[Moto] Test Ride: Kawasaki KLR 650

[#Wittels-]

There are motorcycles that it is better to wait for the right moment to test them. It is not easy to organize all the logistics to do a test where you want, much less in a context in which it is very difficult to coordinate the times and match everything in the same week. We should have tested these Kawasaki KLR 650 in October-November of last year, in the Atlantic region of our Patagonia, but circumstances made us come down from that trip and do a test like this just because, it did not seem like the right thing for such a motorcycle. iconic and important for our market.

We even organized a test ride in Pilar for our community, with a large turnout, something that was surprising considering that Argentina was playing that day against Mexico for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, in a match that took on major relevance for the world champion team. that at that moment he had put himself against the ropes. On a hot day, more than 40 people managed to test the KLR 650 on an interesting mixed circuit that we had set up for them and with the possibility of full throttle on dirt, something that doesn't always happen.

Beginning in 2023, La Ruta de la Mula was seen coming, and with this competition the ideal conditions to do a complete test of a motorcycle. Several names were in the dance, including these KLR 650 that we finally ended up taking. And we return to stop at the complexity of logistics and making everything coincide in the same week, and for this reason you always have to open several fronts, which sometimes do not assure you anything either. Finally Kawasaki granted us these two units and we were able to sleep a little more peacefully. The rest of the links were complete.

In addition, riding these Kawasaki motorcycles also had the advantage of relieving us of the task of changing tires with such a tight schedule. Although we may have added a little more to the off-road capabilities of the motorcycle, it is interesting to try it as it leaves the factory, and in this way to understand a little better characteristics are the claims of the green brand towards this war tank that It is about to celebrate 40 years of life among all its iterations.

And it is very clear. Kawasaki offers a bike that is ready to go on the road, but at the same time a blank cloth for accessorization. In other words, for immediate adventure the KLR 650 probably doesn't need anything. We threw a few bags on top and nothing else, and we didn't think it was missing anything. Now, whoever wants this bike to do Ushuaia-Alaska, surely wants to install a hand warmer, auxiliary lights, some 12v or UBS socket and a good luggage system for the bike. All this can be done, and now the motorcycle has a stator with more capacity to support all that electrical demand.

 

The Ruta de la Mula 2023 was an excellent testing ground for the new Kawasaki KLR 650 due to its variety. We walked on asphalt with the incredible curves that the surroundings of the city of Córdoba offer and on the most varied paths, from impeccable gravel where you can go very hard, as in the vicinity of Ongamira, to very narrow paths, full of stone and broken, going through fords, sand and even mud. So we can say that the 600-700 kilometers that the test consisted of were, at least, complete.

This text is not to go into details, we have made a video going through the motorcycle from end to end, below there is a complete technical sheet of the motorcycle and a good number of photos to see all the details of the motorcycle. But in conclusion it seems to us that Kawasaki has today, in the 400 to 650 cc segment, the only truly off-road motorcycle on the market. The only one that really benches all those that come and that has the chassis, suspension and wheel configuration to give those guarantees.

Is not perfect. It is quite spartan for these times, it could have a more modern transmission and a few other things to be closer to it. But if they go hand in hand with their competitors, it is likely that they will not find any similar alternative to go around the world wherever necessary.

And something that does not seem minor to us: Kawasaki has managed to make this product a fairly modern motorcycle from the design, the cycling and even the mechanics, but at the same time it has managed to preserve the spirit of so many years, which have made this motorcycle a a kind of war horse and one of the favored tools of the wanderers.

We leave you with the test ride of the new Kawasaki KLR 650. We hope you like it and see you in the comments.

What we liked the most

MOTHER:
+ The package in general. It is a light, rustic bike and much more athletic than I thought. This test was really fun.
+ The driving position is impeccable. Nothing more is needed than the tools that come with the bike to make the minimum adjustments necessary to make it fit you.
+ Its off-road capabilities. I felt like I was riding a motorcycle that could go everywhere without problems and without worries.

FM:
+ The design is excellent, the definition of an adventure bike.
+ The behavior of the engine added to the starting assistant (clutch) is a very easy motorcycle to ride in all circumstances.
+ The suspensions are very well achieved and in the 2 intense days of tests we did not find the limit.

What we liked least

MOTHER:
– The ABS has a set-up that exceeded all expectations for off-road use, but even so, I feel that it cost nothing to offer the option of disconnecting it at the rear in times when it is already a convenience.
– The engine needs a 6-speed box to be able to shine to the fullest. It has plenty of torque, but there are times when it's hard to make it available to the rider.
– The pedals. A motorcycle with these capabilities and that in many cases is going to be used with enduro boots needs supports that are up to the demands.

FM:
– We know what a USB or 12v port costs. we want it.
– A TFT screen would be completely out of place, but a dashboard with more information would not be bad.
– Although the suspensions are not bad, a little more regulation would have them on another level.

 

Link: https://motoblog.com/test-ride-kawasaki-klr-650/