh to 2.7 lakh, making it the most affordable Japanese dual-sport bike in India. There’s a considerable price gap between the most affordable Kawasaki bike, the W175, and the second-most affordable Kawasaki, the Ninja 300. So with the KLX230S, Kawasaki could be looking to bridge this gap. It is likely to launch in early 2025 and will be a more expensive alternative to the Hero Xpulse 200 4V (Rs 1,46,276 ex-showroom).