Just a rumour so far: will Kawasaki be unveiling a KLE650 in Milan?

The irony of this rumour is that we had actually expected a 650cc twin-cylinder touring enduro to be unveiled at EICMA 2025. Instead, Kawasaki unveiled the KLE500 as early as October 2025. The KLE500 has now been available since early 2026, and rumours of a KLE650 are flaring up again, particularly after a model with that designation was registered in Australia.

Kawasaki has had a suitable technical basis in the Versys 650 since 2007. Since then, the mid-range off-road touring enduro segment has boomed: Yamaha has had a bestseller in its range in the form of the Ténéré 700 since 2019, Honda followed suit with the Transalp, whilst KTM and Chinese manufacturers are now carving out a slice of this pie for themselves. So it seems almost logical that, after a few years of hesitation, Kawasaki is turning the Versys 650 touring supermoto into an off-road touring enduro.

The current version of the Versys 650 delivers 67 PS at 8,500 rpm and 51 Nm at 7,000 rpm, with a kerb weight of 219 kg when fully fuelled. This means the Kawasaki twin-cylinder engine falls short by a manageable 6 PS compared to the class benchmark, the Yamaha Ténéré 700. The difference is more dramatic when it comes to weight, as the Ténéré is significantly lighter at 205 kg with a full tank. For comparison, here are the key figures for the KLE500: 45 PS at 9,000 rpm, 42 Nm at 6,000 rpm, and 194 kg with a full tank.

This brings an end to the speculation, for which there is no official confirmation from Kawasaki whatsoever, only an Australian type approval, which usually precedes the market launch at dealerships by a few months. The timing suggests a 2027 model year, at least for the Australian market; there is currently no information available for Europe.

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