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EP#10 - Kyron Bacon talks Kawasaki's all-new Two-Stroke and his KX300

• mitch lees

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Speaker:

welcome to another a DB podcast. We have with us a very special guest today. It's Kyron Bacon Thanks for coming on board mate, and it's great to have you here.

Speaker 2:

Thank you very much. It's good to talk to you guys,

Speaker:

Hey, let's talk really quickly about the bike. Because, Kawasaki a a 300 but just doesn't exist. you know, except for what you guys have, the Kawasaki aren't making that bike. You're on a 300 cc four stroke against what, four 50? You, you're two 50 cc above. Right? You're in a class against four 50. So do. How does that work? I mean I guess I look back and I think Matt Phillips, I'm pretty sure he won a world title on a 304 stroke, right? Yeah. Yep. so it can be done, but do you instantly feel like you're behind the eight ball or can you be competitive on a 304 stroke against the four 50 still?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, for sure. Especially over here. Like our tracks at home are a lot faster, a bit more motocross style. some races we have the Desert Sandy rounds where the four 50 or 500 is definitely the pick of the bike, here. It's always really technical. We have one extreme one in Duro test and cross test. Most of the cross tests here are quite tight. still grass track tests like home, but they're very in and out, lots of corners. And, which is a bit like the six day. So this year I think the 300 is probably the pick of the bike. Like there's a lot of bikes this year. There's a ftic, like the FTIC has got the 300 out there. The Honda team got a 300. the Honda, I think we got 400 also. So, I think at the moment that's where everyone's pushing. And you know, I don't think the big bike is, is the, obviously verona's on the four 50, but from what I've been told, like Garcias two 50 has more bottom than Veronas four 50. So yeah, it's like, yeah, the power over here is, you know, the biggest bike isn't the answer. You kinda want that mid, you know. Smooth power'cause it's very tricky conditions and, and something that turns really nice also. So, yeah. Okay.

Speaker:

Why, like, Kawasaki don't make a 304 stroke in Duro bike? Why? Yeah. Is it's Kawasaki Italy, I guess, helping with a lot of the develop, I know the team is separate as like a satellite team for Kawasaki Italy. Have they ever explained to you what's the benefit to them to build a 300 cc four stroke and dro bike?

Speaker 2:

Um, yeah, I don't know. I think, basically it's all over Europe at the moment. I think they want to try and push it to the US soon. Yeah, I think that's the plan. Yeah. Um, I said to'em, if it was in Australia, I think a lot of people would also Like to try it because cows a's not really big in Australia, but if the 300 come out, especially in Enduro, I think it would, um, you know, start pushing the Enduro bike out there, especially in Australian. Um, a EC and yeah. Um, stuff like that. It'd be cool to see a few more green bikes out there for sure.

Speaker:

Yeah, and I think like even, you know, Vic and Tazzie and all those states that have recreational registration or at least looser registration rules, and you can get a KX two 50 x, you know, right now the cross country Cowie and you can, you know, stick a headlight and a, recreational plate on it, and you can ride in the bush on those bikes. It's just on some states, new South Wales, Queensland, that won't let you do it. So, you know, a 300. In an X version in Australia. Yeah. Would be really exciting to see. Can you buy the bike that you are riding? Can someone walk into a Kawasaki? I know dealership's probably the wrong word.'cause they'd have to sell Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Yep. So if you're in Europe, anywhere in Europe. If they have the 300 literally there, I'm pretty sure. you can walk in and buy a 300. apparently, from what I've been told the first year when the 300 come out, and the two 50, the Enduro models, they weren't selling so much, especially in Europe. But now since they're, they're pointing a lot in, in, in Jira at the moment. especially with this new two strike that's coming out. In 2027, I think that's gonna be Enduro based also from what I've been told. but yeah, they're really pushing in the Enduro world at the moment. It's really cool to see.

Speaker:

So that was gonna be my last question for you, so we may as well end on it now. I know you're probably. Lock and key not to say anything about anything that you may have heard or seen in a factory about these two straight cow. And so many people, you know, were responding to us asking about the two stroke and wanting to know what information we have and we kind of don't have much. have they alluded to anything? Have you, you don't have to tell us exactly what it is, if you don't allow, but have you ridden whatever it is that's coming?

Speaker 2:

I haven't seen or ridden, honestly haven't seen, I haven't heard anything. All I've been told is they want to. Two strokes out soon and 2027 is the year of the two strokes I think. Okay. so I've been told. Okay. I'm assuming, well from the technology, everything is at the moment, it won't be car be you injected from the sounds of it. But yeah, it's pretty cool to see, you know, how much they're pushing with the dirt bikes at the moment. And yeah. Even for the GPS at the moment, like our team is basically, we're the only Kawasaki rocking up to GPS at the moment, so it'd be good to get. Get more green bikes out there and you know, they're not a bad bike. Adapting to the new bike from the Yamaha. It hasn't been so difficult.'cause it's been the aluminum frame. And Japanese built so. the bike's been really well, and the team have been also really good, like, can't really complain. The effort they put in, you know, the long hours, the long nights, working on the bike and making sure I'm comfortable and, you know, if we wanna change parts during the year or go testing the, the amount of testing we've done this year on the bike and, and changing parts is, it's been crazy. I've never experienced anything like it. It's, it's pretty cool to see how much effort they actually wanna put into, to getting a good result. I think less seen Fantic and ponder and stuff are starting to do a little bit like that too. Develop the 300 and. you know, a bit like KTM every once in a while everyone likes the KTM three 50, especially the average Enduro rider or, power riders and stuff like that. That just seems to be, that package where you can go, you've got plenty of power when you want it, and it's not. Like a four 50 and aggressive and super hard to hang onto either where cows Aki don't really have that. They've only got the two 50 or the four 50. Um, and yeah, service, which is the developer of the whole 300, kit, they've come on board with Kazaki, Italy and now they've kind of do a thing together. So it's with Athena, so it's Athena cylinder, KL service reap the standard ECU to suit the 300. They're really good. Yeah. Pretty much. You know, from, I remember as a kid I would always go, oh, I don't know if I'd ever ride a cows Aki. Like, um, I don't know why a lot of people like that too. At home it's always KDM Yamaha, but the cows Aki is a really good platform, like standard, you know, hydraulic clu. Same parts as the Yamaha, like same brakes. and the engine is strong. especially in the morning, like at a six day, everyone's bikes. They're struggling on the start when they're cold in the morning at press the button and bang straight away. it's pretty impressive. I'm actually shocked at how good the bike's been this year.

Speaker:

Yeah. They've always made an excellent motocross and, you know, in the nineties they made awesome in Duro bikes. And then even, I remember when the KLX four 50 R came out in like 2009, 10, 11, 12, and we were doing a fair bit of testing with it and Adam Reman was doing a lot of testing with us on the bike Man, that thing was an absolute weapon. So it's exciting to hear that Kawasaki may be coming back into that Enduro space with a two stroke two. Now, that could be even more exciting, I think. you know, I'm with you on that. I think it was cool to see in Australia them bring in that cross country model too, because I think it reopened that, market for them as well, which is really cool. So That's awesome. well mate, thanks so much for your time today. it's been a pleasure having you on That bike is a really interesting piece of machinery and, and yeah, we wish you all the best mate for, next year and for the rest of this year and we hope that things work out and you end up where you're meant to be for 2026.

Speaker 2:

Thank you very much.