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Kawasaki KLR650 Gen1 vs Gen 2: 10 Major Differences
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Nov 15, 2022
The Kawasaki KLR650 has been around since 1987. The Gen1 KLR650 lasted from 1987 to 2007, after which the Gen2 took over until 2018. There are many small differences between the Gen1 and Gen2 KLR650, but both can pretty much do the same things equally well. Here are 10 of the more important differences. Check out my KLR shirt: https://www.redbubble.com/people/fsteyn/works/75179904-klr650-riders-knows-something-other-bike-owners-dont?asc=u #KLR650 #KawasakiKLR #KLR Doohikey upgrade: https://www.eaglemike.com/ Progressive fork springs: http://klr650.com/Progressive08.htm For more bike related stuff, check out https://adventurebiketroop.com/
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0:00
So Kawasaki has been manufacturing the KLR 650 since 1987
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There were basically two models, the generation 1 from 1987 to 2007 and then from 2008 to
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2018 the generation 2. In this video we are going to look at the 10 major differences between the gen 1 and
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gen 2 KLR 650. Hi, I'm Francois and in this video we are going to chat about the main differences between
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the Gen 1 KLR 650 and the Gen 2 KLR 650. Now they look very different but in reality they are not
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that different. It's the same engine, there's a lot of stuff on the bikes, it's the same, they can do
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the same thing, it's not more powerful or anything and if you look around online it's very difficult
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to find all the small little differences. Now I've owned two of the Gen 1 KLRs, I've had a C model
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and A model. I've ridden the Gen 2 KLR many times, different bikes, but it's very difficult to find
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all the little differences and that's what we're going to look at here. Now, I'm not a KLR expert
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by any means, so there are some of you I know that will know way more than I do, so if I make a
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mistake, please comment below, or if there's other differences that's important to know of
1:20
Please comment that below as well. So the Gen 1 KLR was manufactured from 1987 until 2007. I had a 2007 model, Gen 1, the very last ones. And then from 2008 until 2018, they made the Gen 2 model. So for 20 years, the Gen 1, 10 years, the Gen 2. And now in 2021, we have the Gen 3. We're just going to chat about the Gen 1 and Gen 2
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the first and most obvious difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 KLR 650s are
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the comfort mods or the comfort upgrades that they make so it's a taller screen
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a bigger fairing there's a more comfortable bigger seat the luggage rag
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is slightly bigger but that doesn't really change the bike the only downfall
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of this for me for the Gen 2 is that if you crash the bike there's more damage
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to it because of that fairing and it's a hard plastic versus the old KLR that
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had soft plastic just small little wind deflectors on the tank so I dropped my KLR the Gen 1 many times and just cable tied it back on but a Gen 2 if you crash it there will be more damage
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and will be more expensive to fix. Now that said it doesn't mean you can't ride
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comfortably on a Gen 1 I didn't have a taller windscreen I rode with my wife
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many thousand kilometers on the back and we could stick with a Gen 2 KLRs and
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even guys on BMWs and KTM's if you stick to the speed limit there's nothing wrong
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the Gen 1 can do 140 kilometers per hour very easily all day long so it's not a
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big difference and it's not a reason to to get rid of a Gen 1 to get a Gen 2
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just for the comfort. The second difference between the Gen 1 and the Gen 2
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KLR650 is probably the biggest difference or the most meaningful difference and that is that the Gen 2 KLR from 2008 had an alternator instead of a generator
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So that means you cannot start the bike without the battery. For the old model you could run the
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bike without the battery so if the battery is completely dead you can still push start and get
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away. With the Gen 2 you are stuck if your battery dies completely and that could be a deal breaker
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for many people especially if you go off the beaten track. I've never had a problem ever with
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a battery on my KLR but that's something to consider and something that I actually didn't know
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before doing this research. Number three, this is also something that I didn't know
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is that the Gen 2 KLR has shorter springs, much shorter springs with a very long spacer in the
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forks whereas the gen 1 had a much longer spring. Now I remember I replaced my old gen 1 fork
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springs with progressive springs and you can do the same with the gen 2 and many people do these
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mods because the springs or the shocks in the front is not that great even in the rear so this
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is not a major issue if you're going to do the upgrades anyways but it's worth it knowing this
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if you want looking at a Gen 2. Then number 4, this is also probably a biggish difference, is the weight
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The Gen 2 is quite a bit heavier than the Gen 1
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and then the Gen 3 now is even more heavier well a lot more heavier than the Gen 2 The Gen 1 the weight is difficult to find I read online anything from 412 to 420 pounds weight weight The tank size of the Gen 2 is the same so we can compare weight weight with
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weight weight. The Gen 3 is 432 pounds, so it's between 10 and 20 pounds heavier than the Gen 1
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I remember my Gen 1 didn't feel that heavy, so that is definitely a consideration
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Number 5, the ground clearance. The Gen 1 had 9.4 inches of ground clearance
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The Gen 2 is 8.3 inches, so it's about an inch shorter or lower than the Gen 1
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The Gen 1 is loved because it's more capable off-road, because it's lighter and because
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of the better suspension and the ground clearance. So that is one of the reasons why people prefer the Gen 1 to the Gen 2
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And then obviously there's plastics that can damage if you crash it. The sixth difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 KLR 650 is the swing arm
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Now the first generation KLR had a box swing arm. Very simple, square or rectangular tube swing arm
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And then they went for this, I don't know whether it's cast or molded swing arm
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I'm not sure what the difference is or why they did it or what the advantage or disadvantage is
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but for some reason on the Gen 3, the 2021 model, they went back to the old box shape swing on
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Anyways, that's maybe just a look thing. I'm not sure. Then number seven, the dash of the Gen 2 KLR is very different
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It's a built-in dash, almost like a car with these two big og dials for the speed
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and the taco I don't very much like it the older one was much simpler and had a
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just a more classic look the new one has this cursive italic numbering on it as
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well that just looks tacky but anyways a lot of people complain about it but
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it's it's a no it's a non-issue really they both show the same things but it's
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just something that you have to look at it all day long I just like the old one
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The eighth difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 KLR 650 is the disc brakes or the rotors
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The Gen 1 had solid discs whereas the Gen 2 had the petal shaped discs and as far as I can understand it is that the petal discs dissipate heat better so there less fade but the
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solid discs or the round discs stop as better stopping power but over time it
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will fade more because of the heat but with the Gen 3 they went back to the
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the solid ones the non petal shaped discs so it was probably better I'm not
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please comment below if you know more and then number nine differences between
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the gen 1 and gen 2 KR 650 is the doohickey or the balancing
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balancer's chain tension mechanism lever was upgraded or it was a slightly
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thicker or bigger I've seen the difference between the two maybe I'll
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post the photo if I can find one and but it didn't fix the problem altogether I
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I still know of people who had problems with Gen 2 doohickey braking, and it's still something
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we're looking to see whether it was fixed on the third generation KLR650
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So, it's still a problem. They did do some tweaks to it or design a new one, but it's still not the best one
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They should just do the Eagle Mic upgrade. Just buy it from him and put that in, then we don't have to worry about it anymore
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Anyways, still something to know. And then finally, the tenth thing, and this is probably the most important thing when buying
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a gen 1 versus a gen 2 kalr 650 is the looks i like the look of the first one i don't particularly
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dislike the look of the second one um but this is i think the gripe for most people is the way it
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looks they just don't like the look of the second one that's weird funny sharp beak and the headlight
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that looks like almost like a sport bike the old one has a more classic look i like the look of the
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first one but in all honesty if I get a KLR again I might even go for the Gen 2
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just to to own it for a bit because I've had the Gen 1 and I loved it so yeah in
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the end when you decide between the two the real thing is get on the bike see
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which one you like best which one you get the best deal on they're both awesome bikes and they're all both basically the same you can do the same
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upgrades to each bike so not much in it please let me know if you have any other
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other differences or if I made a mistake in this and comment below and give this video
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a like so more people can see it and I'll see you next week
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