2008 Kawasaki Versys Road Test

[Buzglyd]

Originally Posted by sachiwilson

Why? Is there something wrong with Michael Douglas?

Our dearly departed KP used to claim he looked like a young Michael Douglas on steroids.

Then we found out he was an old MD on Krispy Kremes.

[JmalB]

I like the bike. Just a little tall for my tastes. Now if I could swap the adjustable binders onto a regular 650R...


And I know nothing of KP/MD/roids/Kremes, thankfully.

[anrajala]

Tekniikan Maailma, a local motoring rag, tested 650 all roaders, and what do you know Versys won. And the riders were not your standard bunch of semi-drunk Finnish dragass yahoos either, as the judges were guys like the seven-times enduro world champion Kari Tiainen (who specifically commended Versys for being well balanced).

Final points:
Kawasaki Versys 650 = 8.4
Suzuki DL 650 A (V-Storm) = 8.3
Yamaha XT 660 R = 7.8
Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail = 7.7
BMW G 650 Xmoto = 7.6
Honda XL 650 V Transalp = 7.6

As you see V-Storm was pretty much neck in neck. Could have possibly won with smoother fuel injection who knows.

And there you have the beemer also, by far the most expensive but sharing the jumbo place with the antiquated Honda. Proves that the badge tax does not end there when you cough up the extra dough. You’ll end up riding the incompetitive turd too.

- cruiz-euro

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

You're dead meat for Sistah Sachi fer sure.

This farm gal marries a guy from Greece. On the wedding day, her Mom warns her that "Greek men have some strange ideas about what goes on at bedtime." The girl shrugs it off. A few months later, her husband asks: "Darling, don't you want to try something different tonight?" The gal says: "Mom warned me about you Greek men!" He says" "But Darling, don't you want to have kids?"

Tip those bartenders and waitresses, they're working real hard for you tonight. I'm here all week, tell your friends.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by anrajala

Tekniikan Maailma, a local motoring rag, tested 650 all roaders, and what do you know Versys won. And the riders were not your standard bunch of semi-drunk Finnish dragass yahoos either, as the judges were guys like the seven-times enduro world champion Kari Tiainen (who specifically commended Versys for being well balanced).

Final points:
Kawasaki Versys 650 = 8.4
Suzuki DL 650 A (V-Storm) = 8.3
Yamaha XT 660 R = 7.8
Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail = 7.7
BMW G 650 Xmoto = 7.6
Honda XL 650 V Transalp = 7.6

As you see V-Storm was pretty much neck in neck. Could have possibly won with smoother fuel injection who knows.

And there you have the beemer also, by far the most expensive but sharing the jumbo place with the antiquated Honda. Proves that the badge tax does not end there when you cough up the extra dough. You’ll end up riding the incompetitive turd too.

- cruiz-euro

... just trying the sew up the $9K+ 650cc single market. BMW now owns the $10K 800cc twin market. With the new terrible electric canbus system BMW now handily holds the coveted "WTF does this thing cost this much for?" title.

[sarnali2]

Nice looking bike, I'd get the Vstrom 1000 myself just for the extra grunt.

D'ja hear about the two hillbilly kids that got married?, next morning the son was back on his own doorstep........ "whatcha' doin' here? sez Pa...you got your own place now with yer' bride"

"I got to divorce her sez the boy, she's a virgin......"

" Well come on back then sez' Pa, if she ain't good enough for her own kinfolk she ain't good enough for us niether"...

[bbtowns]

Was a dyno chart posted and I missed it? 4-7K sounds like a bit of a narrow range to run in. I'll echo another poster's call for a 650 and 1000cc shootout, though let's see these things get really dirty, not just a fire road. Come on up to OR, I'll find a route for testing.
Per another user's question about 17" vs. 19" wheels, there's no question the 17" should be better for pavement, the reduction in mass should be significant, which will improve handling. The bigger wheel comes in handy for getting over obstacles, through loose material, etc. and is generally only helpful offroad, of course IMO.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by bbtowns

let's see these things get really dirty, not just a fire road. Come on up to OR, I'll find a route for testing.
.

Yeah, but...is that really what the VerSys and/or Strom et. al. are intended for? I think not. Fire roads and "light duty" offroad is their market, with an emphasis on street riding. You can't expect to keep up with a purpose built offroad bike like a KLR etc.

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by bbtowns

Was a dyno chart posted and I missed it? 4-7K sounds like a bit of a narrow range to run in.

Ah, you get used to it ridin' a Stock HawkGT.......

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by Kenneth_Moore

Yeah, but...is that really what the VerSys and/or Strom et. al. are intended for? I think not. Fire roads and "light duty" offroad is their market, with an emphasis on street riding. You can't expect to keep up with a purpose built offroad bike like a KLR etc.

ALL the Adventure Tourers suck off road. All of them. All they are good for is tippy toeing along so you can see some nice scenery or for being better on rough tarmac. They are all at least 450 pounds wet and in no way can be considered real dirt bikes. They allow you to get places that a Goldwing can't go, but let's not pretend that they are anything but slightly off-road capable road. "How well" they work off road is really immaterial since any of them are easily humiliated by any clapped out old DR400. No one runs knobbies on their adventure bike anyhow.

That being said I really like them and I plan on scoring one for my around-the-USA trip when I retire in about 3 years. But they aren't off road bikes and anyone who buys one for that purpose is doomed to be sorely disappointed.