Kawasaki Versys (2006-current)

I have a 56 plate Versys in Black which has now done 15000 miles. My other bike is a 56 plate Fireblade. Apart from Sunday morning blasts, I seem to take the Versys out more than the Blade, possibley because it is just so versitile. Recently did 1400 mile trip around Scotland all on A & B roads. Thew bike was faultless ( see below only concern) and returned 60mpg fully laden. It does polish up well but some of the welds are very poor quality, especially on the frame with 'splatter' eveident in places. Certainly not up to Honda standards. Great handling, no, really great handling, cant be faulted for ride either. My only grip is that the fuel injection suffers 'jerking' at aroung 4500 rpm which causes a hesitancy. Only does it when riding at a constant speed, ie not accelerating or de accelerating. My Street Triple did it, only much worse so I got rid of it. All in all, great bike and well worth the pennies. Streetsahead

Time for an honest long term review of the Versys I think. Started riding Feb. 08 with an 02 Reg. BMW F650Gs, hand a few problems and lost my confidence with it so traded it in for a new 08 Reg. Versys. Absolutely loved it. Loads of storage space in the panniers, good power, comfortable riding position always responsive even with the girlfriend on the back, good for a little blast on the country lanes and you can push 200+miles on a tank. I have had it 14 months and been on long trips to France and Scotland on it, fantastic. So far I have done over 12,400 miles on it as I ride it to work every day (apart from when there is snow and ice). The only thing its missing as standard is heated hand grips (bigger screen to for long motorway miles but that’s the same for most bikes). In summary I love it... However in the past 4 months I have had nothing but problems. 1st clutch cable fraying - replaced under warranty. 2nd electrical problems - wiring loom replaced - replaced under warranty (but I think they had to mine the ore for it the parts took that long) 3rd exhaust failure - don’t know its only just happened I am really disappointed as it’s a lovely bike but my patience has finally failed now. I am going back to the dealers tomorrow to see what they can do for me. I love the bike and would recommend it to anyone but the reliability has recently been shocking I am hoping this is just a one off from them as I am really really disappointed. (Also had some annoying vibrations from the screen around the 3500-4500 revs mark I could never get rid of entirely) I don't want to put you off a fantastic bike but thought people might like a good & bad review in one.

I bought the Versys 7 months ago and have done about 2000 miles so far with it. It was far too tall for me to start with (I am 5'4'' on a good day!) but with the help of a lowering link and getting the seat scooped out at customseats.co.uk I managed to touch the ground with my feet! I love it, it rides superb, great fun on twisty roads... after my BMW F650GS that rode like a tractor (and broke down everywhere!) it is a breath of fresh air! It has plenty of power and acceleration, fairly fast for a 650cc, easy to ride and very forgiving. And I haven't even dropped it yet which normally occurs doing tight U-turns!

I got done for speeding on my Zx6R last year. From the moment I got stopped it took all of the enjoyment out of riding the ZX for me. It was a great bike but only really provided any enjoyment when giving it big licks! In my opinion it’s just not practical to own a sports bike on today’s roads anymore - with the technology around you can easily get caught for speeding without even knowing it. This is where the Versys comes in - it's a great bike and has made biking enjoyable again for me. In the twisties it can keep up with the best of them. The motor is really flexible and the handling is superb. OK on the straights it’s going to struggle against the sports bikes but that not such a bad thing “your honour!”. It's even enjoyable to ride around town. I can't recommend this bike highly enough. Have fun.

Well, I had my Versys 07 for 16 months and did 16000 fun filled miles. I felt the need to change and almost was tempted to buy a Yamaha Tenere, but realised that nothing could actually beat my Versys apart from a "New Versys" so thanks to 0% finance and some cracking service from Irelands in Barnstaple I have got a super new 09 Tango Orange Versys and a large grin, looking forward to another trouble free 16000 miles, then "who knows" maybe another one! Possibly the best UJM ever built!! IMHO Ian (Harleyman341)

This is my 5th bike in 5 years of riding and my first new bike. After reading all the reviews and taking a test ride at the MCN show in London I knew that this was the first bike I would safely keep for the next 3 years without getting bored with it. It really is all of the great things the reviews are claiming it to be.

Changed from sports bike to Versys in August due to back injury (car accident). Versys lives up to the hype it is, versatile. Handling is excellent. Comfort 10/10. Has also made me a better rider, now I don’t have 100+ bhp to worry about. After I brought mine few friends tried it and have changed to Versys as well.I normally ride all years round. Which is were the only problems come. The OE Dunlop tyres are not very good it the wet I will be fitting Bridgestone’s when I replace them. This is just my own opinion I just prefer Bridgestone’s. The other problem is I have never had a bike corrode like the Versys does, callipers, discs, sprockets and bolts are all a mess. Bike is washed 3-4 times a week and protective spray used. Made next to no difference. Which spoils another wise brilliant bike?

Well, having chosen a FZS1 as my ultimate bike, I was slightly at a loss as to what else I should get. Had to be something different that gave me new fun as I wanted to keep the Fazer. The Versys fits that slot. I can go out on either and have wicked fun without prefering one over the other. On ride outs I can keep a high pace with my group, even two up, and have power to spare. My pillion likes both with two hours being OK before a rest interval. Reliability so far excellent and fuel consumption upper 40's. Now, which one shall I use tomorrow?

What a peach. Had a VF1000F until 98, and this thing is just a dream to drive. OK the VF was (at the time) a stonking fast bike, but it was a bit of a barge. very pleased at how Kawasaki have tried to get all the fun into the speed/rev range that I want to use these days. Only had it a couple of weeks so nowt's gone wrong yet except a mirror has come loose. Amazing value with all the extras like vario screen, lowered gel seat, and panniers for 4.5k .... can't beat it. Can't wait to get it run in properly.

I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL BIKES OVER THE YEARS AND THIS KAWASAKI IS JUST THE MOST COMPLETE BIKE FOR USE ON OUR ROADS TODAY UNLESS YOU ARE A COMPLETE BIKEOOLIGAN, ITS LIGHT COMFY ON LONG TRIPS AND SCRATCHED IS AS MUCH FUN AS ANY BIKE FUEL CONSUMPTION IS V GOOD IN FACT THIS IS THE BEST BIKE IVE EVER OWNED