Kawasaki KLE650 SE could be another adventure bike for 2027
A new Kawasaki KLE650 SE has appeared in Australian type-approval documents, hinting that the revived KLE could be about to get a bigger sibling.
Kawasaki looks to be working on another adventure bike for 2027, because apparently you can never have too many ADVs under one roof!
The Japanese manufacturer has already revived the KLE name with its new KLE500 in 2026, but a recently spotted Australian type-approval listing suggests a larger KLE650 SE could be joining the range next year.
The paperwork, dated October 16, identifies a machine carrying the LE650L type designation and the model name KLE 650 (SE), according to German publication Motorrad.
There is no official announcement from Kawasaki yet, so exactly what the new model will look like, or where it will sit in the range, remains unclear. However, the registration does give us a fairly substantial clue that the firm could be planning to expand its true adventure bike offering beyond the 500cc class.
The KLE name carries a lot of weight for Kawasaki, with the original KLE500 arriving in 1991 as a middleweight twin-cylinder machine with a 21-inch front wheel and an emphasis on versatility.
Kawasaki brought the name back for its latest KLE500, which combines a 451cc parallel-twin engine with a chassis designed for both road riding and light off-road use.
A larger KLE would make sense as a step up for riders wanting more capacity, although it would also put Kawasaki into a busy part of the adventure market.
The existing Versys 650 already covers the road-focused touring side of the equation, with its 649cc parallel-twin engine and 17-inch wheels, leaving room for a more dirt-friendly machine if Kawasaki chooses to go down that route.
The obvious question is whether the KLE650 SE would use the familiar 649cc parallel-twin engine found in the Ninja 650 and Versys 650, or whether Kawasaki has something else planned.
That engine looks like a plausible candidate, but nothing in the type-approval listing confirms the specification, chassis or wheel sizes.
For now, talk of a 21-inch front wheel, long-travel suspension or a more direct challenge to bikes such as the Yamaha Ténéré 700 remains speculation. It also begs the question: if Kawasaki is giving riders a stepping stone beyond the KLE500, where is the next step up after the KLE650? The Versys 1100 is Kawasaki’s range-topping adventure-style machine, although its wheels are honed firmly for riding on asphalt.
If Kawasaki really wants to create a full-circle adventure bike range, a large-capacity option with true off-road credentials, like the Triumph Tiger 1200 or BMW R1300 GS, would be the cherry on top.
Whatever happens with this story, it's clear that Kawasaki doesn’t appear to be putting all its adventure eggs in one pannier.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
