Is The Kawasaki KLR 650 A Good Highway Bike, And How Fast Can It Go?

The answer to whether or not the Kawasaki KLR 650 is a good highway bike is as subjective as asking if a Jeep Wrangler is good for road trips. The answer ultimately depends on your ability to relinquish some of the comfort found with models designed primarily for highway use. The Kawasaki KLR 650 is one of the best dual-sport motorcycles on the market, but its dual-sport design requires some compromises. 

The main motorcycle types for the best highway riding include cruisers and sportbikes, along with touring versions of each. The dual-sport Kawasaki KLR 650 blends highway riding capability with the off-road prowess found in Kawasaki KLX motorcycles. As such, the KLR 650 isn't the best motorcycle for long-distance highway riding or the best option if winning motocross races is your goal. However, it wasn't designed for either of those missions.

I've ridden numerous motorcycles, ranging from sportbikes to cruisers, and motocross to sports-touring models, over my 50-plus years as a motorcyclist. From that experience, I can assure you they all have limitations, but finding those limits is part of the joy of riding.

With a top speed approaching 90 mph, the Kawasaki KLR 650 is one of the fastest street-legal dirt bikes you can get. At that speed it's fast enough to earn a speeding ticket on any highway in the United States, although you may still get passed by more enthusiastic motorists.

Achieving top speed is one thing, but maintaining 90 mph on a KLR 650 isn't particularly comfortable. The most limiting factor is the high engine rpm required at top speed. The 652cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine that powers the 2023 KLR 650 provides 36.9 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 35.4 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm, according to Cycle World's Dynojet 250i dynamometer. The close-ratio five-speed gearbox designed to maintain optimal engine rpm results in some engine vibration at highway speeds.

My experience on a KLR 650 confirms opinions shared via online video reviews. At 65 to 70 mph — the maximum speed limit on nearby highways — the Kawasaki KLR 650 is capable of going faster if needed and is stable in all but the windiest conditions.

If you could pick any motorcycle to take on a long road trip, it's unlikely the Kawasaki KLR 650 would be anyone's first choice. We've already covered the limitations presented by KLR's single-cylinder engine and five-speed transmission, but Kawasaki's biggest dual sport has some redeeming on-highway qualities to go along with its off-road capabilities.

The Kawasaki KLR 650 offers a comfortable, upright riding position, and its plush, long-travel suspension soaks up the bumps created by expansion joints and frost heaving. Where it really shines is when your adventure leaves the pavement. Like the Jeep Wrangler we mentioned before, nobody rides a KLR 650 for its road manners, they ride it for the style and its off-road prowess.

If you're interested in exploring unpaved forest or desert roads and can justify multiple motorcycles, the KLR 650 will be a welcomed addition. At the same time, if you can only afford one bike but most often spend little time at highway speeds with your trips going past the end of the paved road, the Kawasaki KLR 650 could serve you well.