"Kawasaki Ninja 250cc Strong and silent wins the race"

FEW motorcycles boast true dual-purpose capabilities.

Some are good road bikes, but once the terrain gets loose with gravel or dirt, such bikes can't cope.

The 2010 Kawasaki KLX 250 is an exception.

This lean and green dirt machine will swallow open roads while tackling some off-road madness at the same time.

Just ask the Royal Malaysian Police based in Johor Baru.

Its Ninja Squad, tasked to nab robbers or traffic offenders, is equipped with the formidable 250cc KLX dirtbikes.

The squad has been successfully catching fleeing offenders, all thanks to the flexibility of the KLX 250.

It's agile in the streets and also over obstacles like stairs or even potholes found on dirt tracks.

With a 135kg wet weight (fully fuelled), the slim KLX is light, perfect for handling corners.

Making steering corrections while the KLX is tipped over in bumpy corners becomes a forgiving exercise.

Its low seat height also means that most riders will not be tip-toeing.

This boosts confidence and makes the KLX easier to ride compared to more focused dirtbikes.

Its dual-purpose tyres ensures that it can perform road duties and some intermediate off-road riding.

Other factors, like its smooth power delivery, make the electric start Kawasaki stand out.

Its six-speed gearbox doesn't stutter when the bike accelerates.

When ridden below 6,000rpm, it feels as though you're riding an automatic scooter, allowing you to lazily chug along city streets.

The almost silent exhaust will deceive newbies into thinking that the KLX is impotent.

Get the revs over the 7,000rpm mark and the engine starts to sing with urgency.

Higher up the rev range is where the KLX makes most of its power before hitting its 10,500rpm redline on the digital dash.

To squeeze every ounce of performance on fast trails, the bike should be ridden with the throttle wide open.

But don't expect any body-jolting torque from the KLX.

After all, it's only a 250cc bike.

Still, its suspension is perfectly tuned for the road as you will barely notice bumps that you have ridden over.

In off-road situations, some fine-tuning is required.

We increased the front and rear rebound damping to calm the KLX when the bike was ridden hard off-road.

The brakes on the KLX has a more progressive feel to them, unlike other braking systems which have a stronger initial bite when the brakes are activated.

Naturally, there are trade-offs compared to bigger capacity dirtbikes.

A medium-sized bike like the KLX has excellent mileage, unlike its bigger fuel-guzzling siblings.

But getting a little more oomph from the futuristic-looking KLX, which is equipped with pointed headlights and brakelights, will not be difficult.

Just add an aftermarket, slip-on exhaust pipe and you'll likely see some increase to the KLX's mid-range performance.

Another way is to replace its current 42-tooth rear sprocket with a bigger one.

This will give it more boost during acceleration, but at the expense of some top speed.

In its standard form, the KLX will cruise at 100kmh at 6,500rpm in sixth gear.

Top speed is in the range of 120kmh.

And its 7.6litre fuel capacity is claimed to be good for 220km.