Never get this fixation with 6 gears as if more must be better, like 5-bladed razors.
On a peaky or performance machine – road or dirt – it might make sense.
On a torquey, low-revving 'Himalayan-like' plonker, not needed.

I've owned or ridden 6-speed bikes and can't ever recall thinking: 'gee, these 6 gears are just great' or 'darn, I wish I had another gear'.

I admit an extra gear ought to mean 1st could be lower for easier control and less clutch slipping on a rocky climb – a common failing on all travel bikes which tick-over at 6-8mph in 1st.
Can't say I noticed on my 6-speeders but anyway, how much of that can you sustain on a 200+ kilo machine?
If you have days of such terrain ahead, fit a smaller front sprocket.

Plus I've been told 5 gears are marginally wider and therefore more durable than six. Sounds plausible.

It may look little changed, but whether they meant to or not, I agree Kawa did the right thing.
Few of us have become better off over the last year.
In North America, the KLR will carry on where it left off.
As said, let's see the DR-Z, DR-S and XR-L follow suit (and bring them all over here).

My KLR PoV:
https://adventure-motorcycling.com/2...e-2021-klr650/

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

I must say I prefer the 5 speed box on a GS1100 to any of the 6 speed 1150s I tried

I do some work for a Kawasaki dealer quite often.

I was there yesterday as they had all their new prices and stock lists for this year from Kawasaki.

No KLR650 is mentioned or listed. So anyone in the U.K. shouldn't get their hopes up for Kawasaki's brand new 2005 KLR

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

Great that the KLR is available again. Surely a candidate for the greatest travel bike ever due to its longevity if not its many other attributes?

Shame they're unlikely to be available round these parts.

sent an email to kawasaki asking if this new model would be available in Europe. the answer was " NO " for the same reason as the previous version.

Rumours abound of a new Transalp, much more interesting (to me) than a new KLR.
Just saying

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.

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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!

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
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