Test Review 2022 Kawasaki KLR650 Adventure

Motorcycle Adventure Dirtbike TV thoroughly tests the 2022 Kawasaki KRL650 Adventure. Over four days we cover 1000 kilometres in the spectacular Victorian High Country, an iconic location for Motorcycle Adventure in Australia.

The test covers the features and benefits of the KLR650 in detail and includes real world testing of the ABS in challenging environments. Real world fuel economy is also calculated.

Any motorcycle that’s still being produced 32 years after it first hit the streets, almost unchanged that is supported by a legion of fans around the world is deserving of a cinematic introduction.

Since it first hit the streets in the late 80s, this humble bike, is renown for its bullet proof reliability. And I mean bullet proof literally! A diesel version carried American troops during the war in Afghanistan.

Some would argue the diesel like power delivery carried over to the four stroke model.

In recent years bike technology has forged ahead in leaps and bounds. But not the KLR. It’s taken its own path of tincy tiny steps towards improvement. That disasterously nearly ended when production ceased for a little while.

I suspect the reason the production line was restarted by Kawasaki was the realisation that in 2022, this bike would be the only Japanese big adventure single still being produced.

But whatever the reason, in 2022, the KLR is back, bigger and bolder than ever. With new attractive styling that means business, a slacker steering head angle, longer swing arm, firmer forks and wait for it, fuel injection.

Andrew Clubb, the editor of Australian Adventure Bike Magazine, and I are taking the up specced model, the KLR 650 Adventure into the spectacular Victorian High Country, a place reknown for adventure.

A place where it will quickly became apparent, where this bike sits in terms of its adventure capability and what this bike offers those seeking adventure.

This up specced bike can be ridden out of the showroom floor in Australia for a ridiculously cheap $11300 AU on road. Let’s see if it’s worth it.