Theoretical perfect bike

[A_morti]

Because the KLE 500 is a 30 year old design, it probably costs less to make the EX500 engine than it does the CRF, there's at least 4 current Kawasakis with engines based on it

The CRF engine is basically identical to my 2011 CBR250R. It has been used in the cbr250/300, crf250/300L/M/rally; Rebel 300, CB300F, CB300R, CL300, and 250cc variants of each of those bikes for Asian markets. I reckon they've had the tooling money back on it by now.

Apart from the engine going up to 300cc and recently adding an LED headlight, the CRF has been basically the same since introduced in 2012.

The KLE however has a brand new chassis and bodywork. The r&d is definitely not yet amortised.

The KLE's engine is used in the z500, ninja 500, and eliminator 500 and maybe also those hybrids, but it has nothing to do with the ex500 and gpz500. Rather it's a bored out ninja 400, which was a brand new engine in 2017 replacing the ninja 300 which was a bored out ninja 250 which had existed since the 1986 gpx250. They definitely got their money's worth on the 250 but I guess the 400/450 might still owe them something.

[A_morti]

Zee Germans already got a press junket report published.
https://www.1000ps.de/testbericht-id-30 ... in-spanien

They seem to like it bar a couple of small niggles, which won't bother me at all.
Ground clearance - bit low but not an issue in how it'll actually be ridden.
Screen not useful (but seems he didn't manage to adjust it).
Rear tyre 140/70-17 is a rare size and may make it hard to fit knobbly tyres.
Factory optional akrapovic not loud enough.
Footpegs not big enough for standing up for long.

[IccyV2]

Perfect bike for what?

The perfect bike for me at Three Sisters race track is a 250cc four stroke motocross bike turned into a GP45 type thing.
For a long time I think the record was held by a bloke on an RS125.

Perfect bike for me to travel to the south of France would be something big and wafty, lots of comfort and protection from wind/chill factor.

It's purpose specific.

[Yorick]

Perfect bike for what?

The perfect bike for me at Three Sisters race track is a 250cc four stroke motocross bike turned into a GP45 type thing.
For a long time I think the record was held by a bloke on an RS125.

Perfect bike for me to travel to the south of France would be something big and wafty, lots of comfort and protection from wind/chill factor.

It's purpose specific.

I raced there a few times. Proper Mickey Mouse circuit.
Made Flookburgh look like Le Mans

[IccyV2]

Brilliant on a Gran Prix 125cc, or even a 250 but not a TZ, something like a RGV or maybe a YPVS.
I won on a 1978 RS125cc pukka ex-GP bike raced back in 1978.

My sponsors had a few ex-GP bikes including an ex-sheene RG500, I got a loan of the 125 and raced it in Forgotten Era and the regular classes at Three Sisters because the speed wasn't the critical factor. It got written off at Darley Moor on Park Bend when I was leading race 1, snapped the frame, my right leg and right wrist. It ended my 1991 season.

[KungFooBob]

I got my best result, 2nd overall and first in class at a very wet Three Sisters on my Racing Death 250.

[A_morti]

Perfect bike for what?
It's purpose specific.

That's covered in page 1.

TL;DR - for riding around Malta with all its potholes (we all say the roads are shit where we live, but this place makes it an art form), with a comfy back seat with good handholds that'll carry a big topbox well, lightweight for easy riding in traffic (200kg wet ok. 150kg better), reliable (e.g. KTM's 390 adventure is interesting but it's not a good time to invest in them), not Chinese. Bonus points for 350cc or less due to low road tax, must be A2 compliant (not for me having a limited license but because there's nowhere on the island where you can legally go over 50mph so what's the point).

Think that's the whole brief.

A Versys 300 seems perfect but they quit making them and they're rare here. One recently came up for sale but the price is silly and anyway I'd rather buy brand new.
https://www.facebook.com/share/173NeoA243/

[IccyV2]

Ahh sorry, probably a Honda Grom then, but my daughter swapped hers for a Yamaha electric scooter and prefers it, so I'd probably get an EV scooter.

[A_morti]

Ahh sorry, probably a Honda Grom then, but my daughter swapped hers for a Yamaha electric scooter and prefers it, so I'd probably get an EV scooter.

The KLE500 only has a quarter inch more ground clearance than a Grom, but I suspect the suspension and 21" front wheel will do better at potholes.

Electric scooter not so much, but a sur-ron would be fun. I consider them more of a chunky e-bicycle than an actual motorcycle though, and you're certainly not putting a top box on it.

[IccyV2]

Hers is a Yamaha that looks like a traditional scooter, it’s chunky not a bicycle with a motor. She has a top box and it has good internal storage.
She uses it to commute to work and it’s perfect for that because of traffic and reducing traveling time, although I still wish she’d use one of the cars.

[matt]

The cfmoto 450 Mt seems to get globally superb reviews and is proving to be reliable from what I've seen. Is it not worth considering one ?

[A_morti]

The cfmoto 450 Mt seems to get globally superb reviews and is proving to be reliable from what I've seen. Is it not worth considering one ?

I imagine the internet will soon be full of CF-Moto 450 ibex Vs. KLE500 Vs. Nx500 group tests. I imagine they'll all declare the nx best for paved roads, the CFmoto best for real off roading and the KLE a good middle ground.

Trouble is even if it's good and even if I think that pink and turquoise colour scheme is aces, I just don't want a Chinese motorcycle.

[matt]

Fair enough, I keep thinking about getting one myself and a couple of the others ,but I m also a bit sceptical about buying a Chinese bike .
I wish that Drz was a bit cheaper.

[A_morti]

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17zNtz3QwM/

The local Kawasaki dealer just announced they're expecting stock of the KLE 500SE in 15 days! Starting from 6,350€ including subsidies. That's €750 back from the government for buying an A2 bike, and €1,000 for scrapping a ten year old car (scrapyards sell suitable logbooks for €300).

So, that's €8,100 cash price on the day. In context, that's €1,100 more than the same bike costs in Italy.

In Italy, the Kawasaki KLE 500SE is €400 cheaper than a Honda nx500, while here it's €500 dearer.

Well, that's my chips pissed on. I can still afford one, but I can't quite stomach that deal

Meanwhile the CFmoto 450mt is €6,950 here and it comes with a 270° crank, even more suspension, an exhaust you wouldn't look at with disappointment every day, and a rack... all as standard equipment.

[The Spin Doctor]

I raced there a few times. Proper Mickey Mouse circuit.
Made Flookburgh look like Le Mans

Went to Three Sisters once. I thought it was the car park access path!

[Supermofo]

There are some good deals on the CFMoto 800NK I saw a few weeks back, reviews are positive as well, although looks are a little challenging. Sounds like it doesn't have the chocolate cams of the early 790/890 either.

[Dodgy69]

https://ebay.us/m/EwHElP

[tricol]

I sort of hope that I own one with the Tracer. It's sporty, it can tour, it's comfy, had enough tech, and it's exciting enough to make me laugh in my helmet. But that last bit is subjective, and just being on a great road does that for me. The only negative is perhaps it's looks.

[Bustaspoke]

The perfect bike for me at Three Sisters race track is a 250cc four stroke motocross bike turned into a GP45 type thing.
For a long time I think the record was held by a bloke on an RS125.

That bloke on a 125 was probably Casey Stoner,he held the lap record for a few years.

These days,the perfect bike for me would be fairly simple,I don't want lots of tech,just ABS & FI. A Japanese V-Twin that made around 80-90 HP,with a fat midrange & 225 mile range,weighed under 200KG fully fueled & had enough room to throw some camping gear onboard would get me interested in going back to the dealers.

[Supermofo]

These days,the perfect bike for me would be fairly simple,I don't want lots of tech,just ABS & FI. A Japanese V-Twin that made around 80-90 HP,with a fat midrange & 225 mile range,weighed under 200KG fully fueled & had enough room to throw some camping gear onboard would get me interested in going back to the dealers.

That'd interest me too. But I suspect the only way that's happening is tuning that new SV750 thing and putting it on a diet. And giving it a bigger tank.

The closest would be the Hornet 750 I'd guess, but that sounds top endy to make it's power and looks...hmm. Plus its a parallel twin. GSX8S get's close ish on power but not V-twin and heavy.

Prilla get close but not sure I'd risk them and you won't get room or 200 miles out of a tank.