Kle 500 Should I???

[belltj]

hi there im thomas and im new to this! i ride a varadero 125!


rite basically im 19 bout to do my test in a month and looking for my bike!
take all into consideration
1. im 6ft 1
2. intend to travel europe next summer for 3-4 weeks
3. will be goin possible 5-6 trips to and from northern ireland and mainland each year
4. bike may sit in garage for long spells i.e not ridden!

rite got that rant out of the way!
now problems i hear bout the KLE!
1. rust on frame and exhaust
2. slow
3. accessories hard to find!

i personally like the look and idea of the kle 500 but can anyone advise me!
cheers

[Luuk]

rust: some on the exhaust, espacialy where it joins the silencer. but as far as i can see none on the frame.

Slow: allroads bikes are never very fast. there just not made to be.

accesorries hard to find: true, but you'll be amazed by what you can make yourself, adapt from other bikes or by what you simply don't need.

The KLE is a rugged, cheap, easy to maintain yourself allroad. and i thinks its a ideal first bike. you'll probably love it.

[nwil]

Thomas, As all KLE owners will tell you - for the price and running costs it is a good machine, bargain even. The finish may not be quiet up to the standards of some of the others it will still take abuse and last.
With your size you should have no issues with the height of the bike/saddle.
If you look though the KLE posts you will see that screen, pannier racks, centre stands, crash bars, luggage etc is all available. Maybe with the KLE you do not have the range of accessory suppliers but there is still plenty of add-ons around.
Owners ride their bikes with pillion, and equipment over distances.
The known complaints centre around the seat, brakes, screen and for some a lack of power.
My bike will cruise happily at 80mph, even with passenger and others tell that the bike will get close to 100mph if worked hard.
Check through the posts to find out more about the bike.
Do not think you will be unhappy if you buy.
If buying new then get in quick before the last of the bikes disappear from dealers.

N

[belltj]

oh i sounds the bizz! well as you say about the rust on the exhaust i will be replacing the standard can with a aftermarket one jus for the crack!

so yea KLE's nearly gone off the shelf very hard to find a decent one in northern ireland i.e 2007 model orange low miles cheap like hens teeth!

yes well i intend to do touring next year and back and forth to england so sound great workhorse!
centrestand i think would definatly need to be purchased!
yes been looking at other kle's on the site and forum some tasty add-on's like that tall screen very nice!
do you no about aftermarket exhausts???

[Keater]

I've only had mine for a couple of months, last of the 2007 model. I ride it daily to work and has plenty of power for around town, get off the lights etc. They're no sports bike put easily do the speed limit and more. I just did a day trip today on dirt and open country roads and was happy with it! Wound it up to 160Ks on one stetch of road so they're not that slow. They are a bit soft on suspension on the rough stuff but find it's limits and you'll love it for what it is!

[pottsy]

For road touring/gravel they'd be fine, but as a young fella (no offence intended) you'd probably have to put up with a bit of ribbing from your mates - i mean it's no ktm! (i'm 41 so that wouldn't bother me, but i remember being your age and image is important). And if you don't get on with it you'll be taking a bit of a hit selling it on. But for getting you to Europe on a budget, ideal...

[belltj]

here! cheap way is the way forward! ino what you meana bout image blahhhhh but when it comes to bikes image is dam all! i want a bike that will do what i want it to do! before the kle i wanted a cb400sf! that idea was sacked due to the lack of touring i could do! i want to pull up to lights with my big crash bars, steel panniers big bash plate extra lights not this carbon fibre tight leathers fart in a bottle type game! i want a bike for what i can do! i want a big chunk of a bike!

there we go rant over!

[maxwell123455]

Well boss

So im the other guy that is going to europe and told him to take a look into the horizons unlimited forum to see how the kle is and from what i read the kle is not a bad bike.

I will be travelling on a Yamaha XT660 so the bikes are near the same for the europe trip, just wanting to see if any people know more about the finish and exhausts.

The finish. Ive read a few things about the finish of the link pipe and silecner both rusting quiet alot but does any one know how it can be put right. Is there any paint or covering that works best.

Exhaust. Ive just bought some nice cans for me XT so its also made bell there want some too but we neither could find that many, and the ones we did find where expensive

[Joe C90]

As I have said before,
the KLE500 last model is not as well made as some others, eg BMW, xt etc.
It is a tad slower, bit soft round the edges etc.

BUT, It is the best valuefor money bike ever, a 1/3 of the price of the competitors, reliable, 55mpg at main road speeds. It will sit quite happily at 70+mph. servicing on the old GPZ motor will be cheap, locknut valves etc.
The seat is regularily slated, but I have put a few hours on mine without any sore arse issues.

The only fault I have spotted with mine is the clanky gearbox, not as nice as my 10 year old zrx1100.

It is horses for courses, I wouldn't want to do the paris-dakar on it, or around the world with a pillion and luggage, but solo, for roads and trails, fine!

[Goblin]

With my four years of experience on the KLE, I never ever worried about any rust or lack of accessories at all, if that remains the only question in mind. And it ain't 'slow' either. Obviously KLE won't hold up against an R1 but it will still blow your tongue away at 120mph in case you badly need some fresh air.

I agree that you can create miracles with home-made accessories if you are not an 'off-the-shelf' addict. The rear and front panniers I bought at the local market are simple gym bags and cost me only 20€. Actually thank god there are no accessories or I would probably be relieved of some 400€ to do same job. I am now working on a few ideas to reduce the wind blast at the helmet. Probably next week I can post the pics of the results. Notice the huge screen, another home-modified item.

Oh btw, just make sure you don't install enduro 3 tires on either bike. They are extremely noisy on tarmac.

[Smack76]

HI guys, i m from singapore and i have just got a new KLE500...its a very nice bike.......Only thing is that not many are riding it in singapore.

[maxwell123455]

Goblin

Those are a few nice photos.

Sounds like the KLE is the bike. I was looking at getting one but got a 250 instead to get me started so then the kle went by the way side. Thats why i know quiet alot about them.

[belltj]

goblin,
im loving ur style with those panniers well done jobs a gun un! any pics close up! i am very interrested! haha!

[Micki]

Hi there, yes the bike can everything but is really good in nothing. I've been driving the KLE for 3 years now.
For accessories there is not too much, for example touratech told us, that we are not enough KLE 500driver that they would start a whole section for this bike. But there are alot of things you can create also on your own.
The only big minus which is difficult and many people are complaining about is the small tank. So if you know a good welder you could try to design it on your own, spare parts are pretty common on ebay...
But one thing is clear: this is the cheapest bike by far that has a 500cc and is so undestroyable!
One more thing: Try to buy one that is not older than from 1996. They had some problems with the cam chain tensioner (if this is the word).
I would say (it is just my opinion): get one that is also not too new, for example a 2000-2002 and spend the money that you saved on spare parts that will make the KLE very good: better breaks, better springs, central stand and a comfortable seat.

Cheers

[Smack76]

Originally Posted by Micki

Hi there, yes the bike can everything but is really good in nothing. I've been driving the KLE for 3 years now.
For accessories there is not too much, for example touratech told us, that we are not enough KLE 500driver that they would start a whole section for this bike. But there are alot of things you can create also on your own.
The only big minus which is difficult and many people are complaining about is the small tank. So if you know a good welder you could try to design it on your own, spare parts are pretty common on ebay...
But one thing is clear: this is the cheapest bike by far that has a 500cc and is so undestroyable!
One more thing: Try to buy one that is not older than from 1996. They had some problems with the cam chain tensioner (if this is the word).
I would say (it is just my opinion): get one that is also not too new, for example a 2000-2002 and spend the money that you saved on spare parts that will make the KLE very good: better breaks, better springs, central stand and a comfortable seat.

Cheers

Hi there, any websites which i could view the aftermarket parts for the kle500?