Kawasaki leaps ahead to its 2022 model-year lineup with a new KLR 650 family. The base model comes with a number of improvements to the engine and electronics, all wrapped up under new bodywork. Fuel injection replaces the carburetor this year to modernize the powerplant along with a new instrument panel and updated lighting. If the base model isn’t exactly as adventure-tastic as you’d like, the factory put together an “Adventure” accessory pack and a touring “Traveler” trim package for a pair of bona fide adventure bikes that are good to go right off the showroom floor.
A liquid-cooled single-cylinder plant on the KLR 650 produces 39.1 pound-feet of torque that comes on fully by 4,500 rpm. It has a 100 mm bore and 83 mm stroke for a total displacement of 652 cc and a mild 9.8-to-1 compression ratio. That’s kind of big for a thumper, but it does put out some respectable torque because of it.
Out with the old and in with the new, the carburetor surrenders its spot to a 40 mm throttle body and its electronic fuel injection for the induction control. The injector tips have ten holes for effective fuel atomization, 60 microns to be exact.
Dual over-head cams time the poppets with new grinds on both the intake and exhaust lobes to improve the mid-range. As for emissions, an oxygen sensor and exhaust catalyst take care of business to meet U.S. requirements.
An updated clutch couples engine power to the five-speed transmission that trades its ball bearings for tougher roller bearings this year. The overall drive ratio in top gear turns out a KLR650 top speed around 95 mph.
The bodywork on the KLR650 is almost entirely new with an updated shroud, side cover, and tail cowling, all built around a bright new LED headlight and re-imagined taillight and blinkers. Taller mirror standoffs improve your visibility to the rear, and to finish off the package, a new LCD instrument panel bundles all of the pertinent metrics together in one well-visible, white-backlit screen.
The updated ergonomics include tuned hand- and foot-control positions with rubber isolation mounts to lessen the vibes felt by the rider. Long-range comfort remains a front-burner issue in the saddle that rocks a new shape and comes covered by new material.
New pillion J.C. handles improve your passenger’s comfort. A taller windshield increases the size of the wind pocket along with stock handguards for a final comfort boost.
Also new for this model year, a larger, 6.1-gallon fuel tank is sure to leave you passing more gas stations than you stop at, and is plenty for some fairly serious off-road adventures to boot. In profile, the KLR 650 range displays an adventure-typical flyline with undeniable off-road chops.
The factory builds on this platform for its “Adventure” submodel with stock foglights and hard panniers. As an alternative, the “Traveler” sports a top case instead with both DC and USB outlets to power/charge your mobile devices on the road. I call all three of them capable commuters, though a bike with both top case and side cases would be even better.
The forward section of the KLR 650 frame remains the same with a semi-double cradle configuration in high-tensile steel tubing, but the rear frame section is new. With it comes a new swingarm complete with a new larger-diameter swingarm pivot shaft. Laced wheels – ever the favorite of off-road riders – round out the rolling chassis with tougher metal making up the rims this year.
Rake and trail measure 30 degrees and 4.8 inches over a 60.6-inch wheelbase for some steering stability and decent tracking. If you were wondering if this was the real deal or the bike equivalent of the soccer mom’s SUV, the suspension travel and knobby wheel sizes should tell the tale.
The front hoop leads the way in a large, terrain-busting 90/90-21 ahead of a 130/80-17, and the suspension travel is 7.9 inches and 7.3 inches on the front and rear respectively. Yeah, that’ll soak up some punishment to be sure, right along with the new large diameter axles.
The larger 300 mm front brake disc diameter provides even more stopping power where it matters most. A twin-piston caliper bites the front disc with a single-pot anchor and 240 mm disc out back. ABS protection all around on the model with ABS.
The price range is as varied as the lineup. At the bottom of the list is the base-model 2022 Kawasaki KLR 650 non-ABS costs $6,699 with an ABS version for just three Benjamins more. The topcase-equipped Traveler fetches $7,399 MSRP while the pannier-equipped Adventure model gets the top ticket at $7,999.
Nowadays, it’s a crowded ADV bike field. However, I think the V-Strom 650 from domestic competitor Suzuki makes a good match.
Looks matter, even in a performance-driven genre like this one. Suzuki puts together a nice-looking ride with an aggressively pointed visage leading the way ahead of the typical fuel-tank hump. A vented windscreen makes for a small wind pocket but the V-Strom rolls without handguards so it falls behind in that respect.
Suzuki gets some back with its preload and rebound-damping features. It relies on a 645 cc V-twin engine instead of a thumper and is arguably a smoother engine as far as engine vibration goes. The trade-off leaves Kawi the torquier of the two.
It gets worse for Suzuki at the checkout. The V-Strom 650 rolls with ABS for $8,904, a price that leaves a lot of cheddar on the table against the KLR 650 ABS.
“The rebuild seems to be sufficient to call it a “new” model even though most of the newness is under the hood. I’m digging the various trim models as well, though again, I’d want both the hard bags and the top case for my adventure riding and grocery-getting missions. I could do without the dirtbike-style front fender, but whatcha gonna’ do?”
My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “It was sad when Kawasaki dropped the KLR 650 from the lineup two years ago. It was a reliable, capable dual-sport that people either loved or hated. It was virtually unchanged for decades, which isn’t always a bad thing. Fuel-injection haters were happy to still have a carbureted model out there, though folks thought of it more as a commuter than a proper off-roader and a perfectly good bike for beginners.”
“This update shows that Kawi realizes people want more than a commuter and it steered the updates more toward an adventure bike. The new model has a bigger front brake, fatter rear brake, bigger fuel tank, retuned suspension, bigger windscreen, more comfortable seat, and a host of other little tweaks and changes that make it more tour-tastic than it was before. Yeah, we’re finally getting beyond a commuter dual-sport into a proper adventure-esque ride.”
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