Dakar wanabe
Pack Dog
Hi to all.
I have not been to this site for a while and used my trustworthy KLE to comute everyday on a 50km round trip.
Recently I have rediscovered the lost love I had for this bike, long story but will tell anyway!
I was looking for a nice, nible and not to big dual bike to comute and use offroad. I had a 2004 BMW GS650 with the Dakar screen and seat with heated grips. Not a bad bike, but not the bike for me! My back was sore everyday I rode it and it was quite thirsty.
So, I was looking for a new bike when I saw the (then) new KLE at my LBS (Local Bike Store), and was quite chaffed with the price and the looks, and have been told by a friend that the twin should suit me. After a couple of weeks of searching I came across my bike, a '94 KLE 500 with around 28k on it, the owner wanted R15k for it but it fell on the way broke the fairing below the seat. I offered him R12k and got a new bike.
First thing I did on the bike was a respray, I mixed the colours to achieve the looks I wanted and still to keep the originality of the KLE, so I used a 2000 as n model for the paint scheme. I am itching to spray it again, works out much cheaper then a new bike!!!!!!!!!!!
Motor wasn't so hot, so stripped it to the bare and fixed everything I could find that needed fixing. Even resprayed the frame and the motor. But my KLE needed some stuff, i.e airbox, couple of bolts and nuts, bashplate, new exhuast as the orriginal have been cut and welded again.
The head has been done about 14 months ago and it still goes like clock work. A friend generously offered me some spares of his 2005 KLE, after he had a nasty accident. So I acuired the following of his bike that only had around 5000km on.
Bashplate
New exhuast
Front and rear wheels, complete with tires. Got replaced after about 10 000km with Bridgestone TW. The black rims just looks so sweet on the bike!
Complete airbox housing with filter
Carburators
Seat, the old seat was to flat
Couple of this and that, that was old or worn on my bike.
I would like to customize it a bit more, and tweak it a little. After the engine rebuild, I think I know more then Kawasaki himself know about this trusty little bike.
I would also like to make myself a screen, as mine didn't come standard with one. Also want to look into building myself some extra lighting as the standard light is a bit "dof". Also contemplating to build the crash bars, and fiting the high front mudguard. Already fitted a 12v aux supply, next to the ignition switch, and also fitted a 12v direct connection at the rear for charging the battery or connecting stuff! I am also looking for the right side footrest assembly.
I have read through most of the posts and found it very interesting to see so many people loving their KLE's, and it grew on me and I realized why I bought it in the first place!
Thanks to all for the info, keep it comming. See pictures of before and after. And that is oil beneath the bike! Culprit was a leaking oil passage plug and a welded sump! Got also replaced with newer ones from my friend!
BTW, I am keen on putting a group ride together for a couple of days to the NW province, some nice dirt roads, nothing serious. It would be a biginners dream!!
I have not been to this site for a while and used my trustworthy KLE to comute everyday on a 50km round trip.
Recently I have rediscovered the lost love I had for this bike, long story but will tell anyway!
I was looking for a nice, nible and not to big dual bike to comute and use offroad. I had a 2004 BMW GS650 with the Dakar screen and seat with heated grips. Not a bad bike, but not the bike for me! My back was sore everyday I rode it and it was quite thirsty.
So, I was looking for a new bike when I saw the (then) new KLE at my LBS (Local Bike Store), and was quite chaffed with the price and the looks, and have been told by a friend that the twin should suit me. After a couple of weeks of searching I came across my bike, a '94 KLE 500 with around 28k on it, the owner wanted R15k for it but it fell on the way broke the fairing below the seat. I offered him R12k and got a new bike.
First thing I did on the bike was a respray, I mixed the colours to achieve the looks I wanted and still to keep the originality of the KLE, so I used a 2000 as n model for the paint scheme. I am itching to spray it again, works out much cheaper then a new bike!!!!!!!!!!!
Motor wasn't so hot, so stripped it to the bare and fixed everything I could find that needed fixing. Even resprayed the frame and the motor. But my KLE needed some stuff, i.e airbox, couple of bolts and nuts, bashplate, new exhuast as the orriginal have been cut and welded again.
The head has been done about 14 months ago and it still goes like clock work. A friend generously offered me some spares of his 2005 KLE, after he had a nasty accident. So I acuired the following of his bike that only had around 5000km on.
Bashplate
New exhuast
Front and rear wheels, complete with tires. Got replaced after about 10 000km with Bridgestone TW. The black rims just looks so sweet on the bike!
Complete airbox housing with filter
Carburators
Seat, the old seat was to flat
Couple of this and that, that was old or worn on my bike.
I would like to customize it a bit more, and tweak it a little. After the engine rebuild, I think I know more then Kawasaki himself know about this trusty little bike.
I would also like to make myself a screen, as mine didn't come standard with one. Also want to look into building myself some extra lighting as the standard light is a bit "dof". Also contemplating to build the crash bars, and fiting the high front mudguard. Already fitted a 12v aux supply, next to the ignition switch, and also fitted a 12v direct connection at the rear for charging the battery or connecting stuff! I am also looking for the right side footrest assembly.
I have read through most of the posts and found it very interesting to see so many people loving their KLE's, and it grew on me and I realized why I bought it in the first place!
Thanks to all for the info, keep it comming. See pictures of before and after. And that is oil beneath the bike! Culprit was a leaking oil passage plug and a welded sump! Got also replaced with newer ones from my friend!
BTW, I am keen on putting a group ride together for a couple of days to the NW province, some nice dirt roads, nothing serious. It would be a biginners dream!!
