Lets be honest, nothing will put a big ol' toothy grin on your face like a day on a mini bike. Whether you're a young kid who just got his first ride, or an adult bashing bars with your friends in the backyard, riding these little things can be just about as much fun as you can have with an engine and two spinning tires.

Just this past weekend Kawasaki invited us out to swing a leg over their new 2010 KLX 110 and 110L models at the Fox Headquarters here in Southern California. Fox has constructed one of the greatest pit bike tracks we've seen, stretching all the way around the office, weaving in and out of trees, resplendent (yes, we said resplendent) with jumps, burms and everything else you'd want to rail a bike over.


The 2010 KLX 110L
Click here for more photos

First, the bikes. The KLX 110 has been around for a number of years now, and amongst the changes for this season the most welcomed and enjoyed has to be the the keyless electric start. If you've ever chased a kid around a track just to re-start his bike for him over and over, you'll be happy to know that the young'un can now just press a button and off they go. The bike has also been re-styled for the new year to more closely resemble its bigger brother, the KX 250F and 450F.

The KLX 110L, which is a new model for this year, offers a few parts that will appeal to the larger rider. Whether that be a younger kid just wishing to make a transition or a full grown parent, the addition of larger suspension (nearly 5.5 inches fore and aft) and a clutch make the ride that much more enjoyable. To open the bike up to the larger sized audience Kawasaki also added a taller seat, up by about 2 inches from the standard KLX model. The bike also received a slight power bump and now comes equipped with a 4th gear.

With my slightly, a'hem, larger frame, I spent most of my time on the KLX 110L banging bars with the rest of the motorcycle press. The suspension is clearly much more plush on the larger model, coming up short on some of the smaller step-downs that the Fox track has to offer wasn't that big of a deal. Aside from the ergonomic advantages, the clutch really takes the fun factor to a whole new level. Burry that thing into a corner, rev it to the moon and drop the clutch and you feel like a hero.


Andrew Silverstein made an appearance and showed us all how to ride a mini bike.
Click here for more photos

The folks at Kawasaki made a very wise decision adding the KLX 110L to the lineup, removing what was once a very large gap between juniors first bike and his second, and maybe more importantly gave the parents a reason to keep the bike around once the kid grows out of it.

Retail on these machines is $2099 for the 110 and $2249 for the 110L.

More information can be found at www.kawasaki.com

Technical Details

2010 Kawasaki KLXTM110L Specifications*Engine: Four-stroke, SOHC, two-valve singleDisplacement: 111ccBore x Stroke: 53.0 x 50.6mm
Compression Ratio: 9.5:1
Cooling: Air
Carburetion: Mikuni PB18
Ignition: CDI
Transmission: Four-speed
Final Drive: Chain
Frame: Backbone frame, high-tensile steel
Rake / Trail: 24.2 degrees / 1.9 in.
Front Suspension / Wheel Travel: 30mm hydraulic telescopic fork / 5.2 in.
Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel: Swingarm with single hydraulic shock / 5.1 in.
Front Tire: 2.50x14
Rear Tire: 3.00x12
Front Brake / Rear Brake: Mechanical Drum / Mechanical Drum
Overall Length: 61.4 in.
Overall Width: 25.6 in.
Overall Height: 39.0
Ground Clearance: 10.4 in.
Seat Height: 28.7 in.
Curb Weight: 168 lbs.
Wheelbase: 42.3 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.0 gal.
Color: Lime Green
MSRP: $2,249
Warranty: 6 Months



2010 Kawasaki KLXTM110 Specifications*
Engine: Four-stroke, SOHC, two-valve single
Displacement: 111cc
Bore x Stroke: 53.0 x 50.6mm
Compression Ratio: 9.5:1
Cooling: Air
Carburetion: Mikuni PB18
Ignition: CDI
Transmission: Four-speed with automatic clutch
Final Drive: Chain
Frame: Backbone frame, high-tensile steel
Rake / Trail: 24.8 degrees / 2.0 in.
Front Suspension / Wheel Travel: 30mm hydraulic telescopic fork / 4.3 in.
Rear Suspension / Wheel Travel: Swingarm with single hydraulic shock / 4.3 in.
Front Tire: 2.50x14
Rear Tire: 3.00x12
Front Brake / Rear Brake: Mechanical Drum / Mechanical Drum
Overall Length: 61.4 in.
Overall Width: 25.6 in.
Overall Height: 37.6
Ground Clearance: 8.5 in.
Seat Height: 26.8 in.
Curb Weight: 168 lbs.
Wheelbase: 42.3 in.
Fuel Capacity: 1.0 gal.
Color: Lime Green
MSRP: $2,099
Warranty: 6 Months