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Motorcyclist Magazine reviews the 2023 Kawasaki KLR 650 Adventure ($7,899).

Video: Adam Waheed
Thumbnail: Caleb Mayer

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Transcript
00:00:00 Hey folks, good morning. Today we're gonna be riding Kawasaki's 2023 KLR 650
00:00:07 Adventure. And in true adventure spirit, we're going somewhere special to do it.
00:00:12 Alright folks, there it is. Kawasaki's 2023 KLR 650 Adventure. This is an OG
00:00:21 style adventure touring bike from Kawasaki Motors Corporation out of Japan.
00:00:27 This particular vehicle is manufactured out of Kawasaki's Thailand factory. Now
00:00:35 the KLR 650 has been being manufactured since the mid 80s. Fast forward to today
00:00:44 and the KLR 650 most recently got its last major overhaul for the 2022 model
00:00:51 year. In that overhaul it received this new LED headlamp, new bodywork, we have
00:00:58 thicker axles front and rear, that brake rotor is also a little bit thicker as
00:01:04 well. We have a longer swing arm and a new frame with integrated subframe.
00:01:12 Stability at speed was always a weak link in the previous version of the KLR
00:01:17 650 so it's nice that Kawasaki addressed these things. Now this particular
00:01:23 vehicle is powered by Kawasaki's water-cooled 652 cc single cylinder
00:01:32 engine. It now benefits from digital fuel injection which you see right here. You
00:01:38 can see we've already been doing a little bit of adventuring. This replaces
00:01:41 the mechanical carburetor. Digital fuel injection is so neat because it allows
00:01:46 the engine to run optimally regardless of elevation, regardless of the type of
00:01:55 climate that you're riding in. Now this engine is good for right around 36 to 38
00:02:01 horsepower at the business end of that 17 inch Dunlop tire. Look at that a nice
00:02:08 double piston rear brake. We love a strong back brake. Now this particular
00:02:15 KLR 650 is an adventure model. So the adventure model has a $1,000 upcharge
00:02:23 versus the base KLR 650. This thing rings in right around $7,900. For that extra
00:02:30 thousand dollars you get these awesome fog lights which are manipulated via
00:02:36 this integrated fog light button. You also have these hard case bags on the
00:02:44 right and left hand side. They are super easy to use. You push the button here and
00:02:50 that exposes the internal storage. You can also easily remove these bags and
00:02:57 bring them with you by pushing that button. Here we have a toolkit. So we have
00:03:02 a handy toolkit with some basic tools in which you can use to fix your motorcycle
00:03:07 or make adjustments including that windshield. This windshield is adjustable
00:03:13 in two positions. You have to remove these five millimeter Allen bolts to do
00:03:19 it. We also have this nice this nice flat part where you can store a backpack or
00:03:26 tie something down. This is really nice. It looks really premium. It's flat. A lot
00:03:32 of tie down points on the integrated subframe and that is pretty neat. Now
00:03:40 it's worth mentioning that this Adventure Touring Bike goes against the
00:03:45 grain at least in the modern Adventure Touring Bike world with the use of a 21
00:03:50 inch front and a 17 inch rear. That is a combination that we don't really see
00:03:56 anymore. Everyone's gone to 21 18s yet Kawasaki has this setup near perfected
00:04:04 and it sticks to the script with the 21 17 combo. Obviously a 21 inch front is
00:04:11 what you want. It's really big diameter so it goes over obstacles. A 17 inch
00:04:16 wheel diameter is more road friendly but considering the limited amount of power
00:04:22 this vehicle has a 17 probably would work really well which we're about to
00:04:28 find out. Alright folks who is ready to go on an adventure? I am! Alright folks
00:04:36 here we go into Baja California aka Mexico. This is one of the awesome things
00:04:49 about traveling on a motorcycle like Kawasaki's KLR650. These motorcycles just
00:05:04 they just go everywhere and they're designed for touring the globe like you
00:05:12 see here today. Alright let us go across the border and away we go. Now when
00:05:26 you're traveling into Mexico it's important to remember that you have to
00:05:32 have a valid US passport. You have to have a valid driver's license with
00:05:42 motorcycle endorsement and you also want to have vehicle insurance. So passport,
00:05:52 valid driver's license with motorcycle endorsement and vehicle insurance. It's
00:05:59 also not a bad idea to bring your vehicle registration. We just went in
00:06:07 through the Tecate Mexico border stop which is just outside of Del Zero
00:06:16 California. That border stop is generally way way less busy than Tijuana for
00:06:25 instance. So very easy very greasy to cross the border as you saw right there.
00:06:32 If you don't have anything to declare which we don't you just breeze right
00:06:38 through. Yet you never know when you're in Mexico you could be stopped by the
00:06:44 local police and if you are stopped by the local police you want to make sure
00:06:48 that you have all of your necessary paperwork, passport, driver's license and
00:06:55 vehicle registration and insurance just in case of an emergency. We're gonna go
00:07:02 around this taxi guy right here. We're in Mexico so we can fudge the rules that
00:07:08 apply to us in the United States of America.
00:07:14 So we're in Tecate. We are going to cruise down through this highway. It's
00:07:25 like an inland highway that takes us to Ensenada. So we will be heading south
00:07:33 towards Ensenada which is a major trading port port city on the Pacific
00:07:42 Ocean. It is so beautiful there and we're gonna talk about this KLR 650 adventure
00:07:53 along the way. Look at that huge pothole. Did you see that? Whoa! With all the
00:07:59 recent rains here in Southern California and Southern Baja Mexico the roads are
00:08:07 extra dilapidated not only at home but down here. So it sure is nice to be on a
00:08:14 on a durable adventure hardy steed like this 2023 KLR 650 adventure. But we'll
00:08:26 talk about the performance and handling of this bike in a little bit. For now
00:08:32 it's time to get tacos! Yeah! We'll check in with you folks in a little bit.
00:08:42 Look at that folks! Bury a tacos! Yeah! How are they John Beck? I haven't tried
00:08:55 them yet. We're still doing photo ops. You better eat fast man. We got photos to
00:08:59 shoot bro. As you can see we left no taco behind. Let's get back on the road.
00:09:08 Hey folks we just want to take a moment to apologize for the audio in this
00:09:13 road section on highway 3 south of Tecate. I positioned my lavalier
00:09:18 microphone a little bit low inside the chin bar of my Shoei Hornet X2 helmet so
00:09:25 the audio is not as good as it should be. I thought about re-recording this
00:09:29 section or doing a voiceover but there's a lot of really great talking points
00:09:34 that we bring up in this section of road. You have to remember our US
00:09:38 audience relies on our editorial to help them in their purchasing decision when
00:09:43 it comes time to choose their next motorcycle. So we're gonna triple check
00:09:48 our microphone on the next video and thanks for riding with us!
00:09:54 Here we are entering the Guadalupe Valley. Look how beautiful it is in this valley.
00:10:04 What a way to experience the glory of Mother Nature.
00:10:11 But on this KLR 650 Adventure doing what the KLR 650 was designed to do.
00:10:20 Adventure! How neat is this?
00:10:26 Now as we mentioned earlier, this 2023 KLR 650 is all new to the 2022 model year.
00:10:38 So last year Kawasaki Motors gave this vehicle a full revamp.
00:10:47 Well not maybe a full revamp but a much needed revamp.
00:10:53 Something that they haven't had in over 14 years. Isn't that crazy?
00:11:00 We rode, the last time we rode a KLR 650 was probably the 2012 model year version.
00:11:09 And then the time before that was the 2007. So it was right before it was updated.
00:11:18 Actually it was the 2008. It was the 2008 model year vehicle.
00:11:22 So that would have been the second generation technically.
00:11:28 And at its core this KLR 650 it is tried and true.
00:11:36 Now cruising here at 76 mph in top gear, 5th gear.
00:11:43 We don't have a tachometer so we don't know what RPM this engine is pulling.
00:11:49 But the engine doesn't feel like it's revving too high.
00:11:53 Now you can feel some engine vibration through the foot pegs and the handlebar.
00:12:00 But I wouldn't necessarily say it's excessive.
00:12:04 It's definitely present and it's not as vibration free as other ADV bikes we've ridden.
00:12:13 But to be fair those ADV rigs cost 2, 2.5, 3 times more than this bike.
00:12:21 So it does have some natural vibration despite the twin counterbalancers that the engine used to help mitigate that vibration.
00:12:31 But I wouldn't say it's excessive. Especially view factor and the price point.
00:12:38 To be fair I actually kind of like the vibration coming through the foot pegs.
00:12:44 It kind of keeps your feet just alive and interactive and awake.
00:12:49 Alright guys we are going to pass these cars. We are in 5th gear. No need to doubt you.
00:12:55 And that's the thing that really noticed the most when I hopped on this KLR650.
00:13:01 Even though the powertrain essentially really hasn't changed that much.
00:13:08 Still employs a 652cc water cooled dual overhead cam shaft engine.
00:13:18 It still has a decent amount of power. The fuel injection of course was added for the 2022 model year.
00:13:25 So it now has electronic fuel injection.
00:13:30 The cam shaft profiles were also tweaked to help boost engine torque.
00:13:41 There's also some other small tweaks like the exhaust header pipe is of smaller diameter.
00:13:53 Kawasaki says that helps boost torque production again.
00:13:59 So a couple small tweaks to make this motorcycle more peppy and it certainly feels more peppy.
00:14:06 Now on the business end of the Dunlop 80E tire this motorcycle makes right around 37 horsepower.
00:14:18 Almost 37 horsepower and right around 35 pound feet torque.
00:14:25 You're probably thinking, "Geez, that's not very much power especially for a full size 652cc motorcycle."
00:14:36 But you'd be surprised at how effective this powertrain is at getting this vehicle up to speed.
00:14:46 Of course when you're passing slower traffic like we did back there.
00:14:51 You certainly have to plan your passes in a much more planned way than if you were riding a KTM 1290 Adventure.
00:15:05 Those multi cylinder bikes just have so much more pep and so much more torque that it makes passing slower vehicles that much easier and faster.
00:15:15 So you definitely have to plan ahead and look ahead but you'd be surprised how effective this powerband is.
00:15:24 This motorcycle absolutely is capable of cruising at 90 miles per hour.
00:15:32 With its updated chassis which feels way more capable in terms it's not so flimsy and weeble wobbly like the old KLR was at higher speeds.
00:15:46 This thing you can cruise at 90 miles per hour on this thing all day.
00:15:49 I just wish it had cruise control.
00:15:52 Of course cruise control and heated grips are accessories that you can purchase on this motorcycle.
00:16:02 OE accessories from Kawasaki Motors Corporation.
00:16:07 Back to the engine. Now the 652cc single puts power back to the 17 inch smoked rear wheel via its 5 speed transmission in the chain vinyl drive.
00:16:27 The 5 speed transmission also got some tweaks passed in the clutch.
00:16:32 Kawasaki moved from ball bearings in the clutch to thrust style bearings.
00:16:38 So a lot of just I don't want to say insignificant because everything is insignificant but very thoughtful tweaks to make this motorcycle more durable.
00:16:52 Now durability and reliability is a hallmark feature of the globe trotting KLR650.
00:17:02 So Kawasaki didn't want to mess with that formula.
00:17:06 And having a motorcycle that is ultra reliable and ultra durable. Jeez like when you're operating a vehicle in a foreign land on foreign roads you can't having a motorcycle that's just reliable and it's not going to break down and it's going to go the distance.
00:17:28 That means so much. I've ridden other brands of motorcycles in foreign countries on foreign roads by myself.
00:17:42 And I'm like oh my god if this bike breaks if this motorcycle has some kind of malfunction I am going to be in trouble.
00:17:52 And some of the European competition especially when their models are all new for that model year and they are heavy on the electronics.
00:18:05 They have little hiccups in your vehicle.
00:18:09 I have heard of people getting their vehicles disabled to the little electronic glitches.
00:18:15 And you don't want that. And Kawasaki prides itself in having that high level of durability.
00:18:24 Again folks we are riding south of the border in the country of Mexico.
00:18:28 The U.S. rules of the road do not apply here so we're fudging it a little bit.
00:18:36 Alright we are traversing up a pretty significant paved incline.
00:18:46 We have the throttle pinned to the stop and we are pulling up this road no problem at 84 miles per hour.
00:18:54 In fact I have to let off the throttle because we have this bend coming up.
00:18:58 I don't really like the handling of this motorcycle. It sounds almost ridiculous to say that you would like the handling of this 487 pound KLR650 Adventure.
00:19:16 But because it only has a single cylinder engine it feels very light.
00:19:23 Woah what is going on there? That was odd I think we were between 5th and 6th gear.
00:19:30 I'm sorry 4th and 5th. Now we're 5th and it's back to normal.
00:19:34 Where were we? Yeah because this motorcycle only has a single cylinder engine it is exceptionally narrow between the riders legs.
00:19:47 And although there is a decent amount of flywheel effect and mass from that big 100mm more piston.
00:20:00 This motorcycle is just it changes directions very well at it's ultra rough spots.
00:20:09 It changes how Zaki did to the frame adding that more rigid rear subframe frame.
00:20:19 Adding the lengthening I'm sorry the swingarm. The swingarm is about 1.1 inch longer than it's predecessor.
00:20:32 The brake and trail have also been modified. The brake is a little bit sharper and a little bit more trail as well.
00:20:41 That really wonders the boost the stability of this vehicle especially when you're riding at 92 miles per hour.
00:20:51 I remember the 2008 through 2018 KLR 650 that thing when you were riding at speed that thing got a little weeble wobbly.
00:21:02 This thing is a lot more approachable and I like that.
00:21:06 Ergonomics Kawasaki tweaked the ergos of this vehicle.
00:21:14 I like the rubber mounted foot peg and rubber mounted handlebar.
00:21:21 It does a good job of isolating and neutralizing some of that unwanted vibration.
00:21:26 Again you still feel a noticeable amount of vibration especially through the foot pegs.
00:21:32 A little bit through the handlebar but quite a bit through the foot pegs but again I wouldn't say it's off-putting.
00:21:39 I think this cockpit is pretty spacious. I like that the foot pegs they're a little bit farther forward than you would expect for a conventional adventure bike or conventional motorcycle.
00:21:58 I wouldn't say this motorcycle has mid controls because the foot pegs are definitely further back rearward versus mid controls.
00:22:09 But they're also not crazy aggressive and sporty.
00:22:12 They're a little bit more forward than you would feel on a typical motorcycle and an adventure touring bike.
00:22:20 But that's okay.
00:22:22 When you ride this motorcycle you have a high degree of comfort.
00:22:26 I like how narrow the fuel tank is but you still have these big flat surface areas around the 6.1 gallon fuel tank so you can squeeze the bike to the knees.
00:22:37 It also blocks the wind so log with this wide front fairing does a good job of blocking the wind around your legs.
00:22:53 The handlebar is decently wide.
00:22:56 It would have been nice if Kawasaki would have put a aluminum Renthal or ProTaper style handlebar.
00:23:06 I think that would have been a really nice touch realistically you could buy that kind of handlebar for $120 nowadays.
00:23:14 You get a good deal on it.
00:23:17 That would be a nice improvement.
00:23:20 Not having a crossbar pad. I mean this isn't a dirt bike so you're not going to be wailing on this thing off road.
00:23:26 I mean you kind of could a little bit.
00:23:28 You'd be amazed at where these KLR650s can go.
00:23:32 But it would have been nice to have a real aluminum handlebar with a crossbar pad.
00:23:40 Kawasaki is always really big on customizable ergonomics.
00:23:46 They've done a really good job of that on their street bikes and even their motocross machines.
00:23:52 Their KX450F and now KX450.
00:23:55 It would have been cool if maybe they had an upper triple clamp that had adjustable,
00:24:04 had extra holes so you could move the position of the handlebar.
00:24:09 I'm not saying that it doesn't work because it actually works really good and it's very neutral.
00:24:16 But more of the adjustability is always a good thing in our book.
00:24:22 Alright folks we got a little traffic jam right here.
00:24:28 I'm going to pass these people.
00:24:35 This semi truck is right on them.
00:24:39 I don't like that.
00:24:42 I'm very past everyone.
00:24:45 When I'm riding my motorcycle I always want to be out in front.
00:24:50 I feel like if you're out in front the chances of mishap happening are always less.
00:24:55 So out in front is the safe way.
00:25:00 Alright back to the ergonomics.
00:25:03 No handlebar adjustment beside the ability to shift the position forward or aft.
00:25:12 I actually loosened these 10mm bolts before we departed.
00:25:17 And I rolled the handlebar forward.
00:25:21 I did that because the handlebar in stock configuration had a little bit too much sweep.
00:25:29 I knew we were going to be riding off road and I always hate when I'm riding with a handlebar that's in your lap.
00:25:37 I want the handlebar a little bit more upright.
00:25:40 So I rolled them forward a little bit.
00:25:43 While doing that I also shifted the control levers down a little bit.
00:25:48 I generally like my control levers always angled down.
00:25:54 It's always better if I'm riding a sport bike, a motorbike, anything.
00:25:59 I always like them angled down. Not too down.
00:26:02 Sometimes if you're riding at the racing circuit on a really high performance motorcycle you're going to shift your levers a little bit more forward or down.
00:26:10 Just because you are in a race type position it just makes it easier to actuate the front brake and clutch.
00:26:17 But on this motorcycle I just have them a little bit south of neutral.
00:26:24 Of course you can always adjust the position of the front brake lever by these 8mm bolts here.
00:26:33 And these 8mm bolts also control the position of the mirrors.
00:26:39 And these OE Taco Belch's plastic hand guards.
00:26:47 I love these plastic hand guards. These do a good job of keeping air off your vents.
00:26:53 Keeping your hands a little bit warmer out on the road.
00:26:59 Now this KLR650 Adventure is equipped with OE fog lights which we will show.
00:27:07 Actually we already did show you OE fog lights. These things are awesome.
00:27:11 That's the on and off switch.
00:27:13 We also have our 12 volt power points. That's the cigarette lighter style power port.
00:27:20 And then we have our USB cover which we showed you guys earlier with the little extra cavity so you can roll up your cord very nicely.
00:27:31 And have the cord out of the way so it's not dangling in the wind.
00:27:36 Kind of neat kind of cool attention to detail.
00:27:40 This cover is kind of maybe not engineered the best. It doesn't really stay on very well.
00:27:47 It clicks on here but still kind of comes loose.
00:27:50 So definitely better than nothing but it would be nice if they re-engineered this cover so it stuck in there a little bit better.
00:27:59 But I'm not going to complain.
00:28:02 Now this KLR650 employs a taller windscreen.
00:28:06 This windscreen is actually adjustable in two positions.
00:28:10 Right now we have it in the lower configuration.
00:28:14 Realistically I should have put it in the higher configuration before we left but I just forgot to do it.
00:28:20 Now we're going to have to access this windscreen with I believe it's 6mm Allen.
00:28:27 There's four 6mm Allen screws and you have to remove those Allen screws to reposition this.
00:28:34 So again it would be nice if Kawasaki, they're really good at engineering things,
00:28:39 and it would be neat if they would have had a tool-less style adjustable windscreen.
00:28:46 How cool would it be if you just had to push this lever in or out and then you could slide the windscreen.
00:28:51 I know Kawasaki has offered that like other models and it would have been nice if they would have had that on this vehicle.
00:28:59 Now when you're riding, obviously KLR650 riders are diehard and more often than not they're probably going to have tools and stuff like that.
00:29:08 But I always like tool-less adjustable windscreens because it's easy and effective.
00:29:15 You can change the height on the fly.
00:29:18 Now I'm saying this motorcycle needs electronic windshield adjustment.
00:29:22 That's just too much engineering, too much weight, too much complexity and forced cost.
00:29:30 But a tool-less windscreen would be a bonus in my book.
00:29:36 I would be willing to pay an extra couple hundred bucks for that feature, especially if it had a nice aluminum bar.
00:29:41 Now this Ogeo Tank Bag is covering the fuel cap.
00:29:52 The fuel cap is right here.
00:29:54 That's how you top off a 6.1 gallon tank.
00:29:58 Kawasaki re-engineered the position of the fuel pump I believe.
00:30:03 So even though the capacity of the tank hasn't changed, the usable fuel volume is higher because the engine has the ability to access the fuel when it is really low.
00:30:18 So that's a good little efficiency date.
00:30:23 Yes! It's a more turntile. I love riding this bike in the turntable.
00:30:30 Who knew that a KLR650 could handle so well on the road?
00:30:37 This 21-inch front 17-inch rear combo.
00:30:41 Everyone knows 21-inch front wheels are designed for off-road, while 17-inch are designed for road bike riding.
00:30:51 Kind of an odd combo wheel combo, especially in today's world.
00:30:56 But Kawasaki has done so much engineering and they have the 21-inch 17-inch platform so dialed that there's almost no reason to change the wheel design.
00:31:08 I was kind of thinking about it and I was like, "Ah, how neat would it be if they put an 18-inch rear wheel on?"
00:31:13 The 18-inch rear wheel obviously gives you a little bit less sidewall, but it gives you greater options of tire choice.
00:31:22 And it's just more of a conventional true off-road format.
00:31:27 But I figured, you know, just throwing on a 1-inch bigger diameter rear wheel, that's going to really modify or change the steering geometry.
00:31:38 It's going to affect the handling.
00:31:40 And Kawasaki probably have to redesign more parts than they want to.
00:31:46 So, in the interest of simplicity and keeping the price down, I'm sure that's why they opted to stick with the 17-inch rear wheel.
00:32:00 To be fair, it works good on the road and it works well off-road, which we'll be testing out later here today.
00:32:10 It's also worth noting that bikes like BMW's fabulous R1250GS,
00:32:15 that thing was a 1917-inch wheel combo.
00:32:19 And again, simplicity and not having to redesign massively,
00:32:27 is another cycle part of the reason why a lot of the bikes don't have 18-inch rear wheels.
00:32:35 Now we're rolling on Dunlop's K756 specification.
00:32:42 Dual sport tire, this is a lawn-off road tire from Dunlop.
00:32:48 Tires are one of the areas where realistically if I made this $7,900 2020 LR650G travel bike,
00:33:02 I would wear out the tires as quickly as I could.
00:33:06 Even if they weren't fully worn out, I would ditch them and put something else on.
00:33:12 It kind of depends if you're riding more road, more off-road, or even a new 50/50 split.
00:33:19 The good thing about today's world is we have so many different awesome tire choices from riding and tire manufacturers.
00:33:27 You can even get good off-road tires in 17-inch wheel configurations.
00:33:33 Realistically almost having 18-inch rear wheels almost sort of a good point,
00:33:38 because you can get good rubber on 17s.
00:33:41 But tires are one area where I would, I would, I think this bike would stand for a little bit of improvement.
00:33:51 Now, we're riding solo right now.
00:33:54 Kawasaki also paid attention to the passenger,
00:34:00 the passenger grab rails that have been reshaped.
00:34:03 And you saw this bike when we were talking about it earlier before we left.
00:34:07 Like that, this rider and passenger seat is nice and flush and wide.
00:34:13 And there is a lot of room for a passenger.
00:34:17 Of course, this motorcycle, the capability of the engine with only 37 horsepower,
00:34:25 you know, you don't have a lot of power underneath you.
00:34:28 So having another person with you is going to make this motorcycle a lot more sluggish.
00:34:33 But you still could bring someone if you wanted to.
00:34:40 Instrumentation, look at this MCD readout.
00:34:54 A little bit small, especially compared to the modern generation of motorcycles,
00:34:59 but they're oversized.
00:35:02 Displays, wouldn't have been a bad thing if this thing was a little bit bigger.
00:35:08 It would be nice to have a tachometer.
00:35:12 It would also be nice to have a gear position indicator.
00:35:16 I don't know why Kawasaki didn't put that in there.
00:35:20 Added metrics, fuel economy, ambient air temperature, those would also be nice features.
00:35:31 Still, I do like that it has a clock.
00:35:34 I do like it has a fuel gauge to keep tabs on the capacity of that 6.1 gallon fuel tank.
00:35:41 But it would have been nice if Kawasaki would have added a gear position, tachometer,
00:35:47 coolant temp, it's always a good thing to have while we're at it.
00:35:52 It's got coolant temp, it has a lot of oil temp.
00:35:55 No vehicles have oil temp anymore, but it's kind of nice to have that kind of readout.
00:36:01 There is our external colleague, John Beck.
00:36:05 He is our photographer.
00:36:07 He is going to be capturing excellent photos that you will see in our article that will be published by MotorcyclistOnline.com.
00:36:20 As a reminder, that's where all of our expansive review content lives.
00:36:26 So make sure to bookmark that website.
00:36:31 We've tested hundreds of motorcycles the last couple years.
00:36:36 So if you're shopping for a motorcycle, please visit our website.
00:36:43 I think John Beck wants to stop and do a photo somewhere here.
00:36:49 So we are going to pull off the road soon.
00:36:54 We are now in Guadalupe Valley.
00:36:57 This area of Mexico is known for its wine.
00:37:02 There are wineries and vineyards all over the place here.
00:37:07 It's almost like Napa Valley, Mexico version, sort of.
00:37:11 So this Guadalupe Valley is a great way to bring your significant other or someone you just like out and treat them to a little fun.
00:37:24 It's not very far from San Diego, California.
00:37:29 It really checks a lot of boxes for the food and beverage connoisseur.
00:37:37 You also get to see a more rustic way of life that we don't typically see in metropolitan areas of the United States.
00:37:48 But that's why motorcycles like this KLR650 are so awesome.
00:37:54 Because they're about using them as tools to explore the world and get out of your comfort zone.
00:38:01 And see how other people around the world are living.
00:38:05 How cool is that?
00:38:07 And we're doing it for $7,900 in its configuration.
00:38:13 Alright folks, we're going to stop at this Alto sign and we'll check in with you in a little bit.
00:38:19 Thanks for riding with us.
00:38:21 Alright folks, look what we have here. Treacherous water crossing.
00:38:26 Here we go on the treacherous water crossing.
00:38:30 Oh my god. How cool is this?
00:38:33 KLR650 goes right through it.
00:38:36 Nice.
00:38:38 Nice.
00:38:42 Alright folks, here we are on this beautiful highway heading towards the ocean again.
00:38:51 Toward the city of Girandera.
00:38:54 This will be our destination for the evening.
00:38:57 Now normally we would take the super fun off-road, fire road to the coast.
00:39:04 But because we are running behind schedule and the sun is about to set here in about 35-40 minutes,
00:39:14 we are going to take the faster route which is this paved highway.
00:39:21 And again, stringing together these asphalt corners on this 2023 KLR650 Adventure.
00:39:32 God, this bike is crazy.
00:39:34 I never really thought that there would be that much of a difference between the outgoing 2018 and the generation 3 and updated 2022 and now 2023 KLR650.
00:39:52 This motorcycle is surprisingly capable.
00:39:56 I'm having a good time riding on it.
00:39:59 It feels really nice in the turns.
00:40:02 Yeah, of course, more power is always better.
00:40:06 More suspension, support and road holding is always better.
00:40:10 But for $7,900 for a bike that can just kind of give me a couple grits here and there and be this comfortable to do a legit touring ride,
00:40:22 that's pretty good in my book.
00:40:26 Look how beautiful it is.
00:40:30 This is what motorcycle riding is all about.
00:40:34 Getting out there and exploring the countryside.
00:40:39 Yes, I love how this thing is so apt to change directions.
00:40:45 I'd be lying if I didn't say that these tires and the overall suspension,
00:40:51 when you lean this thing over, it is a little mushy and you definitely feel a little bit of tread squirm before you lean the bike over,
00:41:02 especially when you are going upwards of 60 miles per hour.
00:41:07 But again, for all intended purposes.
00:41:10 Whoa, look at those big bumps.
00:41:13 It is okay.
00:41:15 Speaking of big bumps, this eight inches of suspension travel fore and aft really does a nice job of soaking up those big bumps.
00:41:27 And just the ride quality on this motorcycle, especially on so-so Mexican road services, it's really good.
00:41:37 This bike rides awesome.
00:41:40 It's straight rides awesome and has a very comfortable ride, even over potholes and bumps and crappy pavement,
00:41:51 like the kind of stuff that we are rolling over right now.
00:41:59 Well, folks, we're nearing our lodging for the night.
00:42:04 We are going to crash at Rick's house, Coyote Cows, owned by Rick.
00:42:12 He is an ex-pat American guy who now lives down here.
00:42:19 Tomorrow's agenda will be waking up bright and early, per usual.
00:42:25 We're going to hit the road, actually hit the trail north and we're going to do that on Fire Road and Rocky Hill Climb on the way out of town or back north towards the United States.
00:42:43 Instead of doing it on the southern route like we were going to do today until we ran out of time.
00:42:52 There was some major, major road construction in Sonata after we signed off with you guys.
00:43:01 And it was crazy. It took us literally probably an hour just to get through there.
00:43:07 These motorcycles are fairly narrow and we couldn't even split lanes because that's how tight and packed the traffic was.
00:43:17 But I tell you, if there was a motorcycle that I'm going to have to idle on through traffic for a bit of time, this KLR ain't a bad choice.
00:43:28 All right, folks, we are nearing the coast. We will check in with you in a little bit.
00:43:34 Wow, folks, look at this.
00:43:38 Look at the beauty that we are seeing here to our left.
00:43:44 If I could just get my glove on for a second.
00:43:47 The hard thing with riding and talking with the GoPro is that you have to push the button and pressing the button is basically impossible.
00:43:58 The record button when you have these gloves on.
00:44:04 This is the town of Eriendera.
00:44:09 It rained a whole bunch recently here in Southern California in the Baja Peninsula.
00:44:15 And I am so happy that I'm operating this KLR 650.
00:44:22 It's crazy how this stuff, this bike, it just goes over the rough stuff.
00:44:28 Yes, it doesn't have the precise handling of a bike like that 1290 Super Adventure.
00:44:36 But gosh, it gets the job done and it gets the job done comfortably.
00:44:42 That is the biggest takeaway from riding it on this rough dirt road.
00:44:52 We're not even standing up and the ride quality isn't that bad.
00:45:00 We're not feeling any crazy jolts or anything through the controls here.
00:45:07 Let's get our glove on. There it is. Thank you, God.
00:45:12 Now we can stand up. Of course, this motorcycle in the standing position.
00:45:18 Not going to lie, the standing position, look at that horse.
00:45:22 The standing position is a little unoptimized for a modern off-road bike or a modern ADV.
00:45:32 Like we said before, the foot pegs are a little bit more forward than we'd like, especially for the standing position.
00:45:43 And that's really the biggest thing, is just the foot pegs.
00:45:49 They're just a little bit too far forward and having that rubber atop them to isolate the vibration, well that's nice.
00:45:58 But you also don't have a lot of grip against the sole of your boot.
00:46:04 I typically like foot pegs that are wide and relatively sharp and serrated.
00:46:11 Kind of like oversized foot pegs you'd want to ride on your motorbike.
00:46:16 That's what I generally like.
00:46:18 So you're not going to have that same level of sole stability as you would with other ADV bikes.
00:46:26 Look at that folks, look how beautiful it is. Wow.
00:46:32 That is where we're going to stay. That's Rick's house. Coyote Cows. That place is awesome.
00:46:39 Alright folks, I'm going to check in with our photographer John Beck.
00:46:43 He is going to help us acquire some very nice photography during what we call "golden hour".
00:46:55 Which is right now, we are in golden hour. Look at that gold boys and girls.
00:47:00 So we will check in with you folks a little bit later.
00:47:04 It's time to get to work and get the great photography for all of our Peruvian purchasing US audience members in the United States of America.
00:47:19 Alright folks, we'll check in with you later.
00:47:22 Alright folks, good morning. Here we are at Coyote Cows on the Baja Peninsula.
00:47:31 There are motorcycles. We locked them up with a chain.
00:47:35 It's always important to make sure you track your valuables and lock things up when you're in a foreign land.
00:47:43 So there's our motorcycles.
00:47:45 We are going to hit the dirt route today on the way back to the highway.
00:47:51 And look at here, some other like-minded adventure guys kicking up nice dirt on their dirt bikes.
00:48:03 How cool is that? It's awesome to see people riding.
00:48:07 These guys came equipped with a chase vehicle.
00:48:11 That way they have extra fuel, water, snacks, medical support, spare parts in theory.
00:48:18 So if someone breaks down on the trail, they can get going.
00:48:23 We didn't really bring any spare parts with us on this trip.
00:48:28 You know, probably should have brought some spare stuff, but it's all good.
00:48:32 We're riding mellow and we are on the durable and steadfast 2023 KLR650 Adventure.
00:48:44 I really like these cases.
00:48:48 It's cool for a small upcharge that you can get this set up.
00:48:54 I have my waters, an extra jacket, some sunglasses, some duct tape, Fanta, excess calories of course, and some salsa.
00:49:04 This is from Tomas. He made that fresh here at Coyote Cows.
00:49:09 So awesome. It's also nice having those crash guards.
00:49:15 We haven't used them yet, but it's nice to have some vehicle protection in those fog lights.
00:49:21 Those things are awesome. They're nice and bright as we showed you earlier.
00:49:25 It really helps you stand out when you're on the highway.
00:49:30 All right, folks, we are going to saddle up and get into the saddle.
00:49:36 We'll check in with you guys in a little bit.
00:49:39 God, this is so beautiful. I love this KLR. I love going and seeing things on this thing.
00:49:46 Uh-oh, fuel gauge is reading low, which is strange because we should still have plenty of miles,
00:49:54 considering this is a 6.1 gallon fuel tank, but maybe it was because it was on our side stand.
00:50:01 We'll just have to see. Fortunately, we don't have too many more miles to the fuel station, probably about 20 miles.
00:50:11 So considering that this thing gets close to 40 miles per gallon, we should be just fine.
00:50:21 If not, we'll have to hitch a ride on our friend's motorcycles.
00:50:28 So we will see.
00:50:32 All right, folks, let's ride down to the beach. How often can you say you rode your motorcycle on the beach?
00:50:42 Here is the beach access right here. Tide is very high today, so I don't know how much sand riding we're going to do.
00:50:52 But let's go down there and check it out.
00:50:57 Whoa, it is rocky, but the KLR takes it all in stride.
00:51:12 Whoa. Maybe we can't get down there. We can, but it looks a little precarious.
00:51:23 Let's find out.
00:51:26 What do you think?
00:51:28 All right, our photographer, John Beck, gave me a little manual extra muscle to get backed out.
00:51:34 Now we are pointed in the right direction and we go up this rocky incline.
00:51:43 We took our gloves off because we were manhandling the motorcycle.
00:51:48 We will put them back on when we park up here.
00:51:54 There's our external colleague, Bobby Boo Ali from Cardo Systems.
00:52:03 They are a manufacturer of Bluetooth enabled communication headsets for your motorcycle helmet.
00:52:10 He's operating his drone right now.
00:52:13 All right, guys, I'm going to drink some water and we'll check in with you in a little bit.
00:52:16 All right, folks, we have gotten unstuck and now we are going to climb the semi-precarious grade.
00:52:24 There's where we got stuck.
00:52:26 Normally we ride on that beach, but it was a little bit too hairy for us today.
00:52:34 It's always important to remember, no matter where you're riding,
00:52:37 you always want to ride within the limits of your skill and the capability of your vehicle.
00:52:45 There is no trophies at the end of the day.
00:52:49 So staying safe, keeping the bike upright at all times is paramount.
00:52:59 We have photographer John Beck atop this hill.
00:53:03 He will be capturing some imagery when we go up this semi-steep incline.
00:53:13 I wish these foot pegs were more grippy, but we are doing OK so far.
00:53:27 Downshift into first. And that's where this KLR really excels, is just lugging up terrain.
00:53:39 Lugging up objects.
00:53:44 You can't really ride this bike like a high-performance ADV.
00:53:48 A high-performance ADV that has a lot of travel and a real racy setup.
00:53:54 You can just mob through the rocks and boulders.
00:53:57 On this thing you have to really just cruise.
00:54:01 Now we are heading inland, folks, and there is a pack of UTV operators here.
00:54:09 They are giving us the right of way and they are also exploring the Baja Peninsula.
00:54:16 We have a cyclist right here too as well.
00:54:20 That is the cool thing about bicycles and UTVs.
00:54:25 We are one big happy power sport.
00:54:28 And if you don't have an e-bike, manual pedal biking family,
00:54:32 we as modern motorcyclists like to participate in all forms of sporting activity.
00:54:41 So it's nice to see the camaraderie on the trail here.
00:54:46 Look at the cattle in the distance.
00:54:51 Here is some more UTV people.
00:54:58 Again, when you are riding on a trail, you always have to be mindful of not only the terrain in front of you,
00:55:06 but other vehicles that may be sharing the fire road with you.
00:55:13 Alright, folks, we talked a little bit earlier about the legendary reliability and durability of these KLR650s by Kawasaki.
00:55:28 Now, these motorcycles in current configuration are actually produced in Thailand out of Kawasaki's Thailand manufacturing facility.
00:55:40 Many of the parts, however, are sourced from Japan.
00:55:46 You know, for the price point of this motorcycle, $7,900, you'd think, "Oh, it's probably got a lot of cheap components."
00:55:53 But if you look at the wheels, the wheels are actually made in Japan and they're really high quality.
00:55:58 It's actually pretty surprising that wheels that come on this motorcycle are more high-end than wheels I've seen on more expensive multi-cylinder ADV bikes.
00:56:08 It's crazy. Of course, the wheel, the width is a little bit more narrow.
00:56:14 I believe the front wheel is 1.6 inch in width while the rear is 2.5.
00:56:21 Here's our rendezvous spot. There's the sign for Irandira.
00:56:26 That was the city that we traversed through last evening.
00:56:35 And now we have probably another 16 miles to go heading east inland to rendezvous at our fuel stop.
00:56:47 And then we will head back north through the inland Mexican highway through Tecate.
00:56:55 Tecate is generally a less congested port of entry as compared to Tijuana.
00:57:05 It's always worth checking on your smartphone.
00:57:08 The Department of Border Security of the United States has a really nice app.
00:57:15 I think it's the CWT app. And that gives you border wait times.
00:57:20 So you can look at the app and understand the wait times at the point of entry.
00:57:27 Alright, where were we? Oh, that's right. Durability and reliability.
00:57:32 Whoa. That was kind of crazy.
00:57:35 The mud rut caught my front tire and it felt kind of weird.
00:57:41 Maintenance on this vehicle. After its 600 mile initial service, Kawasaki says that you should change the oil on this motorcycle every 7,600 miles.
00:58:00 So every 7,600 miles you change the engine oil and the oil filter. At the same time, this motorcycle takes I think just right around 2 quarts of oil.
00:58:14 So quite a bit of oil inside the engine.
00:58:18 During your 7,600 mile service, Kawasaki says that you should check the air filter. Make sure that's not too dirty.
00:58:26 Obviously because we're riding on freshly rained terrain, there is not very much dust.
00:58:34 So the air filter doesn't have a big job to do.
00:58:39 Across this mud puddle right there.
00:58:44 And that is basically the maintenance valve adjustment interval. So you have to check the clearance on each of the four valves on this single cylinder engine.
00:58:58 And Kawasaki says to do that inspection every 15,200 miles.
00:59:04 Which is crazy because that frequency is relatively short. I mean, you think the tuning fork brands, multi-cylinder bikes, those things go over 20,000 miles between valve inspections.
00:59:17 So you'd think this more simply engineered single cylinder engine could go further.
00:59:25 But Kawasaki says every 15,200 miles according to the owner's manual of course.
00:59:32 These 652cc liquid cooled engines are stone axe. I'm sorry, wood axe reliable.
00:59:44 So they work day in, day out.
00:59:47 I've never owned a KLR650 nor put that many miles on a test vehicle so I can't say whether the vehicle feels or the engine makes any funny noises after that.
01:00:02 If you don't do the valve inspection, but knowing Kawasaki, they're probably real conservative with that.
01:00:08 And you could probably not even ever check them. They'd always be in spec.
01:00:13 Because these motorcycles are high quality Japanese bikes.
01:00:18 And I love spending money on quality things.
01:00:23 Look at this guy up here. What's he doing?
01:00:31 Shooting guns?
01:00:33 He's got his wheelbarrow and he's doing something.
01:00:42 Alright folks, we are riding back on this fire road.
01:00:48 Basically it's going to be this higher speed fire road for the next 17 miles, 16 miles maybe now.
01:00:56 Until we get fuel.
01:00:59 Whoa!
01:01:02 That was sketchy. Good thing we were riding slow.
01:01:08 If you were hauling, but you came around that thing, that could make for a very precarious situation.
01:01:14 So we have another 15 miles or so to go until we get fuel.
01:01:21 It's interesting, the fuel gauge is rather low.
01:01:25 We should have a lot more fuel than that. We haven't really ridden that much.
01:01:28 Considering this vehicle has a 6.1 gallon tank.
01:01:32 We only put on 176 miles, I think, yesterday.
01:01:37 And maybe only about 90 miles on that tank of gas.
01:01:42 So the fuel gauge should be reading higher than what it is.
01:01:47 Alright folks, we will check in with you in a little bit.
01:01:52 Alright everyone, we are dropping down to the highway.
01:01:58 Whoa! There's a couple of random dogs.
01:02:02 Let's watch out for those guys. Poor doggies.
01:02:05 I see a lot of random dogs cruising around here.
01:02:08 And there is the main highway.
01:02:11 We will get gas right here.
01:02:14 This is Santo Tomas, I believe.
01:02:18 And our fire road excursion comes to an end.
01:02:24 I do enjoy riding this KLR650 on this two lane fire road.
01:02:30 Super comfortable.
01:02:32 I wish the foot pegs were repositioned a little farther rearward and had more meat on them.
01:02:38 That's probably the biggest knock.
01:02:40 Because this bike is awkward to operate in the standing position.
01:02:44 Sometimes when you are going over rough terrain, you are going to want to stand.
01:02:52 But as far as actual comfort and ride quality, I would rate this bike pretty high.
01:03:01 Look at all the recent rains. Really made a mess of these streets.
01:03:06 As you can see here.
01:03:09 Alright folks, we are going to fuel up and hit the road.
01:03:19 That was sick.
01:03:26 Alright folks, this is the crazy traffic jam spot I was talking about earlier.
01:03:33 It was so dense yesterday that I couldn't even turn my GoPro on.
01:03:37 Because I didn't have a free second to push the record button.
01:03:41 Because traffic was so dense.
01:03:43 And this 487 pound KLR650 just cuts right through this traffic.
01:03:52 Again, we are operating this vehicle in Mexico.
01:03:56 So the rules are a little bit different than they are in the United States of America.
01:04:01 So we are riding our motorcycle and slicing through traffic this way.
01:04:09 Alright folks, it wouldn't be a trip to Ensenada without stopping at the legendary fish spot.
01:04:18 This fish spot is right in Ensenada. We always come here.
01:04:24 Ceviche here is BOMB!
01:04:28 Well folks, that was delicious. Words cannot describe the yumminess of this fish stand here in Ensenada.
01:04:38 It is fire!
01:04:41 Alright amigos and amigouettes.
01:04:44 We are just passing through Ensenada after stopping at the fish spot that is so fire.
01:04:51 Look at that huge Mexican flag.
01:04:54 We have the port of Ensenada to our left.
01:04:58 We are heading north right now.
01:05:01 We're going to buzz through the city.
01:05:04 Buzz back onto the highway towards Tecate.
01:05:08 And that will conclude our quick adventure on Kawasaki's 2023 KLR650 Adventure.
01:05:20 What a blast!
01:05:22 We were only gone for probably 30 hours, 32 hours all said and done.
01:05:28 But we saw a lot of stuff.
01:05:30 Had a lot of fun.
01:05:32 And we've logged probably right around in total 340 miles.
01:05:39 Not a bad day's work.
01:05:43 Alright ladies and gentlemen.
01:05:45 And just like that, that wraps up our ride down inside Baja California.
01:05:55 Inside the country of Mexico.
01:05:58 That was so fun.
01:06:01 Who knew that true adventure is just a few miles away.
01:06:11 You can cover a lot of ground, see a lot of stuff, have a lot of fun.
01:06:16 In a very affordable way with Kawasaki's KLR650 Adventure.
01:06:25 We are now in the city of Tecate.
01:06:28 We are just going to the border entry point.
01:06:33 We have all of our ducks in a row and documents.
01:06:38 Stop sign.
01:06:40 And we will be back into the United States.
01:06:47 I can smell the apple bees cooking on the other side of the border.
01:06:51 Ha ha ha ha. Just joking.
01:06:57 Alright folks, we are going to get into the border queue.
01:07:03 Now, it is a weekday afternoon so the border queue shouldn't be too crazy.
01:07:12 But like I said earlier, it's always good to check out the CWT.
01:07:21 It's the Border Wait App. It's an iOS and Android smartphone app.
01:07:27 So you can monitor the length of time the wait is.
01:07:32 We are on motorcycles so we have the ability to scoot past traffic.
01:07:37 Which is always really awesome. Border crossing right there.
01:07:42 Now normally we would film this whole experience.
01:07:46 But you never know, the law enforcement personnel might not be advocates of that.
01:07:54 So we are going to cross the border here in a minute.
01:07:58 And we will check in with you guys again here shortly.
01:08:02 Thanks for riding with us down in Mexico.
01:08:06 Well folks, we made it. We are back in the Golden State.
01:08:12 Now we just have to put in another 60 miles toward our headquarters near Oceanside, California.
01:08:25 And we will be rocking and rolling.
01:08:29 We'll clean up all the mud on the dirt bike and clean her all up.
01:08:34 And then wrap things off at home base.
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01:11:38 Well folks, we did it. All told, we logged 343 miles on our south of the border KLR650 adventure trip.
01:11:50 And I have to hand it to Kawasaki, this KLR650 definitely lives up to its adventure model name.
01:11:59 During the course of our ride, we averaged right around 43 miles per gallon.
01:12:03 A little bit low in the KLR community, but to be fair, we were doing a lot of high speed riding above 90 miles per hour and up to 100 miles per hour down a hill.
01:12:13 Don't tell anyone. Shh, our little secret.
01:12:17 There's a lot to like about this KLR650. It's super comfortable. It's very capable. It's durable. It's put together well.
01:12:25 And of course the price, but the misreading fuel gauge, the quirky, very far forward foot pegs and the awkward standing position make it a little bit cumbersome, especially off road.
01:12:42 And we are always wondering, are we out of gas? Are we full of gas? Kawasaki really needs to readdress the fuel tank reading system on this bike.
01:12:52 Still, we would absolutely pony up $7,900 for this KLR650 adventure.
01:12:58 It is absolutely worth the extra $1,000 upcharge.
01:13:02 Those lockable and removable hard cases, crash guards, not that we used them, but it's nice to have.
01:13:09 And the fog lights are all very nice features and something that we would pony up if this bike were ours.
01:13:16 Of course, you want to save some money. The $1,600 base KLR650 is always a good option.
01:13:21 And of course you can just do it yourself and save a little bit of money.
01:13:24 Well, folks, that wraps up today's review of this KLR650 adventure.
01:13:30 Make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com. That's where all of our written content comes to life.
01:13:36 Give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it, thumbs it down if you didn't because we love to hear from the naysayers.
01:13:43 And thanks again for riding with Motorcyclist. We'll see you on the next episode.
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