BMW F 450 GS vs. KLE500 SE 2026 off-road and touring test

Servus from the Menina Planina! This small alpine pasture landscape in northern Slovenia is our base camp for a comparison that's meant to be more than just matching up spec sheets. We're riding the BMW F 450 GS and the Kawasaki KLE500 SE, both new for 2026, hundreds of kilometres on- and off-road from Austria to Slovenia. Behind the camera is Carlos, who had to take a year off after a battered ankle on his first off-road tour with me. Now comes attempt number two. Different riders, different experience and two bikes whose core philosophies are further apart than their shared A2 status would suggest. Where does the concept help on the road, and where does its own image get in the way?

Even standing still, the Kawasaki KLE500 looks more like a big adventure bike. At my 1.85 metres, the front reaches well up towards my chest, plus there's the tall windscreen and a wide handlebar on hefty risers. You sit extremely upright and relaxed, more like on a big machine than on a supposedly small entry-level bike. On the motorway ride out, I appreciate this layout. The wind protection suits me better than the BMW's, and even on long stages the KLE never feels like a compromise. Its 16-litre tank and our consumption of under five litres per 100 kilometres match this touring character. In the twisties, the wide bar still lets you swing it nicely through the bends, even if the soft suspension and somewhat spongy brakes call for a more relaxed pace.

The BMW is built noticeably lower. The new GS face with the X headlight looks more compact, the front doesn't rise steeply from the seat and the whole machine feels more accessible. The short wheelbase of 1,465 millimetres suits its agility in city traffic and on tighter trails. For shorter riders, that's a fine thing. Carlos, who is under 1.70 m, especially appreciates the 845-millimetre seat height when he comes to a stop off-road. For me, the other side shows: standing up, the handlebar is too low. We rotate it upwards, but I'm still not entirely happy with it, and the front gets a little more nervous. For tall riders, suitable risers make sense. Anyone heading towards 1.90 metres or beyond should test-sit the little GS especially thoroughly and try it standing up too.

The compact build has another price on the motorway: behind the BMW windscreen I get noticeably louder turbulence. That doesn't make the ride out unpleasant yet, but the Kawasaki shields me better. On weight, the advantage goes to the BMW again. According to the manufacturer it weighs 178 kilograms wet weight, while Kawasaki currently quotes 195 kilograms wet weight. That doesn't change the basic picture: the GS is the lighter bike. Its tank holds 14 instead of 16 litres, but it also feels smaller and more nimble overall.

For the engine, Kawasaki falls back on the familiar 451cc parallel twin from the Z500 and Ninja 500 family. A modular approach is nothing reprehensible in itself, and the KLE is a thoroughly solid bike. With its 45 hp, though, it needs considerably more revs than the BMW for brisk progress. And the header routing wasn't adapted compared with the 500 road models either. That leads to probably the most frequently criticised point of the new KLE: ground clearance. The 185 millimetres really aren't generous and suit road bikes more than Kawasaki's advertising slogan "Life's a Rally. Ride it!". At least 210 millimetres of travel at the front and 196 at the rear plus a 21-inch front wheel are more fitting and quite usable prerequisites for rough tracks. It's just that a big front wheel alone doesn't make a rally racer.

BMW, on the other hand, puts a newly developed 420cc parallel twin on wheels. The 135-degree crankpin offset gives the engine its own character, and with 48 hp it maxes out the A2 class. For me, the power delivery in particular suits an adventure bike: from around 5,000 to 6,000 rpm, nice grunt already reaches the rear wheel, whereas I have to wind out the Kawasaki further for the same brisk pace. BMW quotes 43 Nm at 6,750 rpm and 48 hp at 8,750 rpm. The little twin delivers its power more willingly, more zestily and is usable sooner.

When it comes to sound, the little GS also has more personality for me. This twin simply sounds ace, and its unusual crankpin offset fits its distinctive appearance. There's audibly more character in here than you'd expect from an entry-level machine. Compared with this new platform, BMW's former 310 single feels like a lame duck. The F 450 GS is a huge leap forward. An engine whose midrange grunt and sound give me the feeling it was developed specifically for this small adventure bike. All A2 bikes might as well feel this grown-up and potent.

The A2 adventure bike segment has long since stopped being an empty playground. A Honda NX500 stands more for hassle-free everyday riding, a KTM 390 Adventure R with its 230 millimetres of travel much more for off-road use. In between, the Himalayan, CFMOTO 450MT and other rivals have long been jostling for space. So BMW and Kawasaki are entering a crowded field. That makes it all the more important to stand out from the others and make clear what your own bike is supposed to do. Kawasaki shows up with "Life's a rally. Ride it." and correspondingly wild imagery. That's exactly where the low ground clearance and the limited options for setting up the suspension for sporty off-road use clash. BMW also shows off-road action, but with its 19-inch front wheel and 180 millimetres of travel front and rear as standard, it signals the versatile middle ground more clearly.

Our tour mostly runs over loose gravel. After all, Carlos is only on his second off-road outing, and after the first attempt his wife pre-emptively threatened me with consequences in the event of another mishap. So we take it fairly easy, but we follow an unknown track and so now and then end up on slightly rougher terrain, like overgrown paths and forest roads with plenty of loose wood and roots. The BMW works well here; its punchy engine and modern control systems help keep the momentum going at all times.

That said, the GS isn't perfect either. Under harder suspension movements or heavy loads, the shock tends not to rebound quickly enough, so less and less travel is available over several consecutive hits. That's why our GS isn't running the standard suspension: the fork has progressive Wilbers springs, and a Wilbers 641 shock works at the rear. It's our modified 1000PS long term test bike, which has already received some affection over the course of the season. So our trip isn't a fair comparison of two unmodified stock suspensions. The details of the conversion belong in the individual test, but its influence mustn't be swept under the carpet here. Especially at the rear, the shock brings extra comfort and stability in my impression.

The 19-inch front wheel is enough for our light to moderately light off-road use. When first rolling over a rock or log, things may get a little bumpier than with a bigger wheel, but thanks to its comparatively low weight and top suspension the BMW rolls cleanly over rocks and roots. For what many A2 riders actually plan to do with an adventure bike, that's more than enough. For me, the limits lie rather in the standing ergonomics: despite the rotated handlebar, the front remains a touch too low for my build. That dampens the fun of this nimble bike as soon as I want to ride actively standing up for longer. Shorter riders, in turn, get an accessible overall package with easy reach to the ground. The same trait can be a blessing or a reason for modifications, depending on your height. So be sure to test ride before buying!

The Kawasaki, too, works far better on gravel and rougher forest tracks than some comments about its ground clearance would suggest. On tracks with even bumps it doesn't constantly bottom out, even when the comfort-oriented suspension compresses considerably. It gets tricky with individual protruding obstacles like the ones we find in Slovenia's karst regions. If the already compressed bike hits such a rock, partly anchored in the ground, the available clearance is quickly used up. The KLE's comfort zone is therefore graded tracks and even undulations rather than passages studded with obstacles. That's a noticeable limitation, but no proof of being unfit for adventure. Anyone who wants to ride out, experience the landscape and carry on along easy gravel roads gets a thoroughly usable tool.

More than the ground clearance, another decision annoys me: up front sits an impressive 21-inch wheel, while at the rear Kawasaki pairs it with a 140/70-17 tyre. Especially if you want to fit knobblier tyres for more off-road, this size limits the choice unnecessarily in my experience. Yet tyres would be an obvious way to adapt a versatile bike to your own use. The KLE can do long distances, it can do twisties and it can do easy off-road riding. Why open yet another door only a crack at precisely this point? For me, the overall concept lacks that final bit of consistency. Fitting an alternative tyre size isn't an ideal solution either, as it can potentially cause problems with assistance systems and the law.

With 45 hp you don't necessarily need to set off a whole firework display of riding modes. A lack of traction control can also suit purists. What I find less understandable is the Kawasaki's ABS solution: the system can only be switched fully on or off. Especially on an entry-level bike, it would be nice to get more freedom at the rear while keeping support suited to loose surfaces at the front. Then there are the buttons directly on the TFT display. To operate them, your hand has to go there instead of conveniently controlling the menus via arrow buttons on the handlebar. For a 2026 market launch, that feels needlessly old-fashioned. The KLE doesn't ride any worse for it, but from a major manufacturer in a fiercely contested class I expect more care on such everyday usability issues.

The BMW gives me a different feeling here. Display, readouts and operation with the familiar switchgear including the Wonder Wheel are reminiscent of the big GS models. Even as an A2 rider, you're not sitting in front of a joylessly stripped-down budget solution. The lean-sensitive systems and the riding modes work really well on our bike. You do have to distinguish between standard and optional equipment: Rain, Road and Enduro are part of the basic package, as are ABS Pro and DTC. Enduro Pro is added at extra cost and allows, among other things, deactivated rear-wheel ABS. These are exactly the well-graded options I want off-road. That doesn't mean the little GS has every function of an R 1300 GS. But in its controls and regulation behaviour, it conveys an astonishing amount of big BMW to me.

For smartphone navigation, we retrofit a Chigee AIO-6. It brings Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to the bike, and on the road I particularly like using Google Maps. For me, that's an uncomplicated alternative if you don't want to first get to grips with the manufacturer's own navigation world. I find BMW's solution expensive, especially in this price class. I also miss a properly usable mounting bracket without the corresponding prep. So fitting accessories to the little GS isn't entirely thought-free either. That doesn't change the basic wish: navigation should make travelling easier, not swallow a hefty chunk of the A2 budget. The smartphone connectivity is confirmed by Chigee for the AIO-6 series.

Chigee also shows how further tech can be retrofitted. We try out the SR-1 radar system with blind-spot warning on this test. A dashcam system, tyre pressure monitoring and more would also be possible extensions for the AIO-6. This nicely shows that even a "small" adventure bike can be upgraded with tech you'd normally know from higher classes. The only question is: "Is it worth it?"

Our BMW also rolls on tubeless spoked wheels, which BMW provided to us as prototypes. At the time of our tour they're not yet regularly available, which is why this equipment mustn't simply pass as a deliverable production spec. The standard cast wheels are a touch too risky for me on Slovenia's rocky terrain, and visually the spoked wheels suit the F 450 GS really well in my eyes. I'd prefer them as soon as they're available. What they'll ultimately cost and exactly when they'll become available can't be deduced from our ride, though. My suspicion is merely that this accessory wish will once again put a noticeable dent in your wallet. With extras like these, the BMW can quickly drift away from the idea of an affordable A2 adventure bike. Here the Kawasaki KLE500 SE deserves praise, rolling off the line with spoked rims, a bash plate and fairly solid handguards as standard.

The BMW luggage solutions I found at the time also leave wishes open: small side bags and a tail bag strapped over the pillion seat aren't the ideal choice for my travel plans. For our off-road use, we're using an SW-Motech PRO tail bag. It sits well, keeps the mass close to the bike and gets along fine with the exhaust on the BMW. That's a practical solution for this use, but it doesn't automatically replace a comfortable luggage system for two. In terms of suspension comfort, I basically think the GS can handle pillion riding, even more so with the Wilbers shock at the rear. How well a big trip two-up on the BMW F 450 GS works, I checked a few weeks later in Norway.

Of all people, it's me who makes a rather tangible contribution to the equipment question on the singletrail. To the right the ground drops away, I try to make out where my front wheel is, lose my balance and tumble off the path downhill with the Kawasaki. Ouch! The ensuing tugging and increasingly desperate attempts by the two of us to manoeuvre the rather big, heavy KLE back onto the trail are not among the most elegant moments of my riding career. But the SE's standard handguards, bash plate and side fairing parts shrug off this tumble really nicely. That's a concrete experience on this tour, not a general promise for every crash. Still, the Kawasaki deserves praise for it: with the SE you already get a usable protection package. You can criticise the wild rally image, but you should acknowledge just as fairly the parts that help in a real mishap. At least I'm safe from revenge by furious partners, because this time it isn't Carlos who comes a cropper.

When it comes to price, you have to keep Austria and the respective status clearly apart. Kawasaki currently lists the 2026 model year KLE500 SE at 7,899 euros. BMW quotes a base price from 7,390 euros for the 2026 Austrian market launch. So they start in the same price class, but probably won't stay there long. On the GS, Trophy trim, Riding Modes Pro, spoked wheels and the Easy Ride Clutch including shift assistant drive up the equipment value. The ERC allows stopping and pulling away without operating the clutch. That's tempting, but it has to be factored in when buying. Equipped like this, the F 450 GS quickly lands above €9,000, which is quite ambitious for an A2 machine. Add the Wilbers suspension we fitted and we're around the €10,000 mark. Given its excellent riding performance and grown-up character, the F 450 GS could be worth such investments. Not for A2 riders at the start of their riding career, but for experienced bikers looking for something light and agile with a taste for adventure. Compared with big adventure bikes, they may still have enough pocket money left over to optimise the F 450 GS and get the most out of the great basic recipe.

What remains of the two philosophies? For me, the BMW communicates more clearly what it wants to be: a small GS with a distinctive engine, good controls and a versatile range of use. Anyone looking for a compact, nimble bike who values modern electronics will find the more coherent concept here. Tall riders need to check the ergonomics, touring riders the wind protection, and accessory fans should keep an eye on their wallet. The Kawasaki suits those who want to ride out relaxed, sit upright and turn off the road onto easy gravel tracks. Its electronics and tyre choice remain points of criticism, and in my view its rally image raises false expectations. But I'm happy to stand up for it: the KLE500 SE is adventure-capable and far from a bad bike. It rides more convincingly than some debates about its spec sheet would suggest.