Kawasaki KLR650 Insurance

The Kawasaki KLR650, introduced in 1987, is one of the world’s most popular dual-sport motorcycles. Moreover, owners regularly modify the bike for adventure touring, with the addition of hard luggage, larger windscreen, GPS navigation, and more.

Fortunately, it’s cheaper to insure a dual sport than many other kinds of bikes. That said, it’s impossible to say exactly what your rate will be. This depends on a wide range of factors, including your age, riding experience, location, credit score, driving history, type of coverage, and limit of coverage. What’s more, premiums vary widely from company to company, as you’ll see in the examples below.

KLR650 Insurance Rates

A wealth of factors impact your premiums. These include:

• Age of rider
• Driving record
• Credit score
• Location
• Insurer

That said, we can offer a few examples from various users:

• New rider (32), Las Vegas, full coverage:  $80/month
• New rider, New York, 2015 KLR, liability and theft:  $126/month
• Experienced rider, Texas, 2016 KLR, full coverage:  $25/month
• Experienced rider (62), Wyoming, 2009 KLR, full coverage:  $138/year
• Experienced rider (retirement age), Tennessee, full coverage:  $35/year

As you can see, rates vary hugely, with reported rates from $35 – $2000+ per year.  Your best bet is to compare quotes from competing companies to find which will give you the lowest rates on your KLR.

Brief History: Kawasaki KLR650

The KLR650 came out in 1987, an affordable dual-sport with the ground clearance, power, and ergonomics to tackle long freeway runs and dirt roads.  Over the years, the water-cooled, dual-counterbalanced single cylinder motor has proven as tough as any air-cooled motor, with the rest of the bike just as dependable. What’s more, the KLR has gained a reputable as an able adventure tourer among hardcore ADV riders and globe-trotters.

In 2008, the first KLR redesign was introduced, with a new 36-hp engine, dual headlights, new body panels and aesthetics, beefier forks, new swing arm, upgraded stator, and reinforced idle-shaft lever — aka “doohickey” in KLR lexicon. The upgraded stator has an additional 36 watt capacity.

Kawasaki KLR650 Coverage Recommendations

Liablity coverage will almost certainly be required for your KLR, as this is mandated by all but a handful of states. Collision and comprehensive, as well as add-ons such as roadside assistance and theft in some cases, may be up to you. The sportbike-like body panels on the post-2008 KLR machines are especially susceptible to cracking and breaking if the motorcycle is dropped, which can lead to very expensive damage if you have to pay out of pocket. For this reason alone, you may want to consider more than liability coverage, particularly if you are a new rider or plan on taking your KLR off the beaten path and down some dirt roads or trails.

Keeping Your Coverage Affordable

Attend a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course

The MSF website can show you courses near you. Graduation can lead to a significant drop in your premium, not to mention the less direct but equally important advantage of teaching you skills to minimize or avoid accidents.

Good Student Discount

Students with a high GPA — in excess of a 3.0, typically — are offered premium discounts by most insurers.

Maintain a Clean Driving Record

Traffic violations of any kind — from speeding citations on up to DUIs — are guaranteed to raise your premiums for years.

Insure All Vehicles with the Same Company

Multi-vehicle discounts can cut your premiums by up to 25 percent.

Compare Rates Before You Buy

The best way to keep your premiums in check is to shop your coverage around. That is why we have created an easy to use tool so that you can get quotes from multiple companies that offer KLR insurance in your area.