- Contributor Pete returns to riding after major surgery aboard BRM’s Kawasaki KLE500 long-termer.
- Friendly handling and approachable performance make the KLE500 an ideal confidence-building adventure bike.
- Winter riding highlights a few shortcomings, but the KLE remains an enjoyable all-rounder for New Zealand roads and gravel.
After major surgery forced him off two wheels for more than a month, Pete Westbury found the perfect companion for his return to riding in BRM’s long-term Kawasaki KLE500.
Major surgery in early June meant a week in hospital followed by several more at home recovering and rebuilding my strength. For a while, motorcycles were firmly off the cards.
Then Paul rang to say he was heading to Iceland for the launch of the new Norton, leaving BRM’s Kawasaki KLE500 long-termer sitting idle. It felt like the nudge I needed after more than a month away from riding.
I’d only ridden the KLE briefly before, but I already knew it was approachable, with friendly power delivery and gentle manners. In other words, it seemed like exactly the right bike to help me find my riding legs again.
Normally I love tall adventure bikes, but with my mobility still limited, the KLE’s 870mm seat height was the first thing I noticed. I tend to think of it as a relatively small motorcycle, yet that seat height could still be a dealbreaker for some riders, even with Kawasaki’s optional low seat trimming 30mm off the perch.
Getting on and off required a bit more planning than usual, but once aboard the bike felt reassuringly light and manageable, giving me the confidence to head out and see just how much riding my body was ready for.
My first outing was a relaxed ride over the Kaimais to visit a mate in the hills around Tauranga, with a few entertaining back roads thrown into the mix. By the time I arrived, I wasn’t worrying about the ride home anymore. In fact, the return journey was even better as my body began remembering what riding a motorcycle felt like.
How does the KLE stack up as a road-going adventure bike? Surprisingly well.
Borrowed from Kawasaki’s Ninja 500, the parallel twin is smooth and easy-going at lower revs but becomes noticeably more playful when worked harder. It’ll never wow riders coming off larger-capacity adventure bikes, but it has more than enough character to keep things entertaining.
Push the pace and the suspension begins to feel a little soft, but for riders wanting a road-focused adventure bike, it strikes an excellent balance between comfort and capability. There’s a slight buzz through the handlebars at certain revs, although it never became intrusive or uncomfortable.
Adding a touch more rear preload would probably tame the occasional wallow when pressing on, although I suspect most owners will be perfectly happy with the standard setup. The ultra-wide handlebars make the KLE wonderfully easy to manoeuvre, and while I wasn’t convinced by them during my earlier gravel ride, they felt perfectly natural on the road.
Winter riding also highlighted one omission on the standard KLE500: handguards. Cold fingers quickly become part of the experience. The SE model’s reinforced handguards and taller touring screen would be close to mandatory in my book, and adding heated grips would create a genuinely comfortable all-season adventure bike.
Criticism of the KLE’s limited ground clearance becomes largely irrelevant when you’re talking about the sort of riding most owners will actually do. I can’t imagine too many buyers entering enduro events on one. For New Zealand’s mix of sealed roads and the occasional gravel adventure, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable package.
Perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay the KLE500 is that I stopped thinking about recovering from surgery and simply enjoyed riding again. That confidence-inspiring nature is worth a lot more than another 20 horsepower or another inch of suspension travel.
I’m still a week or two away from tackling the rough back roads I really enjoy, but my first proper ride on the Kawasaki couldn’t have been a better reintroduction to motorcycling. It’s easy to ride, forgiving and confidence inspiring. The engine might not have the low-down punch I usually prefer, but keep it spinning and it’s plenty of fun.
The goal now is simply to rebuild my fitness without overdoing things—or dropping the bike. I’ll report back once both the Kawasaki and I are ready for something a little more adventurous.
