KAWASAKI VERSYS 1000 REVIEW I don’t know about you, but when I was a youngin’ I went to a few Star Wars movies, and dreamed of those fabulous “speeders”, defying gravity and careening through faraway forests.  Being a realist though, I lamented the fact that they’d not be invented in my lifetime.  As it turns out I was wrong...they have.  Well almost. You see, I’ve just handed back the new Kawasaki KLZ1000A Versys after a couple of weeks exploring its depth and breadth.  My first impressions were so unexpected and “impossible” that I invited a couple of mates out for a full day ride to see if they could shake me out of my delusion.  One of those mates is a bike magazine journo and former ride instructor, and I’ve come to learn that he knows a thing or two about bikes.  Surely he’d tell me my impressions were ridiculously wrong?  As the day unfolded however, he became just as enamoured of the Versys as I was.  My earlier delusions morphed into reality, albeit an incredulous one.  Here was a bike unlike any other before it. The first thing that you notice when you plant your behind in the saddle of the Versys is the bulk of the tank and shrouds in front of you, and the general size of the bike in all directions.  In fact, weighing in at a claimed 239 kgs, it’s no ballerina.  You’re reminded that Kawasaki make no claims that the big Versys is yet another entrant in the “adventure” class.  Indeed, all they say is that it’s capable over “the widest variety of street riding situations”.   Sort of an oriental Ducati Multistrada. In the motive force department, there’s a 1043 cc in-line four engine, delivering a rewarding 118 PS, and mated to a sweet 6-speed transmission.  Significantly retuned from its more gutsy Z-model siblings, the motor delivers somewhat less power, but a boosted spread of torque, and delivered through a wider ratio transmission.   One thing Kawasaki have proven over the decades is that they’re masters of the big four, and with the new Versys they’ve done it again.  The engine just launches you up to any speed you desire with sewing-machine precision and smoothness.  No fuss, no hesitation.  Just solid, explosive acceleration. Out front in the suspenders department there’s a “next generation” KYB 43 mm USD fork, and bringing up the rear is a horizontal “back-link” arrangement, both offering just 150 mm of travel – longish for a road bike, but shortish for a dirt bike. In the anchors department, there’s a new lightweight Bosch ABS controller, coupled with twin 300 mm petal discs up front and a 250 mm petal disc out back, all combining to excellent effect.  I can’t remember riding a bike in recent times with better “Goldilocks” brakes.  Simple.  The cockpit and instrumentation are all up to expectation, and provide good information feedback at a glance.  The riding position is supremely comfortable, with good protection from the smallish adjustable screen, and an excellent seat.  All-day comfort is assured.  In fact Kawasaki claim 1000-plus kilometre days.  And a 21 litre fuel tank means that fuel stops on those days will thankfully be reduced to a minimum. Finally, to the “whizz bang” department.  There are three electronic aids on the Versys:  ABS of course, which these days is arguably mandatory, and on this bike works superbly.  As well, there’s Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC), as well as Power Mode Selection.  The KTRC is operated from an intuitive switch on the left handlebar, and allows you to choose from three modes as well as off, all while on the go.  Mode 1 allows for a slight degree of slip under acceleration, while mode 2 reduces slip somewhat more, and finally mode 3 all but eliminates slip.  And there’s a handy indicator light to signal when KTRC is invoked.  As for the Power Mode Selection, once again using the left-hand switch, you can choose between full power and a 25% reduction.  The reduced power level also flattens the throttle response somewhat, making for quite doughy power delivery.  It’d be handy though when the road surface is slippery to the point of being treacherous. Niggles?  Only one, and you knew I’d get around to it, didn’t you?  Clearly, it’s the cosmetics.  The styling of this bike really doesn’t appeal to me, and I can’t help but feel that Kawasaki have pushed the design envelop too far, with a possible negative impact on sales.  Shame indeed, for this is truly an otherwise marvellous motorcycle. Enough of the detail...let’s get back to the ride. Starting on the blacktop.  Here, the smaller front wheel allows for excellent manners in the twisty stuff, with the front turning in effortlessly, and the suspension doing a fine job of keeping the bike tracking well under brakes or power.  The rear feels planted and confident, while the front may benefit from the spanners of an expert.   The engine is flawless in propelling you to eye-watering speeds, and as mentioned the brakes are superb.  So, on balance, the Versys seems to me to be grunty, capable, and comfortable indeed on the tar, with a degree of manoeuvrability and handling as good or better as many a bike out there. As Kawasaki state, this is no adventure bike.  So it won’t manage well on unmade dirt roads, but how about on made dirt roads?   Well, I’d imagined gingerly motoring along on the loose stuff, concentrating on not allowing the big bike to get too unmanageable.  It didn’t take long for me to realise that the KLZ1000A had other ideas.  It obviously knew what it was doing, and wanted me to know about it!  Before too long the bike and I were getting along at an unheard-of pace, with the smaller-than-usual front wheel seemingly consigned to the “irrelevant” file.  Both ends of the suspension work in concert, with the front end definitely offering more confident handling off road than on...surprisingly. The spring rates and damping are nothing short of excellent.  Kawasaki have managed to make just 150 mm of travel feel for all the world like 200 mm of plush travel.  As you’re propelled through space at warp speed, the suspension just seems to roll out a pliable and supple carpet underneath you.  I have absolutely no idea how Kawasaki have managed this feat of engineering.  All the stats of the bike point to this not being possible, but somehow it defies the laws of physics. And there’s more. Traction control really has found a place in the modern world of bikes, and on this new Versys it’s unquestionably a shining star.   Set at position 2 or 3, the bike is able to devote the majority of its ample power to actual acceleration on dirt, rather than energy-wasting wheel-spin and fishtailing.  This means that it attacks the road ahead in a previously unheard of fashion, reaching jaw-dropping speeds between corners, even on ball-bearing decomposed granite. Stunning performance for sure.  And backing up this techno display is the wonderful ABS.  I’ve not ridden a bike where ABS works so well on loose surfaces, delivering confident scrubbing of speed even in slippery gravel. If we piece it all together, we get a motorcycle like no other I’ve ridden on dirt before.  Explosive power delivery from the big four, impossibly capable suspension smoothing the way ahead, and electronic aids to dramatically improve both acceleration and braking.  I was flabbergasted, as they say, and so were my mates.  Here was a motorcycle that didn’t just get by on dirt; it was veritably revelling in it.   Don’t get me wrong; the Versys is not an adventure bike in the league of a 1200GS or 800XC.  But it will most assuredly gobble up rural lanes and arterials without even a second thought, and at speeds that will ensure you have a long wait for your mates, no matter what bike they’re riding. For a bike that will in all probability out-accelerate and out-brake pretty much anything in the so- called dual-sport world all you have to pay is a super reasonable $15,999 + ORC.  You could buy one for criss-crossing this huge continent of ours, and for the difference in price compared to its mainly European competitors, you could buy another bike as well.  Think about that. When all is said and done, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 is most definitely a “speeder” delivering a magic carpet ride indeed, apart from anti-gravity, and I’m hopeful Kawasaki engineers might even solve that problem as well in due course. John Baker Thanks to Kawasaki Australia for providing the bike featured here. NOTICE ANY SIMILARITY TO THE OLD MODEL DUCATI MULTISTRADA? Still doesn’t make the Versys a good looker. But hey, who cares about looks when it goes as lightning-fast as it does???