Kawasaki Is Bringing Back A Fan-Favorite Adventure Bike & It's Available In The US

There are a number of entry-level sport bikes, naked bikes, and even a few cruiser-styled motorcycles that offer appeal to new riders without breaking the bank. Adventure bikes, however, aren't typically the territory where you'll find bargain-shopping motorcycle riders. Why? Adventure bikes aren't cheap, and a lot of that comes down to the physical equipment they need to be good bikes in general. Long-travel suspension, thick skid plates, heavy-duty engine protection, and tall windscreens are all part of the package with comfortable and capable off-roaders. But Kawasaki might be able to change the nature of the adventure motorcycle area with its latest U.S. introduction, the 2026 KLE500. 

The KLE was originally around in the United States for over a decade, through most of the 1990s and early 2000s. It was discontinued in 2007, though, and since then, there's been a gap in the adventure bike market just waiting to be filled. Now, the KLE name is back for the global market, including availability here in the United States. The KLE500 looks like it will fit nicely in Kawasaki's lineup, undercutting the returning KLR 650 by a significant margin, and maybe even attracting some new riders to the adventure segment.

Like a few other Kawasaki bikes, the KLE500 uses a 451cc parallel-twin engine (it shares this engine with the Ninja 500 and the Z500). Kawasaki hasn't released power figures for the KLE500 yet, but in the Z500 and the Ninja 500, the parallel-twin engine makes 51 horsepower and 31.7 lb-ft of torque. We expect similar numbers from the KLE500, which should make it powerful enough for highway riding and plenty of dirt-road adventures. There will be two main trim levels for the KLE500: standard and SE (Special Edition). 

The base 2026 KLE500 has an MSRP of $7,249 (including the $650 destination fee). It's built on a steel trellis frame and equipped with a slipper clutch. It rides on IRC GP-410 tires wrapped around a 17-inch rear wheel and a 21-inch front wheel. Seat height is 33.9 inches, which should be okay for most riders, though shorter riders will need to tip-toe a bit at stop lights. 

As is the case with other Kawasaki motorcycles, the SE comes with some added features. With an MSRP of $8,149 (including destinion fee) it adds a three-height adjustable windscreen, LED turn signals, a USB-C charging port, reinforced hand guards to save your knuckles from rock impacts off-road, and a larger skid play to protect the bike from potential engine-piercing debris. The SE also gets a large 4.3-inch rider display. Both the base KLE and the KLE SE come standard with ABS.

For most manufacturers, adventure bikes start at a slightly higher price point than what the KLE is offering, but there are a few affordable options that the KLE500 will have to compete against. One of the strongest rivals for the new KLE500 is the Honda NX500. Starting MSRP for the NX500 is $7,999 (including $600 destination fee) and it has a lot of the same potential as the KLE. The larger and more-capable Honda Transalp is appealing too, but it's priced higher at $10,599 (including destination charge).

The Yamaha Ténéré 700 is a strong choice for adventure riders, but it has more power than the KLE. It's also significantly more expensive, and it's pretty heavy, so it might not be as appealing to budget shoppers or new riders. It uses a large 689cc two-cylinder engine that puts out 72 hp and 50 lb-ft, and it has a starting price of $11,599. 

With that price tag, the Yamaha is probably a bit out of reach for first-time adventure riders. The Suzuki V-Strom 650XT is a bit closer to KLE-500 territory, with a 645cc V-Twin engine and a starting price of $10,399. With a limited number of entry-level adventure bikes to compete against and such an appealing price, the KLE500 could be a winner right out of the box. The only thing left for us to do is test one out and see just how good it is.