Quick spin: Kawasaki KLR650 New Edition

Kawasaki's KLR650 has always been the same: it gets you where you want to go and return with a minimum of fuss, with speed superfluous. There are no frills and it just keeps on chugging along without protest or fanfare with the long-range fuel tank, as well as being a nod to simplicity with the analogue gauges, carburettor and choke.

On that basis, it's not hard to see why the KLR650 is such a favourite long-haul adventure bike for so many people around the world, as you can purchase one of the liquid-cooled single-cylinder machines and just about circumnavigate the globe for what it would cost you to buy more electronically advanced fare such as the BMW R 1200 GS Adventure.

That's taking nothing away from the Beemer – it's a brilliant, tech-savvy motorcycle – but if it's low stress and dependable riding you want at a great price, look no further than the KLR650. It's a bike that definitely is way more than the sum of its parts – and if you do break down its simplicity makes it an easy bike to fix.

The KLR650 is one of the true stayers of Kawasaki's line-up, having first hit the scene way back in 1987. It remained virtually unchanged for the next 20 years, only copping its first (and so far only) major revision for the 2008 model year. The update saw the bike adopt a new swingarm and 41mm fork, new bodywork and headlight cowling, twin-bulb headlights, a revised cooling system and a twin-piston rear brake caliper, among others, and the spec has remained pretty much the same ever since.

This year it's received another mild makeover to “better accommodate on-road riding and heavier loads”. The changes amount to stiffer springs at both ends, and the rebound damping has also been upped. Meanwhile, the redesigned seat is slimmer at the front (between the rider's thighs) and about 30mm wider at the rear (at the rider's derrière), for what Kawasaki claims is more comfort on longer rides. The rear of the seat now sits flush with the rear rack.

And the bike's now called the ‘New Edition', and is priced at $8099 -- $100 more than the old KLR650.

To highlight the upgrades, I took the New Edition for an adventure ride through central Victoria on a magnificent spring day – the weather tide had turned at just the right time after a bitter winter.

The first frontier was open road and, while the faithful old 651cc single is definitely showing its age (except for the smooth-shifting gearbox, which feels decidedly new-age despite its five-speed orientation), it easily sits on 120km/h, with the tacho showing about 4500rpm. The engine is found within a steel semi-double cradle frame.

The ride position is excellent for long-haul work, with the rider placed nearly bolt upright and with plenty of legroom and a comfortable stretch to the bars. The 890mm high seat isn't the comfiest in the business but it does an okay job, and with the slimmer front edge I had no trouble reaching the ground, even with my 172cm frame. The protection from the smallish screen is actually quite good, so you can settle into an enjoyable rhythm on the freeway. The cowling also offers decent defence from the elements.

Even though the forks are now 40 per cent stiffer they are still quite soft, so there's plenty of dive under heavy braking. It all gets a little squirmy as the 90-section 21-inch front tyre has to shoulder a lot of the braking load, and the back end becomes a little flighty as a result. But once settled, you'll be carrying a decent amount of corner speed.

Then it was onto the dirt, which is probably the only place where you'd use the short first gear on the New Edition – and that would have to be on a steeper climb. But we'd be staying clear of the really gnarly terrain today and just sticking to simple dirt roads, where standing up on the rubber-mounted pegs wold be more for enjoyment than necessity. The bars are quite low, so you'd probably want to fit some risers if you stand on the pegs a lot, and also rotate them a few inches forward to gain more leverage.

The Dunlop Trailmax dual-sport tyres work well on dirt, with the skinny front tyre able to cut through the loose stuff while also possessing predictable qualities on hard-pack surfaces. The single disc front brake is also good on dirt, as the stopping force isn't too powerful and it's not going to lock up regularly and tie the rider in knots. The bike doesn't have anti-lock braking.

It's on dirt roads when the KLR provides the most enjoyment, and even when the terrain got a little tighter the interest level still didn't wane. Our press unit was free of any accessories such as a tank bag, so I just hunched myself forward and took the 194kg bike under my wing – a real hoot.

The KLR didn't appear to be as susceptible to bottoming out with the updated suspension, although I didn't really take on any high-compression hits to really test the efficacy of the changes.

But is there any point in nit-picking or being overly critical of the KLR650? It is what it is: a trusty steed that is one hell of a jack-of-all-trades practitioner. It's not about raw speed or even beauty for that matter, but about those virtues that matter for so many riders who have a penchant for adventure: great fuel range, comfort and trustworthiness.

KLR650 IN BIKE SHOWROOM

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CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

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