KLR 650 news

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2wheels

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A Kawasaki salesman (not in Chiang Mai) told me yesterday that Kawasaki do have a fuel injected engine for their KLR but are undecided about
making it available because many riders prefer the original carby motor. Apparently, according to him, fuel injection is quite a
'country specific' preference.

2014-KLR650_action_a.med_.jpg
 
KTMphil
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Posted earlier by Phil.


"A friend was in Kawasaki, Chiang Mai this morning & they confirmed that they WILL be selling the Kawasaki KLR 650 in Thailand, great news. Will this be the Suzuki V-Strom 650 killer?"​


 
And preceded by this from Phil.

02 Jun 2013, 06:29
#1​

KTMphil
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Fuel injected Kawasaki KLR 650 rumored to be released in Thailand?

I have had 2 people (that don't know each other) mention that a fuel injected Kawasaki KLR 650 is to be released in Thailand maybe by the end of the year, anyone know some definitive facts about this? If so & priced similarly to a Versys, this would be fantastic news.​



 
It will be a huge seller ---- fantastic!!!!!!


Anyone wish to guess the Thai price? I would guess 290,000 Bht
 
DL650 is 350,000 baht and likely to increase.

Versys is, I think, 315,000 baht.

KLR650 will probably be marketed between both at, I will guess, 329,000 without any extras.

Checked Oz prices, which have 'adventure' luggage and 2 year warranty, at equivalent to 246,500 baht.
 
Have read elsewhere that 'can't pass the Thai emission standards' is NOT a factor for the KLR, but seat height might be!
Yet the KLX shares the same seat height! :roll:
 
Not many respondents to 'Motorcycle Thailand's poll mentioned above, but 80% of those who did respond said "yes" they'd buy one "but only if the price is right".
 
Reed was at Kawasaki Chiang Mai today, they told him that the KLR 650 will be released at the beginning of 2014 and will be roughly the same price as a Versys which is 313,000 Bht.
 
Think they have just priced themselves out of the market :naughty:
 
Good 'scoop' Phil and Reed.

Incidentally, just checked price in Oz (imported from Thailand) which is
$7,999 plus statutory charges.
That's about 224,000 baht on the showroom floor.

Kawasaki Thailand 'please explain'.
Maybe the extra cost went in making it 'clean' for Thailand?
Would be good to know the pricing justification/rationale.
 
There might be another factor.

Kawasaki marketing, over the years during personal communications, have always maintained that the KLR650 is 'too dirty for the strict Thai emission standards'.
I believe KLRs have always been carburetted (if that's a word).
Maybe, just maybe, the Thai version will be fuel injected so as to pass those 'strict Thai emission laws'?
Just wondering.
 
2wheels said:
There might be another factor.

Kawasaki marketing, over the years during personal communications, have always maintained that the KLR650 is 'too dirty for the strict Thai emission standards'.
I believe KLRs have always been carburetted (if that's a word).
Maybe, just maybe, the Thai version will be fuel injected so as to pass those 'strict Thai emission laws'?
Just wondering.
Click to expand...

I would be very surprised if it wasnt FI Ron
 
Reed was at Kawasaki Chiang Mai today, they told him that the KLR 650 will be released at the beginning of 2014
Click to expand...

Last Friday some-one senior at CMai Kawasaki told me the KLR will be here "middle of year".
 
Well, it seems that Kawasaki have had a rethink about their KLR650.

Although I was told a few months ago by some-one in Kawasaki management that the bike would be available here in 'mid July' and that it would in fact be fuel injected, a friend went into Kawa Chiang Mai today and was told the KLR650 will not be available in Thailand!

Confusing. Frustrating. :F
 
I can well believe that Ron, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
 
I think that decisions on which models will be imported or manufactured in any specific country are restricted knowledge to senior (or even top) level corporate staff only. Such corporate strategic plans, ideas or even decisions will certainly not be communicated to any local sales staff until that model is going to be released anywhere the next few weeks.

Maybe it is better to restrain our self spreading such rumors and release confirmed and factual knowledge only??
This avoids unnecessary high hopes/disappointments.
 
I see your point Marcel, but when a potential customer (me) asks a Kawa Manager (not Sales Manager) a specific question about a specific bike and, rather than getting the response 'We can not say anything about that', I get a specific response giving the approximate date of availability and also a statement saying it will have EFI it does encourage one to believe the guy knows what he's talking about!

Like many say; 'wait and see'.
 
I wouldn't pay the same for a KLR650 single as I pay for a Versys! Honda does it right - new, simple models for rock bottom prices.
Same with Yamaha; you have to be a real fan to buy an SR400 for more than a CB500R, F or X.
I hope Kawasaki will bring KLR650 - because a year or two later Honda will come out with a new CRF500 or 650 for 10% less! :)
 
2wheels said:
I when a potential customer (me) asks a Kawa Manager (not Sales Manager) a specific question about a specific bike and, rather than getting the response 'We can not say anything about that', I get a specific response giving the approximate date of availability and also a statement saying it will have EFI it does encourage one to believe the guy knows what he's talking about!
Click to expand...
Well I have seen this often in Asia, not only in Thailand. You ask an Asian manager a question he/she has no clue about, he/she will give you a bullshit answer, not a straight "I have no idea". This because he/she needs to prevent loss of face, especially because he/she is a manager!
 
For what it's worth, the same Kawasaki staffer in Chiang Mai (the one who said the KLR would be here last July!)
is now saying that the delay is because the latest model (not EFI) can not pass the Thai emissions tests.
Believe it or not.
 
2wheels said:
For what it's worth, the same Kawasaki staffer in Chiang Mai (the one who said the KLR would be here last July!)
is now saying that the delay is because the latest model (not EFI) can not pass the Thai emissions tests.
Believe it or not.
Click to expand...

Well it's not exactly splitting the Atom you would think some bright spark at KW would have figured out it need's EFI

Sent from my SM-G900F using Forum Runner
 
I asked the manager of the local Yamaha dealership if the MT-07 will come to Thailand and he said: "No."

I believe that! :)
 
Is this the real reason we can't buy a KLR here?

This is from 'Motorcycle Thailand', the guys who really do have local knowledge.

"The 2015 Kawasaki KLR650 was not so long ago introduced in the USA, and the engine technical specifications did not change, it still breaths by a Keihin CVK40 carburetor.

The truth is that the Kawasaki KLR650 can meet Thai exhaust regulations, I know several KLR650's that pass the Thai emission test and are legally on the road in Thailand.
Matter of fact Redbaron in Bangkok has a 2013 Kawasaki KLR650 available with greenbook and all papers 100% legal for 530,000 THB.

The real reason why the Kawasaki KLR650 is not available in Thailand, while it's made here, is that Kawasaki made a deal with BOI (Thai Board of Investment) to sell a certain amount of ER6 (ER6N,
Ninja 650 and Versys 650) motorcycles, to meet this demand / quota Kawasaki cannot have any competition from its own lineup...

With the 2 very successful platforms from Honda the twin-cylinder 500cc and the inline-four 650cc, Kawasaki feels the pressure even more... and I have my doubts that they will introduce the Kawasaki KLR650 which will surely take some market from the Kawasaki Versys 650.

If Kawasaki Thailand doesn't meet its production targets it has to pay more tax, more tax (and not only for what they make for the domestic market). So you see that even we have nothing to do with international motorcycle marketing politics we still suffer from it...

So lets be honest if you marketing at Kawasaki HQ, will you introduce a Kawasaki KLR650 in Thailand and risk the chance that you will make less profit worldwide on Kawasaki's most successful models (the ER6N, Ninja 650 and Versys 650)?"
 
2wheels said:
Kawasaki made a deal with BOI (Thai Board of Investment) to sell a certain amount of ER6 (ER6N,
Ninja 650 and Versys 650) motorcycles, to meet this demand / quota Kawasaki cannot have any competition from its own lineup...
Click to expand...

I wonder if this is really the case, that BOI demands sales quotas on sales of certain specific models.
AFAIK a company applies for BOI status and doesn't "make a deal" about what to sell and what not.
The Thai BOI encourages investments by foreign businesses and offers certain incentives like tax and legal privileges, land ownership, exemption from work permit and visa rules and more.
I've never heard that there are quotas to be met, especially not on specific products over other products. Meaning that as long as Kawasaki sells motorcycles, it doesn't matter what kind.
It would not be a smart strategy by Kawasaki to agree to "a deal" that would limit their ability to expand their model range here in Thailand.

I wonder what the source of the above information is.
 
Matter of fact Redbaron in Bangkok has a 2013 Kawasaki KLR650 available with greenbook and all papers 100% legal for 530,000 THB

I went to RedBaron in july .sticker price was 428K but he said no ulterior discount..cash or not..
 
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