Kawasaki revives the KLE name with a dirt-focused adventure bike teaser, likely the new KLE500. With a 451cc twin and rally styling, the full reveal is expected at EICMA 2025.
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Kawasaki just dropped a teaser, and it’s the clearest sign yet that the KLE name is back. After months of speculation, the short clip shows a prototype blasting across dirt and gravel: no highways, no city shots, just pure off-road grit. If you were waiting for Kawasaki to deliver a lightweight adventure bike with real trail chops, this might be it.
A Throwback With Teeth
The KLE500 first appeared in 1991 as a tough, go-anywhere twin that later gave birth to the Versys 650. But this new teaser makes one thing obvious: Kawasaki doesn’t want the new KLE mistaken for another commuter-friendly Versys. Instead, it’s positioning the KLE as a more dirt-oriented adventure bike, something you’d ride through sand and rock rather than just down the interstate.
What We Can Spot
The teaser hides more than it shows, but a few things stand out:
- 21-inch wire-spoke front wheel and slim telescopic fork — classic off-road geometry.
- White, green, and grey livery with a splash of Kawasaki lime.
- A peek at a green-painted frame and a tidy exhaust tucked high at the rear.
- Street-legal touches like reflectors, but otherwise, it’s all business.
And the engine? While Kawasaki hasn’t confirmed anything, the smart money is on the 451cc parallel twin used in the new Ninja 500 and Eliminator. That would make the bike a KLE500 in both spirit and name: middleweight power, manageable weight, and plenty of character for dual-sport riding.
Why It Matters
Adventure bikes are booming, but many have gotten huge and heavy. A leaner, rally-flavoured KLE could give riders an accessible, do-it-all machine that’s just as happy crawling through trails as it is cruising home. By reviving the KLE badge instead of slapping on the Versys name, Kawasaki seems to be signaling: this is for riders who want dirt first, pavement second.
All Eyes on EICMA
Kawasaki loves a big reveal, and with the first KLE teaser debuting at last year’s Milan show, it’s a safe bet the full production bike will finally roll out at EICMA this November.
Until then, we’ll be replaying the teaser and dreaming of a green-framed middleweight adventure machine tearing across the desert.
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