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/540890
VOL. 52 ISSUE 28 JULY 14, 2015 P59 like a Concours 14 unless you were obsessed with breaking the sound barrier each time you rode because, really, you're going to be doing pretty similar rides on both these bikes. The Versys is therefore a very practical machine. Bloody hell, doesn't that sound boring? But there's no other term for it, be- cause it does almost everything either good enough or very well indeed. Okay, sports riders, this is not your bag, but riders after a do-it-all bike would do well to have a look at a Versys, espe- cially now that it's been to the plastic surgeon. That's what makes this one of the most fiercely contested areas in the market today, and Kawasaki is certainly up against it in that regard. Some of the things that irritate me on this machine are that the muffler looks like an afterthought – mas- sive and bulky and just generally ugly – not to mention it probably weighs a ton. Also, the saddle- bags, while being awesome in that they come standard, do not come standard with a waterproof insert – you have to buy that as an accessory! The Versys is a bike most riders could easily live with, but it lacks the pizzazz of something like a Multistrada or a GS or Super Adventure, and won't come close to the fun you'll get out of the much lighter and zippier Yamaha Tracer. For some people that won't matter, and that being so, $12,799 is not a lot of cash to spend for a machine that will no doubt serve you extremely well over a very long time. The build quality is top-notch and the Ver- sys looks like it'd survive a bomb blast, the paint is high quality and the styling is sharp and edgy at the front (still bulbous and fat in the back, though). And the fact Kawasaki has made such an effort to accom- modate a pillion is another plus. It's a fun and enjoyable bike, and S P E C I F I C A T I O N S ENGINE: ..........Four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, inline- four DISPLACEMENT: ............................1043cc Bore x stroke: ........................77 x 56mm HORSEPOWER: ...........................Not given TORQUE: .................75.2lb-ft @ 7500rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: .....................12.0:1 TRANSMISSION: ........................Six-speed FRONT SUSPENSION: .............43mm KYB inverted cartridge fork with adjustable rebound damping and preload adjustment REAR SUSPENSION: ............ Single shock with adjustable rebound damping, and preload adjustment FRONT BRAKE: ..........Twin 310mm discs, Tokico four-piston calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: .......... Single 250mm disc, single-piston caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: ........................ 120/70 ZR17 REAR TIRE: ........................... 180/55 ZR17 STEERING HEAD ANGLE: ...........Not given TRAIL: .........................................Not given WHEELBASE: ................................. 59.8 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ................................ 33.1 in. OVERALL HEIGHT: .......................... 55.1 in. OVERALL WIDTH: .......................... 40.4 in. OVERALL LENGTH: ........................ 88.2 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ............................ 5.5 gal WEIGHT: ............. 549 lbs (wet, claimed). COLOR: ................. Candy Burnt Orange/ Metallic Spark Black Flat Ebony/Metal- lic Spark Black MSRP: ............Starting at $12,799 MSRP WARRANTY:..............................24 months I wouldn't mind betting more than a few Iron Butt riders will be ditching their 1400cc Concours bikes for one of these. CN