Kawasaki gets serious with new KLE500
It’s been a long time but Kawasaki is finally bringing a dirt friendly adventure bike back to Europe.
After roughly a year of teasing, Kawasaki has finally pulled the cover off its new KLE500 adventure model signalling Team Green’s return to proper adventure bikes in Europe.
“Whether you’re a commuter looking for an adventure motorcycle with civilized road manners or an off-roader looking for more comfort while retaining plenty of off-road capability, the new KLE500 is your perfect passport to a world of possibilities,” says Kawasaki.
In the United States and a number of other markets, Kawasaki has been a stalwart of the dual-sport/rugged adventure world through bikes like the iconic KLR650 or KLX300. In Europe and the UK, however, Kawasaki stopped selling these kinds of machines in the mid-2000s, meaning it has largely missed out on the adventure boom that has delivered everything from the Honda CRF300L to the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R.
Sure, we’ve had the excellent Versys 650 and Versys 1000/1100, but the only dirt you’re going to be tackling on those bikes is the gravel car park at your nearest garden centre.
That all changes with the new KLE500 and KLE500 SE, featuring a 21-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear, the new KLE500 builds on a dual-sport formula that began in 1991 but disappeared from the UK market in 2007.
“Suspension duties are ably catered for with specially developed KYB cartridge-type inverted front fork plus a New Uni-Trak rear suspension delivering outstanding feedback and compliance in all riding situations,” explains Kawasaki.
Styling very clearly draws from off-road rally machines and Kawasaki’s own KX line of motocross bikes.
“Riding off-pavement feels natural with a riding position that is equally comfortable standing on the footpegs or sitting down,” claims a Kawasaki media release.
Standard seat height is 860 mm, but Kawasaki says that “four unique setups are possible” by forking out extra dough for accessory seats. The KX-style seat doesn’t look immensely comfortable, but a 16-litre tank will probably keep you from spending too much time in the saddle in one go.
LED lighting front and back comes standard. If you want LED indicators, you’ll need to step up to the KLE500 SE, which also comes with TFT instrumentation (it’s LCD on the standard model), a larger windshield, hand guards, and a larger skid plate.
“Both the TFT meter of the SE and the LCD of the standard model allow smartphone connectivity to access Kawasaki’s unique Rideology The App Motorcycle smartphone application,” says a Kawasaki media release.
I have checked, and that’s not a typo. The app is actually called “Rideology The App Motorcycle.” It seems Kawasaki’s letting AI name its products now.
Most of what we know about the KLE500 is “TBC” at the moment. It is not set to arrive in the UK until March 2026, and no price is given. All we really know is that it will be driven by the same 451cc parallel twin engine that powers the Eliminator 500 cruiser and Ninja 500. In those applications, the engine promises peak outputs of 45.4 bhp and 31.4 lb-ft of torque.
Over in the United States, Kawasaki has offered up pricing for the bikes: $6,599 for the standard KLE500 and $7,499 for the KLE500 SE. At current exchange rates, that works out to be £4,945 and £5,620 respectively. Remember that US prices don’t include tax, though.
For comparison, the Ninja 500 (with ABS) starts at $5,799 in the Land of the Free, whereas it’s priced at £5,999 in Blighty. So, sticking our finger in the air and guessing, we’d assume prices of about £6,800 and £7,700 when the KLE500 and KLE500 SE show up in the spring.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
