Kawasaki has already revived the KLE name in the global markets with its new KLE500 in 2026, but a few days ago, Australian type-approval listings were spotted, suggesting a larger motorcycle. Now, a new teaser video from Kawasaki UK seems to show a new upcoming adventure bike, which we believe to be the new KLE650.
- Gets a green tubular trellis frame like the one on the KLE500
- Features dual front discs and a different engine casing from the KLE 500
- Its crash bars appear identical to the ones on the KLE500
Upcoming Kawasaki KLE650 details
Twin front disc brakes hint at a bigger engine
As the teaser offered only glimpses, here is what we could make out from it. Firstly, let's start with the chassis, the bike shown in the video uses a tubular trellis frame finished in Kawasaki’s signature metallic green colour, like on the KLE500. Another thing we can see, is likely a new engine, the right-side clutch cover is distinctly different from the KLE500’s and the gap between the frame and the engine is far less on the bike in the video.
The next hint that is clearly visible is the crash bars, indicators, and auxiliary lights. In which the crash bar seemingly is identical to the ones found on the KLE500. Lastly, we can see a dual-disc brake setup at the front, unlike the single disc offered on the KLE500. All of which suggests the upcoming bike that will likely have more performance and equipment than the existing KLE500.
Kawasaki’s venerable 649cc, twin-cylinder engine powers just about every form factor of motorcycle from a low-slung cruiser to a tall road-biased tourer and even a neo-retro machine. What has been lacking all these years is a properly off-road capable machine and given Kawasaki’s renewed focus on that genre with the recently updated KLX300 range and KLE500 SmartRide SE, it stands to reason that now Kawasaki is shifting its attention to a larger segment. Stay tuned for more developments on this story.
Vishal Venugopal
Stephen Raj Antony
Dinshaw Magol
