2022 KLR 650

[mark vb]

It’s a shame though isn’t it .
SWM anyone?

What's a shame?
It will be a tough, ultra reliable travel bike. You don't see many (or even any?) SMW's in that role

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

some AJPs though?

[OnHellas]

Exactly.......the KLR may be overweight, like a few of us on here, but it’s a tried and tested reliable and inexpensive bike that’ll take most people to most places that they’d like to go. So the motorcycle world would be a poorer place without it.

However, as we all know, Monsieur Upright is not most people......but this place would be (slightly) poorer without him ..... giving he and the KLR a certain kinship.

[minkyhead]

it really doesnt looka great deal different to me oder wilderbeast
take the fuel out at 17kgms at a rough calculation its around 190kgms about 8 more than the last one ...suspension will be bargain basement but tbo cant be any worse than the t7s ...its just a efi version of the older one ..the one thing really that it should have is a six sped box

i had one alongside me old tenere and i much prefered the klr ? to be fair to it it didnt do that bad at all ..and when compared directly to azt660z serteo husky terra and the like it was just as capable /non capable take yer pick ..but was near 50 percent cheaper to buy in to and has a practical tank range of 300 miles

it ergos was great and standing too ..had unusually for this class a very low 1st gear which actually made it able to walk stuff much easier than the xts and was near unsttallable ......strange machine where peak touque was very early ..short shif at 3k ..yes 3k revs and it pulled you along to 60mph in surprisingly short order .....its a very unique type of ride ...youll like it or you wont ... i liked it a lot ..had it 7 years and did 40k on it lost 450quid ......

so taken in context as a solid choice for travelling twin track and or unmettled roads it really wasnt any worse than the competition ...solid stable light handing super stable and supreamly comfy ..lazy easy engine that could lug lower than pretty much any other 650 single out there

it was what it was and it deffo was better than any paper stats could suggest ..it wasnt fancy but it just plain worked ..having had one i can easily accept its shortcomings given the entrance fee ..but also fully understand why the y have sold in huge numbers ....tbo i think they will still sell a lot of them ...it a bit like kawsakis version on the enfield himilyan and for a lot of folks that isnt such a bad thing

braaaaaaaaap

[daveuprite]

That last shot should be pic of the month IMHO. Love it.

Mind you I just saw Nick's river crossing and that's a good'un too.

[chunky butt]

Calm down Dave, it's 208 kg kerbweight which is only a couple more than the 660 tenerlady single, plenty of folks have managed to go places on those and in the US at least the old KLR had a big following.

It's a cheap workhorse bike, probably run forever on not much fuel or maintenance .

I owned the small tank 'euro' model, KLR650C, not a bad bike and actually perfectly capable on easyish trails, suspension was basic but up to the job within limits.

Yes many of us would like to see a reasonably priced lightish modern Jap dualsport/trailie but let's face it, it doesn't look like it's gonna happen..


Chunky you do know the X challenge is only 148 kg before you add the bling...

so my PayPal account tells me as well Nick

[daveuprite]

Calm down Dave, it's 208 kg kerbweight which is only a couple more than the 660 tenerlady single, plenty of folks have managed to go places on those and in the US at least the old KLR had a big following.

It's a cheap workhorse bike, probably run forever on not much fuel or maintenance .

I owned the small tank 'euro' model, KLR650C, not a bad bike and actually perfectly capable on easyish trails, suspension was basic but up to the job within limits.

Yes many of us would like to see a reasonably priced lightish modern Jap dualsport/trailie but let's face it, it doesn't look like it's gonna happen..

Yeah, fair points about it being a solid workhorse etc, Nick. I'm sure it'll be that. What I'm saying is that Kawasaki is one of the greatest engineering companies in the world, capable of amazing things at the cutting edge of design and tech. They build ships, aircraft, trains, robots, energy plants etc etc. In terms of motorbikes they gave us stuff like the ZXR750, the B1h ZX6R, and the WSB multi-championship winning ZX10R. And some top-level motocrossers too. If they can produce ultra-lightweight bikes out of high-tech materials, which they can, then when they deliberately knock out a heavy bike it's because they don't feel the need to try any harder. They know they'll sell them anyway, to people happy with a reliable lugger (which is fine). It's just a shame that they didn't use a new model as a chance to move the sector on a bit, or at the very least back to the figures these kind of bikes used to weigh. The one thing you never hear a long-distance all-terrain biker saying is "I wish my bike had been heavier".

Just a quick reminisce. I used to use a Kawasaki ZRX1200R as my commuting bike into London. It was a big and heavy IL4, but powerful and torquey. 120bhp and 80ftIbs. I liked it for the comfort, effortless pulling power and moderately decent handling (for a muscle bike).

It weighed a hefty 215kgs. About the same as this KLR650!

[catcitrus]

Nice summary Steve, ------mine was sort of unpainted dark green (it came like that)---never let me down-- even when sitting on top of a levy having done about 3 miles dirt to get there--- and it wouldn't start. The battery had gone open circuit, but good old school electrics meant that the ignition generation was separate--and it bump started down the levy bank and got me home---no other lights, horn, indicators etc--and a new battery fitted and it was fine again. I used to ride down to Arkansas with the Springfield Milers (Illinois) and we hooked up with some serious HD riders from Chicago on raked out choppers. My matt green KLR was definitely out of place--but once we got to the twisties I was able to ride around them quite a bit--and they sort of accepted me after that despite my normal riding gear(no patches). It was the only time that I've been involved in a multi police car roadblock with weapons at the ready ,and a helicopter, corralling the group--apparently for "traffic infringements".

[mechanic]

In 1989 an Aprilia Tuareg 600 was a similar but air cooled single cylinder travel/ enduro type bike. It had a dry weight of around 145 kilograms. Don’t seem to have come far in 30 odd years with regard to bulk. Like cars, bikes just seem to get bigger.

[Flipflop]

It’s a shame though isn’t it .
SWM anyone?

What's a shame?
It will be a tough, ultra reliable travel bike. You don't see many (or even any?) SMW's in that role

It’s a shame it’s not lighter - nothing more, nothing less.

There’s a few Australians who will tell you that the SWM is a tough, ultra reliable travel bike - I tried to download a couple of you tube reviews but my computer skills are not up to it, but they’re easy to find.
In many ways they are a similar bike to the KLR - but lighter.