VOL. 52 ISSUE 28 JULY 14, 2015 P55
strobe-light-pretty to respect-
able to even attractive with a
nip and a tuck and slice and
a dice, and so it's been the
case with the U.S. import,
new-for-2015 Kawasaki
Versys 1000, a machine that
looks much nicer than the
half-adventure, half-road,
not-quite-either bike it was
before.
Kawasaki has therefore
shed the semi-adventure tag
of the Versys and focused
on its strong point of being a
great road tourer. It's a moni-
ker that should sit well with
the revitalized machine, and
it's got a facelift and some
new clothes to celebrate its
arrival in the U.S.!
Kawasaki's up against some
pretty serious competition
with the Versys. BMW's just
launched the S 1000 XR and
you've got the Ducati Multi-
strada and the brilliant Yamaha
FJ-09 Tracer, so competing
for the consumer dollar has
never been so tough. But the
Versys, even though it's a new
bike, is still a proven package.
It's engine is ripped straight off
the Z1000 nakedbike (check
out our thoughts on that bike in
Cycle News, issue 20 http://
cyclenews.uberflip.com/
i/513714-cycle-news-2015-
issue-20-may-19), the chassis
is pretty close to what they've
been selling across the globe
for the last few years and
it's got the Kawasaki Traction
Control (KTC) system, ABS and
two different riding modes with
Kawasaki's ECO mode for de-
creased fuel consumption, as
well as a slipper clutch, center-
stand and, thank the spaghetti
monster in the sky, twin 28L
saddlebags (something neither
the Yamaha, BMW or Ducati
come with as standard). It also
comes with a span-adjustable
clutch lever, something else the
BMW lacks. So that's a score
for Kawasaki.
The inclusion of those
saddlebags is a bigger thing
than you might think. Some
riders will cover enormous dis-
tances on a Versys, so taking
one more expense out of the
equation will make the buying
choice a little easier. They're also
very sturdy and fit well with the
overall aesthetics and stance of
the machine, which is to say in
the least, rather large.
The Versys is a big bike. That
fact is undeniable. It's got a
massive front and cockpit, big
three-position screen and nice
wide, rubber-mounted bars. The
dash is nothing fancy, housing
all the stuff you'd expect like
speed, trips, power and traction
modes – although there's no
gear indicator – with an analog
tacho taking care of the revs.
It's quite easy to nagivate via
the mode switch on the left bar,
mainly because there's not much
to navigate! Not like a Ducati
(Top) The engine has been
lifted straight from the Z1000SX
nakedbike and packs a hell of a
mid-range punch. (Bottom) Massive
twin 28L saddlebags come as
standard. Huzzah!
I WAS
DISAPPOINTED
WITH THE LOOKS
OF THE NON-
U.S. IMPORTED
VERSYS – IT HAD
A FACE LIKE A
HALF-SUCKED
MANGO AND
INSPIRED LITTLE
IN THE 'CHECK-
OUT-MY-SEXY-
MOTORCYCLE'
STAKES.
