KLE500

[kgm]

I kinda fancy one of these. Don't really know why. I fancy a really cheap adv hack for winter use and exploring less tarmac-ed places without worrying about smashing it and these go for proper peanuts during winter.

Anyone got any experience of them? Is the later (05+ I think) or the 90's one the one to go for?

Obviously there are better off road bikes for not a lot of money but I'm talking more for reasonable distance multiday trips with a bit of off road ability for exploring less populated places with a hammock or bivi bag strapped to the back. Not really expecting it to compete with the likes of an 800GS but these are REALLY cheap so might be worth a punt as a CG replacement.

They seem well regarded on ADV rider.

[Shaft]

Isn't Vracktal the resident KLE guy?
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[Tierbirdy]

As Vracktal's housemate, and having to suffer (yes, suffer is an adeqaute term for the riding experience provided by it) using his KLE500 as a borrow bike when my Fazer was all kinds of focced, the soundest piece of advice I can give you regarding the KLE is DONT.

Theres a reason you dont see many of them around, theyre terrible. Sloppy piss poor brakes that require you to start braking about 10 years in advance. They break down directly proportionally to how much you need it to work. Running late for work and need to get in on time? You can guarantee it will break down. Nice Sunday afternoon for a bimble? It will run flawlessly. Mysterious gremlin electrical issues plague it and the main fuse will pop when it rains leaving you stranded if you dont have a spare.

[Vracktal]

As someone who's owned two of them amd still daily drives whats left of them, they're cheap because they're bad, but they're also good because they're bad. And here's why:

Yes, the front brakes are pitiful, no argument there. However, they will bring it to a stop eventually and they can be improved with the calliper from a later er650 and braided hoses.

The handling is pretty bad as well, but the front air shocks and squidgy rear shock coupled with the 21 inch front wheel mean it will absolutely anhillate potholes, kerbs, small animals, anything. This makes them amazing commuter bikes. They also crash superbly, especially if you fit the engine bars from the ER5. I also find mine completely hilarous to ride despite all this, mainly because there's an amazing sense of achievement to getting a bike like this to hustle around corners. It's thin and tall too so it filters well.

In terms of reliability, mine has never really worked properly, but it's never actually broken down either. In 147,000 miles and over ten years of ownership all i've had to replace is the engine block twice and the entire wiring harness and the bodywork and the swingarm.

Offorad, these bikes are surprisingly good. I've had mine up sandy hills, through mud up to the axles, through floodwater up to the headlight and it's kept plodding on. I also dropped it off a cliff at devils punchbowl and it survived. Lowsiding it into a lake hydrolocked engine number two.

If none of this puts you off, there's two models to choose from. Each has their own advantages and pitfalls.

The A series bikes (1990-1998ish models) have the old style bodywork. These are the cheapy ones that can usually be had for pennies. the downshot is they had a few design flaws: the headers were mild steel and rusted through, and the front sprocket used an awful keep-plate retainer that inevitably failed, leaving the sprocket to chew up the gearbox out shaft. This killed engine 1 for me. Rustproofing on the earlier bikes was also bollocks, and the swingarms tend to rust from the inside out so check this on any one you look at. The wiring tends to dissolve on them as well, so stay away from any bikes with electrical issues.

The B series bikes (2000-2006) have the new, angular bodywork. Aspirational people also seem to still expect to sell them for folding money somehow. These bikes solved the gearbox issues by swapping the keep plate for a sensible locknut instead. However, since emissions rules were stricter they also had to fit it with three catalytic converters, which castrated the engine and made it weigh a tonne. The ideal compromise is to get an A series bike and fit a B series engine, which is what mine turned into eventually OR get a B series bike and delete all the emissions crap.

If you're looking for a cheap winter hack that can offroad and tour, i'd say buy one, run it into the ground, no regrets. Try not to dead. Don't spend more them £1000 on one.


https://i.imgur.com/T7ki4XV.jpg

£400 obo
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2007 BMW R1200R: On road
2009 BMW G650X Challenge: On road
1975 Norton Commando 850: Off road, awaiting recommissioning

[kgm]

[Irn-Bru]

The brakes are pretty scary I tried new pads and braided lines with mine and it made no difference. Owned for a year (P reg) just for commuting, was ok for that. Never went wrong for me, was just pointless trying to have fun on it in the twisties. Don't miss it one bit

https://i.imgur.com/KCZk8qn.jpg
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[Polarbear]

[Rogerborg]

https://i.imgur.com/UM5UzoM.jpg
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Kal]

[Vracktal]

[Nexus Icon]

[Alpineandy]

If you really want something like a KLE500 then it would probably also be worth looking at the Honda XL600, XL650, NX650 and Suzuki XF650 (if only for it's name 'FreeWind'!).
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[Kal]

I saw your KLE earlier. Sadly the only way I woułd have £400 in folding is to sell my GPZ, which isn't happening anytime soon

uote="Alpineandy"]If you really want something like a KLE500 then it would probably also be worth looking at the Honda XL600, XL650, NX650 and Suzuki XF650 (if only for it's name 'FreeWind'!).[/quote]

I remember drooling over a purple NX650 at Twist Grip in Nottingham way back in the late ninties
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Vracktal]

[Alpineandy]

[Loui5D]

[kgm]

The Vstrom is definitely more expensive. Nice bikes though, my mate has the later model.

The reason the KLE appeals to me is because they are so cheap - cheap enough to use and abuse and let it turn into a rat without having to care much. All my others it bothers me when they get filthy and degrade.