Figuring Out the KLR’s Limit
Alright, so the other day, I got this itch. You know how it is. Been riding the KLR for ages, trusty old mule, but I started wondering, just how fast can this thing actually go? I’ve heard numbers thrown around, seen stuff online, but I wanted to know for myself. Real world, my bike, my butt in the seat.
So, I decided to give it a go. Didn’t do anything crazy special to the bike beforehand. Just the usual checks – gave the chain a quick look, made sure the tires had air, you know, the basics. Didn’t want any surprises at speed. Picked a stretch of road I know well, pretty flat, usually quiet, especially early in the morning. Safety first, or at least, safety considered!
Got out there, road was clear. Warmed the bike up a bit, just cruising normally. Then, okay, here we go. Found a nice long straight section. Dropped a gear, started rolling on the throttle. Smoothly, you know, didn’t just whack it open.
The old girl started pulling. Not like a sportbike, obviously, it’s a KLR! But she was pulling steady. Went through the gears, click, click, click. Wind started picking up, noise getting louder. Tucked in a bit behind the tiny windscreen, which doesn’t do a whole lot, let’s be honest. More for looks I think.
Observations during the run:
- The engine was definitely working hard. You could hear it, feel it. Lots of vibration, especially through the handlebars and pegs. Normal KLR stuff, just more intense.
- Handling felt… okay. A bit light maybe? Definitely not confidence-inspiring like a road bike at high speed, but it wasn’t weaving or anything scary. Just felt tall and kind of floaty.
- Wind blast was significant. Really had to hold on tight and keep tucked.
Kept the throttle pinned in top gear. Watched the speedo needle climb. It crawled up slowly past 80 mph, then edged towards 90. Seemed to hang there for a bit. Pushed it a little more, maybe got a slight downhill bit or a tailwind, I don’t know. The needle crept just past 95 mph, maybe kissed 97 or 98 mph for a second? Hard to tell exactly with the needle bouncing a bit from the vibes.
Honestly, it felt like that was pretty much everything she had. The engine was screaming its lungs out, and it didn’t feel like there was anything left to give. Didn’t want to push my luck or blow the old thumper up, so I eased off.
So, yeah. My KLR, on that day, under those conditions, seemed to top out around 95-ish mph according to the stock speedometer. Maybe a hair more. Not earth-shattering, but good to know what the old workhorse is capable of when you ask it nicely (or rather, not so nicely). It was an interesting little experiment. Glad I did it, probably won’t be doing it again anytime soon. She’s much happier cruising around at 65.
