KLR650

Great bikes....now comes all the fun with the mods. Then later on down the road, the 685 kit goes in....

Have a great time with your thumpper.

 

There is an Adventure model from Kawasaki which comes with auxiliary lights and too tiny hard bags.
I got the standard model with ABS and added heated grips from Kawasaki.
The wiring harness now comes with plugs for the grips, USB socket, cigarette socket and the auxiliary lights.
Once you add the relay all these plugs are activated with the key.
I have side pannier racks ordered for soft bags and need to install a top box and the power outlets.
I look at the crash bars guys like to install and shake my head.
$500 in additional weight to save plastic side panels new for $200, or just live with the scratches.
I ride these things for what they are.

The 685 kits really don't add any perceptible power.
They were a thing to cure the 2008 models (1st of the Gen 2's) which had poor ring sealing and heavy oil consumption.

 

I'm heading to Australia next month from NZ for a week riding and camping in the Victoria high country and riding a Gen 2 KLr650, same bike which last year took me 7500km Melbourne to Cairns return over 12 days, It doesn't do anything spectacularly well but it does do everything, I like them, a few suspension improvements wouldn't go amiss and would transform them

 

Simmy, you are all over making that bike yours already. Yes you are probably right on the 685 mod, I had a second gen and then went back to a first gen and did the mod. Big différance on the fist gen bikes.

I, too, would stay away from the crash bars, adventure bikes wear some scratches like a badge of honor, imho.

I have read the Kaw listened to their customers and finally did a bunch of mods to the engine at factory. Or should I say change the motors at factory so all the mods didn't have to be done. That will be nice for a change.

Enjoy the hell out of the new bike. Might have a month of riding on select days in my area, hope you have longer.

 

I'd still fit crash bars to protect engine casings. The bodywork, not so much.
You can always get home with a tie-wrap or two holding things in place, but not with a hole in the end case.

 

The motor is already tucked in pretty tight on these things.
Back in my younger days we used to get deep into the bush with our Gen 1 KLR's, just never seen this happen.

 

Australia, Victoria high country, Randalls track, near Dargo, the crash bars are definitely needed, I'd just picked it up