Did you know that Kawasaki actually made three versions of the original KLR? The “A” model is the one everyone is used to, but there were two alternates that occasionally come up for sale. This is the “B” model, better known as the Tengai.
The C model was just known as the KLR650-C, and it was more dirt oriented with upgrades to the brakes, wheels, forks, and engine protection. It got sleeker bodywork and a smaller fuel tank. But today we’re focused on the “B”/Tengai, which translates to “End of the Sky”. Differences include a dual piston front caliper on the Tengai versus a single on the KLR, shorter but thicker forks, and a much nicer instrument panel that was attached to the frame and not the triple tree. In addition, the rear subframes are slightly different and the rear footpegs have a different mounting bracket setup.
This example has 15,000 miles and it’s said to be all original with the exception of the famous Eagle Mike “doohickey” modification, heated grips, yellow headlight, bar risers, and an aftermarket petcock. What makes this bike stand out beyond its rarity is the fact that the seller has two sets of additional fairings, an extra fender, and an extra fuel tank. These are incredibly hard to find (the seller says “essentially unobtainable” and he’s not exaggerating much, if at all” and definitely add value to the package. The current plastics seem to be missing the decals that are normally in pink – “Tengai” on the front fairings and “650” on the rears.
Find this Tengai for sale in Petaluma, California for $3,999 here on Craigslist.
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Frank S!