KAWASAKI KLE500 (1991 - 2007) Review

Year: 2003

Annual servicing cost: £50

Much better than the “professional” reviews would have you believe. Good beginner bike that can withstand many adventures without worry of breaking down. Maintenance is cheap and easy.

Buying experience: Private sale. £1500

Year: 2007

I put 119000km on a KLE400. Most of it on gravel, the rest commuting 50km a day. I sold it in perfect condition – never needed an engine overhaul, no major repairs (apart from the huge prang off a cliff). When I had the opportunity to buy another, I tested everything in that range and bought a KLE500. I think that says it all. I found it quite comfy. Drove 6 -7 hour drives with a few brakes many times. Yes if you compare technicalities, it does not come out tops, It is not the fastest. To me however it is about what I like. Do I really want to win with specs or do I want a smile on my face, can I pick the bike up from the mud and ride on and does it ALWAYS bring me to the next place…

Year: 2006

Brilliant small engined tourer and easy going. Easy to ride for all skill levels. Good tyres allow the bike to be pushed and can upset a lot of faster bikes when the going gets twisty. Comfortable max cruising speed 80mph at me being 1.73m

Buying experience: Private purchase. £1500 advertised. Paid 1500 in 2018.

Year: 2006

The best quality: Do-it-all daily ride and occasional weekend green laning. The worst quality: The seat is only good for about 25min of riding.The original handlebars are too rigid. fit braceless bars and remove the buzz from motorway speeds.

Buying experience: Private buy. £1250 in 2017

Year: 1992

The most fun you can have on or off-road on a small bike.

Buying experience: Crap MCN review means the bikes are seriously underrated and thus cheaper to buy. A good early KLE500 with full power can be picked up for under £1k.

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £60

The engine is rather dull and the off road capabilities mostly limited, but it's an honest bike that is supposed to perform fairly to all conditions

Buying experience: I bought it when local dealership offered it as a promotion 30% lower than the new at the time Versys.

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £200

very nice bike. value for money

Year: 1991

Annual servicing cost: £150

Hugely underrated. I sold a 2004 VStrom 650 to buy my 1991 KLE500 and it's better in every respect. It's lighter and much simpler and just as quick.

Year: 2002

Annual servicing cost: £400

I've just rode around the UK coastline for charity, 3820 miles roughly in two weeks. There were three of us; the others had a Suzuki Bandit and a new 2013 Triumph Sprint GT both with panniers. Whilst they have a quick pick up on the open roads the KLE smashed them on all other roads from twistys to narrow B-roads, it loved Applecross pass in the highlands, I had to keep slowing down for the others to catch up lol. I didn’t have panniers, just a bag strapped to the back which helped me whip through tight spaces, i.e. hedges and cars around corners!. We were also accompanied by other riders along the way, one had a new Triumph Tiger, I kept up with him without any effort. When I bought it 3 months ago the first thing I did with it was to get an OS map and find some green lanes to see what it was capable off, an hour later I was climbing a muddy hill the local farmer said 'you'll never get up there with that thing snigger' ha! Proved him wrong didn’t I. First time off-road too. It’s simple, no gimmicks like abs blah blah blah, you can make this bike what you want. I'm thinking about Africa at the moment and would be very comfortable taking around the world. I do totally recommend upgrading the lights and reupholstering the seat for long days in the saddle. The trip I've just done, I did drop it a lot due to being knackered but it’s tough as old boots and nothing’s scratched or broke, fitted crash bars but that’s it, awesome bike. See Zen Overland for your Ali panniers, getting my own design made for £250 a pair, yes please.

I nearly dismissed the KLE as a bike option because of the MCN review. I am glad I did not. An old codger told me they were cracking bikes available at sensible money. As soon as I saw one, I liked it as it was different, and to my mind, quite handsome. It stands out from the crowd you might say. I had tried the g650gs and the v strom. The Beemer disappointed while the v strom was good, but somewhat boring. When I rode the Kwak, it's 500 engine reminded of the v strom. There is no clock, centre stand or petrol gauge. The standard seat is awful as it continually threw me forwards into the tank and compromised the otherwise commanding riding position. Other than that I found it be be a little stunner. Great riding position with wide bars. Plenty of go for my needs and easy to ride and steer. It's one of those bikes you should never want to put your feet down at low speed. Handling is fun and the motor sounds great if you open it up. Maintenance is easy and cheap. Mine returns an average of 70mpg. It's good for motorway and local town riding. While he tank is small, I can still do over 200 miles before hitting reserve. Friends have been surprised by it and it has many admirers when I park up. Fifty pounds spent on resulting the seat has sorted that little issue easily. In summary, a cracking bike for very sensible money. Its a bit like owning a grown up CG 125. Cheap transport with plenty of fun. Don't be put off by the MCN review. I think it is nonsense!

I have done 123000km on my KLE500 (1994 model) in Africa,tank is a bit small for the long haul but still over 200km comfortably. It is NOT an uncomfortable bike, in fact I think very comfortable!Smooth and fast enough for touring, but also reasonable in the dirt.Certainly knocks the shit out of a BMW GS650 AND a lot cheaper!

MCN's terrible review of the KLE500 meant I dismissed it as a possible first big bike. That was until I saw one in the flesh and had a chance to ride it. The ride is soft, but I find that very comfortable. I find the handling is fine, but it is not a sports bike and I am not a speed freak. The brakes are not brilliant, MCN got that right. It will sit at 70mph on the motorwway perfectly happily. What it beats many other bikes hands down is coping with bad weather. Its low centre of gravity, wide handlebars and big wheels with dual purpose tyres mean you can ride in rain like there is none there. It is well equiped. I disagree about the discomfort of the saddle, it is not as bad as MCN make out, but I have added a gel seat pad. I am tall, so will eventually get the bigger screen as the standard one puts the air right into my face. Mine is 6 years old and apart from some pitting on the spokes people think it is brand new. There is no doubt that this bike, with a coat of protectorant spray will last for a long time. As a second hand bike it is very good value indeed. The engine is nosy and vibrates a lot and has limited performance. But it is in a lower tax band than most and by reputation is very reliable. I have no idea how MCN only got 35mpg out of it. I can only assume they drove it like it is a sports bike and want it to be a sports bike. Without trying I get 55mpg around town. I love its road presence due to its height and mean looking headlights. I have had cars pull in to let me passed where on the other bikes I have ridden they would have ignored me. Overall, as an analogy I would say that as the the BMW GS1200 is the Landrover Discovery of dual purpose bikes, the KLE500 is the Suzuki Jimny. Tough, cheap, characterful and capable of embarrassing much more exotic competition.

I have two of these kle's and one is standard, it's soft and bouncy with a crap front brake very low rear end and not the best thing to ride but not unpleasant. Now the other is completely different and has re-worked suspension front and rear, with gpz 500 wheels and good brakes but it keeps its standard looks as well as engine and exhaust and in this format makes riding a kle so much fun but i digress . It's engine is heavy for a twin but very reliable, this year i have covered 22.000 miles without a hick-up. Seating position is good but the seat can be bum numbing on motorways, with heated grips and a rack to boot value for money it's right in the ball park although it's big downfall for me is the finish, over time it starts to look tatty.If you are tall'ish and want good mpg bike that's a bit different (looks like it can do more than it can)this is for you. A word of warning don't travel over soft ground as the ground clearance is bad and if they get stuck they are heavy to drag out. Have fun.

I purchased the KLE 500 as my return to biking. I was attracted by the size (I am quite tall) and price (£2,750 new). I found the bike a little top heavy but soon got used to that. It was certainly powerful enough for me and the styling was great but that is a personal thing. On the downside the seat wasn't long enough for a pillion and I ended up placing a pad onto the rack for the pillion to move back onto slightly. Also the front brake was very poor and caused a few heart stopping moments. But what finally did it for me was the seat. I could not believe how uncomfortable it could get. I tried cushions and pads to no avail and after one 4 day tour of the UK I eventually gave up and sold the bike. Shame really as other than the seat I would proably have liked the bike a lot. I am sure sintered pads and new brake hoses would ahve cured the front brake problem.

I have to say that the KLE500 is a reasonable tool for commuting and Sunday rides into the country, and for the price it does what it says on the tin. However, it does have soggy front suspension that dives dramatically under braking, the brakes are a little too weak and unresponsive... and as for the seat, well I last about an hour on it before my bum goes to sleep and I have to get off an walk around a bit! I've found the performance to be adequate for my needs (I'm only a nervous newbie) and the economy is actually very good, as is the rediculously cheap insurance! So in summary, a great bike for those new to bigger bikes or those who want a general hack that does all the things you need it to in a reliable manner. Certainly no superbike, but you wouldn't want a trailie in that case anyway would you...?

This bike may not be to everyone's taste, but it's cheap, reliable and can be good fun if you wring it's neck. Naturally, if you're used to Fireblades and ZZR1400s, then 47 bhp isn't going to set the world alight, but if you live in London and only get outside of London occasionally, then it's near perfect. I travelled to Monza and back on mine and it never missed a bit or let me down. Good for pillions and the seat actually softens up considerably after a few thousand miles. Also, the wide bars mean you can just chuck around corners. The only criticisms I have are the crappy front brakes, the stock tyres and it's a bit thirsty. Other than that, a pretty good bike.