WITH the on going increase in fuel price, you are better off riding a good reliable bike. You will have to for go the comfort of a plush seat and the air conditioning, but you will get to your destination earlier and the best part is you will save a lot in fuel, toll and parking. The only problem with this is that not many have the guts to tackle the local traffic on a bike.
This I believe can be related to your choice of tool. Many of us put looks and style in front of anything else and I think this is just stupid. Why use a blow torch to light up your ciggie when you can get a cheaper and easier Cricket lighter? Now back to the issue, you do not need a hyper sportsbike capable of reaching speeds of 300km/h just to go to your office.
What you need is a trusty bike which is easy to handle and will be around for the next century. That is why you need the Kawasaki KLE500.
The KLE is still a dual purpose bike, but with looks more inclined to a scrambler rather than a commuter. But seriously, I rather have the off road quality than the touring one simply because there are not really many highways around our city. The KLE can still do a short burst on the highways but you will use its off-road inclined suspension more when you start treading the roads in the middle of the city.
Before we delve deeper into the riding bit, let’s see check out the new bits on this old bike.
The first thing you will notice is the new nose. Gone is the old nose which remained unchanged since it was introduce in 1991 and replacing it is something more stylish, with cues taken from the more modern Z1000 “manga” bike. It even comes with that small spoiler thingy which is claimed to reduce air buffeting at high speeds.
Next on the change list is the meter panel. Replacing the old tech gauges are, well, still the old tech gauges but with modern looking face dials and a new clock. Whatever it is, it looks new and trendier. Yes, trendier should be the right word.
Next would be the reshaped seat which is far more comfy for your bums and last but not least, the colour scheme. When I was riding the bike for a week, my neighbours who also ride thought I was trying out a KTM or some Italian bike. Impressed they were when they got to know it was actually the familiar KLE.
I forgot. There is still one more major change to the bike and that would be the emission system. Today’s emission control is a lot tougher and that is why the new KLE has three catalytic converters. Yes, they sap some power from the engine but at least you can now breathe the smoke it churns out (errr…please don’t try it).
One of the advantages of a dual purpose is its casualness. Unlike superbikes where you will look totally wrong wearing an open-face helmet and normal boots, a dual purpose allows you to have a simpler choice of attire. Of course you still can’t wear your sarong and singlet but you don’t need ultra expensive gears to look stylish. Just wear something that gives adequate protection and you will look equally good.
I thank God everyday for my height because thanks to it, I can ride all the roller-coasters in the world. Being a six-footer, I also have an extra edge when it comes to wooing the ladies (and I hope my missus is not reading this). Okay, before Mr. Editor starts knocking on my head, the reason why the sudden change to my height is because the KLE is a tall bike. For those who are envious of my height, you can ask your dealer to change the setting of the suspension so that the rear goes down a bit lower. If that still can’t help, you need to change to a lower seat with less padding.
The KLE provides an upright riding position and the wide handlebars give you extra leverage for more control on the bike. You will use it more often than not when you are traversing the KL’s famous traffic jams. Its height also helps you pass through the vehicles as their wing mirrors are below your handlebars.
You will not be burning rubbers at the stop lights and don’t ever try to provoke a two-stroke kapchai rider because you will lose out to him. Acceleration is rather adequate but the sticky rubbers do allow some fun in the curves as long as you have faith in it.
Attached a top box at the rear and you get instant cargo space. You can even add side panniers if you want to but you will have problems going between the traffic.
There is no point talking about whether can the KLE grind its foot-pegs or whether can you power wheelie the bike because the KLE is simply not that kind of bike. If you have those intentions, prepare to be frustrated. The main reason why there is still market for the KLE is because there is always be a need for an urban bike tough enough to tackle the traffic and the pot holes.
Spare parts and after sales service will not be a problem because there is a KLE in every town in this country. The sole distributor, Kawasaki Sunrock Sendirian Berhad is one of the most experienced bike distributor on this side of the world and sourcing of parts is as easy as giving them a call.
