What's Under Those Riding Pants? — Is the KLR650 Extinct?
Image: Walt Fulton
Jeans, Outdoor Pants, Long Underwear, Shorts or Boxers… Does it Matter?
Walt Fulton
What do you choose to wear underneath your riding pants? And does that choice affect the protection you are getting from your gear?
Walt Fulton is the lead instructor at Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops. He’s logged on over 1,000,000 miles of motorcycling on the road and track. He’s also been the editor of three major motorcycle magazines, a moto journalist, a BMW Legends racer and a professional motorcycle accident reconstruction expert. Walt was a featured rider on the documentary “On Any Sunday”.
Is the KLR650 Gone For Good?
It all started with what appears to be a leaked letter that Kawasaki was said to have sent to their dealers in September, giving them a heads up that the KLR650 was being discontinued. 2018 is supposed to be the final year of production. Interesting is that Kawasaki doesn’t show the KLR650 in their motorcycle lineup for 2019 on their websites. They didn’t unveil a 2019 KLR650 at the AIMExpo last weekend and there are four new models waiting to be unveiled at the EICMA which runs November 8-11.
Image: Zac Kurylyk
The KLR650, an inexpensive dual-sport bike for riders looking to hit both dirt and pavement, has been around since 1987. Lving a good long life for over 30 years, it’s only being completely redesigned once in 2008. The iconic KLR650 has been popular with riders in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa. Because of emission regulations it isn’t sold in European countries.
If the KLR is discontinued, it doesn’t really come as any surprise, with emissions standards becoming more stringent all the time. We talked about the end of the big singles a couple years ago with moto journalist, Zac Kurylyk. He theorized that the 650 thumpers or large single cylinder adventure bikes were on the verge of disappearing form the manufacturers lineups. Listen to that episode here: Is it the End of the 650 Single Cylinder?
If the KLR650 really is on it’s way out, what will Kawasaki have in store for us as a replacement? Or will they replace it at all?
Zac Kurylyk is the Assistant Editor and News Editor at Canada Moto Guide and a Contributor to AdvMoto and Inside Motorcycles.
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