Kawasaki Versys 650

I've owned my 2010 Kawasaki Versys 650 ABS (mk2) for 2 years and covered 10k miles, so here's my thoughts on ownership.

Reasons I bought this bike that still hold true after 2 years of all weather riding in the miserable British climate:

Ergonomics - a really lovely fit for me (6'0") with high wide bars and an upright riding position.

Value - 0% finance on £6k bike was a really good deal at the time.

Engine - it really is amazing how much they've squeezed out of this engine. It does not feel like the meagre 60bhp and regularly puts a smile on my face. Getting past cars is never a problem with loads of character and torque but not a flat out speed machine. It tops out at 120mph with my hefty bottom on it.

Handling - good out of the box, but amazing when you set up the suspension properly. I really feel that it can keep up with almost anything on most roads, except Motorways (see engine for why).

Fuel economy - 50mpg +, up to 60mpg if you potter along. For some reason it uses less fuel on A roads than Motorways, which I suspect is aerodynamic related.

In short, it's magic what Kawasaki have done with this bike. None of the components are particularly high quality but the combination just works beautifully.

Advice for improvements;

Handguards and crash protectors - It's quite tall so a drop is probably. I've dropped it twice at low speed and no damage to the bike, just some scratches on the protectors. Paid for themselves straight away.

Touring screen - the tiny standard screen is useless, lots of noise and only protects you from the mid chest up.

Suspension set up - if you can't do it, get a pro to do it. Only cost me £40 and it felt like I'd spend £00's on hardware. So much more plus and predictable on corners. The front and rear have pre-load and rebound speed adjustment, not the best, but good enough for most street riding.

Niggles;

Some of the finishes are not great; Engine cover plates, gear change brackets, bodywork brackets and bottom of the front forks all suffering from cosmetic weather damage. I try to protect it with ACF50 treatments, but the salt and British weather just gets at them. If you're a manic bike cleaner you may find it terrible trying to keep it pristine. For me not such a problem but a bit of a disappointment to see oxisided parts that have been treated for protection.

Fuelling - classic problem with fuel injection, it feels lumpy on low throttle. Not bad enough for me to spend £200 on a power commander, but makes it feel a bit agricultural around town. This engine is at it's best being pushed a bit.

Exhaust noise - the standard exhaust is not a sexy sound. If you like to wake up the neighbours you will want to spend a few hundred quid on a sport exhaust. Combine this with the engine noise, which is low and deep but not particularly sporty, you may find the way it sounds a bit weird. Look it up on youtube to see what I mean.

Brakes - underwhelming. Can be improved with braided lines but I can't justify the money. They do the job but are not up to the standard of similar priced bikes. A bit spongey.

Other things to expect from a maintenance point of view:

Rear tyre - about 5k miles

Front tyre - about 6k miles

Chain - mine went at 7k miles (due to malfunctioning Scottoiler) Some reports of up to 20k miles.

Service intervals - 4.5k miles at about £180 a time

Summary

A really fun, easy to own and practical bike. It can tour, it can commute, it can do Sunday fun rides. Every time I get off the bike I smile. Lovely to own and a hoot to ride, but a refined cruiser or knarly crotch rocket it is not.

I just had the bike for 2 weeks and so far I am perfectly happy with it. The engine is extremely smooth and not too noisy and the handling and suspension are very good too. I use the bike mostly in city-traffic and there its light-weight and nimble handling really shine. Cutting through rush-hour traffic is a real blast. This is my 3rd bike after a Suzuki 150 and a Kawasaki D-Tracker 250 and the best I've ever had. In my opinion it strikes the perfect balance between power, handling and versatility. I cant wait to take it out for a weekend in the countryside.

Well done Kawasaki!

best bike ever for pure fun. had many bikes over my 40 years of biking, nothing touches the versys for the grin factor.

Upgrading from a 125cc Varadero, commute 30 mins each way daily in heavy traffic on a range of roads (dual carridgeway, town, country road). Chose this Kawaski Versys over the transalp and v-strom, and was perfect choice, a lot more power but very easy to handle and well balanced, fits my 6ft height (often problems fitting my knees into cut-outs with 36" legs), lots of accessories to choose from - it is a lot of fun to ride as well!! It is a very upright sitting position, which took me a while to get used to, but ideal for commuting. There is good wind protection from the farings and I have the tourer screen that is quite good too. There a few downsides, firstly the mirror height is exactly the same as van mirrors, so you have to be a bit cautious when filtering and the back brake is very wooden and I will be investigating ways to improve it. I noticed vibrations when I first rode it (bearing in mind I had a 125cc before), sometimes enough to make mirror image fuzzy, but this may be true of all parallel twin engine bikes. Overall, if you are looking for a fun bike that is easy to handle, and you like the sitting upright position, then you should seriously consider this bike. Thanks for reading!

11,000km in the odometer, driven from Guatemala to Belize in all kinds of tarmac. A very reliable engine with lots of grunt, suspension is exemplar, cruising speed with givy shield 145km, such a comfortable ride. What else can I ask for. Oh, I had forgotten. BMW 1200GS left easily behind in the twisties.

(Female rider) I really like the quirky looks. The seating position is great, and the seat is very comfortable even on all day rides. The bike is extremely nimble, and has plenty of power. The size is a near perfect fit for my 5'5", 32 inseam. Because the bike is light, and balanced, you don't have to have both feet flat on the ground at stops. I find the breaking to be good. The power to be there for the asking, and the nimble ride a blast. I give my Versys a 10!

Riding a new bike is always a matter of anticipation. Will the experience match the desire? Here is the offering from Kawasaki, using the ER6 engine in a new frame and uprated long travel suspension. This is a a new sector bike which defies a logical slot in any category. It is a do it all rounder and the 64 bhp pumps out enough power for most sane people in the real world. The water cooled twin cylinder can quickly achieve a 70 mph speed and beyond is no problem. The bike feels responsive and eager and my first ride showed that the reviews were not professional hype from overpaid motoring correspondents, this is a real world bike for everyman (and woman for that matter. I would say that for me it is a good package and one I wish to explore much further and longer. Early days but it looks like this long legged baby and I will be friends for some time.