weekend ride, it’ s a bike that feels easy to live with. The 4.3-inch TFT display deserves a mention. It’ s bright, easy to read in direct sunlight and simple to navigate. It honestly looks bigger than its measurements suggest, and together with the switchgear and overall finish, it gives the bike a more premium feel than its price tag would have you expect. Kawasaki has done a tidy job with the details.
OPEN ROADS Out on the open road, the parallel twin is the star of the show. The 451cc engine, shared with the Ninja 500 and Z500, produces a claimed 51 horsepower, but it’ s the way it delivers the power that impresses. There’ s enough midrange punch to overtake confidently without constantly searching for another gear, and it happily sits at open-road speeds without sounding or feeling stressed. Compared with the single-cylinder alternatives in this class, the difference is
obvious. The engine is smoother, quieter and far less fatiguing over distance. It encourages you to keep riding instead of counting down the kilometres until your next stop. If you’ re planning to mix commuting with longer weekend adventures, this refinement becomes a genuine selling point. Fuel economy has also been excellent. Combined with the 16-litre fuel tank, the KLE offers an impressive range between fillups. That’ s something adventure riders will appreciate, particularly here in New Zealand where the best roads and gravel tracks often mean travelling well away from the nearest service station.
TACKLING THE URBAN SPRAWL Around town, the KLE manages to feel smaller than the numbers suggest. The steering is light, the clutch is easy to use and the parallel twin is smooth enough that low-speed riding never becomes a chore. Filtering through traffic is effortless, U-turns
44 KIWI RIDER