The Kawasaki Adventure Bike That Makes A Second Motorcycle Feel Unnecessary
For a lot of riders, owning motorcycles becomes a game of specialization. One bike handles weekday commutes, one is reserved for long-distance touring, and another lighter bike waits in the garage for weekend trails or back-road exploration. It is an appealing idea, although multiple motorcycles mean more expenses, bigger garage space, maintenance, and time.
That’s where motorcycles capable of doing everything all at once come in and hold a special place. These bikes aren’t the fastest, the lightest, or even the most luxurious. Yet, they get everything done with ease. These are usually adventure bikes, and Kawasaki has put its hat in this ring.
Why One Motorcycle Can Be Enough
There was a time when owning multiple motorcycles felt almost unavoidable. Even to this day, sport bikes struggle on rough roads, cruisers aren’t particularly enjoyable on twisty mountain passes, and dirt bikes become tiring when highway speeds are necessary. ADVs, though, blur these lines.
They combine upright ergonomics, generous suspension travel, practical luggage options, and engines capable of covering hundreds of highway miles. For a lot of us, the adventure segment became the closest thing to a true do-it-all motorcycle. A single machine could handle commuting on Monday, trace the countryside over the weekend and carry camping gear for a week-long holiday. This flexibility is what changed riders’ views on ownership.
Kawasaki’s Adventure Reputation Runs Deeper Than Many Remember
Among the usual players, Kawasaki might seem like the most unimpressive in the ADV space. Yet, it has long earned respect for building motorcycles that prioritize dependability alongside performance. Models like the KLR650 became legendary for crossing continents with little more than basic maintenance.
The Versys family, on the other hand, demonstrates how comfortable an adventure-inspired road bike can be. Kawasaki also likes experimenting. And with the idea of a 500-ish cc machine and giving it practicality instead of outright capability, the bikemaker has rebirthed its iconic KLE moniker. This serves as the Kawasaki ADV that makes a second bike unnecessary.
The Kawasaki KLE500 Proves Versatility Doesn’t Need A Huge Engine
The KLE nameplate has been resurrected this time with rally-inspired styling and lightweight adventure ergonomics. It’s not the most powerful ADV from Kawasaki, obviously, and it’s not the most technologically advanced. What it does best, though, is it reduces the need for a second motorcycle at all.
The combination of moderate weight, approachable seat height, dependable parallel-twin, and real long-distance comfort allows it to perform an unusually wide variety of roles. Commuters are not reminded of a 550-pound motorcycle every time they enter a parking lot. It can commute through traffic, cruise comfortably at highway speeds, tackle gravel, and carry luggage for extended trips.
Prices Start Just Over $6,500
The KLE is priced at $6,599, which positions it at the premium end of the sub-500cc ADV segment. Switch to the SE variant, and that takes the moolah up to a sizable $7,499. As for colors, there’s only Metallic Carbon Gray for the base bike. The SE has its own liveries, namely Metallic Bluish Green and Pearl Blizzard White.
Uses A Proven Parallel-Twin Platform From Other Kawasakis
Powering the KLE500 is a 451cc liquid-cooled DOHC parallel-twin engine that also does duty on the Ninja 500, the Z500, and the Eliminator. On the KLE, Kawasaki has tuned the engine to deliver a broad spread of power that does particularly well for adventure riding. According to the manufacturer, the engine produces 51 horsepower at 10,000 rpm.
So peak horsepower comes really high. But the 31.7 pound-feet of peak torque comes in at 7,500 rpm. Sure, you still have to twist well to slide around in the dirt, but it will do very well on tarmac. Meanwhile, the biggest flex this bike has is that it’s a parallel-twin, which means vibrations are significantly low and refinement is high. Ride for long hours in the day, and you see how important this is.
A High Seat But Low Clearance
It’s weird that this happened, but a 34-inch seat height and a 7.3-inch ground clearance is hard to understand. Of course, it is higher than your average road bike, but this is still low, and you will easily bottom out on rough single-tracks. Suspension is taken care of by a 43 mm inverted fork with 8.3 inches of travel at the front and a bottom-link Uni-Trak monoshock at the rear with 7.7 inches of travel. Now, while it’s not the best off the beaten path, it can take a beating when the road gets a little rough.
Moving on, rider ergonomics appear comfortable. The sitting position is upright, the handlebars are high and wide, and the foot pegs are right under the seat. The windscreen looks fairly tall too. Curb weight is claimed at 425 pounds, so it’s not light per se, but manageable even in an everyday routine situation. We’ll have to ride the bike to come to a conclusion about how well it masks the heft.
Technology Is Fairly Sparse For The Price
There’s no lean-sensitive tech here, but you get switchable ABS, and smartphone connectivity via Kawasaki’s Rideology app on an LCD instrument cluster. Spring a little more for the SE variant and they’ll switch you to a 4.3-inch TFT display and an all-LED lighting package. Traction control seems to be missing, considering most of its rivals have it, so it’s fun when you’re off-road, but could be a problem on the streets.
Rally-Inspired Aesthetic That Still Makes Sense Today
The KLE500’s styling is rally-inspired with a high fuel tank, short stubby nose and a tall windscreen. But what this does for the rider is that it gives them a vantage point to sit over and look further down the road. The bike’s bodywork is narrow, too, so despite that tall seat, it’s easier for you to put your feet down. Short riders may struggle, but a lot less than some ADVs with wide, plushy seats. Overall, the KLE isn’t a beauty, but its looks grow on you over time. I didn’t like it the first time I saw it.
Why The KLE500 Still Deserves Recognition
Now, despite some of its flaws, the Kawasaki KLE500 offers a decent argument as to why it should be your bike for your one-bike garage, especially when you’re looking at Kawasaki. It’s not an overly powerful bike, so you don’t have to worry about unnecessarily waking up the neighbors when you go to work; it still reserves enough oomph for fun days on the highway and in the dirt, and it has adventure genes with luggage mounting points and accessories from Kawasaki’s shop for long weekend trips. The KLE500 manages to deliver whatever riders actually need: versatility, reliability, comfort and enough capability for any road, all in one not-so-tiny, but slim package.
Source: Kawasaki USA
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