2024 Kawasaki KLR650 S Review | Motorcycle Test

2024 Kawasaki KLR650 S Motorcycle Review

Test by Kris Hodgson. Images Linda Read

The Kawasaki KLR650 received an update a few years ago which had the Internet in a furore. Kawasaki did the unthinkable and rolled out the minimum of updates to modernise the bike, including ABS, LED headlight and EFI, while the bike put on 20 kg. No, it wasn’t $20K, it put on 20 kilograms.

Rather than a ‘new’ adventure bike, we got almost the same old KLR from the ‘80s, with a price tag of just $11K ride-away. There was no chasing the flavour of the month adventure trend, just the modern version of a bike that’s been so successful for so long. Which, in a way, makes a lot of sense.

Now we’ve got the KLR650 S, where that S clearly stands for ‘Short’, or maybe ‘Small’…

The KLR650 S offers a factory-lowered version of the popular adventure bike, dropping the 870 mm seat height down to a very manageable 815 mm, with suspension travel sacrificed to reach that height, alongside a number of other minor tweaks.

Keep in mind the KLR650 S is a LAM, despite that big single-cylinder, and it’s one of the more accessible ADVs, even with that 200 kg-plus weight with 23 L of fuel on board. And despite the height drop, there is still over 170 mm of suspension travel at each end.

While the KLR may seem a bit outdated, it’s a remarkably capable machine, and I’d almost go as far to say I preferred the S model to the decked-out ‘Adventure’ version I tested a few years ago.

Here’s why…

The KLR650 S drops the seat height, chops off some suspension travel, and also lowers the bike’s centre of gravity in a way which helps handling and general feel, making the bike a bit less top-heavy. Some of that height is in the seat, but the rest is in the suspenders.

An 815 mm seat-height is an easy bike to jump onto, not that the KLR is a small bike by any means. It’s still quite wide, but the tail is fairly low for throwing a leg over.

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‘Bars are bent back towards you and aren’t overly tall, even if they are quite wide. And you’re tucked in behind a decent screen you can manually adjust. The dash and controls are simple, yet functional.

That screen doesn’t totally prevent air from reaching your chest either, which will help prevent overheating in sweaty ADV conditions. It’s very much a rider’s bike. Nothing extraneous added or needed.

Naturally, the 40 or so horsepower isn’t that noteworthy even for a larger capacity LAM, but just over 50 Nm gives the bike some good go. I even found myself feathering that clutch quite actively to get moving as there’s some kick there off the bottom.

The KLR has a tractor-like engine, with that big single idling fast and rumbling up to speed, before eventually smoothing out once you push it far enough. Want to cruise on the highway at 120 km/h ? No issue. There’s no tacho, but you can rev out those five gears surprisingly hard.

I was often looking for another gear after fifth, and the ratios left me feeling like one gear was revving too hard and one too low at around-town speeds, but once I got into riding the bike for what it is, rather than what I’d like it to be, there was really no problem. Those ratios made more sense on the fire trails and in some overgrown fields I’d found.

What feels a bit like lugging coming from a twin, is just that big single doing its thing at lower rpm, and the bike will pull from very low rpm. Keeping in mind there’s no tacho. And the space for a gear indicator readout on the dash is just… empty.

Getting around town? Not a drama. There’s good torque and the KLR can certainly handle the more mundane commuting duties during the week, while you wait to have some fun on the weekends.

The lower seat ensures getting a foot down is easier, and the bike is also hunkered down a bit more on the suspenders, sharpening up the handling a little bit, at the cost of a little plushness to the ride.

First out, I was a bit unsure about that compromise, but after spending time on the KLR650 S I actually preferred the set-up. I could still ride easily down a gentle fire trail, and even hitting harsher bumps was easily tackled, while through nice, bitumen twisties, the KLR was planted and stable.

If your roads are really rough, or you’re into doing harsher off-roading, there’s no doubt the standard KLR with over 200 mm of suspension travel will win out.

At very low speeds on the road, the bike feels a bit boatish, and the front end tends to wander around a bit, however that drops away once you’ve picked up a bit of speed.

Standing up on gravel or grass is easy, and the bike is well-mannered and offers plenty of confidence where you’re really going to want it.

Exploring down the unbeaten path certainly shouldn’t be too intimidating on the KLR S, which makes it a great option for rides just finding their way on Adventure bikes.

For more information check out the Kawasaki Motor Australia website (link).

I like the Kawasaki KLR650 S because…

• It’s a capable but simple blast from the past.
• Will tractor over almost anything.
• Low seat and shorter travel make for an easier, more manageable ride.

I’d like the Kawasaki KLR650 S more if…

• More comfortable seat please!

2024 Kawasaki KLR650 S Specifications

2024 Kawasaki KLR650 S Gallery