Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1125433
2019 KAWAS AKI VERS Y S 1000 SE LT+ F I R S T R E V I E W P106 rather stout 17 pounds over the 2018, and there's no doubt you feel it. Yet, despite the extra weight, the 2019 edition has stability and smoothness the old bike could only dream of. Predominantly responsible for this newfound composure is the Showa electronic suspen- sion, but also the reshaped seat and new ergos. Showa's done a brilliant job on the suspension action, offering a ride that's ultra-smooth for long distance trips. This is where the bike shines—com- pared to something like the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, the Kawasaki is much more at home making sedate trips than slicing hard through the can- yons. It'll do just that, but not in a "come on, push harder" kind of way. Where I found the best sus- pension behavior was in sport (so, ironically, with the hardest preset settings), giving the chassis a bit more support under braking and just cruising along, taking in the sights and smells of our two- day loop from Phoenix to Flagstaff, Arizona. A lot is going on with the new Versys, or rather, there's a lot that can go on. Ensuring all the various electronic systems are easy to access and use is no simple task, but the new TFT dash and switchblock on the left bar do a good job of something many manufacturers mess up. And better yet, Kawasaki's developed their own app called Rideology, one that allows you to pair your phone to your bike and log everything from where you went, how far, lean angle, fuel mileage, etc., and then go into the bike's ECU and mess around with your maps, suspension settings—you name it. Check out the attached video for a proper demonstration. Running the app will suck the life out of your phone, as it's drawing data from both GPS and the bike itself, but Kawasaki's fitted a class-standard 12V power outlet next to the dash that you can connect your phone to. The app doesn't do turn-by- turn navigation, so if you want that you'll still have to run Google Maps (or whatever nav app you like). If There's something about bridges and motorcycles that makes you want to get out and ride, right?