2015 KAWASAKI VERSYS 1000LT
FIRST RIDE
P58
big for that. Smooth riding and
long sweepers are what make
a Versys tick, and here the ride
quality is as good if not better
than the Z1000. That's despite
the Versys having a somewhat
lower-spec front suspension.
Bump absorption is brilliant and
the ride ultra-smooth, especially
when solo riding. Riding two-up
with luggage can bring its own
set of issues – however these
can be easily solved thanks to
the remote preload adjuster on
the shock on the right side near
the saddlebag.
The chassis balance is espe-
cially noticeable when braking
deep into corners and using all
the power of the conventionally-
mounted (no radial here) Tokico
calipers. The feel through the
front is very good under brakes
and the connection to the tire
is tangible, enabling you to put
a solid amount of load on the
Bridgestone Battlax Sport Tour-
ing T30F rubber for decent grip
through the corners. However,
the ABS does kick in a bit earlier
than I expected – I had one
emergency stop where a truck
pulled out on me during the test
and that had the system pulsing
pretty quickly. I guess it didn't
bother me – at least I knew it
was working!
But for me the big plus in favor
of the Versys is the comfort.
This is truly a bike you can ride
all day on and makes me won-
der why you'd go for something
Black as black,
you can also
get a Versys in a
much more eye-
catching burnt
orange paint
scheme.
