A great entry level adventurer…
Good news for Kawasaki fans is the fact that they have reimagined the KLE500. This gorgeous little beasty has made it’s way to our offices and we’ve spent a very happy few hundred kilometers putting the new bike through its paces…
Gorgeous it is in classy Kawasaki green and grey. It drew admiring glances everywhere we went. They have gone with the whole hard core Rallye look, with sharp headlamps and a high screen.
The bike is comfortable – not overly tall, reasonably narrow with a plush seat and a 16 litre tank that’s sculpted so that you can stand while you ride.
A tall bar raiser elevates the bars from the plush long travel KYB suspension – 8.3 inches of travel up front, giving you a proper sit up and beg stance.
The KLE is seriously comfortable and it includes most of the stuff that you want like reinforced brush guards, a rally-esque screen that does a good job at deflecting wind and a much needed skid plate.
In terms of tech and practical stuff, Kawasaki has opted to keep things to a minimum. You get a cool little TFT dash, complete with Kawasaki’s rideology app that allows you to get turn-by-turn directions and bluetooth connectivity. There’s no traction control, and ABS can be fully disabled with the push of a button on the bars.
Out back, the adjustable KYB shock offers 7.7 Inches of travel. That’s tied into a 17 inch rear wheel. Up front, they have fitted a 21” wheel. IRC rubber provides the grip on the stock machine.
The footrest rubbers are removeable and the pegs are grippy and wide enough for what we need.
The undercarriage boasts a large Alley bashplate with a claimed ground clearance of just 185mm.
That tells us that Kawasaki is aiming this machine at entry level gravel touring rather than the more hard-core dirtbike type stuff. You need to watch where you go because it does enjoy clipping rocks and things. Derived from the Kawasaki Ninja, the exhaust arrangement was the challenge for Kawasaki engineers when it came to finding more clearance.
The KLE’s parallel twin is derived from Kawasaki’s bulletproof 51HP Ninja and it looks as though it shares the Ninja’s exhaust. It’s a feisty little engine that loves to rev. It delivers a wide spread of power that gives the pull you need for most things, whether trickling along or opening up a bit.
The six speed gearbox is slick with a very smooth slipper clutch.
There’s nothing nuts about this bikes performance, it’s all quite civil actually. The bike has a quality, lightweight feel to it. The engine revs freely and is fun to play with. There are no big hits or surprises, it’s all just smooth cruising.
No, we didn’t tackle rocky mountains, the ground clearance alone prevents that, but the sandy Roads that we rode were good fun.
On the tar she’ll run to 160 odd KPH, but she’s happiest popping along at the 140KPH mark, and she’ll run there all day.
The latest incarnation of KLE is really easy to ride. It’s fun in the twisties on the tar, and turns that washboard gravel travel into an unintimidating task. If you are looking for a comfortable commuter and a bike to run good gravel, then go and take one for a ride.
RRP R164995.00
