Reliable Source says Kawasaki is making a 2T bike soon

[billie_morini]

just away

[Nighthawk016]

At least we're still getting updates, even if they are small. Kawasaki is just taking their sweet time.

It's very surprising that they are worried about it being too aggressive. I feel like a manufacturer in 2026 would have no issues at all correcting that with very few parts changes.

[Chuck78]

At least we're still getting updates, even if they are small. Kawasaki is just taking their sweet time.

It's very surprising that they are worried about it being too aggressive. I feel like a manufacturer in 2026 would have no issues at all correcting that with very few parts changes.

Well, one way to look at it is, that they're doing the polar opposite of Bajaj Mobility AG aka KTM brands, who make such frequent and significant design changes that the buyers of their motorcycles/dirtbikes end up being the beta testers to find all the design flaws and manufacturing shortcomings... Kawasaki has been developing this for several years, far longer than KTM/Bajaj Mobility AG / formerly named Pierer Mobility AG keeps their new model designs / technological advances before changing them drastically...

That "bike buyers as beta testers of new KTM designs" sentiment was not so much an observation by me, but rather echoing the sentiments which I've read all over the Internet in discussions pertaining to KTM brands vs Yamaha / Beta Motorcycles / Fantic / etc.

Also, the KX450 crank gear recall last year or thereabouts on only a short production run batch of gears definitely is/was mocked a lot and used in a negative context when discussing Kawasaki vs KTM etc, so it's likely that Kawasaki wants this to be perfection when released, as it's such a massive comeback that is hugely anticipated, they don't want ANY bad public relations or reliability connotations associated with it.

[clappy379]

https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcyc ... ry/kx-327x

it's here!! 327cc - 2 stroke, fuel-injected, premix, no headlight but kickstand and serious components. whatever you think about it, I never thought we would be in a position in 2026 where suddenly we have all of these great 2 stroke options especially Kawasaki. competition gives us options, lowers prices and generally makes things better. if you asked me in 2020 what we'd be looking at - I figured it would be electric bikes and four strokes and more regulations.

[Cornbread]

https://www.kawasaki.com/en-us/motorcyc ... ry/kx-327x

it's here!! 327cc - 2 stroke, fuel-injected, premix, no headlight but kickstand and serious components. whatever you think about it, I never thought we would be in a position in 2026 where suddenly we have all of these great 2 stroke options especially Kawasaki. competition gives us options, lowers prices and generally makes things better. if you asked me in 2020 what we'd be looking at - I figured it would be electric bikes and four strokes and more regulations.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Well I guess I'm selling the KDX for a down payment!

[Chuck78]

My buddy just texted me that link and this!

https://dirtbikemagazine.com/2027-kawas ... ere-video/







I'm extremely excited, ecstatic, to see this out now finally! However, for the time being, I will continue to ride my modified 1990s bikes as I love the modern carburetion options and I love the 1994 - 2002 KX125 & 1989-2006 KDX200/220 chassis geometry above nearly all modern bikes.

Did you notice that while they say this is based on the KX450X chassis, it now has switched back to KYB 48mm forks vs the Showa 49mm on the 2019-2026 KX450/450X & 2025-2026 KX250/250X?

Classic Kawasaki move, & Honda as well, they always keep alternating model selection between the two Japanese suspension brands, unlike Suzuki (Showa) and Yamaha (KYB) who seem to use one or the other exclusively. The Showa vs KYB closed chamber coil spring fork designs are virtually identical though, so having two different brand options of virtually the same setup isn't a bad thing.

[Slick_Nick]

I’ll pick up the motocross version.

[Chuck78]

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***AND*** they were really listening, because it was originally said to be a 5-speed! I've made a lot of comments on all of the Kawasaki posts and every other one saying that it really needs a wide ratio 6 speed to be the most relevant of all. I think the engine on its own is going to dominate and put KTM out of there former place of glory and domination in the market.

714793072_1417219723773684_7573892872527326358_n.jpg (955.59 KiB) Viewed 3069 times

New 2027
KX™327X
MSRP $9,699
(MX version $9,099)

AVAILABLE LATE 2026


327cc FUEL-INJECTED COUNTERBALANCED 2-STROKE ENGINE WITH ELECTRIC START

SPECIALLY DESIGNED EXHAUST VALVE SYSTEM FOR SMOOTH, UNIFORM TORQUE

6-SPEED TRANSMISSION WITH ULTRA-LOW 1st-GEAR & HYDRAULIC CLUTCH

POWER MODE SELECTION WITH HANDLEBAR-MOUNTED SWITCH

SMARTPHONE CONNECTIVITY VIA GPS AND RIDEOLOGY THE APP KX™2 WITH MORE TUNING OPTIONS THAN PRIOR MODELS

SLIM, ERGONOMIC BODYWORK

2.25-GAL LARGE-CAPACITY FUEL TANK, SKID PLATE, & HAND GUARDS ON X model

LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM PERIMETER FRAME
FACTORY-STYLE SUSPENSION WITH CROSS-COUNTRY-SPECIFIC SETTINGS AND BRAKES

21" FRONT WHEEL, 18" REAR WHEEL, REAR BRAKE DISC GUARD, & SIDE STAND

ADDITIONAL VEHICLE FEATURES:

KYB 48mm coil-spring fork and New Uni-Trak® rear suspension

ERGO-FIT® adjustable components for ride position optimization

Streamlined ergonomics for easy rider movement
ODI lock-on grips

Quick-release side cover offers tool-less air filter access



-----------------------------------------------------------


My only qualms are that it doesn't have any lighting (but surely with DC electric start and battery, it can support 35W worth of LED headlight and a small LED tail light), ((EDIT - it is rumored to actually have plugs built into the wiring harness for add-on lighting kits!! I'm hoping same for a cooling fan as well since it seems Hard Enduro capable)), and it looks like the aftermarket graphics companies will be quite busy producing something less bland and more appealing looking for these... I know I certainly would be having the 1996 styled KX purple with checkered flag retro graphics, they left it looking quite bland for being a bike that mechanically speaking will dominate over basically everything and at least be equals with Beta nowadays....

Yamaha really needs to up their game now and maybe just come to an agreement with Fantic to distribute the Fantic 300 that is based on the YZ chassis... If not actually developing their own 300cc engine. I can't believe with Cody Webb running their team that they still haven't taken the 2-stroke game any further or even the 4-stroke game with a 300 or 350 4-stroke version of the YZ250FX. All Yamaha would really need is a 6-speed wide ratio gearbox and new top end design with some extra displacement, & a balance shaft preferably, on their current YZ250 two-stroke, but even better if it were put into the YZ250FX chassis, in order to continue the trend of other brands beginning to take over market shares from the flailing Austrian brands, whose quality control has gone downhill the past 6-7 years...
& a lighting coil and "oversized" 2.25 gallon tank on a redesigned YZ250X would be nice as well...

[Nighthawk016]

I don't want to dog it, but I hate the name. They have clearly forgotten their 2 stroke roots. They could have easily called them the kx330 and the kdx330, but instead someone settled on kx327 and kx327x which is just honestly ridiculous.

All that whining aside, im sure the bike will be great

[Chuck78]

Yes, indeed... They should have just called the MX version a KX, & the enduro race version the KDX.... However, the new model KX327X as well as KX450X & KX250X are all GNCC enduro racer type configurations from the factory, which is not quite what the 1989-2006 KDX200/220 ever were as stock, they were a more serious trail bike that could easily be modified (suspension, pipe, jetting) to be a highly viable enduro racer, but the new KX327X really is the modern equivalent of what a KDX/KX hybrid is... So I get it from that perspective. But still, I wish it were called the KDX327R or KDX330R or whatever, as the KDX started out as a highly competitive enduro racer model in the early 1980's...

At this point, I'm just rooting for a small bore engine to be released with this technology, and since they upped the displacement to dominate over the standard 300cc offerings (only Beta makes a big bore, and it's MX-only, the 2-stroke 350RR), it only makes sense to put out... A 220cc variant of this technology, but in a more compact chassis geometry especially one closer to a YZ125X / YZ250X or Beta 200RR chassis!

Blow up the Kawasaki comments sections on their social media posta demanding a new KDX220R offering with lights and this engine and suspension technology! But in a compact quick steering agile nimble chassis geometry!

[billie_morini]

There is a lot to like!
1. Late Summer 2026 availability
2. Electric start
3. 6-speed transmission on X model
4. "Right-sized" engine displacement
5. Semi-transparent tank on X model
6. $9,700 MSRP for X model
7. $9,100 for 5-speed MX model

I'd gladly accept / prefer it has:
1. Oil injection on an X model like the BETA 2-strokes have
2. Lighting coil on X model because I'd want to make it street legal. Bet there is or will be an aftermarket coil for it.

I wonder why:
1. MX model has 19-inch rear wheel (X model has 18-in )

[ss109]

Don't worry about the stator size too much. It has to have a battery, and a stator big enough to keep it charged, to run the e-start and FI. With modern LED lighting we should be good.

IMO, this bike changes the game. It offers everything I, and many others, have wanted... 2T, e-start, and a 6 speed transmission and all for under $10k! Sounds like Kawasaki actually listened for once. This is what Yamaha should have been doing for years with their X, but didn't listen to us riders, and now Kawasaki steals that thunder. I believe this bike will take a decent amount of market share from the Euro brands. I predict a lot more green bikes on the starting line for the various off road racing series across the US!

Still hard to believe this is real. I won't believe it until I see them on dealer floors.

[John_S]

I hear you SS. This is what I was hoping for! I'll likely stick to the old KDX and carbs in general but I'm really happy for the guys that are going to walk in and buy one of these. I would love to be one of those guys but reality already kicked in. Maybe someday....

Looks like its got room in between the K and X to put a D with a sharpie. There we go...our beloved KDX

[clappy379]

I don't want to dog it, but I hate the name. They have clearly forgotten their 2 stroke roots. They could have easily called them the kx330 and the kdx330, but instead someone settled on kx327 and kx327x which is just honestly ridiculous.

All that whining aside, im sure the bike will be great

I actually love that we are at the point where we are even able to debate the name. At least they didn't call it the KX Pro Max.

[sped66]

After a lot of tinkering & upgrades, my KDX is everything I need it to be. As a casual rider, I'm definitely not in the market for a new bike but this is still exciting news & watching review videos surface will be interesting!
And I don't mind the name whatsoever. (Reminds me of the 327 Chevy small blocks from back in the day.)

[John_S]

I wonder if there is (or will be) something in the rule books that Kawasaki knows about that will make the 327 make more sense. My first thought was why not 325 or 330. I felt the same when I first heard of the KX 112 until I learned that's the max displacement allowed for the super mini class.
I was happy to see all of the dirtbike channels I have on youtube blowing up with the news yesterday. You know the team at Kawasaki is so excited to see all of the hype around it.

[KDXGarage]

Congratulations to Kawasaki for coming out with two new models!

For those that wanted more, please keep in mind that just like the KDX before it, certain things had to be left off to keep it at a certain price level. These are racing models. The KX327X is not designed or intended to be a trail bike. Some of you may not have been around back then, but Kawasaki USA was racing modified KX250's since 1988. They even sold transmission kits to better suit off-road racing.

I hope this is a great option for those looking to race off-road.

[Chuck78]

The KX327X is not designed or intended to be a trail bike. Some of you may not have been around back then, but Kawasaki USA was racing modified KX250's since 1988. They even sold transmission kits to better suit off-road racing.

I hope this is a great option for those looking to race off-road.

I feel it most certainly will be an excellent option for those looking to do GNCC type woods racing, absolutely. But if you look at the rest of the market, all the European woods bikes, they are all basically thoroughbred race bikes as well, but are used by more casual recreational trail riders than they are racers, although the enduro races are absolutely filled with them.
Granted KTM's linkage-less WP PD suspension is very much intended for recreational trail riding and not high speed racing, and has been found completely unsuitable for MX use.

I was slightly disappointed that it was not called a KDX, but as I like to allude to, this new bike is really more akin to what a modern version of our KDX hybrid builds are - a fantastic woods bike engine (in case of hybrids, from a mid level trail bike) placed into a modified race-bred KX chassis & set up specifically for woods/enduro... granted, this is literally a revolutionary new engine, however, not a tried and true durable reliable well-loved engine based on earlier Motocross versions.
Obviously, the KDX platform was no slouch, but it bridges the middleground between the bottom tier "trail bikes" like a TTR230, CRF230, even KLX300 from a power perspective (KLX chassis is very comparable to the KDX though if not slightly newer/better), versus the KX125/250 MX racers...

The KX450X is a GNCC type enduro bike converted from a 450 motocross machine, as evidenced from it's power delivery which is altered from the MX version but not drastically, and from it's close ratio gearbox. However, this new KX327X with a dedicated 6 speed gearbox with an extra low first gear per Kawasaki info, advertised with an emphasis on having very substantial low end and mid range torque, certainly looks like it will compete very well as a serious recreational riders' top shelf woods weapon as well as being highly competitive in racing.
It's a darn shame that Cody Webb didn't have something cooked up like this by Yamaha, I just shake my head in disbelief at how relatively unsupported he has been with development, at least in the public eye. Perhaps this KX327X will make Yamaha prioritize things.

This all really comes at a pivotal time when KTM is increasingly more expensive, yet their quality control and manufacturing outsourcing as well as rapid design changes have all been going downhill for 6-7 years. I am ecstatic about this new KX327X, & while I still prefer the '94-'02 KX125/250 and KDX200/220 geometries & carburetors, this bike stands to be, as one guy put it, the most significantly impactful bike release of the past 10 or 20 years...
KTM almost had it nailed in 2017-2018, if only they had improved on the carburetion and had the 2024+ WP coil spring suspension, AND a slightly lower seat height. If they'd continued on with that generation of 300 & refinements instead of continual changes in outsourcing and reducing of quality control measures, they would still be dominating. They still have a large market share, but are undisputedly in decline.

[Chuck78]

Jason "Weege" Weigandt of RacerX Online interviewing Ken Essex, Marketing and PR at Kawasaki USA, in the 2nd half of his podcast yesterday, regarding the new Kawasaki 2-stroke KX327 & KX327X !

Not much ground breaking news in the details, but cool to hear nonetheless. Brief synopsis below



They in fact built this bike as a top shelf big bore pro-level recreational/amateur's dream, since of course there aren't too many pro MX/SX race series in which a 327cc 2T fits into any top classes... I'm not certain how it'll fit into the Enduro and Hard Enduro racing world as far as displacement, but they said they basically didn't care, they wanted maximum torque to make this the dream machine. Perhaps we could see downsized bore versions for the enduro teams if 327cc doesn't qualify for the majority of race series events, & they do wish to launch pro racers on these?

And they decided to just call it out as it's actual displacement as opposed to the typical rounding up to a 300, 320, 330, 350 etc partially due to the Chevrolet 327 Small Block V8 displacement familiarity with the 327 number, and it just simply having a ring to it...

Also, the great but long term news -

Weege:
"Now that Kawasaki has already engineered one, could we see anything else happening in the 2-stroke space?"
Ken Essex of Kawasaki USA:
"That's that's the vision for sure...We're dedicated to the off-road segment, and to do that and be number one in off-road, you've got to have a bike for everyone, and so we're looking to continue to evolve and enhance in both 4-strokes & 2-strokes to complete our lineup.
So, that's that's the long-term goal. But, as you know, we want to walk before we run, as these things don't happen overnight.
This project in particular, it's taken some time to really get it right before we come to market with it. But we're really excited for the for the result, and more to come in the future. We're not going to get greedy right now."

Also of noteworthiness, the 2027 4-stroke KX250 & KX450...ARE ONCE AGAIN CALLED THE KX250F & KX450F!!! 2019-2026 was a confusing time for us Kawasaki 2-stroke fanatics, as the 4 stroke 250F dropped the F... But IT'S BACK!

[Chuck78]

Here's an updated specs list, some of which was taken from a leaked Kawasaki dealer specification sheet, borrowed from the ThumperTalk forum:

New 2027
KX™327X
MSRP $9,699
(MX version $9,099)

Available Late 2026

327cc fuel-injected counterbalanced 58hp 2-stroke engine with electric start (no kickstart option), case reed induction, pre-mix (no oil injection for simplicity, reliability, & weight savings), Lightweight Li-Ion Battery
Very wide power band with significant low-end and mid-range torque as well as high-end rev out.
Specially designed advanced exhaust powervalve system for smooth, uniform torque; electronically actuated

39mm Throttle Body, Electronic Fuel Injection with dual staggered phase injectors, one upstream and one downstream injector.


6-speed gearbox with ultra-low 1st-gear
(5-speed gearbox on MX model)
Hydraulic clutch
Cone-disc clutch spring


Power mode selection with handlebar-mounted switch

Smartphone programmable engine map adjustment via
RIDEOLOGY App KX™2 with more tuning options than prior models

Real time datalogging of speed, RPM, throttle position, gear, engine temperature, coolant temperature and engine hours

Smartphone connectivity via GPS Smart Integration with Terrain Maps to record rides

2.25-Gallon translucent fuel tank (1.65 gallons on MX model)

Lightweight aluminum perimeter frame based on the KX450X platform

KYB factory-style suspension with XC-specific off-road settings
KYB AOS 48mm coil-spring fork and New Uni-Trak® rear linkage suspension, Kashima fork tube coating for lowered tube friction

XC-specific 270mm / 240mm disc brakes

Excel 21" / 18" wheels (19" rear on KX327 MX version)

ERGO-FIT® adjustable components for ride position optimization - adjustable position footpegs & adjustable position bar mounts
Streamlined slim ergonomic bodywork for easy rider movement

ODI lock-on grips

Quick-release side cover offers tool-less air filter access

KX327X additional equipment:
rear brake disc guard, side stand with retaining band, skid plate + linkage guard, & hand guards
Dunlop AT82 Off Road Tires

233lbs weight