- The KLE500 continues to impress as a capable, comfortable all-rounder, with its 451cc parallel-twin proving particularly entertaining on twisty roads.
- Oxford heated grips, Barkbusters handguards and a Midland BikePlay system add warmth, protection and Apple CarPlay connectivity to our entry-level KLE.
- Tyres and luggage are next on the list, as we prepare to take the BRM long-termer further afield.
A few months into life with BRM’s Kawasaki KLE500 and the affordable adventure bike is proving there’s plenty to like about keeping things simple. With its first service completed, we’ve started adding a few choice extras.
The longer the Kawasaki KLE500 has been in the BRM shed, the more it’s developed a soft spot in our psyche.
I would say hearts, but it’s not really a bike with enough character to make you go all warm and fuzzy. Instead, the Kawasaki is a no-frills, capable road/tour/adventure/commuter machine that simply gets on with the job.
And that’s okay.
Kawasaki NZ undertook the first service, which isn’t much more than changing the oil and filter and giving the bike a once-over. Although the real bonus was that it got dropped off dirty (sorry, George) and came back clean (thanks, George!).
With the first service done, it was time to really get to grips with the performance from the 451cc parallel-twin. Yep, it’s not really a 500… There’s a claimed maximum of 44hp arriving at 9000rpm and 42.6Nm of torque at 6000rpm. Essentially, it’s a Ninja 500 powerplant with the same specs and output.
Unsurprisingly, when you’re riding on the road and making the most of the revs, it feels a lot like a tall Ninja 500. And the more road kilometres I got under my belt, the more I began to appreciate what a sweet little motor this is – and how the KLE is essentially a more comfortable Ninja 500. So, if you like the idea of a LAMS-approved Kawasaki sportsbike but don’t fancy being hunched over, the KLE is where you should be looking.
On the road, the little motor punches well above what its capacity might suggest. Overtakes can simply be a case of rolling on the throttle in top gear, while dropping a couple of cogs through the slick gearbox really brings the KLE alive. And it’s a whole heap of fun when the road gets twisty.
Interestingly, the gear ratios are identical between the two models, while even the final-drive gearing is virtually the same, meaning the KLE delivers much the same lively character as its sportier Ninja 500 sibling. That also helps explain why the performance feels so lively.
Add the wide handlebars that allow you to wrestle the KLE from one turn to the next, a slim 140-section rear tyre and a reasonably firm suspension set-up, and the KLE makes much more sense as a comfortable, LAMS-approved road bike than it does trying to convince everyone it’ll keep up with the competition when the going gets gnarly.
The fact is, limited suspension travel, a relatively peaky powerplant, 194kg claimed wet weight and an 870mm seat height all conspire against it when the terrain gets more serious. Instead, use the KLE for what it’s good at – spirited road trips, comfortable commutes and a bit of mellow dirty stuff – and you’re unlikely to be disappointed.
More importantly, you’re also unlikely to get yourself stuck or into trouble.
PIMPING THE RIDE
Our KLE is the entry-level version which, at $11,215 + ORC, represents pretty good value for money. That also means we’ve got a bit of room for adding bits and bobs to jazz it up.
Okay, you could throw an expensive set of suspension at it, but really, why would you? There are better bikes out there for similar money if you genuinely want to tackle anything more challenging than gravel roads and easy trails.
Instead, I figured upgrading the experience of actually riding the KLE would be much more beneficial. With plenty of cold weather still hanging around, heated grips and some decent handguards were first on the list.
WARM HANDS – Oxford Hot Grips
We fitted the latest Oxford HotGrips Pro 2.0 Adventure heated grips, which no longer feature a separate controller that needs to be mounted on the handlebars. Instead, the controls are integrated neatly into the grip itself, allowing you to turn them on and cycle through the heat settings.
Oxford has been making heated grips for about as long as I can remember and these are now seriously sorted. They’re easy to fit and work supremely well. You don’t even need to find a switched power source if that’s a bit of a struggle. An intelligent power system detects when the bike isn’t running and shuts the grips down so they don’t drain the battery.
Brilliant.
OXFORD HOTGRIPS PRO 2.0 ADVENTURE (INTEGRATED)
Price: $349.99
Available from: Bits4Bikes
DEFLECTION – Barkbusters
You can’t have an adventure bike without handguards, right? And if you’re going to fit handguards, you might as well make sure you get proper ones.
Not flimsy things mounted on lightweight plastic brackets that are going to snap as soon as you sneeze too strongly, but something capable of protecting your fingers if you get too close to a branch or – perhaps more likely – a wing mirror.
You also want them to have a decent chance of saving the levers should your bike take an impromptu lie-down. There’s something particularly annoying about picking your bike up to discover the handguard has simply rotated around the handlebar and the lever has snapped anyway.
We fitted a set of Barkbusters Storm handguards with a fitting kit designed specifically for the KLE500. Barkbusters produces mounting kits for a huge range of motorcycles and going model-specific makes life so much easier. Once I’d worked out which way the metal support went, it was simply a case of removing the Kawasaki’s bar-end weights and bolting everything into place.
The kit came with the correct-length bolts and even included the required spacers. Then it was simply a matter of screwing the plastic Storm deflectors to the aluminium backbones.
Instantly, the KLE looked about 1000 percent tougher. And I could look tougher too, as the handguards were now keeping the cold winter air off my pinkies…
Seriously, if you’re going to buy handguards, get decent ones and spend the extra on a fitting kit specifically designed for your motorcycle. It makes your day considerably less angry when you’re trying to fit them.
BARKBUSTERS STORM HANDGUARDS
Storm guards: $91.99
Model-specific fitting kits: From $219.99
Check out the range here: Bits4Bikes
LEVEL UP – MIdland Intercom & Touch Screen
The one thing missing from the standard KLE is a flashy TFT dash.
Almost every adventure bike nowadays seems to have a colourful screen and buttons to play with, but the standard KLE relies on a decidedly old-school LCD display.
Okay, it tells you everything you really need to know. But adventure riders are suckers for gadgets. We love putting a route into the GPS even when we’re only riding down the road and apparently need to remain permanently connected. Okay, maybe I’m just talking about myself.
Either way, the simple KLE dash wasn’t really doing it for me, particularly when there’s a conveniently positioned bar directly above it crying out to have something attached.
That something was the Midland BikePlay Pro Moto multimedia system, which has allowed me to placate my inner geek while simultaneously bringing the Kawasaki into the 21st century.
And it’s worked brilliantly.
The BikePlay features a 5.5-inch touchscreen and, after connecting it to my iPhone, Apple CarPlay appeared on the display. The touchscreen works with gloves, which is obviously important on a motorcycle, and the whole thing is refreshingly straightforward to use.
One of the biggest benefits for me is that I don’t need to connect my helmet headset directly to the BikePlay.
I’m constantly swapping between motorcycles and I’ve found connecting everything through the bike can create problems when I jump onto another machine without a screen.
Instead, my phone automatically connects to the BikePlay when I get on the KLE, while my Midland R1 Mesh intercom remains connected directly to my phone. Get onto another motorcycle and the headset simply continues working with the phone as normal.
Simple.
The BikePlay can also be expanded with front and rear cameras to create a permanently recording dashcam system, while optional tyre-pressure monitors can provide warnings through the display if pressures drop.
The Midland R1 Mesh intercom has impressed me, too. I first used it properly during the Norton Atlas launch in Iceland – one of the wettest, coldest and windiest launches I can remember – and it performed faultlessly.
Audio quality is good, with plenty of bass, while the main unit attaches magnetically to its helmet mount. That makes it easy to remove for charging rather than having your entire helmet sitting next to a power point, and additional bases mean the same unit can be moved between helmets.
It can also communicate with other brands of intercom through Bluetooth, although cross-brand Mesh compatibility remains a work in progress across the industry.
Most importantly, both the BikePlay and R1 are the sort of technology I like: useful kit that doesn’t require a degree in computer science to make it work.
Midland BikePlay Pro Moto Multi-Media 5.5-inch Screen
Price: $549.99
Check out the Midland range here: Bits4Bikes
WHAT’S NEXT?
Next up for the KLE will probably be tyres or luggage.
Although, if I’m fitting luggage so I can disappear on a longer trip, chances are I’ll end up wanting tyres as well.
The standard tyres have worked well enough on both seal and gravel, but the rear appears to be wearing surprisingly quickly. Considering the KLE isn’t exactly endowed with masses of horsepower, it’ll be interesting to see how many kilometres we ultimately get from it.
Something with a slightly more aggressive tread pattern would certainly enhance the Kawasaki’s adventure-bike looks, but considering how much fun the KLE is carving through twisting sealed roads, fitting something too dirt-focused might actually make the bike worse at what it does best.
So I’ll think about it.
Until next time, here’s one final reminder: keep left on gravel roads.
I almost didn’t make it home on the Kawasaki after a recent ride to Paeroa to meet my son for lunch.
I took the dusty way home across the hills above Patetonga and, thankfully, was following my own advice and keeping well left when a Subaru appeared around a blind corner at a serious rate of knots, its driver apparently under the impression he was Possum Bourne in full attack mode.
There was simply no time to react.
Had I been riding any further towards the centre of the road, I would have gone straight over the bonnet.
The KLE and I escaped intact.
Lesson reinforced.
