CFMoto (Ibex) 550MT? + Kawasaki KLE650 + Himalayan 750 +New Honda Adventure Bike? | ADV NEWS

Summary

The presenter previews several adventure and dual-sport motorcycles expected ahead of EICMA 2026, focusing mainly on new middleweight models.

Kawasaki KLE650

Although the subtitles once call it the “KLX 650,” the discussion is about the KLE650, a larger, more touring-oriented version of the KLE500. The presenter reports that it has a 649cc parallel twin producing 70 hp, a 21-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheel, roughly 200 mm of suspension travel, a 16-litre tank and an 870 mm seat height. At 212 kg, it is heavier than the KLE500.

The SE version gets tubeless wheels and a quickshifter. Other updates include twin 300 mm front brake discs and a handlebar button to disable ABS. The presenter sees it as a road-focused adventure tourer rather than a direct rival to the Yamaha Ténéré 700, and questions whether the unchanged tank capacity will suit the larger engine.

CFMoto 550MT

CFMoto has confirmed that the 550MT will be unveiled at EICMA, though it has not yet published specifications. Based on the engine used in the CLC 550 cruiser, the presenter estimates around 53 hp and 51 Nm. Spy reports suggest ride-by-wire and possibly cruise control, but these details remain unconfirmed.

The main questions are its price and weight, with the presenter hoping it stays below 200 kg. They expect it to build on the success of the 450MT and argue that established Japanese manufacturers have been too cautious and slow to respond to demand for affordable, more powerful middleweight adventure bikes.

Honda adventure-bike teaser

Honda has released a brief, deliberately unclear teaser, leaving the model uncertain until EICMA. The presenter speculates that it could be an Africa Twin update or a Transalp 750 refresh, ideally with standard cruise control and tubeless spoked wheels.

Their preferred possibility is a more off-road-capable bike in the roughly 450cc class, based on or inspired by the NX500 platform, to compete with the CFMoto 450MT.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 750

New images appear to show several colour schemes: white with yellow, orange and red accents; a red two-tone option; and a subdued gunmetal grey. Royal Enfield has also shared a silhouette with coordinates pointing to Milan, which the presenter interprets as a strong indication that a production version will be shown at EICMA.

Kawasaki KLX300 XPL

Kawasaki has introduced a rally-inspired version of the KLX300 with a round headlight, small windscreen, rack and handguards. The presenter says its revised lower connecting-rod bearing is intended to improve reliability and contributes to a modest output increase, to 26.8 hp and 25 Nm. It also adds front-only, single-channel ABS.

The presenter notes that this may disappoint riders in Australia and Europe, where dual-channel ABS requirements can complicate availability, but says Kawasaki could potentially offer an enduro-class version under Australian rules. They like the factory rack and rally styling, while wishing the bike had a larger fuel tank.

The presenter closes by looking ahead to next week’s EICMA coverage.

Presenter

One unnamed presenter, the host of Solid Moto’s Adventure News.