Base Price: $6899
Engine: liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC, 8-valve, 649cc parallel twin
Horsepower: 58.8 horsepower @ 7600 rpm
Torque: 44.9 lb/ft @ 6800 rpm
Dry weight: 399 lbs.
More info:
www.kawasaki.com
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When it came to movies, for a long time, Europe got the sexually sophisticated films and America didn't. These days, something similar applies to the motorcycle market. America is dominated by the Harley mystique, while our Old World cousins are more open to a wider variety of creative, non-cruiser designs. Manufacturers have launched superb midsize bikes (see our review of the BMW F800) targeted for beginners or returning bikers or just plain sophisticated consumers who don't want to be pigeonholed. The Versys fits right into this category. This compact, aggressively designed bike (whose name is short for "Versatile System") is a jack of all trades. It works great for the morning rush, but it's also part sport-bike and part light tourer. Kawasaki intended the Versys for the European and Canadian markets, but a flood of e-mail from American fans caused a change of mind. Lucky us. We rode the bike from San Diego to Julian, a former mining town, past horse ranches, along scrub oak-lined hollows, blasting down ridge roads. The bike is a pure romp. |
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Kawasaki took the engine and frame of the Ninja 650R, last year's dominant sport bike, and made serious, inspired changes. A racing bike doesn't wake up until just this side of redline, while a street bike has to function from the first twist of the wrist. Engineers revised camshaft ratios, inlet and exhaust, and they added a connection pipe to the headers. The resulting engine maximizes low- and mid-range torque and off-the-line acceleration. Between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm, this bike is more powerful than the Ninja -- of course, if you're running your Ninja at 4,000 rpm, you're still in the pits being lapped by the umbrella girls. Other changes from the Ninja: wide handlebars, an upright seating position, a trellis frame to support a passenger and luggage. Most importantly, engineers added long travel 41mm Showa inverted front forks and an adjustable rear shock for more than an inch increase in travel. A sport-bike rider stays low on a perfectly groomed track, while a street rider wants the extra travel to absorb uncertain pavement. The result: a romping, relaxed ride.
-- by James R. Petersen |
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