Yesterday Kawasaki Announced the 2027 release of the new KLX XPL. I’m excited to see another addition to what we’ll call the lightweight ADV or travel dual-sport category. I’ve been a fan of the CRF300L, the WR250R, and the KLX300 for many years, and I’ve been a big proponent of the CRF300L Rally as an ideal adventure bike for people on a budget or just getting into adventure riding. So it’s awesome to see Kawasaki throw its hat in the ring.

For people who have been paying attention, Kawasaki has been keeping an eye on the consumer who wants a longer-distance dual-sport for on-road and off-road exploring. They’ve brought back the Sherpa recently, so I’m super excited to see the KLX300 XPL come out.

For folks who haven’t caught the specs yet, you can now get a KLX300 outfitted with a windshield, a mounting bar for navigation, and hand guards. Some of the published performance specs are also a little higher. I’m a fan of the retro styling, too. I like the round headlight, and I think Kawasaki has created something that stands out.

However, I’m disappointed to see that they kept the two-gallon tank. I can understand wanting to keep the price in line with the Sherpa, and I like that traditional farm-bike approach, with a rear rack and straightforward design. But if I were the marketing person or design engineer at Kawasaki, I would have put a three-gallon plastic tank on it and gone head-to-head against the CRF300L Rally.

The Honda is clearly the closest competitor, especially on price. You’re looking at around 333 pounds for the CRF300L Rally versus under 314 pounds for the KLX300 XPL. You’re getting a lighter bike with the Kawasaki, and you could argue it’s better prepared to be ridden harder in terms of weight and suspension performance.

Unfortunately, you’re also getting a lot more fuel capacity with the Honda’s three-plus-gallon tank. If you’re serious about longer-range riding, you’re probably going to prefer the Honda. The XPL could leave people with some range anxiety. When I rode my 250L with a two-gallon tank, I was looking for gas every 90 miles, if not more, and that kind of sucks.

You could probably find an aftermarket Acerbis tank relatively cheaply, but you’re still getting more bike for the money out of the box with the CRF300L Rally. At this price point, I think Kawasaki should have included a skid plate or given the bike more fuel capacity. I’d take the Kawasaki’s performance and buy an aftermarket tank for another $300, but that makes the XPL look a shade overpriced.

Ultimately, I’m excited to see another entry in this segment. My typical definition of a lightweight adventure bike is a 21-inch front wheel, an engine under 600cc, and a factory windshield. The XPL blurs those lines because it’s clearly a dual-sport with a windshield, round headlight, and rear rack. But I’m okay with that. I like manufacturers adding new things and shaking up the market. I’m happy to see more competitors in the lightweight adventure bike segment.