Over the past couple of days, the interweb has been spreading rumors of the mighty KLR 650's demise. In recent light, more evidence has suggested this to be true. While the KLR holds a special place in our hearts here at ADVMoto, we can’t help but think what Team Green has up their sleeves. The long running KLR has been a staple in the dual-sport and adventure bike category and surely Kawi won’t leave a space this big in their line-up empty.

If we had to make a solid guess, we’d put our money on an adventure motorcycle based on the Versys 650. For the purposes of this article, we’ll call it the Versys-X 650 or KLE650. Producing this bike makes a lot of sense for Kawasaki if you take several factors into consideration:

• The adventure market is the fastest growing segment in the industry.
• The Versys-X 300 struggles to sell despite it being an excellent introductory adventure touring bike.
• The Yamaha Tenere 700 and KTM 790 Adventure are set to become some of the most desirable adventure bikes for 2019.
• Fuel-injected parallel twin engines are more emissions compliant compared to carb’ed, single counterparts.
• The market is saturated with pre-owned KLR 650s.

If the KLR 650 is replaced with a mid-displacement adventure model, there are a few features we'd like to see. Long travel suspension similar to the travel length of the Versys-X 300 would be sufficient for most buyers. A sturdy frame able to withstand light off-road duty is a must, complete with a full cradle and mounting points for protection like skid plates and crash guards. We're comfortable with the power output of the current Versys 650, but adding a capable off-road electronics package would keep the Versys-X 650 competitive against models we expect to see next year. The muffler would certainly need to be relocated - high enough for ground clearance, but low enough to keep it away from saddlebags. Lastly, but certainly not least,  the bike needs a 21/18 wheel combo.

Of course, all we can do at this point is speculate and we’re sure Kawasaki has something in store to surprise us at this year’s INTERMOT and EICMA. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.

If Kawasaki decides to produce a replacement for the KLR 650, what would you like it to be? Let us know in the comments section below!

Above image sourced from Australian Dirt Bike.