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KLE 500 offroad capabilities KLE 500 offroad capabilities
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Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



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  #1  
Old 28 Mar 2008
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KLE 500 offroad capabilities
Hi to all riders
I bought mine kle '94 last year and I love it...but I didnt have much chance to drive it especially offroad and winter came.. since my country (Bosnia) is all over hills I mainly bought bike for offroad stuff...Im not talking about crazy stuff jumping or crossing rivers just some gravel roads and grass, but as I can see KLE is not so famous offroader ..
I was thinking it would be nice that kle drivers post some offroad experiences, capabilities of bike and opinions on dirt and maybe some tips how to upgrade KLE to be more offroader...

Im wondering why is such big difference betveen KLE and KLR on offroad, as I can see more riders go for KLR rather then KLE, KLR is only 10-15kg lighter and have better sunsension?

best regards
Zoran
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  #2  
Old 10 Apr 2008
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You wanted pics of a kle on dirt roads
Hardmen to Hillend

I took my bike on this trip.

I have dropped it a few times, the most damage I have done is broken of part of the Brake and Clutch Lever.

Also bent the left foot peg bracket a little bit.
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  #3  
Old 10 Apr 2008
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Some nice pics on there, looked good fun?.



regards
Roy
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  #4  
Old 15 Apr 2008
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Excellent pics and good fun...
tnx
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  #5  
Old 18 May 2008
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Hi there,
The KLE is not your best dual sport bike, but it is very capable of handling some serious off road stuff. I have taken my KLE over pretty rough terrain and the only thing that I found was not good at all is the front suspension, way too soft and obviously the tyres. So I have replaced the fork springs with progressive springs and adjusted the air pressure in the forks to just above atmospheric preasure, big difference in handling rough terrain. I have also changed the tyres and slaped on Dunlop D606 rear and Dunlop D908 enduro's for the front... work pretty good! There are still a number of other things that I want to replace to make it a really good off road adventure bike.
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Last edited by Louw_500; 18 May 2008 at 15:29. Reason: adding photo
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  #6  
Old 4 Jun 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Louw_500 View Post
Hi there,
The KLE is not your best dual sport bike, but it is very capable of handling some serious off road stuff. I have taken my KLE over pretty rough terrain and the only thing that I found was not good at all is the front suspension, way too soft and obviously the tyres. So I have replaced the fork springs with progressive springs and adjusted the air pressure in the forks to just above atmospheric preasure, big difference in handling rough terrain. I have also changed the tyres and slaped on Dunlop D606 rear and Dunlop D908 enduro's for the front... work pretty good! There are still a number of other things that I want to replace to make it a really good off road adventure bike.
That is a nice and mean looking KLE. Good on you.

Will
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  #7  
Old 6 Jun 2008
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The KLE 500 is indeed a very capable offroader. At only £3,000 new it is probably the best value trailee to be found in the UK at the present time. My local dealer (Laguna's) had a brand new KLE for sale last week for £2,800!!!

Get a bargain while you can...

The bike hasn't the fame of the Yami XT's but it's a perfectly acceptable RTW bike.

By the way, I own an XT6 NOT a KLE 500 so my comments here are'nt biased...
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  #8  
Old 9 Jun 2008
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The only problem is the small tank of just 15 litres and no availability of accessory tanks.
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  #9  
Old 21 Jun 2008
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You can always modify your own tank to make it bigger:

Serbatoio maggiorato artigianale per KLE 500 | Kawasakikle500.it

Will
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  #10  
Old 30 Jun 2008
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Ground clearance is not so good and you do need proper off-road tyres. It's also quite heavy to pick up if you drop it.

I took my moto-crossing for a charity event and it didn't last long. However, if you're careful and just going on trails, it seems to do the job.

As far as design goes, it won't break much if you drop it. Pedals can be bend back easily enough, but the levers are easily broken so make sure you loosen up the fittings so they can be easily twisted back. Of course, it will flood at the first sign of being dropped, so make sure the battery is well charged if you're planning on doing anything a bit risky. And don't use the kill switch and then spend ten minutes wondering why it doesn't start (easily done :-)).
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  #11  
Old 1 Jul 2008
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Yeah it is heavy for jumps or moto x but it is not a dirt bikebut a dual purpose. Try to use a F650GS as a x moto and you will see.

And to pick it up, it is all about technique. My wife is 53 kilos and picks up mine easily. She did once when she knocked my bike with her car. I taught her how to pick up a bike. Similar to this:

YouTube - NB's F6550GS - How to pick up a motorcycle

Will
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