For 2027, Kawasaki comes in with an all-new 450, but that didn’t stop them from also making updates to the 250F. Yes, the F is now back for the first time in nine years as they have gotten back into the two-stroke game. New sound regulations have made it so that all manufacturers have to lose sound but try to keep the power. We took this bike to Glen Helen Raceway to see if these small updates make a difference on track. Is the power improved or worse? We'll find out for you.

First Impressions

Walking up to the 2027 KX250F, it still has a familiar look, but Kawasaki's styling continues to be one of the cleaner-looking packages in the pits. The slim bodywork and flat seat-to-tank transition make the bike look easy to move around on, and once you throw a leg over it, the riding position feels very natural. One thing that immediately stands out is how narrow the bike feels between your legs. Kawasaki has done a great job over the last few years of making the KX feel slimmer, and that continues with the 2027 model.

The shrouds are smooth and don't feel like they get in the way when moving forward or hanging off the bike in corners. The cockpit is also familiar, with adjustable ergonomics giving riders some room to tailor the bike to their preferences. The ODI lock-on grips are a nice touch, while the handlebar-mounted controls make it easy to access the different power modes, traction control, and launch control settings. Kawasaki also continues to offer smartphone connectivity through its Rideology app.

Right away, you could hear that this bike was noticeably quieter than before, and after only a few laps, I could tell it was still lacking some low-end power and throttle response. The chassis and suspension felt pretty good immediately, though, and I knew I was in for a fun day of testing.

To hear our thoughts and see the bike in action, click play on this video. If you want to continue to read our thoughts, keep scrolling down.

Engine

Let's get into one of the biggest talking points in the 250F class: engine power. This bike has lacked some low-end power and throttle response in the past, and while Kawasaki has made changes to improve those areas, the KX is still somewhat difficult to control at low RPM. RPM recovery isn't the best in class, which forces you to ride a gear lower and be more aggressive with the RPMs to keep the engine out of that weaker part of the powerband.

Mid-to-top power is where the KX really shines. A strong midrange that continues pulling throughout the RPM range makes this bike exciting to ride when you keep it in the meat of the power. For me, the top-end power and over-rev are some of the best in class. This thing pulls all the way to the rev limiter and has a long, smooth over-rev that doesn't just fall flat on its face. I do find myself shifting more than on other 250Fs because of the weaker low-end power. It almost reminds me of riding a 125 two-stroke at times, as I would occasionally have to downshift twice entering tighter corners to keep the RPMs higher and avoid that weaker low-RPM range.

Luckily for me and all Kawasaki owners, there's an app that allows you to tune the engine to your liking. I really wanted to find more low-RPM power and throttle response, so I built a map hoping to improve those areas. While it did help the low-end power and response slightly, it still wasn't quite at the level I wanted. Nevertheless, it was an improvement. The fuel-injection settings were crisp and clean throughout the day, and the bike ran well with every map I tried. New for 2027 is the ability to choose whether your custom map is assigned to the light-on or light-off setting when uploading it to the bike. Previously, you didn't have that option, so it's a nice little update for this year.

Overall, this isn't the greatest engine in the class, but the strong mid-to-top power and excellent over-rev make it a fun bike to ride. Riders who aren't as aggressive or don't constantly ride high in the RPM range may want to invest in some aftermarket parts to help improve the low-end power. Even with the new sound regulations, Kawasaki managed to maintain strong mid-to-top performance, which certainly isn't an easy task.

Suspension

Updated Showa fork and shock settings for 2027 give this bike a slightly stiff overall feeling for a 250F. I'm 180 pounds and a pro-level rider, and even for me, the fork felt slightly stiff in the mid-stroke, which really shouldn't be the case with a stock 250F setting. It wasn't crazy stiff, but over some of the smaller bumps, the fork didn't want to absorb them as well as I'd like. I was also looking for a more settled front end during the initial part of cornering. The shock, on the other hand, felt slightly soft compared to the fork and was riding a little deep when exiting corners. I went to work on the clickers to address these issues, and some relatively small adjustments made a big difference in comfort and performance.

I started by going two clicks softer on fork compression and opening the rebound two clicks to help it move through the mid-stroke more freely. This really improved small-bump absorption and overall comfort. It also gave the fork a more progressive feeling, although I did lose a tiny bit of bottoming resistance in higher-load situations. Considering what I gained in comfort and performance, I was more than willing to sacrifice a little end-stroke hold-up.

Next, I adjusted the shock by going two clicks stiffer on low-speed compression and opening the rebound two clicks. This provided a little more hold-up when exiting corners, while the rebound adjustment made the mid-to-end stroke feel more progressive. Now, the fork and shock stiffness levels matched much better, and the bike had a more level ride attitude.

I was honestly impressed with how much those small changes improved the feeling on the track. I had a ton of comfort and performance, and these were some of the best-feeling Showa settings I've ridden in quite a while. I could push as hard as I wanted through the rough stuff while still cruising through smaller bumps with excellent comfort. Overall, I feel the updated settings are a step in the right direction, although they may be slightly on the stiff side for the average-sized 250F rider.

Chassis

I’ve praised the Kawasaki chassis for years now, as it’s been one of, if not the best in class, when it comes to comfort and stability. Well, 2027 is no different, as this 250F chassis is very predictable and never does anything unexpected. It gives the rider a ton of confidence knowing the bike is going to do the same thing every lap in the bumps. Comfort is the keyword for this chassis, as it soaks stuff up with ease, and when you run out of suspension and need the chassis to handle stuff, it takes that with pleasure and makes for an enjoyable ride. I don't think there is another 250F out there that I can push harder on rough tracks than this bike.

Yes, having a little less power will help this, but even with that, I was so confident riding aggressively on this bike. The Kawi is one of the heaviest 250Fs in the class, but on track, it doesn’t feel that heavy, and leaning into corners isn’t difficult at all. Front and rear traction are also good on this bike, making cornering performance one of the best in class. I can lay this bike into ruts and push hard through flat corners, and this bike almost corners for itself. It’s not at the level of a Honda when it comes to cornering performance, but overall corner stability has this bike at the top. I really don’t have any negatives about this chassis, and I really hope the new 450 is the same way.

Other Bits

Some small styling updates to the front fender and front number plate give this bike an updated look. I also found out that the front fender has a cover near where it connects to the front number plate, and this will have GPS capability on the 450, which will probably come next year on the 250F. Finally! After years of many people complaining about the front brake lever on these KXs, they updated it to a thicker lever, which I absolutely love. The front brake on this bike was also really good! The lever had a very tight feel with no spongy feeling and gave me a great power-to-control ratio. Before, the front brake was slightly grabby and difficult to control, but that is gone, and now, for me, it is the best Nissin front brake in the class.

We also get updates to the hydraulic clutch as well. While I am a diehard cable clutch guy and wish some manufacturers would go back to it, this clutch does feel slightly improved, as I didn’t get any fade in the clutch after hard riding for 15 minutes. A good window from disengagement to engagement makes this clutch easier to control compared to other hydraulic clutches. The seat on the KX is one of my favourites, as it has the most comfort of any seat in the class and still has a square shape, which I appreciate.

Pricing

I should really have this at the top because this is huge! I have never seen a company lower their MSRP on a bike, even when they have no changes. Kawi went and made a ton of changes to this bike and, even with that, dropped the price of this bike by $500! Absolutely amazing to see this! I have seen bikes that don’t even get any changes go up in price. So, huge shoutout to Team Green for making this bike even more affordable for people. With a lower price, you can now spend more money on improving this bike even more.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, was this bike improved for 2027? I say slightly. I still feel it has a very similar character to previous years, but the updated suspension makes this bike better. The engine is still up in the air, as I didn’t have a 2026 to back-to-back these bikes. Overall, this bike has very good potential and, with the amazing price tag, will be a bike I see many riders on in the upcoming year!