ON Motorcycle

2011 kawasaki versys first ride Ever-increasing popularity of the jack-of-all-trades motorcycle has prompted the creation of this versatile machine. Powered by the same parallel-Twin found in the 650R sportbike, the Versys has enough thrust for the stoplight-to-stoplight drags of the morning commute or apex-to-apex carving on weekend jaunts.

The suspension on the BMW was absolutely amazing. The Lamphun-Chiang Mai highway is mostly made up of concrete slabs and the joints between the slabs are often not terribly smooth or level so its a great place to test a bikes suspension. When Ive ridden the Ninja 650R and ER6n on that road the chassis is easily unsettled by the bumps in the road while the BMW went through the bumps like a hot knife through butter. SMOOTH is the only word that comes to mind when I think of the handling of the F800GS.

The Versys’ compact, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 649cc, parallel-twin engine was the perfect powerplant for this light and nimble do-anything bike right from the start,it’s lively enough for advanced riders and predictable enough to inspire confidence in rank novices. The torquey twin delivers a deep ribbon of power in the lower and middle parts of its rev range, making the Versys a great commuter and relaxed traveling companion. Its surprising genius becomes readily apparent once the roads turn twisty, because despite its comfort and civility, the fun-to-ride Versys also offers genuine sportbike handling and excellent fuel economy. With its big, 5-gallon fuel tank you can go a long way between fill-ups.

2011 Kawasaki Versys Spesification

• ENGINE TYPE: DOHC inline-twin

• BORE x STROKE: 83mm x 66mm

• TRANSMISSION: 6-speed

• WHEEL TRAVEL Front/Rear: 5.9"/5.7"

• SEAT HEIGHT: 33.3 inches

• CURB WEIGHT: 454 pounds

• PRICE: $7,699