Sadly, all upgrades becomes heavier and heavier.
Sad for us customers, better bottom line for the owners.

My CRF250L is my all to go bike rather than my CRF1000L DCT..

The new KLR 650 2022 model was shown at the Bangkok Motor Show in March.
I must admit I like the look of it and might have to be going for a close up in Khon Kaen when I am next home.

https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-mot...hailand.15646/

https://adventuremotorcycle.com/news...ki-details-new

https://www.kawasaki.co.th/motorcycle/klr650

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I have been in touch with the Kawasaki Dealer in Khon Kaen, Thailand and they have it in stock. I will be hopefully going for a look when I get home in Nov
I asked them to send me some photos











I quite like it!

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The Balkans
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And the reviews are positive too - it's what people REALLY wanted, and made sense for Kawasaki.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Several nice upgrades on the 2022 model.


I'm still plodding along on the 2009 Happy Trails Project Bike (see photo), now at 73,000 miles. At 100,000 miles I may step off and onto the upgraded 2022 or newer model.


Currently using the '09 on the "LOOKING FOR AMERICA AND $29.95 MOTELS" leg of The Great Around The World Motorcycle Adventure Rally.




Sun Chaser or 'Dr.G' as Professor of Motorcycle Adventures -SOUND RIDER magazine. Professional Motorcycle Adventurer/Indian Motorcycle Racer/journalist/author/global economist/professor/World's # 1 Motorcycle Adventure Sleeper & Wastrel

Attached Thumbnails

 

Massively disappointed at its' 211kgs and 223kgs for the adv model, for me it's an epic fail.

Yes, it seems a very similar size, shape, style to my old XT600E which I sold in the UK, and really enjoyed, as it was not cost effective to ship it to Thailand and import it.

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I'm on the other side of this fence. I think six gears on low powered bikes makes a HUGE difference. The popularity of the 250/300 Hondas and 310 BMW's are largely based that you can potter about on trails and still travel home at motorway speeds. Because those 6th gears are mostly cruising gears with very little pull.

My DRZ400s or Honda 650's makes almost double the power and torque of a CRF250L but I can't cruise at 70mph due to the five speed boxes.

Six speed trail bikes have been the dream of everyone I've ever met who's had to sit on long boring roads on trail bikes for prolonged periods.

I still have back ache from riding my XT600E down the RTA 3 in Argentina at 60mph for five days. With trucks up my arse because I was just 10mph too slow.

I've also never known a six speed gearbox to be less reliable than a five if correctly built and designed correctly. But I've seen plenty of poorly engines that have been ragged to death by people wanting to keep up with highway traffic with their five speeds.

I've KILL for a six speed gearbox on all of my older ADV bikes. Even my XRV750.

The reason the KLR doesn't have a six speed is because Kawasaki didn't want to spend any money developing one. It's still using the old lump.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Im not a mechanic as Ted is but isnt the spread between gears (wide ratio - or whatever its called in english) more important than the actual number og gears?

On the Crf250 which has 6 gears the difference/distance between the gears are on the limit to ridiciolus. I often skip a gear both going up and of course going down. Just as an example….

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

"Wide ratio" boxes have low first and high top gear, and "Close Ratio" gearboxes have "higher" firsts and "lower" top gear if that makes sense. Close ratio boxes are great for racing, street / general purpose bikes tend to have wider ratio boxes.

On my R80G/S I put in "wide ratio" first and fifth gears and it made a significant difference to a box that was designed for STREET use, not on and off-road.

I also have a DRZ400E, originally designed as a "race bike" but quickly relegated to "dual sport" when the competition came out with much better race bikes. It is a close ratio box, and supremely annoying, as there is no setup of sprockets that work WELL for on and off-road. There is a gear set available for it to make it a wide ratio box, and is on my to buy list for the winter. US$650-ish.

I also have a Hercules GS175 Six Days bike with a SEVEN speed gearbox. It's soooo nice for that purpose, excellent down low and runs out of puff about the same time as it runs out of gearing, around 80+mph.

I agree with Ted, a six speed would be wonderful on any "world tour / adventure" bike, BUT understand why Kawasaki didn't do it. Fortunately there are alternatives, which is a significant part of why Kawasaki took the route they did - they've filled a hole, largely defined by price, that no one else occupies. Better to own a niche than compete fiercely!

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Another factor is the power / torque characteristics of the engine, and its ability or inability to hold those gears.

My GS could get by with an old ‘three on the tree’ box LOL.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yup....

It really is very specific to which bike. And which engine. And which purpose etc etc. Much more engineering and science than any of us on here have the time to discuss correctly. I'm a mechanic, but not a engine designer. I don't have enough letters after my name for that "Hard maths"

But in a nutshell more gears give you more ability to get the most of of the power and torque you have.

The more gears you have, the better your gearbox needs to be in terms of build quality which then equals more cost. And it adds a layer of complexity to an engine as 'Where does this extra bit of gearbox go".

I genuinely believe that the KLR has a five speed box because they didn't want to spend the time developing a new engine for what is a niche bike. (as Grant correctly describes it) When they originally designed the KLR, no one had a six speed box. They didn't have to do it. And it makes no sense to do it to this one.

I personally think the KLR is out of date and has just been marginally upgraded for emissions. It's a bike that would NEVER be developed or produced if it didn't already have a huge following in the worlds biggest market.

Kawasaki have a reputation of selling bikes for WAY longer than anyone else would have (KLE500 anyone). The motorcycle arm in Kawasaki is TINY compared to what they really do in the world. I work for a Kawasaki main dealer now. The bikes are very good. Great build quality and they do what they need to. But they are SO SLOW with development and keeping with the times. That's always their biggest criticism. But they're relatively cheap for excellent quality bikes.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Hi Ted

It reminds me of how people used to complain about Series I and II landrovers breaking axles. Back when I was on the tools the workers on site would routinely break them.

LR could have made them stronger, but they were the perfect ‘fuse’ to save diffs/gearbox’s/clutches ….