Kawasaki has maintained a relatively low profile this show season, with updates to models like the Z900 and Versys 1100 being the main highlights. However, at EICMA, Kawasaki unveiled something unexpected that strongly suggests a new Kawasaki Adventure Bike is on the horizon.
The display featured the cryptic message that the bike is a new KLE, accompanied by the tagline “Life’s a Rally. Ride it.” This immediately sparked interest, especially among those familiar with the KLE series. For context, the KLE lineup was a range of street-oriented adventure bikes popular in Europe from 1991 to 2007. While North America received the KLR650, Europe enjoyed the KLE500, which shared its engine with the Ninja 500. When Kawasaki transitioned from the 500 twin-cylinder engine to the 650, the Versys 650 took over the street-biased adventure bike role.
Since then, the Versys 650 has been Kawasaki’s offering in the street adventure segment, and the Versys-X 300 later joined as a smaller displacement option. Based on the Ninja 300 engine, the Versys-X 300 created demand for a Versys-X 400 when the Ninja 400 engine became available. Despite considerable customer interest and speculation, a Versys-X 400 never materialized.
Kawasaki KLE adventure bike concept shown at EICMA 2023, hinting at a new model.
Now, it appears Kawasaki is responding to the call for a mid-sized kawasaki adventure bike, but perhaps not as a Versys-X 400. Instead, the EICMA reveal suggests a KLE model powered by a 500cc engine – likely the same engine found in the new Ninja 500. Kawasaki’s presentation even incorporated an “est. 1991” detail on the display box, directly referencing the historical KLE series launch.
Closer inspection of the showcased bike indicates a design leaning towards more off-road capability than the original KLE models. The presence of dual exhaust headers clearly points to the 500-class parallel-twin engine, which in its current iteration displaces 451cc. This engine is already in production and utilized in Kawasaki models sold globally. This strategic engine sharing makes the development and production of a new KLE500 a potentially straightforward process for Kawasaki, leveraging existing engine technology and decades of chassis engineering expertise.
Close-up of the Kawasaki KLE prototype at EICMA, revealing dual exhaust headers and off-road focused design elements.
Given these factors, industry observers anticipate a production-ready version of this new kawasaki adventure bike, the KLE 500, to be officially unveiled in the coming months. This revival of the KLE series could mark an exciting new chapter for Kawasaki in the adventure motorcycle market.
