Kawasaki KLE500 SE Smartride: a touring enduro that pulls away without the clutch

On 15 October 2026 Kawasaki widened the KLE500 family of touring enduros. Alongside the standard bike and the SE there is now an SE Smartride. The main point is a clutch that engages itself when you pull away and disengages itself when you stop.

How does it work? A compact centrifugal clutch is built inside the ordinary clutch. You can pull away and stop without touching the lever, so there is less chance of stalling in traffic or on a gravel climb. On the move the gears change as usual, with the lever and the pedal. The system is entirely mechanical, with no electronics. Honda has something similar on the NX500, the E-Clutch, and BMW on the F 450 GS, the Easy Ride Clutch.

The rest is familiar from the KLE500 SE: a twin-cylinder engine of 451 cc and 45 hp, a 21-inch front wheel, a colour screen and a tall screen. What is new is tubeless tyres on spoked wheels and a wider rear tyre, 150/70-17. On power the motorcycle sits inside the limit for an A2 licence.

There is one colour: Pearl Blizzard White. In Germany the model costs €8,195 ready for sale, €500 more than the ordinary SE. The Estonian dealer Motodepoo already lists the new bike, but the price is not given yet.

The main figures. Engine: inline twin, DOHC, 8 valves, liquid-cooled, 451 cc. Power: 33.4 kW (45 hp) at 9,000 rpm. Torque: 42.6 Nm at 6,000 rpm. Clutch: Smartride, a mechanical self-engaging clutch, a centrifugal clutch inside the ordinary one, with a 6-speed gearbox. Suspension: a 43 mm upside-down KYB fork, 210 mm of travel; Uni-Trak at the rear, 200 mm of travel. Brakes: a 300 mm disc at the front, 230 mm at the rear, ABS. Wheels: spoked, tubeless tyres 90/90-21 and 150/70-17. Weight ready to ride: 199 kg. Seat height: 870 mm. Tank: 16 litres. Fuel use, according to Kawasaki: 4.0 l/100 km. The price in Estonia has not been announced. At Motodepoo the model is in the catalogue without a price, with a button that says ask for a delivery time.