Welcome to the gang Southern cross! You have made a very good choice! I love my KLE to bits! Speaking of which its time to take it to bits. Enjoy!

Thanks leonator. I'm already very pleased with the KLE, I knew I would be as a mate bought one new in 2007 and so I knew the bike. Also I know Ock well from the V-Strom forum.
I'm happy with the KLE's suspension, a little soft but still good in comfort for dirt and sealed roads. I know that I could take this KLE just as far into the bush as my recently sold 2004 R1200GS. I could take it, the KLE, further in the bush than the GSA which really is a PIG in weight but it's a magic bike on sealed roads. Totally different bikes of course but just for a comparison.

S.C.

As long as you ride the KLE sensibly it will do anything you ask of it. I have done 40000kms of road, desert sand, mud tracks, stone roads, single trail through forests and almost every other type of road you can find in eastern Australia. I have never had a problem. Finding a good luggage system has been the biggest problem. Still working on it.

It is a fantastic multi purpose motorcycle. I don't want to call it dual-sport but its almost there. I rode a 800GS a few months ago and it sh*ts all over the KLE. However $4k for the KLE with 10000kms on the clock. 800GS with 10000kms...I don't even want to think about it...

Also it is my first bike. I have only been riding for 3 and 1/2 years(started on a ct110 but lets not talk about that) I couldn't have picked a better first bike. Commuter bike that will take on anything that you throw at it. I wish Kawasaki would bring them back into production with a new 800 parallel twin. It would smash the ADV market!

What you say seems spot on to me. People always seem to fall into the same trap when comparing one thing with another. It is often (mostly) only that one is different to the other not having one as better than another. The KLE holds up very well considering it's old technology now and most of all it's only 500cc. I enjoyed my GS1200 very much apart from the sloppy driveline which felt like a very very loose drive chain.
Obviously on the highway the 1200cc will be a whole lot better than 500cc but off road with same rider on each, a hairs difference. But many (who haven't ridden both )will scoff. The GS800 is very appealing to me but now I'm in forced retirement I won't be buying one.m

Saturn 5

I have now met a couple of guys that ride KLE's and have done allsorts of mods to theirs and they are getting some pretty serious performance out of these bikes, From changing their Carbies, Air cleaners, intakes, exhaust, fitting GPZ cams, They are getting some really good horsepower out of these bikes for money spent, and are leaving some quite well known dual sports bikes for dead for power to weight. Even the torque and ability to get them up on the back wheel. So I am making this my little fun project.

I have added 2900kms to my KLE since I bought it a couple of months ago and am very pleased with it.
I have transfered from my 650 V-Strom, which is now for sale, a throttle lock, the type you flick a little black knob with your thumb and a top box I had made in 3mm Aluminium 550X 320X 340. I love both these items for their great function.
I mentioned elsewhere that I removed the small airbox snorkel. I fashioned a small awning in thin metal sheet over the top to help keep out water off the exposed rectangular hole but as I half expected, the bike ran very sick. I quickly replaced the snorkel for alteration at a future date.
The other change I made was to release the tiny amount of air in each fork and gave each fork 4 pumps with a bicycle hand pump. As I said on the V-Strom forum NIVANA! Well very good anyway. What a quantum change. The forks are extremely comfortable, very compliant and track well, holding a line when punting a little harder than norm. Perhaps the spring rate could be increased but only 5kg or so.
And that's the only change so far BUT I expect to have a new KTM exe exhaust in the post this week!!! One cat down two to go. I was hopeful Barrett Exhausts could make up new equal headers for me but they are busy and said to phone them again in a couple of months.
Staintune on their site, claim a gain of 2HP for the exhaust and a loss of 4.1 kg. Not huge but handy.
I plan on some carby mods, not just jetting but handy, fairly easy changes to the internals for better air flo. I'm planning to also sell a Z650 I have restored to very good but not concourse condition and will keep just one bike. It may be the KLE in which case I'll be looking for at least 55hp but usuable mid range power. Not sure which way to go but possibly a Triumph 800 XC but don't say a word to my fair lady.