Kawasaki Releases 2026 KX85 | KX85 Big Wheel | KX112

hmm was thinking we’d get a larger update then this but at least they are doing something. 

why do 85s need 43mm forks? Unless your kid is 240 lbs, seems like overkill to me.

The Austrian minis have been on 43s for 25+yrs. 

KTM has been using 43mm for years. I believe the previous versions of the KX mini’s were very rudimentary in terms of tunability so this is probably just as much about getting updated components as it is about increasing the fork size. 

I don’t see anything wrong with it?  But classic vital finding a way to bitch about anything. 

Man, it almost got a low boy pipe like the 1990 125 KX!

It was close to having a second radiator too!

The two stroke is back, baby!

great to see some movement with the mini-bikes. Seems like this is mostly chassis stuff. Maybe 27 will be motor upgrades, as those are needed too. 

I got pretty good at welding in keeping our 2015 kx 85 frame held together, it's a lot of maintenance on these little Kawis for sure, lol...  Cheaper to buy, but way more expensive to maintain than the little KTMs

27 will be all new. 

Cheaper to buy, more expensive to maintain. The Kawasaki way lol 

Not sure on the specs with these but you could use larger diameter tubing and get away with thinner wall thickness. Possibly lighten up the setup just by going larger.  

Pretty cool little bikes, nice to see an update.

This has to be the longest 2 stroke jerk job of all time…..

The MSRP is 2 grand less than the KTM.  I bet Mitch Payton could build a fire breathing engine for $2k.

At least with the updated suspension, brakes and frame, it will have a fighting chance against the Austrian/Indian bikes.    There are engine mods you can do to make it competitive with the KTM's too.     Maybe we'll see a few more green mini's on the line at LL's.

Over the last few years, I’ve helped some friends get the 112 for kids that aren’t quite ready for a 125. Those bikes held their own in everything from Dezert-off-reading to racing both moto and hare scrambles. Against other “big motor 85s” they did surprisingly well. A pipe and jetting goes a long way with the KX motor (get the plated “Platinum” pipe). With the IMS 2 gallon tank and some dialed in gearing…these things go pretty damn far and amazingly “big bike fast”. 

Price-wise, I don’t think there’s -anything- comparable in the 112 category…? Honestly, I have a hard time believing what some folks spend on the 112 kit/build up for the other brands…it’s insane. 

If what I’ve learned from the folks at Kawi is true, the ‘26 frame is beefed up…hell, the entire chassis is. The ergos on the 85/112 have been opened up to the modern std, too. 

For the price, that bike seems like a win-win. 

I went and dug up the big-wheel Husky 85 (there’s a 105/12 kit avail as are complete w/ecu…nice!) …but…it’s not cheap! 

Bike Retail $7,349 + $410 = $7,759 plus $924 for a big motor kit. That’s $8,700 

Turn Key OEM ‘26 KX 112 $5,849 + $315 = $6,064 …turn key…no kit needed. 

interesting that they have released the big wheel 85 in the USA,  its been available in the rest of the world since 1991, 

(mainly because it was legal to race them elsewhere_)

I'll take my KX80 & KX100 nostalgia to the grave! haha
Esp 1992 and 1993 models. 

With the updated ergos and finally modern suspension, the 112 seems like the perfect general rider for faster small adults, teens, and women. 

It was already pretty good for that purpose, but cramped and dated in the chassis/ergos.

THIS is the big update ? 
It looks like the same bike pretty much 

Wow , what a bummer . I thought it was gonna be bad ass .

I am probably mid remembering but I could have sworn the BW 80 was here in the late 90’s early 2000’s. I had a 96 kx100. Best damn bike I ever had. 

The KX80 BW was available here from 1987 to 1995, at which point it was replaced in the lineup with the KX100.

3027??? 

🤣

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think it’s great that mini bike engines don’t get huge updates frequently. Development drives up prices, and this way a parent on a budget can probably still bolt in an older motor if they need a backup or pickup some leftover parts from a kid moving onto big bikes. $8500 for a stock 85 with just a big bore kit on it (before any suspension work done, pipe, etc.) just feels insane to me. 

Buying the popular brand isn’t going to make junior win races. 

These are great updates.  Anyone who's been around mini racing recently knows the suspension and brakes were the major items holding the KX's back from being competitive.  Now if the weight is relatively close to the Austrian bikes, the KX can be a viable alternative.  The 112 is a nice option for those who don't want to pay the $$$ to kit a KTM, as pointed out above.

i remember when most 125s and 250s didnt have 43nn forks,

me too. I own a bunch from 1976 onwards...

Anyone make this yet? 
 

How do you know its not 'bad ass' with the refinements that Kawasaki has done to it?   Have you ridden one already?

To be fair, there's a 50 page thread on the upcoming Kawi 2 stroke. The way Kawi did the promotion made it sound like an all new bike was coming. This isn't even a new version of an existing bike. It's just a few chassis upgrades. 

Now fine, its good to see them do something considering they have completely lost the mini bike segment. And their is definitely an argument to be made about the KTMs being ridiculously priced. But, this isn't some huge renewed commitment to two strokes.