Author Topic: Sweet Rides - Kawasaki Versys  (Read 1904 times)

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VersysRider

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Sweet Rides - Kawasaki Versys
« on: September 01, 2014, 09:54:13 AM »


By Michael Tissandier | California

In early 2010, my wife and I were sitting on the couch, watching a car restoration show. Knowing I spent a great deal of time around cars while growing up, she asked me if I would ever want a “play car” such as those we were watching in the show. Without hesitation I told her that if I was going to spend that kind of money, I’d get a bike instead. It was a curious statement, even to me. I had ridden dirt bikes in my younger days, but hadn’t been on any sort of motorcycle in 25 years. The show continued and the conversation quickly faded to memory.

Cue six months later, same couch, same show, when out of the blue my wife turns to me and asks, “So when are you getting your bike?” Yes, I married the right one! I had a bit of trepidation, after all, 25 years was a long time ago, and the biggest bike I had owned was a Suzuki TS250 I used for tearing around through fields and trails. Not only that, but what little street time I had was all “bandit”, running the back roads of southern Ohio with no license. So, immediately (hey, I had her blessing so why wait?) I began looking for a bike that would be similar enough to my experience to be comfortable but not too powerful so I would have to work to get into real trouble, and just plain fun.

I quickly honed in on what I call the “dual sportish” class of bikes. Being in Southern California, there are plenty of opportunities for off road adventures, but I knew the vast majority of my two wheel time would be roads, particularly commuting to work. That being the case, a mostly road bike with features of a dual sport seemed a good place for my initial foray into the world of street riding.

A couple of dealerships, and several hours sitting on various motorcycles, it quickly became apparent to me that the 650cc Kawasaki Versys met what I was looking for. The bike is a bit of an odd duck as motorcycles go. Versys is short for “Versatile System”, uses an upright riding position and the same parallel twin (although slightly remapped) as the Ninja 650 and ER-6. It was introduced in Europe in 2006 as a dual sport entry into the market. It didn’t hit the US until two years later and has a relatively small, but vocal following.

The Versys is best described as an all-arounder, a “what do you need today” sort of bike. It doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles. Those are available later in the form of a wide array of OEM and 3rd party accessories to make it fit your vision for the motorcycle. Not long after I got it, I realized that, while I would spend most of my time commuting, distance rides, particularly if there were some twisties involved, were where I wanted to go (sound familiar, Sport Tourers?). Thankfully, there were all sorts of options to turn my Versys into a competent light touring machine. A Zumo mounted on the handlebars, Doran tire pressure system, Scottoiler,set of Givi luggage, grip heaters, highway pegs, J&M CB radio, Russell Day-Long saddle, the list kept growing. When I mounted a SPOT Connect to allow her to track my progress and serve as an SOS, my wife started calling the bike my “Brass Wing.”

The simple functionality of the bike makes doing one’s own wrenching easy, allowing it to serve as a good 2nd motorcycle in someone’s riding career. Note, I said 2nd. I wouldn’t recommend it as a first bike due to some characteristics that arise out of the original dual sport intent. The bike is tall, and I mean REALLY tall. The standard configuration gives a seat height of 33 inches, so long legs are a definite help. The Versys can also be a bit top heavy, giving a “falling into the turn” feeling that can startle novice riders (it almost surprised me into a ditch the first time!). Good throttle control is also a necessity. The parallel twin is specified at nearly 60 bhp at ~8000 rpm while a very light 450 lbs. wet, and the bike wants to run between 5 and 8000, where the engine smoothes out a bit and the response can get downright snappy (read: fun!). Combine that with a short wheel base and sporty rake, and the Versys is a canyon carving machine able to satisfy just about any appetite for twisties. If 650cc isn’t enough for you, there is a planned 1000cc version due next year.

There are, of course, some downsides. It is a parallel twin, with the vibration that implies. Thankfully, good counterbalance design has most of it is confined to a couple of rpm bands that are outside of the usual range. The stock seat has the usual Japanese manufacturer slope to the tank and really isn’t comfortable for more than an hour or two. The transmission feels clunky as you move through the gears, not any sort of shifting difficulty, but a definite thump. Finally, if you are thinking about doing more than hard-pack or gravel off-roading, be aware that the Versys has 17” wheels, not ideal for rough terrain.

All that said, the Versys is a simple, very reliable, very customizable machine that has carved its own niche in the market. It works equally well for commuting, twisties, or even touring and is well worth a look. I have yet to meet someone who has given the Versys an honest test ride and not smiled at the end of it. Oh, and as for the tiger stripes, well, what can I say? I’m a big Bengals fan, they make a very unique sight on the road, and some things just need to be said …