After nearly a year of teasing, Kawasaki has unveiled the KLE500, a name that may sound familiar to riders who have been around the trail a few times. While the original was not available in the U.S. and has been out of production since 2007, the revived KLE500 is an all-new design, and will be coming to the States as well as the rest of the world. The small adventure bike will slot in nicely between the more dirt-oriented KLX300 and the heavyweight KLR650.
While we’re still missing a few key pieces of information about the KLE500, here’s what we do know. The trellis frame weighs just 41.8 pounds. It does not use a separate subframe for the rear passenger and cargo area, a design that has shown weakness on the KLR650. The design offers a relaxed, upright riding position, with ergonomics inspired by Kawasaki’s KX dirt bikes.
The engine, the same 451 cc parallel-twin as the Ninja 500 and Eliminator, is a stressed member, attaching both to the frame and the swingarm. It answers the long-standing cry of KLR650 owners for a sixth gear, with an assist and slipper clutch to help make shifts smooth. Among the stats Kawaski has not yet released are this engine’s horsepower and torque figures for the KLE500. It should be in the ballpark of the 51 horsepower and 31.7 pound-feet of torque of the Ninja 500, but adventure bikes are often tuned to optimize torque rather than horsepower, so we’ll have to wait for exact figures.
Balancing on and off-road capability
The KLE500 seeks to strike a good balance between on-road capability and light dirt duty. Its 21-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheel, spoked rather than cast, are great sizes for the dirt. The brakes, however, are well-sized for pavement duty, with a 300 mm disc up front and a 230 mm disc in back, each with dual-piston calipers. Anti-lock brakes are standard equipment, and both front and rear ABS can be disabled for dirt riding if desired. ABS automatically reactivates when you turn the bike off and back on again.
The 43mm cartridge-type inverted fork offers 8.26 inches of travel, while the rear Uni-Trak suspension provides 7.87 inches of travel. Its 6.8-inch ground clearance is a little lower than its competitors, but the average ADV rider is going to cruise pavement, dirt roads, and easy trails rather than take the bike off jumps like in Kawasaki’s reveal video. It also helps keep the seat height down to 33.8 inches. The bike’s weight is another statistic that Kawasaki has not yet revealed. Similar bikes in its class, like the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the KTM 390 Adventure R, weigh between roughly 390 and 430 pounds, so expect something in that range.
The KLE500 will be available in two flavors. The standard model will cost $6,599, while the SE version, which adds a larger bash plate, metal-reinforced hand guards, LED turn signals, a taller 4.1-inch windshield, and a 4.3-inch TFT display, will cost $7,499. Neither of these prices includes destination charges, which have also not yet been announced. That’s slightly more than the $5,999 Himalayan, but far less than the $9,000 Suzuki DR-Z4S. It’s also in the same price range as the larger, heavier KLR650, which has already been discontinued, then revived once in its nearly 40-year lifespan. The KLR’s days may be numbered once the KLE500 goes on sale in early 2026.
