Alright, so folks have been bugging me a bit lately, asking about the Kawasaki KX 85 and what its real top speed is. You see a lot of numbers thrown around online, but I’m a hands-on kind of guy. I like to feel things out for myself. It’s not always about what the paper says, you know? It’s about the actual doing.
My Approach to Finding Out
So, last week, I got my hands on a pretty clean KX 85. Belonged to a friend’s kid, and I’d just finished doing a bit of a tune-up on it. Before I handed it back, I thought, “This is the perfect chance.” It’s one thing to get a bike running sweet in the garage, another to see what it can really do when you open it up a bit.
My process for these things is pretty straightforward, nothing too scientific, more about the real-world feel. Here’s what I did:
- Preparation is Key: First off, I gave the bike a thorough once-over. Checked the tire pressures – super important. Made sure the chain was lubed and tensioned right. Topped off the fuel with some fresh premix. You don’t want any surprises when you’re pushing it.
- Finding the Right Spot: Next, location. You can’t just pin the throttle on any old street. I’ve got access to a long, private stretch of tarmac, pretty flat, and most importantly, safe. No traffic, no pedestrians, no unexpected bumps. Safety first, always. Even if I’m just messing around.
- Gearing Up: Full gear, no exceptions. Helmet, gloves, boots, the works. It might be an 85, but asphalt is still asphalt if you come off.
The Actual Run
So, there I was. Fired up the little two-stroke. Man, that crisp braap still gets me. I let it warm up properly, blipping the throttle a bit, listening to the engine. You can tell a lot just by the sound.
Then, I eased onto my ‘test track’. Started slow, just getting a feel for it again. Shifted through the gears – first, second, third. The KX 85 is snappy, no doubt. It’s light, and the power comes on pretty aggressively for its size. It’s a proper little racer, designed for dirt tracks, so the gearing is for acceleration more than outright top end.
Once I was comfortable and had a good long stretch in front of me, I decided to go for it. Tucked in as best as I could – I’m not exactly jockey-sized anymore! – and rolled the throttle wide open. Clicked through the gears, letting each one rev out. The wind noise picked up, the little engine was screaming its heart out. It’s quite an experience, feeling a small bike working that hard underneath you.
So, How Fast Did It Go?
This is the bit everyone wants to know. Now, I wasn’t using a GPS speedo or anything super precise. I was going by feel, the engine note, and just my experience from riding countless bikes over the years. I pushed it until I felt it was giving me all it had, until the acceleration really flattened out.
My best guess? It was probably nudging around the 55 mph mark, maybe a touch more, perhaps 58 mph on a good day with the wind behind you and a lighter rider. It’s not a rocket ship, and it’s not meant to be. These bikes are about quick bursts of speed between corners on a motocross track.
What I really noticed was how quickly it got up to its top whack. The acceleration is the fun part. It feels fast because it’s so raw and involving. You’re right there, part of the machine. It’s not like these big superbikes where the speed is almost effortless and kinda detached. On the KX 85, you feel every bit of it.
Final Thoughts From My Little Experiment
So, yeah, that was my little practical test. It’s not about breaking records. For me, it was about understanding the machine. The KX 85 is a fantastic bit of kit for what it is – a youth motocross bike. The top speed is plenty for its intended purpose. More importantly, it’s about the delivery and the handling.
It kind of reminds me why I got into bikes in the first place. That raw connection, the sound, the feeling of controlling something so responsive. Sometimes we get too hung up on numbers printed on a page. The real story is in the riding. And this little KX 85 tells a pretty fun story when you twist its ear.
