I think it's silly, fake, contrived, that's not a KLR, I would have liked to see them take a more offroad worthy direction, or at least address ther issues that need addressing (doo, make 5th gear taller and 1st lower, proper headlight wiring, more protected turn signals) and leave the rest alone. That huge fairing is silly, and LESS suspension? I want more travel not less. It's less industrial now and has more of that "hey, look at me!" attitude. Looks like lots of stuff to break. I'm not saying that the rest of the KLR's aren't ugly, in fact they're horrendously ugly, and that's what i like about it, no pretenses of being a shiny pretty bike.
I've never seen the KLR as a road bike, but more of a two wheeled ATV that you can ride on the road to get to the dirt. Now it looks boring, uninspired, and trying to fit in with the pods. It's soul is gone.
You won't catch me riding one, although i'll swap out the high output stator if it fits and works well. I wonder if the new head fits on the old jug? More power would be nice.