For several years, one manufacturer has stubbornly marched on without producing a proper adventure bike. This wouldn’t be much of an issue if it were a smaller brand that didn’t really pay much attention to the off-road market, but it isn’t a smaller brand, it is Kawasaki. A brand that has been producing legendary off-road bikes for decades, but has consistently left this particular hole in the lineup unplugged.
For 2026 we are not getting a dual-sport with a bunch of added farkles, or a touring bike trying to be something it isn’t, or a small beginner-friendly adventure-tourer. We are getting the real deal, a proper ADV. Ever since it was teased at EICMA 2024, we have been excited to see what the final product would look like, and the KLE500 is finally here, almost a full year later.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Kawasaki. Whereas, the opinions are our own.
The 2026 Kawasaki KLE500 Could Outshine Its Rivals
Over the past decade or so, the adventure bike market has quite simply exploded. Each year we got one impressive ADV after another, from each of the major manufacturers. With one notable exception. Kawasaki came out with the Versys-X 300 some years ago, and pretty much called it good, seemingly uninterested in building another adventure bike. There was always a method to the madness, though, with the KLR650 Adventure offering Kawasaki fans a rugged off-road-oriented alternative, and the Versys 650 offering something more refined for those more interested in sticking to paved roads. Neither of those bikes are conventional adventure bikes, while the new KLE500 most certainly is.
The Entry-Level ADV Segment Is Hotter Than Ever
Things have been heating up at this end of the market, but no bike caused more of a buzz than the CFMoto Ibex 450. It offered everything other bigger middleweight bikes were offering in a lighter, more off-road capable package. It is not without its flaws – least of which is the fact that it is made in China – but the overall package is impossible to ignore. KTM also came out swinging earlier this year with a pair of well-priced 390 Adventures. Unfortunately, a recent price increase means the Adventure R is now a little pricey, and while the Adventure X is still affordable, it is a little more street oriented, and not necessarily a direct competitor. A slightly cheaper alternative comes in the form of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. Even though it isn’t as refined as the other bikes, it is plenty capable and is well worth considering.
The KLE500 Has A Proven Parallel-Twin Engine
Power: 51 Horsepower*
One particularly interesting point of difference will be power output. All its rivals in this space – including Honda’s NX500 – are making 40-ish horsepower, and the KLE500 will in all likelihood be making 51 horsepower. We need to stress that we can’t confirm this at the time of writing, but we sincerely doubt Kawasaki will find a reason to change the tune of the powertrain. It can currently be found in three other bikes, and all of them have 51 horsepower.
This is actually an ideal platform for an ADV, and it is pretty hard to believe that Kawasaki took this long to get it into production. The 451cc engine has been around for quite some time now and, like most multi-platform motorcycle engines, it is extremely versatile with a nice linear torque curve. This is ideal for off-road use where consistent torque delivery is far more important than overall horsepower. The only issue is the fact that Kawasaki clearly had issues with packaging here, and the ground clearance doesn’t look too good.
Kawasaki 451cc Engine Specifications
|
Engine Type |
Parallel-Twin, liquid-cooled |
|
Displacement |
451cc |
|
Max Power |
51 HP |
|
Transmission |
6-speed |
The KLE500 Will Make You Think Twice About Buying A Middleweight
MSRP: $6599 – $7,499
Back in the 00s, the previous version of the KLE500 bid us adieu and was effectively replaced with the now ubiquitous Versys 650. At the time, this was indicative of consumers shifting away from raw dual-purpose bikes like the old KLE to bigger, more refined motorcycles. Adventure bikes were only just catching on and all the way from the back end of the 00s right up until 2019, they kept getting bigger, heavier, and less off-road capable. We call out the year 2019 specifically because that is precisely when the Yamaha Tenere 700 came out and almost single-handedly reshaped the adventure bike market.
All of a sudden, middleweight bikes were in, and big bore adventure tourers were out. But, consumers quickly realized the limitations of these middleweight bikes. A middleweight is still a relatively expensive motorcycle, and is in no way beginner-friendly. New adventure riders needed something affordable, approachable, and off-road capable. Other manufacturers have answered the call, but all fall short in one or two key areas.
The KLE Has The Potential To Be The Best Off-Road ADV Out There
We have not seen the KLE500 in the flesh yet, but Kawasaki has a reputation for building high-quality bikes with high levels of fit and finish, and this might well be the best entry-level ADV to come out in recent memory. No official specifications have been released just yet, but the one thing that stands out right away is its steel trellis chassis. This will immediately give it an edge over the more budget-minded alternatives, both on and off-road. The suspension looks to pretty much be on par with the rest of the bikes in this space, but it is rather obviously limited in terms of ground clearance thanks, in part, to the choice of engine.
Both the standard version – which is priced aggressively – and the SE version will come with switchable ABS and an adjustable windshield. The SE version will also get a few nice-to-have features, including hand guards, a TFT dash, and a slightly taller adjustable windshield. In terms of design, it hits all the right notes as far as we are concerned, and looks particularly good in Pearl Blizzard White.
KLE500 ABS Features ($6,599)
- LCD dash with smartphone connectivity
- Adjustable windshield
- 4.2 gallon tank
KLE500 SE ABS Features ($7,499)
- TFT dash with smartphone connectivity
- Hand guards
- Skid plate