Ibex 450 vs KLE500 – First Ride (One Stood Out)

追加: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]Give the baby a go.

[00:00:03]God, it just sounds so good.

[00:00:05]Don't get too excited.

[00:00:07]I need a towel.

[00:00:08]2026 Kawasaki KLR 500, 2026 CFMoto Ibex 450. Today, we're going to ride them together. Let's do it. You're watching the Fireman Rides.

[00:00:17]>> [snorts] >> All right, so I'm here with my son, Sully. Sully, say hello hi hi. Hello. Hi everyone. Hi everyone. So, again, this is our 2026 KLR 500 this is our 2026 Ibex 450. This is the first chance we've really had to ride the bikes together.

[00:00:35]So, we got both of them out. We're going to take turns everybody every 5 miles we're going to swap off. We're on the South Carolina Adventure Trail. I mean, look at this look at this field behind us. I mean, this is about as about as picture picturesque as it could be.

[00:00:45]Pretty over there. It's been yeah, behind us is even prettier.

[00:00:48]Imagine running through the fields yelling what's the song The Sound of Music. It's almost like a Sound of Music field. I mean, we're just you know, on the Swiss Alps and That's what it is like. And just no Nazis this time. No, it's just gnats.

[00:01:00]Nat gnats not >> [laughter] >> Nazis not Nazi.

[00:01:05]So, we're going to I cannot see, bro.

[00:01:07]Nat I cannot see from the gnats.

[00:01:11]Uh so, like I said, we're just riding the bikes and we're just going to kind of get our first impressions. This is not a comprehensive review. This is just kind of our first time really been able to ride the bikes back-to-back. And like I said, I I will go ride it for five I'm going to ride one for 5 miles and then we're going to swap off and then just kind of give our impressions and then we'll have a little sit-down here and just kind of discuss just kind of how we feel about the bikes. So, yeah.

[00:01:29]All right, so if you see anything that you like like comment subscribe. You want to go ride? Let's go ride. Let's go ride.

[00:01:34]>> Let's do it.

[00:01:36]All right, Sully. So, now that we're on this car right here, let's talk about let's talk about the ride down here. So, we did a lot of Interstate on the ride down, right? We did. We did. All right, so and you mostly rode the Ibex and you see the road the road turns to dirt here. So, it's actually it's it's a it's a beautiful road. Look at a rabbit look at a rabbit.

[00:01:52]>> [snorts] >> Rabbit.

[00:01:54]So, and again, like I said, we've we've we've both done Interstate on both these bikes and now we're going now we're doing this.

[00:02:01]Um All right, so tell me about your time on the Interstate. What did what did you what did you feel?

[00:02:07]Um It was on which one? The KLR or the Ibex? Uh both. How about the how about both?

[00:02:13]So, I definitely felt on the Interstate the KLR had better wind protection. I agree I agree with that. Um So, the point would have to go to the KLR for that.

[00:02:22]>> [snorts] >> How about stability on the Interstate?

[00:02:26]Definitely definitely goes to KLR again, actually.

[00:02:29]Yeah, yeah. I agree I agree with that.

[00:02:30]Yeah, the the the Ibex felt nervous.

[00:02:32]Anything above 70 the Ibex Ibex just felt nervous. Would you agree with that?

[00:02:36]I very much agree with that. Okay.

[00:02:38]Um and you so so wind protection is going to go to the KLR stability is going to go to the KLR.

[00:02:43]Stop. All right, so interestingly the the part that kind of surprised me riding back-to-back like that or riding at the same time was that they they turned the exact same engine speeds on the Interstate. Same speeds, yeah. Yeah, so at 70 miles an hour they're both turning what was it?

[00:02:59]60 6200 RPM I think is what it was.

[00:03:01]>> 61 62, yeah. Yeah, so I mean, they're turning the exact same. Now, the difference being when we knew we knew the KLR would do 110 There's 109.

[00:03:14]on a on a closed course deep in the heart of Mexico.

[00:03:18]In kilometers per hour. In kilometers per hour, of course.

[00:03:22]But, the uh you like I said, we you've got a lot more at 70 you're turning 6500 RPM on this one or 6200 RPM whereas the redline's a lot higher on the KLR than it is on the Ibex. So, in theory top speed is going to be a lot higher on this one versus that one.

[00:03:41]Would you agree? I would agree. All right.

[00:03:44]All right, so so as far as highway riding so we would both agree that the KLR is is a better highway bike, right?

[00:03:50]Yes, but >> But But the comfort level on it doesn't nearly feel as good. All right, so that that's that yeah, that's fair.

[00:03:59]Yes, so the KLR has a lot more vibrations than what the Ibex does.

[00:04:05]They're they're both vibey. They're both 270° crank parallel twins. They're both going to vibrate.

[00:04:09]>> That one's not 270. Excuse me. They're both parallel twins. One's a 180 one's a 270. Ibex is 270 this one is sorry excuse me excuse me excuse me.

[00:04:18]270 270 is what makes it smooth on the Interstate. Actually 270 well, I I don't know. I I don't really don't know the physics behind that part of it. So, I really can't comment on that. I know it gives it different engine characteristics >> [snorts] >> and different sound.

[00:04:30]Um But, yes. I would I would agree that this is a lot more vibey than what the Ibex is.

[00:04:37]And the seat now and and and you know, and just to save a save a point here the Ibex has the the tall comfort seat or tall rally seat whatever they call it. And it it is a really very comfortable seat whereas this >> [snorts] >> this KLR has the stock seat and it's pretty damn hard.

[00:04:57]Uh so, yeah. So, the the Ibex is more comfortable seating position but as far as an Interstate traveler it's the KLR. Agreed? I agree.

[00:05:08]Okay.

[00:05:09]Now, how about as far as backroads and stuff like that cuz we you know, we took Interstate to get to Chester then we hopped on the backroads at that point then we rode the backroads Backroads to get to here. I think Ibex has that. You think Ibex? The issues with the Ibex with it being like the front end is a little vibey are gone when you're going below 70.

[00:05:26]Did you just hit that? I did a headbutt of it. Headbutt of the limb.

[00:05:31]All right, so at 50 at 55 you don't have the same issues that you had at 70, right?

[00:05:35]>> No no no no no. Not close.

[00:05:37]And the wind protection is better.

[00:05:39]Yeah. I mean, you like I said, cuz you don't have as much turbulence and everything else. So, all right. That that makes that makes a lot of sense. I wish you could do like a wind tunnel have like a visual of what the thing like wind characteristics are. That's actually not a bad idea.

[00:05:53]But, now at the same time the vibrations that are that are are are really present at 70 on the KLR are really not an issue on at 55 miles an hour.

[00:06:06]Yeah.

[00:06:06]>> So, >> [snorts] >> again, I still think the wind protection is better on the KLR.

[00:06:10]Um the stability is better on the KLR.

[00:06:12]Yeah. Um the seat again, the seat's harder but again, we're not comparing stock seat to stock seat. Of course, the the stock low seat on the Ibex is also comfortable.

[00:06:21]So, again, comfort yeah, I will agree.

[00:06:23]Comfort's going to be it's going to go to the um to the Ibex but as far as like stability, wind protection and all that other stuff is going to go to the KLR.

[00:06:32]Yes? I agree. Okay. All right, cool.

[00:06:35]We agree.

[00:06:36]>> [snorts] >> Yeah, I know this road. I've been I've been on I've also been on this road with the NX or the Transalp whatever it was.

[00:06:41]>> that dirt road. It's a nice little dirt road.

[00:06:46]Hey Bear.

[00:06:47]Yeah.

[00:06:48]How about a how about a drag race?

[00:06:55]We'll do a short one. Here to that mailbox.

[00:06:58]Okay.

[00:06:59]All right.

[00:07:00]Ready? 3 2 1 go.

[00:07:04]Oh, that was a terrible launch.

[00:07:13]That was a terrible launch. I want a rematch.

[00:07:16]Stop making excuses. No, I just like I was like letting the clutch out. I was like, all right, cool. Come on. Let's go. Let's go. I GOT IT.

[00:07:22]MY FRONT wheel is up a little bit.

[00:07:25]Watch out for a squirrel.

[00:07:29]Cuz look, what I was doing was I was like pre-revving and then I Oh, it's a turtle. Was that a turtle? Yep, that's a turtle. Okay, I'm stopping.

[00:07:36]No stopping. Go go no turtle stopping.

[00:07:37]I'm stopping for turtle the road.

[00:07:41]>> [snorts] >> Turtle.

[00:07:47]Stop hissing at me.

[00:07:51]That little turtle.

[00:07:53]Put him in your pocket. Okay.

[00:07:56]>> [laughter] >> How did you get bit?

[00:07:58]So, what had happened was All right, so all right, so so we agreed that on as far as Interstate riding it's the highway riding in general the KLR is a better bike. Would you agree with that?

[00:08:10]>> I would agree. All right, so like I said, and your windshield [snorts] your windshield is taller. Your definitely windshield is definitely taller and you got these little side skirts right here.

[00:08:18]And you get like a little bit of a laminar lip right here.

[00:08:21]Now, one thing that's interesting is that if you look inside the fairings it's just wide open. I mean, there's just a ton of air that goes right through there and it comes right through. Now, whereas on the Ibex it's a little bit tighter cuz like I said, you got these kind of inner fairings and everything else. So, not as much air comes up through there.

[00:08:38]Uh and like I said, that's the that's the high on the windscreen of the Ibex.

[00:08:41]Now, again, you can fix that and you know, probably 50 75 bucks to get a taller windscreen. And then what the Ibex has, look at that.

[00:08:49]What? How cool is that?

[00:08:53]My gosh, it takes forever on that thing.

[00:08:54]So, >> [snorts] >> Well, I mean, here here look at them.

[00:08:58]Here actually tell what pull your bikes out side with this one. How about that?

[00:09:00]Pull pull up side by side. We'll take a look at them like that. Give give leave a little bit of room right there.

[00:09:05]All right, so looking at the front of the KLR it's very thin. I mean, like I said, very thin in the front.

[00:09:10]Kind [snorts] of almost like like a rally type look to it with that with that front end and you kind of look at it from the side. It kind of has this really nice kind of sculpted look.

[00:09:18]Whereas the Ibex is a lot fatter. And again, that's not tank. That's not tank at all. That's just that's just empty fairing inside there. And the tank's just kind of right down there in the middle. But, it's a lot wider in the front. So, I imagine yes, leg [snorts] protection wind wind protection on your legs on the highway it's going to be a lot better on the Ibex. But, if you look at me you can see how significantly how much wider here's you know, on the on the Ibex versus on the KLR. Look at that. I mean, it's it's it's probably a foot wider overall.

[00:09:51]Well, yeah yeah. It's just kind of moving it over like that. So, but to give to give an idea I mean, look again, they're you're looking at them side by side there.

[00:09:57]>> [snorts] >> You can see how much water I mean literally it's probably at least a foot wider uh on the Ibex than it is on the KLR.

[00:10:03]Would you agree with that? Probably.

[00:10:04]Okay. And again, I I just think that one's more comfortable to ride.

[00:10:08]No, it is, yeah, cuz the seat's a lot more comfortable. Now, neither one went with the big the big beak in the front, so you don't have the beak in the front.

[00:10:14]Neither one.

[00:10:14]>> [snorts] >> They both have, you know, the KYB upside down forks.

[00:10:18]Fully adjustable on the Ibex, not adjustable at all on the KLR.

[00:10:24]So, again, so we'll hop on I'm going to hop on the same motor. So, he's going to stay and hop on the KLR and we're going to ride. So, will [snorts] you lead the way, boss?

[00:10:32]That doesn't really have nearly as much vibrations at lower speeds.

[00:10:36]I agree yes, I agree with that.

[00:10:40]I don't know I think I think the I think the KLR is just even on dirt roads, I think the KLR just feels like a more stable bike.

[00:10:46]Am I Am I wrong for that?

[00:10:48]A little bit.

[00:10:50]Yeah, again, the the higher seat height on this one here, it really kind of it kind of changes that that the rider triangle because like I said, your butt you're sitting up your butt is a lot higher up, so your arms are down lower, whereas on that one, you're you know, you're you're sitting a little lower, so your arms feel like they're at a more kind of natural kind of position. Would you Would you Would you agree with that? I agree with that. Um definitely seating position position itself, this one seat like position [snorts] comfort >> Yeah.

[00:11:23]>> Okay. All right.

[00:11:25]Comfort, Ibex.

[00:11:31]And which I like if you're used to riding more of dirt bikes, this this is probably for you, but >> [snorts] >> puddle Oh I'm all in that.

[00:11:42]YEAH.

[00:11:44]HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING? I'M LOOKING AT YOU, NOT LOOKING THAT. I am soaked.

[00:11:49]I hit the corner of it.

[00:11:51]And my ankles are soaked, but That's all right. We can show a little ankle.

[00:12:00]This one just feels more more nervous.

[00:12:03]A little bit.

[00:12:04]Yeah? It also has in my opinion, more power.

[00:12:10]Well, I mean horsepower wise, actually horsepower, the KLR has more horsepower.

[00:12:16]That one feels like it has more horsepower or torque.

[00:12:19]Yeah.

[00:12:20]Because of the 270° crank. Yeah.

[00:12:24]What a beautiful road, though.

[00:12:35]Now, I don't I like the airflow on this windscreen how like lips up and over. I don't like how it looks looking through it.

[00:12:44]Okay. All right, that makes sense.

[00:12:49]Yeah, the cockpit on the Ibex just feels feels tighter. It doesn't It doesn't feel as relaxed as what the as what it does on the the KLR there.

[00:13:02]Like I get to our sound You want to talk about sound? It's It's not even I mean don't even talk about it. I mean it's It's not even close.

[00:13:09]It's not even close.

[00:13:18]I'm going to hit this puddle.

[00:13:19]>> [snorts] >> puddle Oh, I'm all in the seat. My socks are soaked, man. I was wondering Did you see it squirt in your in your pants?

[00:13:28]>> [groaning] >> Stupid. I'm going to get swamp foot now.

[00:13:33]Trench foot.

[00:13:37]That's awesome.

[00:13:39]There's another one. I have to go around it.

[00:13:43]I I have to go around this one.

[00:13:46]I've made I've made bad decisions before.

[00:13:47]>> I'm wearing my shark socks, too, man.

[00:13:51]Well, sharks love water. What's that old saying? It's like a shark in water.

[00:13:56]Is that a saying?

[00:13:57]I have no clue, man.

[00:13:59]All right. Well, So, how do those tires feel on the road?

[00:14:03]Uh they're okay.

[00:14:05]They're not the most comfortable.

[00:14:07]Um These are actually moving around more than I thought they were going to.

[00:14:10]They're Yeah, it's not as as stable as what I was anticipating.

[00:14:14]These Mitas uh Tractionators.

[00:14:17]Rallies Tractionators.

[00:14:21]They're not as stable as I was anticipating. I don't think these are either. As I said, this would be more of a a dirt focused bike. It's It's really hot.

[00:14:36]Now, okay, so let's talk about ergonomics with the bikes. So, uh we'll do we'll do just seating sitting ergonomics as it is now. So, again, with the with the tall seat on this bike here and I'll start off on this one here. With the tall seat, I I guess I really didn't notice it until until after riding the KLR is that I just like I said, I feel like my butt's sitting up higher and my my hands are down lower now.

[00:15:00]>> There's a giant puddle we have to go through. Yes, yes, yes, it is.

[00:15:03]Good. I'm glad they got a lot of rain down here.

[00:15:05]Um it just I get it just it just kind of feels like you take it slow if you want to.

[00:15:15]Oh, it's Yeah, barely any water in the center.

[00:15:19]Um it just feels like you can ride It feels like I'm sitting It's almost like a sport bike position or more sporty position. Like I said, cuz your butt's up higher and your arms are down lower.

[00:15:29]Now, you can put a put a riser on this one here and it would it would correct that where your arm your arms are back up and we'll probably end up actually doing that. Um but that's kind of that's kind of the feeling I get.

[00:15:39]How about the ergonomics on the KLR?

[00:15:41]Um they're okay.

[00:15:44]They're not not as good [snorts] as the Ibex.

[00:15:50]All right, so you you look you look good. You look comfortable on it, actually.

[00:15:55]Let's see third third gear [clears throat] chuck third gear chuck up the hill there.

[00:15:58]That's what I'm doing. Let's see how she does.

[00:16:01]Okay, I'm bouncing all over the place here. This suspension is so stiff.

[00:16:05]This bike is just bouncing all over the place.

[00:16:08]Whereas that one looks pretty damn stable.

[00:16:11]It's something.

[00:16:12]Would you agree?

[00:16:14]It's kind of stable. [clears throat] It's not the most stable bike I've ridden.

[00:16:17]>> [snorts] >> I I think the Ibex actually is better stability wise, especially off-road. You think so? Yeah.

[00:16:25]I hate these mirrors. I can tell you that. I hate the mirrors on the Ibex. It was Oh, look, [laughter] this got a foldable mirror.

[00:16:31]Yeah, they suck.

[00:16:34]I don't like these mirrors. They're too small.

[00:16:37]What do you need?

[00:16:39]Doos moos.

[00:16:42]You want some all ram doos moos mirrors?

[00:16:44]Yeah.

[00:16:51]Is that tree just hanging there?

[00:16:54]Oh, look.

[00:16:56]What a great road, though.

[00:17:03]All right, so the end of this road is a nice little twisty road, so we'll we'll get a chance to to to give her to give her some beans.

[00:17:09]Right here as a matter of fact.

[00:17:15]If there's only [laughter] a way we could have known that.

[00:17:18]All right, you want to ride that on the twisties?

[00:17:20]I'll try it.

[00:17:22]This is this is a nice fun twisty road.

[00:17:24]Now, it is the road is still wet, so just be careful, okay?

[00:17:27]You want to lead or you want me to lead?

[00:17:29]I feel like my foot feels like SpongeBob, man.

[00:17:31]Good.

[00:17:32]Good.

[00:17:41]All right, so nice little twisty road here back in uh Leeds.

[00:17:47]Again, we got some good rain last night, which we needed. We've been in a severe drought or a moderate drought.

[00:17:57]Actually, there's a couple of roads I want to I want to explore right here on the right hand side. Watch out for this gravel right here.

[00:18:02]Actually, that's one of them right there. Let's turn turn that road right there as a matter of fact.

[00:18:08]I want to see where that goes.

[00:18:16]Let's go.

[00:18:22]Oh, traction control sucks.

[00:18:24]It's like, "No, sir, you ain't doing that today, you buddy."

[00:18:32]Off-road mode engaged.

[00:18:35]I don't have that. Well, you got the same thing. It's just your It turns off the ABS, which basically kind of turns off the the rudimentary traction control.

[00:18:45]I just want to see where this one goes, too.

[00:18:57]I don't know. Like I said, I just I don't know. I I think the I think the seating position is better on the KLR.

[00:19:03]Okay.

[00:19:04]Okay.

[00:19:06]Believe what you want, homie.

[00:19:08]I don't agree with that, but okay.

[00:19:10]Now, I just turned that off and it turned itself back on.

[00:19:15]Off-road. Okay. Off-road. Nope, just turned itself back off.

[00:19:21]It doesn't like it.

[00:19:23]Okay, now now it's all off or off or one of the two.

[00:19:28]Now, you got a big button right there on your left hand side that turns off the ABS.

[00:19:32]>> I can't press it, though. Why is that?

[00:19:35]It doesn't go in. It's like a switch.

[00:19:37]No, you Well, yeah, you just press it.

[00:19:39]It's like a rocker switch.

[00:19:41]It's stupid.

[00:19:43]This is a nice little road. This is It almost feels like a like a Smoky Mountain 500 road, doesn't it?

[00:19:50]Kind of, yeah.

[00:19:52]Which is another reason why I don't think this would do well at Smoky Mountain.

[00:19:56]>> [snorts] >> Why's that?

[00:19:58]Too slow.

[00:20:00]Well, yes, you are too slow right now. I agree with that.

[00:20:03]You're slow, too.

[00:20:05]I'm leaving you, boss.

[00:20:07]Okay, I'm on a brand new bike.

[00:20:10]A bike that has 100 miles.

[00:20:14]Less.

[00:20:21]This one's got 420.

[00:20:22]>> [groaning] >> What a nice road.

[00:20:35]Oh, squirrel.

[00:20:37]Another squirrel.

[00:20:38]They're everywhere. They're little sli- kamikaze squirrels.

[00:20:43]We had Nazis.

[00:20:45]>> [laughter] >> And now we have kamikaze squirrels.

[00:20:49]Nazis!

[00:20:51]All we need now is some Italian boa constrictors. Let's not do that.

[00:20:55]Some Italian Rocky Balboa constrictors.

[00:20:59]This is a cool road.

[00:21:08]Kind of drag some rear brake. Drag some rear brake. Drag some rear brake.

[00:21:13]Let's see if I can drag some rear brake.

[00:21:15]Drag some rear brake. Not too choppy.

[00:21:16]Yes.

[00:21:20]It doesn't like it.

[00:21:22]It's a steep road, too.

[00:21:24]Yeah, I I I can't turn off ABS. Yeah, you hold the button down.

[00:21:28]Hold it? Yeah, you got to hold it down.

[00:21:30]And it's And it'll Dude, but it's a switch. Why isn't it on a switch?

[00:21:33]>> Well, it's the same thing on this one.

[00:21:34]You got to hold that button down. Right, right, right. A button versus like a big red switch.

[00:21:39]That's supposed to be a switch. Now, this one This one definitely After riding this, I can definitely see that this one this one would benefit from uh set of riser.

[00:21:48]It's a long road.

[00:21:52]So, we just taking it? Yeah, I know. It didn't It didn't It didn't It didn't It didn't It didn't drain up here.

[00:21:57]Oh, yeah, it takes it takes us out to the Broad River. Does it really? Yeah.

[00:22:01]>> Oh, sweet.

[00:22:04]This might be a good view down here.

[00:22:07]Might be a good place to come film, too.

[00:22:12]Yeah, it says it ends Yeah, I see it I see it on the the Google Maps in front of me here.

[00:22:16]Does it take us to the river, though? Or is it [clears throat] dead end? Oh, dead ends right here.

[00:22:20]Okay, never mind.

[00:22:21]All right, so like I said, we've been riding the bikes for a while now, and we've we've each had a chance to ride both the bikes. So, what we're going to do, like I said, again, not a comprehensive review, but more just kind of initial impressions of of doing a back-to-back. So, we'll go through we'll go through power, we'll go through suspension, we'll handling. We've already talked about the highway.

[00:22:38]Uh just kind of all that stuff. What do you say, Sully? All right, let's do it.

[00:22:41]All right, so So, the let's talk about We already like I said, we already mentioned the highway. So, how about ergonomics? Okay. And actually, would you would you mind demonstrating it for us here? I can.

[00:22:52]>> So, again, the ergonomics of the the KLR, I think are dang near perfect. So, again, you see how how Sully's sitting there. Put your Put your foot up on your your right foot up there. And you see the kind of that that that angle. And he I'm about the same size. He's a little bit taller than I am.

[00:23:06]So, how the pegs sit That that angle from your foot to your knee up to your hip. How's that feel right there?

[00:23:11]>> It's pretty good. Feels pretty good. And the reach to the handlebars?

[00:23:14]Feels natural.

[00:23:15]>> It's a good reach, right?

[00:23:16]>> Yeah. So, it's kind of heavy bars playing too cuz the bike's in the way.

[00:23:19]Uh all right, so if it's a nice comfortable sitting position. The bars are a little bit higher up, right?

[00:23:24]>> They are. Because the seat sits a little lower.

[00:23:26]Uh now, all right, do a stand-up like a stand-up sitting position on it. Like you like if you're off-road riding.

[00:23:34]Put the lock on it first.

[00:23:39]Yeah, that'll do it. It's not doing anything. Here I go.

[00:23:43]And drop it down.

[00:23:45]Yeah.

[00:23:47]All right, so standing.

[00:23:48]How does that feel? Good. It's not I mean, it's not great. It's not it's not a perfect uh standing position, but it feels pretty good, right?

[00:23:54]>> It feels pretty good.

[00:23:54]>> Okay. And like I said, we talked about it on the highway that the we feel that the wind protection uh everything about the KLR is better on the highway except for the vibrations. The vibrations in the seat. Which again, like I said, if you put the stock seat back on the Ibex, maybe it would be kind of kind of comparable there. Uh but as far as everything else, it's better on the KLR, right?

[00:24:15]>> agree. All right, so let's come over here to the Ibex.

[00:24:19]All right, go and hop on. Cool.

[00:24:21]Watch the phone there.

[00:24:25]Now, you you mentioned before that you say that the K- the the Ibex feels heavier? It does, but cuz the weight's a little higher. Cuz it's everything just kind of sits a little higher. The weight sits a little higher up, right? Yeah.

[00:24:36]How do I Put a pine cone. That's not going to work. That'll work.

[00:24:40]I can't go much farther cuz it'll it'll it'll compress.

[00:24:42]>> the KLR over.

[00:24:46]Yeah.

[00:24:47]All right, so uh sitting position here.

[00:24:50]So, how does that feel as far as you from your from your foot to your knee to your hip? Does that feel better or worse? It feels better. Now again, that is also the tall That's also the tall seat. Uh and so not the the stock one.

[00:25:01]So, again, it's probably a good inch inch and a half higher uh with the rally seat than it is on the stock seat. But how does that feel?

[00:25:07]Feels good. All right, now go ahead and do the the standing.

[00:25:10]Now, how does that feel? That feels better than that one. See, to me, it's the handlebar is lower. I got it. The handlebar is lower uh on the uh on the the the Ibex now compared to like I said, especially with the seat higher. So, it's kind of almost like a like an old-fashioned hot rod where your butt's up higher than your than your handlebars. Whereas this one here, it's almost kind of like a not quite a Carolina squat, but almost kind of a neutral. Yeah. So, um I think we kind of disagree on which one's more comfortable, right?

[00:25:34]>> I think so. Now again, the seat There's no There's no doubt. The seat on the Ibex is is significantly more comfortable than the seat on the KLR. All right, so let's talk about the suspension and how how the bike handles and everything else.

[00:25:47]Um Again, you you have a fully adjustable KYB suspension on the Ibex, whereas the the the Kayaba on the KLR is non-adjustable at all. So, Ibex, they do CFMoto, they give you that adjustability and everything, but if you really don't know what you're doing, You're not doing anything. You're not doing anything, really. Yeah. Um I feel that the the Ibex it it's too stiff. I think I think you know, usually for cheaper bikes, they give you soft springs. Again, I think CRF300L, I think Versys 300 uh from from the Kawasaki family, the springs are way too soft and you're just bottoming out and everything else.

[00:26:22]Whereas CFMoto, they went the complete opposite direction. They gave it some stiff springs.

[00:26:27]>> Mhm. And um again, I just don't like the suspension of the Ibex. What's your thoughts?

[00:26:33]I'm going to disagree with you. Okay, that's fine.

[00:26:35]>> I uh I actually really like the shocks of the Ibex. I feel like they they can compress and they do pretty well. Okay. I feel like it's also made a lot more for off-roading. It is.

[00:26:45]It is. It's definitely, yeah.

[00:26:47]Just some dirt roads and some >> is definitely set up more for on-road.

[00:26:50]And again, that's that's kind of what the the ultimate question we're going to have to ask ourselves, and it's not one I don't think we're going to answer today.

[00:26:56]Is the KLR a better on-road bike than the Ibex is an off-road bike?

[00:27:01]Again, one's one's better than the other one, and it is and the other way around, one's better than the other one like this. So, is that that delta, the difference between the two, is it more significant? Well, that'll that'll be a comparison test to come down the road.

[00:27:14]Um all right, so as far as stability uh on the back roads and everything else.

[00:27:19]And And really, I'll just say suspension altogether. What's your thoughts on the Ibex?

[00:27:23]I think it does better than the uh KLR.

[00:27:25]Well, you're wrong. Well, I'm not.

[00:27:28]>> [laughter] >> So, I I I I feel like the Ibex feels nervous on the dirt roads because of how stiff the suspension is. It just feels nervous. It feels like that front end's just kind of bouncing and dancing and everything else. Whereas it feels to me, again, it feels like the KLR is more absorbing those bumps. Again, you don't have the adjustability, but if they set it up right, it's like the Himalayan.

[00:27:48]Himalayan doesn't have adjustable suspension, but it's a better suspension than both these bikes combined.

[00:27:53]Yeah. You know what I mean? I got you.

[00:27:55]Um now again, going to the KLR over here, like I said, non-adjustable, but it just it just feels planted. It just feels better.

[00:28:02]Yeah? Okay. Yes and no. That's fair.

[00:28:04]Okay.

[00:28:06]So again, like I said, the suspension of the KLR is not adjustable, but it just it just feels good. It feels good on the highway. Um it feels good on the dirt roads. Off-road, like off-road, like hardcore off-road enduro stuff like that, it's probably going to let you down. And it definitely, as you can tell, it definitely does not have the ground clearance that the Ibex does.

[00:28:23]Ibex has at least another inch inch and a half of ground clearance, but if you look at it, I mean, it's only, you know, it's only like that much additional ground clearance. Which is a lot. It is Individually, it's not a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, having seven something versus nine something, you know, 9 inches here and 7 and a half here, that's a pretty big difference when you're trying to go over a rock and you got an inch and a half of a rock.

[00:28:43]>> inches is a lot of uh a lot a lot of difference in that.

[00:28:47]It's It's what I It's what I've been told.

[00:28:50]So.

[00:28:51]>> [sighs] >> 2 and 1/2 ton, man.

[00:28:56]>> 2 and 1/2, man. 2 and 1/2. All right, so um all right, so we talked about that.

[00:29:00]How about what else? What do we what should we talk about?

[00:29:03]Um >> Let's talk about the engine. Let's talk about the engine and the engine characteristics.

[00:29:07]All right, so again, we have two different ways. We both have parallel twins, but we have two different ways of going about doing it, right?

[00:29:14]>> So, this is a four six a 451? 451. 471.

[00:29:18]Huh? 451. 451 cc parallel twin. Why they round up to 500? That's a big old rounding error if you if you ask me.

[00:29:25]Uh it's more It should be a KLR 450, not a KLR 500. Which kind of kind of makes more sense. But again, it just it sounds bigger. Um so, you have a 180° crank.

[00:29:36]Again, this is the same motor that's used in the Ninja 500, right? Yeah. It makes good power. I mean, it makes more power than this one right here, and it actually makes about the same amount of torque. It's just how it goes about doing it. This is a high revving 180° crank parallel twin. This thing makes 47 to 51 horsepower, depends on which numbers you look at. Whereas the 270° crank 447 449 parallel twin of the Ibex makes that power a little bit lower in the rev range. Yeah. Right? Uh yeah. And again, that 270° crank, it really again, like I said, it gives it more of those V-twin characteristics, which is more is lower RPM torque numbers and a flatter torque curve. If you look at the torque curves and and I'll see if I can find a dyno chart and put them up on the screen here. But if you look at the torque curve of the Ibex, it's flat flat flat flat flat and then it just kind of gently rises towards the peak numbers there. Whereas on the KLE, it's more of a a peak number where it's, you know, low flat flat flat and then all of a sudden it jumps up real high to those peak numbers there. Again, that's just the characteristics of a 180° versus a 270° crank.

[00:30:43]As far as overall engine characteristics, like I said, it you know, you would think that the KLE revs higher than what the Ibex does, but it really doesn't. On the interstate, like 70 miles an hour, this thing's turning what?

[00:30:56]6100 6200 RPM?

[00:30:58]This one's turning 6100 6200 RPM. So it's actually the exact same RPM that they're turning at 55. We looked at it at 55 and we looked at it at 70, so they're turning the exact same RPMs. Which again, you think of the KLE, you think of it just being a lot more high revving motor. Well, it's really not.

[00:31:16]It will rev higher, but they're turning the same engine speeds. If this thing was turning 2000 RPM lower at the same speed, okay, that's that's something to talk about there. But they're turning the exact same RPMs. Yeah.

[00:31:26]But as far as like it's power delivery, let's talk about that. Okay. Uh so dirt roads, stuff like this, which one would you prefer?

[00:31:34]Ibex. I I agree with that. Ibex all day long. Yeah. Again, it's got that down low, it's got that really down low power there. And again, you just feel like you can kind of chug it right along.

[00:31:43]However, the KLE's not bad. The KLE's not bad. We you saw on that that first road the first off-road ride we did, I'm lugging this thing down to 2000 3000 RPM and it's just chugging right along. Now, can you can you gas it at 2000 RPM and expect to be able to pop the front wheel up to get over a log or something? No, not even not even possible. I don't even know if it's going to be possible on this one right here.

[00:32:05]But you do have that where you can you can still chug it down low. And actually, I think the fueling is better on the KLE than it is on the Ibex. Yeah.

[00:32:14]You would agree with that? It's really smooth, nice linear throttle linear fueling all the way from the from idle all the way up to that redline all the way at the top there. So, as far as engine characteristics, they both they both you know, this has got better fueling, it revs higher, but the down low power dirt roads off-road riding, I think we would both agree that the the powertrain of the Ibex is the one that you're going to have. Yeah. Agreed? Agreed. Okay.

[00:32:40]All right, Sully, so let's do a sound comparison between the two bikes. What do you say? All right. All right, so first we're going to start with the KLE.

[00:32:47]I got the mic microphone, two turntables and a microphone. Where is that?

[00:32:51]Oh, very good. All right, so go ahead.

[00:32:55]All right, so as far as that idle, it's just a nice kind of lumpy 180° parallel twin. Nothing crazy.

[00:33:03]It sounds good. Now, let's go rev it up to a couple thousand RPM.

[00:33:10]Okay.

[00:33:11]The engine does start to kind of it gets a little vibey like 2 or 3000 RPM, but then it kind of it kind of settles out a little bit. All right, so let's go ahead and let's hear it.

[00:33:25]Nice.

[00:33:26]Go ahead.

[00:33:27]Good.

[00:33:30]So again, it's got that that Ninja that Ninji that Ninji 500 sound to it, which is just kind of kind of revs to the absolute moon. And actually, it doesn't sound bad once you get up to those higher RPMs. Would you agree with that?

[00:33:41]No, actually it sounds pretty good when you get up higher. Okay. All right. It's down low down, it just doesn't Down down low.

[00:33:46]Down low, it just ain't got the it just ain't got the it just ain't got the the beans, right? Anything. All right, now let's go over to the Ibex.

[00:33:53]And again, even just the look of the exhaust, like I said, we you looking at the exhaust on the Ninja, it's just this flat exhaust. Again, like I said, it came directly off of the Ninja 500.

[00:34:02]Where again, as the Ibex was a was a clean design everything else and like, you know what, we're going to make it look we're going to make it look and make it sound pretty badass. Go for it.

[00:34:12]Just that right there. Even at idle, just that crank up right there. It just it just Do it again. No, just shut up. I just want to hear it. I want to hear the crank up again.

[00:34:22]That just sounds so good. All right, give it a little bit of revs.

[00:34:28]It's not only does it sound good, but that over rev and that little bit of pop pop pop pop pop pop, it just sounds That gives him a gives him a baby gun.

[00:34:37]God, it just sounds so good.

[00:34:39]Don't get too excited.

[00:34:41]I need a towel.

[00:34:43]All right, let's keep riding.

[00:34:47]All right, yeah, so as far as riding position goes, I I definitely think the I don't know. I I I think I've got to give it to the KLE.

[00:34:54]You know, you got more you got more, you know, knee room and hip room on the the the Ibex, but I also think that's because of the um the tall seat. You put a tall seat on this one and you'll have the same kind of the same feel to it.

[00:35:08]But then again, like I said, the handlebars will be a little bit, you know, lower compared to the rest of your body then, too.

[00:35:14]Can we get a taller uh what's it called? The high bars or the high seat?

[00:35:20]I don't know if they make one for this one yet. The Ibex.

[00:35:23]Yeah, yeah. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I >> I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I But I mean, I ordered the high seat when I before I even you know, when I when I when I placed order for the bike.

[00:35:37]And the high seat came in, I don't know, you know, 2 weeks later or something.

[00:35:44]From a big motorcycle shop.

[00:35:51]All right, what a cool little road. What a great little dirt road.

[00:36:06]You got your rear ABS off?

[00:36:07]Yeah.

[00:36:09]Give it a little little rack.

[00:36:12]Give it a little skid action. Little skid action.

[00:36:15]Yeah, well, as far as the wind protection goes, I think the wind protection is better on the KLE.

[00:36:19]However, to get it from the low setting to the high setting is almost a damn surgery and you got to take three or four pieces off just to be able to adjust it. I love that you can adjust it.

[00:36:31]But then what once you use the Ibex's little turn mechanism, you're like, damn, why couldn't Kawasaki just put that guy on there?

[00:36:39]And again, say like a day like today where, you know, it starts off, you know, 60° or 50°, you want your windscreen in the high position, but it's going to be 80 85°, you're going to want to drop it down. Well, guess what you got to do? You got to do roadside surgery on the KLE to be able to drop that windscreen down to get more wind on you and hopefully you don't lose a grommet or a washer or something like that. Whereas on the the the Ibex, you just quickly click, done.

[00:37:04]Don't make no sense.

[00:37:05]Don't make no sense, man.

[00:37:08]It doesn't make any sense.

[00:37:12]Now, this we like this.

[00:37:15]Yeah, like this a bunch.

[00:37:18]At sixth gear, just kind of revving up.

[00:37:20]We're about just under 6000 RPM right here.

[00:37:24]It's got just enough power right there.

[00:37:29]70 75 miles an hour.

[00:37:32]Slow down to this curve.

[00:37:34]Suspension nice planted here.

[00:37:37]Even on this kind of rough asphalt.

[00:37:40]This thing handles very well.

[00:37:43]All right, guys, so that's going to wrap up our kind of our first look, kind of first head-to-head of our CFMOTO Ibex 450 and our Kawasaki KLE 500. Mhm. All right, Sully, so after riding both bikes on road, off-road, highway, backroads, dirt roads, little bit of everything, kicked out of a state park, what's your what's your what's your initial impressions?

[00:38:03]Uh Of both?

[00:38:05]I like the Ibex more than I like the KLE. Why is that? It just it it's overall just a better package. Clearly he's an inexperienced rider.

[00:38:15]I'm going to hold that one in.

[00:38:16]>> [laughter] >> We had this a video had somebody say, "Well, clearly he's an inexperienced rider." I was like, "Dude, I'm I'm standing right here." I've been riding for 16 years.

[00:38:23]>> Hello.

[00:38:24]All right, so what why do you like the Ibex better? Uh I think honestly it just it's It sounds better. It's that sounds better.

[00:38:31]>> so much better. Infinitely better.

[00:38:33]>> Infinitely better.

[00:38:34]Apparently it's apparently it's faster, too, cuz Way better torque. Okay.

[00:38:39]Um just overall just power seems better.

[00:38:43]Okay.

[00:38:44]Uh seating feel a lot better.

[00:38:45]>> Yeah, see the seat's definitely a lot more comfortable. This seat is hard as a rock.

[00:38:49]>> And this one That one's like a it's like a couch. It really is. It's like a lawn chair. Okay. Love it. Um Crash protection, this one's still even >> Well, yeah, but we we had that, too. I mean, so this one's going to get crash protection, too. As soon as Kawasaki comes off their ass gets it to us.

[00:39:03]All right, so and as far as like the initial head-to-head, I I don't know.

[00:39:07]Actually, I'm kind of torn. I really am.

[00:39:09]I really don't know which one I prefer.

[00:39:11]Like I said, the seat's a lot more comfortable there. This one feels a lot more flickable on the the twisty roads, the KLE felt a lot better. But again, that again, like I said, you Kawasaki and CFMOTO are really going after two different markets. different markets, yeah. Then, this is a more off-road focused bike, whereas this is a more on road. And if you go like a good comparison would be like in the mid-size category, something like a Honda Transalp would be the equivalent of what this here.

[00:39:37]It it off ADV bike, yes, but more street biased ADV bike. Whereas this would be more like a Tenere. And actually this is kind of looks looks like a baby Tenere to tell you the truth.

[00:39:48]It whereas >> GS, huh? Yeah, baby GS or something like that. Um whereas again, it's it it it's it's it's a more off-road focused bike versus the more on-road focus. Is that Would you agree with that?

[00:39:59]>> So it really it's depends on what your flavor is and what you want to do. If you want to do the whole hardcore off-road bike and you want a sub 500cc bike, Yeah. If you want a more kind of touring bike with more twisty roads and this and that and more kind of high rev rev the absolute tits out of it, I think the KLE is going to be your right.

[00:40:22]I think the KLE is going to be your bike. That's what what that was over there. Squirrel. It might have been a It might have been a Sasquatch. Or a skin walker. Or a skin walker. Could have been Yeah, could have been the the Chester skin walker. Um so >> walker. All right. So like I said, so that's going to wrap up the initial kind of comparison between the two bikes. So again, like I said, Before you finish that, Oh Sully has something to say.

[00:40:42]I think for touring, Yep.

[00:40:44]Ibex.

[00:40:45]You don't You don't want to have that seat for more than 30 minutes at a time, honestly.

[00:40:51]>> a fair point. That's a fair point. I was sitting on it at QT and we rode it I rode it from there. No, I rode it from Where do we >> Oh, so on on the trails. Yeah. All right. Okay. So okay. So let me let me let's let's take that out.

[00:41:04]We had the same thing with the Versys 300, right? The seat was but it's a lot more sculpted and you're kind of locked in one position.

[00:41:10]>> of a bucket. You put a Seat Concepts bench seat on there. Mhm. That would raise you up a lot more, have a lot more legroom. It would allow you to kind of move back and forth on the seat very similar to what the Ibex is. Would that solve that issue right there? Mhm.

[00:41:26]You okay? Yeah, fine. Some coffee?

[00:41:28]Maybe.

[00:41:29]Um all right. So but again, like I said, we're comparing aftermarket seat to stock seat. So let's see once once the aftermarket catches up with the KLE 500.

[00:41:36]And let's see once Seat Concepts comes out with a seat and we That's going to be the As a matter of fact, that'd be one of the very first mods that we do will be to get a better seat for this bike right here. This seat definitely does hold the bike back. And it maybe it is transmitting some more vibes coming through your butt and everything else.

[00:41:49]So all right. So again, like I said, initial comparison between the two bikes. Definitely not a full comprehensive review. That is forthcoming and we'll do it with the scale and everything else. So uh that's going to be a lot of fun. So uh Sully, I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. Thank you as always, sir. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[00:42:05]Yes.

[00:42:06]Business. Business. Uh so thank you guys for watching. If you see anything that you like, comment, subscribe. We love love doing these videos here. We've been talking about doing this for days and just couldn't wait to get on the bikes and really just kind of document this and to share it with all you inter YouTubers.

[00:42:22]Inter interwebbers. Intertubers.

[00:42:24]Intertube. Intertubes. All you intertubes.

[00:42:28]Thank you guys. God bless. Roll Tide.

[00:42:30]And remember, tomorrow needs you. See you guys. Bye-bye.