THE GREAT ALL-ROUNDER
Kawasaki’s KLR650 is the bike that does everything pretty well for the bloke who wants a bike that does pretty much everything
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY DAMIEN ASHENHURST
Kawasaki’s KLR650, take a bow. Come on, stand up and take a bloody bow. Yes, you’ve been derided in certain circles and far too often overlooked, but for sheer longevity and ability to provide faithful service you’re one of the greats.
How many models can anyone name that have lasted as long as the KLR? It was released way back in 1987 which, to give some perspective, was the year the first mobile phone call was made in Australia. The KLR has survived all this time with minimal changes.
And guess what? It’s one of the biggest-selling bikes in the adventure market year after year. Not even U2 have had chart success like that. The KLR is bigger than Rick Astley, who started and finished in the 80s. It’s more successful than grunge, which died out in in the 90s, and it’s lasted longer than the Black Eyed Peas. That’s means only the Red Hot Chili Peppers can compete with the KLR650 but they went through eight guitarists along the way.
So, yes, please direct all applause towards the KLR650 in acknowledgment of its long and devoted service. It deserves it. It’s earned it.
But is it any good to ride in 2016? Fair question; let’s find out.
ON TOP & INSIDE
The KLR divides folks in the looks department. I’m split in that I don’t like the Candy Lime Green but I really like the Matrix Camo Grey. There aren’t many models that offer two strikingly different schemes to choose from, so kudos to Kawi.
The bike is the epitome of simplicity. It doesn’t have a click wheel or a thumb controller or a series of electronic probes up your bum to read your thoughts and emotions and control a vast array of electronic systems. It has a speedo, a tacho, an odometer, a trip meter and a temperature gauge — end of story. There isn’t even a fuel gauge, which is, to be honest, a bit dumb.
There’s a set of large handguards, which look a bit dopey but do a brilliant job at keeping the freezing wind off your hands. The rear brake and gear levers are steel, which means they can bend instead of snap, and the front brake and clutch levers feel good under light or heavy gloves.
The seat is magnificent. It used to be shit but now it has to be up there with one of the most comfortable seats made available for the average arse.
The bike is fitted with a plastic bash guard, a pipe guard and a windscreen that seems small but is surprisingly effective for anything less than freeway speeds. There is a taller genuine screen available for those hitting the open road.
The tank is a 22-litre unit and the fuel is fed into a CVK40 carburetor that’s been around forever and has proved to be reliable and easy to work with and upgrade.
Seat height is a reasonable 890mm, which will suit a pretty broad range of riders, and our test bike was also fitted with the genuine luggage package that includes a tail bag and two side saddlebags.
KICKIN’ UP DUST
Riding the KLR650 was interesting given there was a crossover period for me when I had the Kawi and another adventure bike that was absolutely filled to the brim with every modern farkle and jiggery you could imagine.
I rode them back to back a few times and I couldn’t escape one thing: the KLR650 was all about the ride and I really appreciated that. I never worried I wasn’t in the right ride mode or that ABS would interfere when I didn’t want or that I hadn’t told the bike I wasn’t carrying luggage any more. I just kept my eyes on the trails, not on a five-inch screen, and rode.
One of the commonest complaints I’ve heard about the KLR is that it’s slow. It’s an odd call and I wonder if it comes mostly from road-bike guys because on the dirt the bike isn’t just simply slow. It’s not powerful in comparison to the adventure bike competition but it has enough to be capable but, most importantly, manageable. It builds to speed instead of exploding. It’s quiet, it doesn’t vibrate excessively and never feels like it’s trying to get away from you.
It seems fashionable to declare that anything under 1000hp is a waste of time and that if the engine doesn’t boom like the growl of a dragon from The Lord of the Rings then it isn’t worth a damn. But try taking said ’roided-up rage machine into the bush and see how far you get when it gets slippery. Or you have to do hours on sand and bulldust and the bike just wants to spin the rear wheel.
The KLR might not leap off the line or unload gobs of Trumpesque anger on the planet’s surface but it does have enough to get you pretty much anywhere. Also, because it’s still running a carbie it’s got a great feel in the slower, tricky stuff where you can feel when you’re just above the stall point better than with EFI. Although EFI would certainly improve the fuel efficiency, so the moto gods giveth and the moto gods taketh away in that case.
The suspension was upgraded in 2014 to perform better off-road and the job was well done — particularly with the fork, which is less prone to aggressive diving on braking.
This isn’t a bike you jump regularly or big time and that’s another criticism that’s baffled me. What adventure bike is made for jumping? There may be times when you need to clear a small gap or something like that and the KLR will oblige, but the limitations appear mostly upon the landing where the limited suspension travel and ground clearance make themselves known. But the opposite end of this is that the bike is comfortable and plush, a characteristic you’ll be a hell of a lot more grateful for than any ability to jump.
The KLR is surprisingly nimble, with an excellent and tight turning circle and easy to ride through slower speed trails and tricky terrain, but its true home is on the more open tracks where it’s pretty hard to pick holes in the overall ride.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Before we used the term adventure bike we called a bike like this a dual-sport — and that’s pretty appropriate still. It’s an excellent bike for the bloke looking to go to and from work during the week and then pack some camping gear and head to the mountains on the weekend. There are plenty of examples through the years of KLR650s taking on epic journeys with not a lot of changes or additions to the stock machine because, regardless of how the world can feel sometimes, there’s still room for simplicity. And when you’re a day from the nearest town, alone with no mobile service, there’s something comforting about being on a bike where you’d at least know the concepts at work underneath you should something go wrong.
For around $8000 it’s impossible to argue that the KLR isn’t a good buy. We know it can take you to faraway places, we know it gives faithful service and can perform the role of commuter or adventurer. And we know it still sells well because of all those things and more.
