KLV 1000 review

As big trailies go, the KLV is on a par with the Honda Varadero, not quite as good as Aprilia's Caponord and no where near as good as the BMW R1200GS

KLV 1000 review
Category
Engine Capacity
1000cc
Price
£6,345.00
Pros
Fresh orange styling, coupled with proven performance
Cons
Is it really anything other than a cynical rehash?

Kawasaki has taken Suzuki's V-Strom, painted the frame and swingarm black, stuck on a slightly different front fairing with an adjustable screen, changed the mirrors and clocks and painted it orange. That's it, not a sausage more.

This makes it feel very similar to the V-Strom, but ironically for Suzuki, it actually improves the bike. The big V-twin engine is the same TL1000 derived motor as the V-Strom and is the bike's best feature. It thumps out a decent amount of stomp, which makes the KLV surprisingly fast. Low in the rev range it gets lumpy and can feel a bit rough, but get it up and spinning and it's got loads of power. And usefully enough the top gear is very tall, making it a good overdrive.

The riding position is typical big trailie. It's comfortable with high bars and a wide seat that actually feels more padded than the V-Strom's, although my arse may have become more padded since I last rode one. The new Kawasaki clocks are better than the V-Stroms, clearer and with a larger Kawasaki has taken Suzuki's V-Strom, painted the frame and swingarm black, stuck on a slightly different front fairing with an adjustable screen, changed the mirrors and clocks and painted it orange. That's it, not a sausage more.

This makes it feel very similar to the V-Strom, but ironically for Suzuki, it actually improves the bike. The big V-twin engine is the same TL1000 derived motor as the V-Strom and is the bike's best feature. It thumps out a decent amount of stomp, which makes the KLV surprisingly fast. Low in the rev range it gets lumpy and can feel a bit rough, but get it up and spinning and it's got loads of power. And usefully enough the top gear is very tall, making it a good overdrive.

The riding position is typical big trailie. It's comfortable with high bars and a wide seat that actually feels more padded than the V-Strom's, although my arse may have become more padded since I last rode one. The new Kawasaki clocks are better than the V-Stroms, clearer and with a larger

Length (mm)2295
Width (mm)910
Height (mm)1395
Dryweight (kg)208
Seats0
Seat Height (mm)840
Suspension Front43 mm cartridge fork, fully adjustable spring preload
Suspension RearBottom-Link, stepless rebound damping, fully adjustable spring reload
Tyres Front110/80R19 M/C (59H)
Tyres Rear150/70R17 M/C (69H)
Brakes FrontDual floating 310 mm discs, dual twin-piston caliper
Brakes RearSingle 260 mm disc, single-piston caliper
Wheelbase (mm)1535
ChassisTwin-spar, aluminium
Cubic Capacity (cc)996
Bore (mm)98
Stroke (mm)66
Compression Ratio11.3
IgnitionElectronic
CoolingLiquid Cooled
Fuel DeliveryEFI
Stroke TypeFour Stroke
DriveChain

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