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Kawasaki’s go-anywhere, do-anything adventure workhorse can even be a catwalk model…sort of.
Back in issue #11 we ran Motorrad Garage’s KLR650 in Fit Out.
We’re a bit keen on KLRs here at Adventure Rider Magazine so when we head-ed to the first-ever western Congregation and Motorrad Garage offered to loan us one of its own bikes, it was the KLR we asked for.
“No problem!” came the cry down the phone, and before we knew it we were sitting astride the 2008 Kawasaki, the harsh tone of the Staintune pipe promising a lift in horsepower and improved throttle response, our lip balm and face moisturiser stowed in the tank bag and the tall screen offering all the protection we could ever hope for.
We looked at the HP2 lead bike and thought the comfort wasn’t going to matter all that much. If the KLR could keep up, that’d be good enough for us.
Starters
The bike itself was bought second-hand, and, like so many KLRs who’ve been through a couple of owners, Motorrad Garage isn’t too sure about how much tuning it’d had. The motor ran fine and, thanks partly to the pipe for sure, it responded to the throttle a little better than a stocker. It also revved a little more freely and, best of all, wasn’t using any oil.
Gearbox, brakes, clutch and all the usual mechanical bits and pieces seemed good, and after a couple of day’s riding we were left with the impression that perhaps the suspension was a little better than standard. We haven’t been on a KLR with standard suspension for quite a while, so it may well be our memories are at fault.
In any case, aside from being a little loud, the bike was a good’n.
Add ons
Of course, the interest in this bike is really in the addition of the Motorrad Garage accessories, and that’s where the bike was really unique. There were a couple of bits and pieces we’d never tried before and would’ve thought a bit unlikely, but which turned out to be really worthwhile.
The screen is probably the first thing to catch a rider’s eye. It’s offers a lot of protection and we can see why lots of riders would love it, but we’ve moved away from tall screens because in the rough going they karate chop us in the face and neck all the time. If you’re not tackling tough terrain, it’d be fine, and it certainly gives the rider an easy run, especially at highway speeds.
While we’re talking about road sections, the KLR had a highway ’peg.
We don’t know where the ’peg from left-hand side was, but it wasn’t on the bike. We thought it was funny: a highway ’peg on an off-roader! Hilarious!
But then, trying to amuse other riders, we folded the ’peg down and rode for a while, pointing at it.
The more we rode, the more we realised how comfortable the damn thing was. We really wished the left-had been there.
So that was a bit of a revelation.
A tankbag can’t be beaten for convenience. The capacity of this one was spot on.
SW Motech crash bars and pannier racks were tough and kept the bike well protected.
A drybag on the crashbar was a very snug fit.
A grab handle made it easy to roll the bike onto the centrestand.
Bagger
Naturally, any bike from Motorrad Garage is going to carry some good luggage.
We’re big fans of the SW Motech gear, and the tankbag and panniers on this KLR were first class. The pannier racks fitted nicely and the hard panniers – which we didn’t use on this trip – clipped into place and locked solid in no time.
There was also a funny little SW Motech dry bag attached to the right-hand side crash bar. We thought it looked a little vulnerable, but when we put the crash bars to the test it came up looking like new. For the distance guys, living off the bike, it’d add some real capacity and convenience to the luggage rig.
The curious thing about that bag was that it seemed to snug in really close.
It was an eight-litre unit and designed to be strapped to the tank rack or just about anywhere. It was attached to the outside of the crash bar, but it didn’t seem to stick out at all.
Of course the SW Motech crash bars were brilliant, and, as we said, we gave them a workout. We managed to scratch them a little, but between the pannier racks and crash bars that bike seems almost armour-plated – thank goodness – and despite our rough treatment the bike finished the ride in excellent condition.
Best of both worlds
The footpegs with the rubber inserts made things interesting when there was any water around but were comfortable otherwise, and an SW Motech centrestand was fantastic. There was even a grab handle on the left-hand side pillion-’peg mount.
Swinging the bike up on to the centrestand was easy-peasy.
This was a very interesting KLR.
It seemed to us the best features of the bike had been preserved – it was reliable, comfortable and easy to ride – but some improvements had polished those great features without sacrificing any of them.
With the Motorrad Garage fittings it was still reliable, but even more comfortable and even easier to ride and live with.
But you all want to know…did it hold its own with the HP2?
No-one got lost and both bikes ended up at the destination on the same day, so that must mean it did, eh?
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