Kawasaki KLE500 anyone had one ?

kirby morgan

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Got the chance of a project KLE500, its been sitting for about 6 years, think its an early one.
Dont know much else about it as I only glimpsed it last year whilst viewing the sellers other bike.
Think he wants a couple of hundred pounds.
Anyone had one and rate/avoid them.
Thanks.
 
Got the chance of a project KLE500, its been sitting for about 6 years, think its an early one.
Dont know much else about it as I only glimpsed it last year whilst viewing the sellers other bike.
Think he wants a couple of hundred pounds.
Anyone had one and rate/avoid them.
Thanks.

I saw someone open up their leg like a sirloin fillet trying to kickstart one, if that helps.
 
you will have a hard job they didnt have one.
 
you will have a hard job they didnt have one.

It’s an age thing. 1984 KLR 600 so it was.

I think they only made them with a kick start for one year. We had one in the shop.


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I think adventure boy had one or two.

They look like great budget commuters to me. Some had scary shell-suit colour schemes though, watch out!
 
in 86ish I owned a KLR, I liked it... in 89 I did some work on it, Left the country for a year-ish, came back did some work on it left the country for a while... cameback took it appart, moved house with a box full of bits... left the country in 93.... back back after 6 months-ish moved house again, changed jobs and moved house... in 95 the spice girls stole my gate... (can't really explain that but it did happen...)

In 97 I moved house built a workshop to rebuild the bike and some of the my other projects....

on march 26th this year, I ordered a skip and threw the whole lot of it in....

it was a great bike when I first had it, but unless you like doing jigsaw puzzles without a clue it's a journey into mental and physical self harm....

don't walk, run away...!
 
I've got one being brought back to life this week after a few years laid up.
Bought it from Coolcarbon as a means to get back riding after a serious accident and liked it. After a year of that, Normandy being the furthest travelled, I missed the big bike so got my 1200GSA but looking forwards to getting back on the little one.

Nippier than you'd expect with good economy and easier to pick up than GSA :)
 
Bike magazine said something along the line of "GPZ engine and Zoom lolly styling".

They were okay as a budget, trail-styled bike but needed a suspension upgrade if they were ridden con brio.

The finish wasn't exactly winterproof either.

As a project though it sounds like a good bet.
 


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