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25 Aug 2007
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Great first post Richard; many people come in with a "hello here I am" type of thing but you have contributed immediately.
Good looking bike there with some very useful add-ons. You are all set to go touring!
How effective do you find the MRA screen compared with the original and/or as a screen in its own right?
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Dave
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25 Aug 2007
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hi
hi dave, thanks for the reply, yes I'm ready to go touring  I've only done small trips so far, weekend camping down to cornwall (not more than 120 miles one way) and the odd trip here and there. My plans for future after more riding experience will be the lands end to john o'groats  The screen is a great piece of kit, with the 'flap' all the way down it acts the same as the standard screen, fully upright when it gets to 70+ mph you can feel it slightly but being 6ft 2inches I'm always going to get wind, smaller men/woman would find minimal wind turbulance upto 60mph at least. It has enabled to me to beable to keep a much more relaxed posture on my bike - reducing energy useage therefore can enjoy the ride more
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26 Aug 2007
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Excellent information Richard and thanks for that: the MRA screen looks well designed.
Good luck with your travelling and camping - try to get abroad on the KLE and do some (legal) riding on the wrong side of the road!
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Dave
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26 Aug 2007
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excelent post richard. it was really the info what i need.
i have a small question. can you mount the side panniers without the top-box rack? i dont think i am going to use top-box. also can you use this rack with zega alu-panniers?
another question is about the bike? is it really bullet-proof? do you have serious problems especially with engine?
I am between KLE500 and XL650
thanks
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ozhan u.
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26 Aug 2007
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hi ozhanu
thanks for the questions ozhanu.
The pannier racks has 2 fixings that fit to the original rear carrier. This means you do not have to have a topbox.
As with regards to the zega-alu panniers I am not too sure, but i will try and find out.
Before I decided to buy a big bike (and have restricted) I researched for months on the most reliable and obviously most suited for my own purposes. I looked on reviews and read about the KLE having the renowned GPZ500 engine. So far I've had not a single problem with the bike. It starts in any weather, after any period of time - first time. It's incredibly smooth and responsive, I don't have a single bad word to say about it. I use it nearly everyday and average 1000 miles a month.
My brother has a honda xl 650 transalp and we've both been quite some distances together. So far he has experienced no problems, with it being a honda its of a build quality that is trusted worldwide. The obvious differences between our bikes is the size. The KLE is slightly taller, thinner and lighter whereas the transalp is more expensive, heavier, has a larger fuel tank, wider seat, faster and has more available aftermarket accessories. But I chose the KLE over the Transalp because of the rugged look and it was alot more cheaper (which matters when your a student with minimal income).
cheers
richard
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29 Aug 2007
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thanks
thanks for all the info richard.
I you could just give me the inner diameter of the racks that would really help. I can measure my pannier mounts and see whether they fit or not.
This weekend I'll go to see the KLE on the dealer. As you said it is cheap and gives you the enough power. Even with the accessories it is cheaper then XL650 or 650GS.
Thanks
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ozhan u.
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22 Nov 2007
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Question for voleurs
Hi Richard,
I've been reading your post about accessories for your KLE and went to the site you got your pannier racks from and they only have delivery in Germany on the checkout page. I have emailed them to find out about UK delivery and had no reply.
How did you contact them to get UK delivery.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Regards Ian.
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22 Nov 2007
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contact
Quote:
Originally Posted by xr200
Hi Richard,
I've been reading your post about accessories for your KLE and went to the site you got your pannier racks from and they only have delivery in Germany on the checkout page. I have emailed them to find out about UK delivery and had no reply.
How did you contact them to get UK delivery.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Regards Ian.
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Hi Ian,
The person I have contacted is
Sebastian Apel
Sales office
Email: apel@jfmotorsport.de
I also used the same checkout page and instructed them to add another 7 Euros to my bill as they seem not to have any special instructions with regards to selling items out of Germany.
Why 7 Euros? It is because their order form automatically charges shipping within Germany which is 5 Euros.
It took less than 5 days for the product to arrive.
Mr. Apel originally quoted me 12 Euros for freight of the pannier rack to the UK.
Please let me know how you get on.
Regards, Richard
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25 Nov 2007
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Thanks for your response Richard,
I have sent an email to Mr. Apel and still no reply.
I'm reluctant to send any money to someone who does not reply to my mail, I'll give it a few more days then if I still have no joy then I will have to look into making my own racks as my bike is pretty well obsolete as far as accesories go (1986) Honda XL600lm.
Thanks again.
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25 Nov 2007
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Hi Richard,
In one of your early posts on this thread you mentioned having your KLE restricted, a friend has just bought a KLE and asked me if I'll ride it the 100 miles home for him as he will need to have it restricted to 33bhp before he can legally ride it ( he's just passed his test ). Can you remember roughly how much it cost to have it restricted ? thanks in advance.
Cheers Mike
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25 Nov 2007
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KLE restriction
Quote:
Originally Posted by motorbike mike
Hi Richard,
In one of your early posts on this thread you mentioned having your KLE restricted, a friend has just bought a KLE and asked me if I'll ride it the 100 miles home for him as he will need to have it restricted to 33bhp before he can legally ride it ( he's just passed his test ). Can you remember roughly how much it cost to have it restricted ? thanks in advance.
Cheers Mike
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Hi Mike,
My KLE restiction to 33bhp is a part of the deal with the dealer but I knew all along that it cost around £100 to have it done. The unfortunate thing about restriction is it's got to be done by an authorized garage who will issue you a certificate and the document has to be sent to the DVLA so details of your bike registration can be amended.
The restriction still allows me to ride it to the speed of 90 mph knowing that unrestricted KLE can only do a mere 100mph. My KLE can still do 80 mph uphill with loaded panniers, top box and tank bag.
I hope this helps.
Regards, Richard
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25 Nov 2007
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KLE luggage racks
Quote:
Originally Posted by xr200
Thanks for your response Richard,
I have sent an email to Mr. Apel and still no reply.
I'm reluctant to send any money to someone who does not reply to my mail, I'll give it a few more days then if I still have no joy then I will have to look into making my own racks as my bike is pretty well obsolete as far as accesories go (1986) Honda XL600lm.
Thanks again.
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Hi Ian,
Five stars motorcycle luggage rack for Kawasaki KLE 500 is available locally at: www. getgeared.co.uk for £94.99 Just go to the racks section and there it is.
I didn't know this before but knowing now the make of the product, it is easy to surf the net for it.
I hope this helps.
Cheers, Richard
Last edited by voleurs; 25 Nov 2007 at 20:09.
Reason: typing error
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3 Jun 2009
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Just wanted to try and get some photos up-loaded.
If it worked here are some pic of the bike on Windmill lane in Torquay.

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7 Dec 2009
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shaunj
Shaunj - really like the look of those fog lights :-) how effective are they ?
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