Australasian Dirt Bike — January 2018

228 | JANUARY 2018 http://www.adbmag.com.au

THE KAWASAKI STOCKMAN
was designed to be a rugged
machine capable of enduring a
tough life on the farm. Modern
four-strokes just aren’t cut out
for that. They are high
maintenance, too easy to break
and, unless you swing stuff over
your shoulder, they have no
room for racks or carrying
equipment or hay bales.
The KL250TJF has been on
sale in Australia for fi ve years
and is a hardy machine designed
for hard work. Most farmers I
speak to comment on how well
the 250cc donk performs. It is a
strong little motor that has no
problem carting gear for hours
on end.
The biggest complaints I get
from guys is that the lower
gears are too tall and the
Stockman doesn’t like walking
pace as much as some of its
smaller-engine competitors. The
other complaint is that there is
no kickstarter.
Let’s face it, anything that is
electric-start only, will
encounter a fl at battery one day

and when you are in the middle

of a job on a farm, hours away

from a new battery with a bale

of hay on the back, that can be a

pain. Even tough Outback

farmers can get sick of bump

starting a bike all day.

The motors are strong and

deal with abuse quite well. I’m

not telling you to never worry

about servicing them but I can

tell you that I have seen them

suck decayed air fi lters through

the combustion chamber and

run on oil that looks like

molybdenum grease and keep

running fi ne. If you are looking

to buy one second-hand then

look if the bike has a regular

service history. It’s always best

to buy a bike that has been

serviced regularly over one

that hasn’t.

Check out the racks. The rear

rack is rated to about 20kg and

is often overloaded. This can

lead to the rack breaking or, at

worst, the frame cracking. I have

had to weld a few frames due to

overloading of the rack.

Make sure the brakes are

working correctly as bikes

sitting around on farms often

seize the caliper. The lever and

pedal will be solid but no

pressure will actually be applied

to the disc and you will have no

stopping power.

One thing to be sure of is that

the starter clutch works

perfectly. Often these become

worn if oil is left in the engine

too long, which causes them to

slip. It costs upwards of a few

hundred dollars to repair. If the

bike you are interested in

doesn’t have a detailed service

history then take a look at the

air cleaner.

This is usually a good

indicator on how well serviced

the bike has been. If it is rotting

away or caked in dirt, then I

would bet money that the bike

has barely been serviced.

Another common issue I see

with bikes that spend their time

stored in barns is rats eating the

wiring. Take a good look around

the harness and make sure

there are no chew marks on it.

Technical Editor Mat Boyd

FARM FAVOURITE

HOW TO RIDE / ADB GARAGE / WE RECOMMEND / TECH / KIDZ KORNER / USED RIDE

REAR GUARD

NEW

2012 $6199

2013 $6199

2014 $6199

2015 $6199

2016 $6199

SECOND HAND

2012 $3300 - $3900

2013 $3600 - $4300

2014 $4000 - $4700

2015 $4300 - $5100

2016 $4600 - $5400

12–16

YAMAHA XT250

$3100 - $5100

12 – 16

HONDA CTX200A

$2700 - $4600

market

EQUIVALENT

Prices according to redbook.com.au

ENGINE

The engine produces a claimed

20.12 horsepower at 8000rpm.

BRAKES

The Stockman is fi tted with single disc

hydraulic brakes front and rear with

fl oating calipers.

WEIGHT

It has an approximate

dry weight of 121kg.

SUSPENSION

The Stockman has a conventional

36mm fork and Uni-trak rear

suspension.

FRAME

The Stockman has a semi-double

cradle, high-tensile steel frame.

12 – 16

SUZUKI DR200SE

$3000 - $4100

2012 - 16 KAWASAKI

STOCKMAN KL250