A non-intimidating ADV bike for those ready to try something a little different.

Adventure riding is very gratifying, but for many riders it can also be intimidating, especially if said riders haven’t been in the saddle a long time. There are plenty of YouTube videos of riders jostling big adventure bikes over extreme terrain, deep mud or sand, and while they’re highly impressive, they might put off someone looking to enter the ADV world in a more subdued and realistic manner. Manhandling a tall, heavy, powerful ADV bike over difficult obstacles takes a lot of skill, and I can tell you from experience, it’s not always fun. For most riders, the fun in adventure riding comes from exploring new, unknown places, many of which are inaccessible via paved roads. 

Kawasaki has a solution for riders who don’t necessarily want to ride hard-enduro style while exploring, but would rather do so at a more laid-back pace, while also honing their off-road adventure skills. 

That solution is the new Kawasaki KLE500, which we had a chance to ride at its recent press intro, held in the rust-coloured backcountry located just outside of Virgin, Utah. The area provided countless trails which crisscrossed a spectacular backdrop highlighted by towering rock formations and deeply sculpted canyons — in other words, an ideal adventure-ride paradise. 

FAMILIAR MODERN ENGINE

Even if you’ve been riding a long time, you might not recall the original KLE500. It was made for nine years between 1991 and 2007, including a seven-year break in production in between. If you don’t remember it, don’t fret, your memory is (probably) still intact. Despite its long run, the original KLE500 had never been available in North America. 

It featured a 498-cc parallel twin taken from the EX500 sport bike, and rolled on tall-ish suspension with a 21-inch/17-inch wheel combo for off-road capability. The new KLE500 shares a very similar spec sheet.

The KLE500 is powered by the same 451-cc liquid-cooled parallel twin that powers Kawasaki’s latest Eliminator 500, Ninja 500, and Z500. It’s not the EX500 engine of old, but rather a stroked-out variation of the 399-cc Ninja 400 engine (58.6 mm vs. 51.8 stroke; 70 mm bore). The engine itself is identical inside and out on all four bikes, but the KLE has a downdraft intake system that breathes through a bigger, 5.6-litre airbox. Its fuel injectors have been relocated closer to the intake ports, and engine mapping is specific to the KLE. 

These changes improve low-end power delivery for better control off-road. Claimed output is a respectable 51 horsepower and 32 lb.-ft. of torque, though you have to let the engine spin to take…