Riding Impression
RIDING IMPRESSION
KAWASAKI KRL650: THE DUAL-PURPOSE CONSEPT, 19 YEARS LATER
IN ITS DAY, YAMAHA’S DTI WAS CALLED LOTS OF NAMES, most of which were well-earned. But perhaps the DTl’s least-deserved name was “Enduro.” Even though the DT1 was not much of a true enduro bike, that was the tough-guy image Yamaha wanted to give the dual-purpose machine when it was introduced.
That very same kind of image marketing still goes on today, as evidenced by Kawasaki’s new KLR650 on-/ off-road bike. Like the DTI, the KLR sports a competition-oriented image. But also like the DTI, its true talents lie elsewhere.
The KLR look comes straight from the deserts of North Africa. From its massive fuel tank to its rear storage rack, the KLR has the distinctive appearance of a Paris-To-Dakar rally bike. Of course, the motorcycles that really compete in that rally are specialized, handbuilt racers, usually powered by either singleor twincylinder four-stroke engines and fitted with a small fortune in exotic hardware. A stock KLR650, on the other hand, is no more ready for the Paris-to-Dakar than a stock DT 1 was ready for the ISDT.
Still, the Kawasaki is well-suited to the stateside, dual-purpose tasks for which it was built. The KLR a nicely shaped, 6.1-gallon gas tank that carries much of its contents fairly low on the bike’s full-cradle, steel frame. There’s a bright, halogen headlight for spotting any lions that might wander onto suburban roads at night. An aluminum rack provides a place to strap extra gas or emergency supplies from the local 7-11. There are 9 inches of suspension travel front and rear to help cushion the blows of road or trail imperfections, and dual-purpose tires—a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear—offer reasonable traction on a variety of surfaces. A big, liquid-cooled, four-stroke Single that displaces 652cc helps the KLR churn mightily over those sand hills and down those twisting back roads.
Starting this monster motor (with a 100mm bore and an 83mm stroke) is no problem, either; an electric starter spins the engine to life at the touch of a button. Once the 650 is running, its dual, chain-driven counterbalancers smooth the engine’s titanic quaking to a barely noticeable quiver. Engine power is quite good, a big improvement over the KLR600 (which actually had only a 562cc engine) that the 650 has replaced. And although the KLR’s five-speed transmission has a gear to cope with any reasonable speed or condition a dualpurpose bike might reasonably encounter, the shifting action from first to second is rather notchy.
Stopping this 375-pound (when tuil of gas) r-toreplica is no problem when the bike is ridden in a gentlemanly fashion; but when dodging elephants and zebras while trying to catch that competitor ahead of you, the rather small front disc, which utilizes a single-piston caliper, starts to get mushy and fades. The rear disc has a better feel and stops well until pushed hard, and then it too, fades badly.
Even if you don’t plan on spending long days in the saddle across Africa, you’ll appreciate the KLR’s comfort. The seat is long and wide, the frame-mounted mini-fairing helps reduce wind blast, and the KYB suspension has excellent damping and spring rates; both the fork and the single rear shock are smooth and comfortable and seldom bottom. The KLR even has good stability in a straight line.
Dirt corners, however, are best taken slowly, with a steady throttle setting; the 650 usually slides its front tire first. This characteristic is not evident in paved turns, and the Kawasaki turns into pure fun on a twisty mountain road. For that matter, it’s fun just about everywhere you might want to go, on or off the road—with one possible exception. You probably should stay away from races in Northern African deserts. Unless, of course, you’re the kind of rider who can win enduros on a DT1.
Ron Griewe
