Is Kawasaki Releasing A New KLE Motorcycle? Here's What We Know
Kawasaki teased a new KLE motorcycle offering but hasn't announced its arrival for 2025 at the 110th anniversary of the EICMA or Esposizione Internazionale del Ciclo, Motociclo, Accessori (International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition). The EICMA event took place over four days (Thursday – Sunday) from November 7 through November 10, 2024, to the public, but opened its doors to the press as early as November 5 in Milan, Italy.
Kawasaki isn't currently releasing any details about the newest KLE other than "KLE est. 1991" spelled out on the side of the stylized crate from which the test-vehicle-camo-covered adventure bike and its rider are escaping. Above that is a tagline reading, "Life's a Rally. Ride it." An image depicting an arid landscape occupies one side of the crate, while the other side holds an image of a paved road traversing a grassy green meadow as it disappears into a copse of evergreens.
Industry sources agree that the new Kawasaki KLE is slated to debut for the 2026 model year. However, other than the release date, Kawasaki is keeping all the details concerning the KLE shown in the crate a secret until further notice.
What we can tell about the new Kawasaki KLE from the glimpse we saw
Analysis of the bits of motorcycle bursting outside the crate reveals an aggressive dual-sport-style front tire mounted on a 21-inch wire-spoke rim. The single-disc front brake pairs with a dual-piston Nissin caliper mounted on the left side of the inverted long-travel forks. In addition, the visible ABS speed sensor ring surrounding the front axle indicates the presence of an antilock braking system.
The camo-clad off-road-ready shrouds on the display bike will do little to protect the exposed radiator. However, there appears to be some protection provided down low for parts of the engine and the dual-exhaust pipes. The radiator and dual exhaust indicate the presence of one of Kawasaki's liquid-cooled parallel-twin four-stroke engines. The direction of the pipe routing would suggest it's the 451cc engine found on the 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator, Ninja 500, Z500, and Z7, as well as Ninja 7 Hybrid motorcycles.
After being told that the display was more than just a prop and actually contained the entire KLE inside, Chris Northover, from Bike World, poked his head inside for a sneak peek on YouTube. He describes what he saw as a "rally tower front end" and ergonomics suitable for a rally-style motorcycle.
Will the new Kawasaki KLE be different from the last one?
From what we can tell the new Kawasaki KLE will be different from the older KLE500, although it could keep the same name. For the new KLE, different will be a good thing since the older version, produced inconsistently from 1991 to 2007, was not well-liked by the folks at Motorcycle News. The 1991 – 2007 Kawasaki KLE500 was powered by a larger 498cc parallel-twin with 47 horsepower and 32 lb-ft of torque.
The newer KLE two-cylinder should produce roughly the same power in a smaller package. While the 451cc twin engine in the Z500 has 51 horsepower and 31.7 lb-ft of torque, it'll likely receive different tuning to provide better off-road characteristics. The 2007 Kawasaki KLE500 weighed 430 pounds in ready-to-ride condition. We'd expect the new KLE to land somewhere between the 368-pound Kawasaki Z500 and the 388-pound Eliminator.
Suffice it to say, we'll keep our ears open for updates from Kawasaki. Perhaps Kawasaki will reveal more details of the new KLE next month at the International Motorcycle Fair (INTERMOT) in Cologne, Germany.