Adventure motorcycles have a lot going for them. They’re more comfortable for two-up touring than superbikes or cruisers are, and they open up a whole new network of gravel backroads taking you to fascinating places that you’d never ordinarily know about.
Most serious long-distance adventure riders go for the big-engined options such as the BMW R1200 and R1150 GS twins, or the Triumph Tiger 955i triple when they want to cover serious mileage, and those in the know reckon that a 650cc machine is about the minimum you can get away with for getting some serious distance under your belt. Can the Kawasaki KLE, a 500cc twin cylinder machine, cut it against the 650cc singles that dominate the middleweight scene?
The Kawasaki is an attractive looking motorcycle. The test bike’s revamped bodywork was finished in striking black and gold paintwork, with anodised black rims providing an appealing finishing touch. The instruments are tidily arranged inside the new fairing, and massive idiot lights on the dash are clearly visible even in bright daylight. The fuel tap looks particularly attractive, located as it is on the left lower side of the tank, but requires a bit of fiddling to get at when you run on to reserve.
Very few manufacturers follow the vertical twin format these days, but the Kawasaki 500cc engine has been around for ages in commuters and the KLE on/off road models. The engine is very smooth , and its short stroke and big bore formula make it very willing to rev; the red line is at 11 000 rpm, but it’s not really necessary to venture there that often as the power and torque start dropping off after 8 000. A very tidy-shifting six-speed gearbox makes sure there’s always enough grunt on hand.
In the couple of weeks I was entrusted with the KLE I covered over 2 000 km, about 600 of them on gravel roads. Part of my travels involved a 500km weekend trip — this time, all on tar — with my wife perched on the back. During two lengthy weekend rides I was accompanied by a BMW Dakar 650 and a couple of Kawasaki KLR 650 trailies, so some interesting comparisons were possible.
The KLE 500 twin lacks the feeling of sheer grunt that the big singles offer, but on-road acceleration isn’t noticeably deficient against the KLR as long as the gearbox is used to keep the engine on the boil. On level roads the KLE tops out at about 165kph, which proved marginally slower than the KLR singles and about 10kph off the pace of the BMW F650. Uphill climbs saw the singles additional grunt allowing them to pull out a slight advantage, but whenever we hit a downhill section the tables were turned, with the KLE’s taller gearing and higher revs allowing it to ease away.
The gearing also made the 500 twin more pleasant during fast road riding, as at 160kph the rev-counter needle still loitered over 3 000rpm below the red line. On the KLR singles at the same speed, the needle’s edging into the red, arousing feelings of guilt in any mechanically-sympathetic rider. The twin also felt more stable at speed, and the balance shafts in the engine soak up any hint of vibration so comfort levels are higher.
The KLE performs very capably on dirt roads, but offers less ground clearance than its sibling — 180mm as against 240mm — so the single makes easier work of crossing really rough ground. On the other hand, the twin’s 850mm seat height places your backside 40mm closer to the ground, meaning that the short-of-leg will find it easier to tootle around town on the KLE.
One area in which the KLE fell behind the KLR was in that of tank range. The KLR’s 23l tank dwarfs the 15l tank of the KLE, and riding hard one-up I found that I’d run onto reserve at about 160km. Two-up hard riding made things worse, with 135km being as far as I could get before looking for a petrol station.
The KLE is a great all-round motorcycle that won’t break the bank to buy or run. It’s not a superbike and doesn’t offer the performance that they do, but it’s a splendid little all-purpose machine, and can cruise two-up at above the national speed limit with ease, offering comfortable seating for both rider and passenger. It’s also very capable of exploring dirt roads at a fair lick in safety.
At R47 500 there’s not much else around that can offer all these features and the Kawasaki KLE’s closest competitor is its single-cylinder KLR sister which is cheaper, but less refined and has to work harder at speed. If I was to use the bike mainly on tar with occasional forays onto gravel roads I’d take the twin for its lower seat height, more refined engine and ability to cruise along fairly briskly without the rev- counter needle hanging around too close to the red zone.