The Kawasaki KLE500 is a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

produced by Kawasaki that is powered by a parallel-twin engine. As a dual-sport motorcycle, it can be used both on roads and in light

off-road Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...

conditions. The KLE500 was introduced in 1991.

Description

The KLE500 has a sump guard which protects the oil pan during off-road use. Aerodynamic protection relies on a small windshield and depending on the height of the rider, the head and upper torso are exposed to the wind. The situation can be improved considerably with the use of windshield accessories, available as an accessory for the original Kawasaki model but also for other brands for the latest series, thanks to the interchangeability of parts with the widespread Z1000. The seat is wide enough to accommodate the driver and passenger. The bike is equipped with a large rear rack. The instrumentation includes

speedometer A speedometer or speed meter is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment f ...

odometer An odometer or odograph is an instrument used for measuring the distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or car. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two (electromechanical). The noun derives from ancient Gr ...

tachometer A tachometer (revolution-counter, tach, rev-counter, RPM gauge) is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute (RPM) on a calibrated anal ...

, indicators for the

turn signals The lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted to or integrated into the front, rear, sides, and in some cases the top of a motor vehicle. They illuminate the road ahead for the driver and increase th ...

and high beam. Does not have the a light indicating the use of the

fuel reserve {{Unreferenced, date=December 2007 In motorcycles and cars, the ''fuel reserve'' setting indicates that the level of fuel in the tank is low. In cars and most modern motorcycles this quantity (the reserve) is automatically available. Older motorcycl ...

. For this, one can use the fuel valve manually operated to allow passage to the "reserve" position. From the model year 2003 onwards, for all motorcycles, the low beam cannot be turned off by a switch on the handlebar and thus remain always on.

2005

The changes in the 2005 model year stem from the need to update the KLE's anti-pollution system to the

Euro 2 The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a seri ...

standard. Previous model characteristics were within the

Euro 1 The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a seri ...

guidelines. Given the need to renew the model, Kawasaki included a facelift that rejuvenated the line. In particular, it redesigned the windshield making it similar to that of Z1000 and Z750, using the same glass unit. They also changed the turn signals and the instrument panel. The earlier fairing of the

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...

was removed.

External links

Kawasaki Owners Club Forum
{{Modern Kawasaki motorcycles KLE500 Dual-sport motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1991 Motorcycles powered by straight-twin engines