Kawasaki Versys 1000 miles in review!

[dxh24]

So i'm just about to round the 1k on my new Kawi Versys and i thought i'd toss in my opinion of it so far for those interested or bored at work

Looks: the 09' and older ones are slightly fugly but mine being a 2010 got a facelift, and I have to say it's growing on me...As Erci said in another thread it's kind of nice to go out and just stare at your bike for a little while... I love the z1000 rear brake light and the in tight pod blinkers...

for 2010 they also made the mirrors diamond shaped rather than square (i believe this was to copy the Z series as well iirc) and i absolutely love them, i can see waaaay better on them than any other bike i've ridden and they look pretty cool from the Pilot's seat.

Engine: The parallel twin 650cc they put in this did pretty much what Yamaha did with the FZ6... took a 650 ninja engine and tuned it. You can definitely see the similarity's once you get to about 6k-8k rpms, where the bike makes most of it's power. It's awesome to accelerate fast and still be 2k before the redline... once you get to 9k (redlines at 10 and a half) it's acceleration drops way off and you'd be better off shifting anyways, so it's nice that it doesn't encourage you to thrash it, and still perform superb.

Suspension: I haven't fiddled with the suspension too much yet because i've been to busy riding it But it has fully adjustable front and rear suspension, the rear shock i believe is taken from the Ninja 650r. The way the suspension is set up now is very nice absorbs bumps nicely...

Pro/Con time!!! I'll start with things i dislike on it so far...

Cons:
-I still don't like under engine exhausts.... IDK what Kawi was thinking... "let's make a "VERsatile SYStem" and toss a big can underneath it to lessen ground clearance!

-It's kind of quiet until you get to 6k rpm in which has an excellent growl, but anything before that you strain to hear it.

-No center stand...Not a big deal really but it would have been a nice addition, unfortunately the big can under the engine kind of takes up all the room anyways...:spank:

-the Stock muffler is huge, it's basically a bellypan... may end up with a two bro's or a leo vince for it eventually

-another small one... not sure i'm sold on the factory gel seat yet... i think it's made for a taller rider... still i can go 150 miles without discomfort...have the stock seat, will update sometime on which i like better).

To sum up the bad.... THAT FUGLY MUFFLER!!!

Pro's
-Absolutely wonderful to drive... after 5 miles on it i felt like i'd ridden it for thousands. It's very flickable and is very sturdy on highways or in town.

-I LOVE the gauge cluster... the RPM is analog and the digital gauge shows gas speed, time/trip a/trip b/odo the analog is backlit with white and looks brilliant IMO, and the digital gauge glows faintly orange when it gets dark out.

-The lights a great, low beams are above my expectations and the brights are literally brighter than my Cavalier's.

-You get a little "pass" flick switch to flash brights real quick at people you don't think see you coming.

-fuel injected... don't have to deal with that choke malarky i've been dealing with my whole life with dirtbikes and the Rebel.

-VERY upright seating position.

-Goes like a bat out of hell!!! (not as much go as the FZ but low end torque is addicting!)

-Don't scold me for this one... but yes... the front wheel will come off the ground (Don't yell at me i'm an MX guys it's in my blood)

Will update with pics when i find a digital camera that wants to work for me...will toss in my crappy phone pics for now

Overall....I love it, it's a great bike, enough power to keep you interested, turns great, looks great (IMO)...it fits my style very much... and i look forward to putting many MANY more miles on it :thumbup:

 

[MrMogensen]

Don't be so sad about that "under engine exhaust". They just do it to save some weight and most likely also shortens the bike

When I attented a motorcycle course few weeks ago, one of the instructors was riding this very bike. I saw him make little bitty turns around himself almost - rearwheel was almost in same spot while he spun around and around, and that can only be done when the bike is that short - kind of like those Buell bikes.

 

[Cali rider]

Thanks for the review, I have 2 follow up questions:

- How is the wind protection at road speeds?

- What kind of fuel mileage are you seeing?

 

[FloppyRunner]

Nice! I was looking at them when I bought my FZ6. I wanted used for a first bike though and there were a lot less of those used at the time. I did ride an ER-6N and it was very nice though...

 

[Grainbelt]

The Kawi demo truck was in town here last weekend and I took out the Versys. As a former 650R owner, I was a little disappointed in the motor -- the 650R definitely pulls a lot harder and deeper into the rev range. I will say that the off-idle torque of the Versys is certainly a lot of fun. I lofted the front a few times, just too easy.

 

[Premises187]

Good write up.
I'm also interested in hearing MPG figures.

Ground Clearance
FZ6 = 5.7 in (145 mm)
Versys = 7.09 in (180mm)

My FZ6's cat has managed to hit a few of my local speed bumps. Despite the under exhaust the Versys would still definitely be an improvement in that respect.

 

[dxh24]

Thanks for the review, I have 2 follow up questions:

- How is the wind protection at road speeds?

- What kind of fuel mileage are you seeing?

Well, i'll answer best i can...

Wind protection: I don't have alot to compare it to (zzr1200 rebel 250) but it depends on how tall you are... at my height 5' 11" there's some buffeting when you get past 70 mph, but tolerable. I'll also toss in there that the Versys has 3 mounting positions for it's windscreen, mine is in the most upright position, i may get a touring style replacement eventually, but not on top of my list.

MPG.... Kawi claims 53 mpg, but i've been getting about 50 mpg per fillup...mind you there has yet to be a ride, (much less a tank) where i haven't been "enthusiastic" with the throttle... i'm sure if driven like a commuter it's capable of 60 mpg...will update ya the first time i try an mpg trial (might be a while though )

Edit: while on the Versys forum, some people claim 70 if they're careful.

 

[Sparkybean]

I've heard another reason for this under engine exhaust trend is not only for weight saving but it creates a lower centre of gravity. And although the Versys is a dual sport it is probably geared more towards road use than off road use. But hey, I agree, I don't really like how they look.