Kawasaki has unveiled the new KLE500, marking the return of a nameplate last seen in 2007. First teased at EICMA 2024, the adventure bike has now debuted in the US and is available in two variants – Standard and SE.
- KLE500 uses the 451cc parallel-twin from the Ninja 500
- Gets 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels
- Features rally-inspired styling, tall seat, low ground clearance
2026 Kawasaki KLE500 details
Kawasaki has not yet disclosed the peak output or kerb weight figures for the KLE500.
Powering the KLE500 is the same 451cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine seen on the Ninja 500 and Eliminator 500. While the company hasn’t confirmed peak output figures, they will likely be similar to the Ninja’s 45.4hp and 42.6Nm. That said, Kawasaki has equipped the KLE with larger front and rear sprockets, similar to those on the Versys 650.
In terms of design, the KLE500 features rally-inspired styling, with a compact headlight, a tall windscreen and a slim fuel tank. It’s built around a steel trellis frame weighing just under 19kg. Suspension duties are handled by a non-adjustable 43mm KYB USD fork with 210mm of travel, while the rear gets a preload-adjustable monoshock offering 200mm of travel.
Kawasaki has mentioned that the seat height stands at a fairly tall 860mm, while ground clearance is a relatively low 172mm. For comparison, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 offers 230mm of ground clearance. Both bikes share a similar 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel setup.
The KLE500’s standard variant is equipped with an LCD instrument console, while the SE version gets a 4.3-inch TFT display. The SE also adds a taller windscreen, knuckle guards, a larger skid plate and full LED lighting.
In the US, the base KLE500 is priced at USD 6,599 (Rs 5.80 lakh), while the higher-spec SE variant costs USD 7,499 (Rs 6.58 lakh). For comparison, the Ninja 500 retails at USD 5,799 (Rs 5.09 lakh) in the US and is priced at Rs 5.66 lakh in India as a CKD import. Based on this, if Kawasaki brings the KLE500 to India via the same route, its ex-showroom price could be around Rs 6.50 lakh. The KLE500 is expected to make its way here sometime in 2026.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
