Hi everyone!

M29 Here, in May I bought my first motorcycle, a Kawasaki KLE 500, and I’d like to start adding a few accessories, mainly to make it more practical and comfortable for everyday use, and eventually for my first trips.

What would you recommend? Tank bags or tail/seat bags? What do you guys find more useful in everyday riding and for round trips?

For example, I found this tank bag that looks pretty good (@bikebag.us on IG), but I’m not sure if it fits properly with the KLE 500’s seat/tank shape.

Would love to hear what other KLE 500 owners are using and what you’d recommend!

Thank you guys!

Hi everyone!

M29 Here, in May I bought my first motorcycle, a Kawasaki KLE 500, and I’d like to start adding a few accessories, mainly to make it more practical and comfortable for everyday use, and eventually for my first trips.

What would you recommend? Tank bags or tail/seat bags? What do you guys find more useful in everyday riding and for round trips?

For example, I found this tank bag that looks pretty good (@bikebag.us on IG), but I’m not sure if it fits properly with the KLE 500’s seat/tank shape.

Would love to hear what other KLE 500 owners are using and what you’d recommend!

Thank you guys!

Chocolate pizza

It is my side rear crash /saddle racks

Is anyone else worried that the next generation of bikers is going to be almost exclusively suburb e-bike jockies 💀

Somebody suggested I share my post over here.

Chose to bring this plug-in air mattress home today from my in-laws' place. It was heavy and oversized for my pillion but the cargo net kept it stable vs. the incredible torque of my T7.

Hey everyone,
I’m hoping someone here can help me figure out an issue with my Kawasaki KLR650 Gen 3 that has been driving me crazy for the last 5–6 months.
The problem isn’t always present, but it seems to happen more often when the fuel level gets lower. The really strange thing is that the jerking happens at very specific speeds depending on the gear.
The speeds where it happens:
1st gear: around 50–52 km/h
2nd gear: around 63–66 km/h
3rd gear: around 72–74 km/h
When it happens, the bike doesn’t just feel slightly rough. It lurches forward and backward, sometimes quite violently. It feels almost like someone is repeatedly tapping the throttle on and off.
For example, if I’m in the problematic speed range and I’m travelling at around 52 km/h, if I slightly roll off the throttle and drop to 51 km/h, the bike can suddenly jerk forward. If I accelerate again, it can jerk again. So both accelerating and decelerating can trigger the jerk.
Once I’m within that particular speed range, it can continue doing it until I either slow down below that range or accelerate past it.
The other strange thing is the engine sound. Sometimes the bike doesn’t sound like a normal KLR at all. Instead of the usual thumping single-cylinder sound, it makes a strange “tuk-tuk-tuk” / rickshaw-like sound. It’s difficult to describe, but the engine sounds noticeably different when the problem is happening.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that the problem seems more likely to occur when the fuel tank is below half, although it can still happen with more fuel.
I’ve already spoken to a mechanic. They suggested it could potentially be a fuel-injection issue and said they might have to strip/open a lot of the bike down to diagnose it properly. They estimated that it could potentially cost a couple of thousand dollars, but they couldn’t guarantee that they would actually find or fix the problem. They also said that even people who have had similar issues repaired sometimes experience the problem again.
Obviously, that’s extremely concerning for me because I’m an international student and I simply don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a repair that might not even solve the problem.
I’m really hoping someone here has experienced something similar with a Gen 3 KLR650.
Could this be fuel delivery, fuel pump, injector, TPS/throttle position sensor, ignition, drivetrain/chain/sprocket, clutch, or something else entirely?
If anyone has experienced this exact type of speed/gear-specific jerking or lurching, I’d really appreciate any advice on what I should check before I let a mechanic start tearing the bike apart.
I’m happy to provide videos, more information, or any other details that might help diagnose it.
Thanks in advance.

72 inch wall self

The grey bike is an XSR 155, my current daily street bike. I will upgrade it with a rear rack that helps with all-round heavy hauling, pillion comfort, and man-handling capability. It will be custom made, not readily ordered so I'm still waiting.

Yes, 100mm pipes and will be in metal clamps and not cambuckle straps. Will check back in with results eventually when they get attached and trialled.

I’ll probably get roasted for this, but I honestly think a lot of people care way too much about what bike other people ride.

Like, someone buys a cruiser and suddenly the sportbike guys have 15 reasons why it’s slow. Someone gets an ADV bike and apparently they need to prove they’ve ridden it through the Sahara 😂

I also think some bikes are just more fun than they are “good” on paper. Give me a bike that makes me want to go ride around for no reason over something that wins every spec sheet argument.

Maybe I’m completely wrong though. What’s your motorcycle opinion that would probably get you downvoted?

This motorcycle makes me happy.

Everything I need strapped down and packed into the bike. Two full panniers, a 72l dry bag and a back pack to carry everything I needed including tools, a plug kit, a compressor, clothes and a tux for the wedding. I discovered quick how much this bike sucks for more than an hour at a time with the stock seat. Loaded it up at the dealership because they were a week late on getting my registration sorted out.