Kawasaki Versys Coming

Nov 7, 2007
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I was told the Versys will come end of the year for a price around 300k baht. Will be built in Thailand and shares the frame with ER-6n and Ninja 650.

I am very much looking forward to that, should make a great little touring bike.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Yep! I've heard this unconfirmed rumor circulating around the Kawasaki Big Bike Showroom for a couple of months now. Makes perfect sense for Kawasaki to consolidate their EX650 production in the factory in Rayong - why they've been building the Versys in Japan and the ER6n / Ninja 650R in Thailand all these years is a bit of a mystery.

Let the Good Times Roll!

Tony
 
Feb 5, 2007
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I want a dual sport bike but not sure how dirt oriented this is and seems a bit heavy
Give me a KLR
 
Nov 7, 2007
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Interesting they rate the Versys higher than the BWM F650GS... of course anything you find on the internet, you need to take with a grain of salt ...

I think the biggest argument for me comparing these two in Thailand would be the price; as usual if you compare a Thai made Kawasaki with any other big bike in Thailand ;)
 
Nov 7, 2007
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Hoghead wrote: I want a dual sport bike but not sure how dirt oriented this is and seems a bit heavy
Give me a KLR
20lb heavier than the KLR 650. Different engine too, looks like a pretty different bike?!
 
Feb 5, 2007
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If only 20 lbs then no big deal as both are heavy for off road.

I have a road bike and want something dual purpose but capable on dirt roads. No real enduro work but I want something big and comfortable enough get to Laos and Cambodia and then capable of handling crappy roads once I get there.

Don't know if I could muscle either into a small boat for river crossings

Purchase price and locally available cheap parts is an important factor to me. This pretty well makes Kawi the bike of choice
 

DavidFL

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Hoghead wrote: If only 20 lbs then no big deal as both are heavy for off road.

I have a road bike and want something dual purpose but capable on dirt roads. No real enduro work but I want something big and comfortable enough get to Laos and Cambodia and then capable of handling crappy roads once I get there.

Don't know if I could muscle either into a small boat for river crossings

Purchase price and locally available cheap parts is an important factor to me. This pretty well makes Kawi the bike of choice

Hoghead
Depending on where you get your specs from, give or take 2kgs it is the "same" weight as my 94 Africa Twin. If I can get it into a boat on the Mekong, (with help of course), you can do it too.
I'd certainly be interested in riding one to compare it to the AT.
It would be good to see you riding in Laos.
 
Feb 5, 2007
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Hot to buy one now and with more thought it seems to me that this is more of a road bike for shitty pavement than a DS and needs some mods to suit my intended use:
The underslung exhaust looks very exposed for any off road use.
The radiator looks very vulnerable
17" wheels limit the choice of dual sport rubber.
Not sure about alloy wheels off road
I would like to buy the optional gel seat to lower the height a bit as I have 32" legs - I imagine this will be a popular option here in vertically challenged Thailand

At least the plastic bits will be cheap as chips to replace if current Kawi pricing is anything to go by
 
Nov 7, 2007
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2wheels wrote: "I want a dual sport bike but not sure how dirt oriented this is and seems a bit heavy
Give me a KLR"


Unfortunately, after communications from Kawasaki Thailand, I don't think we'll ever get to see the KLR here.
:thumbdown:
I wonder how complex and expensive it would be to buy one in Malaysia and bring it in, then make it legal here.
Would it be worth the effort and cost?
No.

Couldn't figure out the difference between KLR650 and Versys from the Kawa website so I checked Google. The KLR650 is a serious dirt/offroad bike. The Versys is a road bike which can go on crappy roads and dirt roads no problem. What I didn't know: The Versys has 2x the horsepower of the KLR650. The KLR is an older design but it's also designed for low end torque as you might need when stuck knee deep in the mud.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=333466
 
Feb 5, 2007
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Not so sure it "can go on crappy roads and dirt roads no problem"

See my concerns that I perceive as problems on dirt roads.
I think the key word here is road, and if that is a crappy potholed tarmac road, it would be OK but a crappy dirt road with 17" street tires and alloy wheels no way.

The problem posed by the exposed rad and underslung exhaust remains an issue.
 
Nov 7, 2007
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Hoghead wrote: Not so sure it "can go on crappy roads and dirt roads no problem"

See my concerns that I perceive as problems on dirt roads.
I think the key word here is road, and if that is a crappy potholed tarmac road, it would be OK but a crappy dirt road with 17" street tires and alloy wheels no way.

The problem posed by the exposed rad and underslung exhaust remains an issue.
Yeah you are right... the rougher the terrain, the worse the Versys, the better the KLR. Bottom line Versys suitable for very light dirt road duty only, judging from the above thread.

About the 17" wheels - are there no knobby 17" off road tires one could fit? Street tires are obviously going to be terrible on dirt roads.
 

stubzi

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nikster wrote: I was told the Versys will come end of the year for a price around 300k baht. Will be built in Thailand and shares the frame with ER-6n and Ninja 650.

I am very much looking forward to that, should make a great little touring bike.

Lets hope this comes to fruition, it will be an excellent bike for Thailand.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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The KLR is still carbureted and until Kawasaki offers it with Fuel Injection they'll never be able to sell it in Thailand unfortunately. There had been rumors that the KLR would get FI in 2010. Turned out to be false. FI in 2011? Who knows- keep your fingers crossed!

Motorcyclist magazine named the Versys "Motorcycle of the Year," and the Versys made top 10 lists around the world.

It's 'versatility' is also one of it's weaknesses- because it's been designed for both on and off road use it's a balance of compromises and some critics describe it as a bike that can do everything well, but nothing great...

Very popular and sells well down in Malaysia. I was thinking of buying an ER6n and getting the Versys front end rear shock and swingarm in Malaysia and doing the conversion myself, but if the Versys is really coming to Thailand soon I guess I'll just try to wait a bit longer.

Versys, ER6n, and ER6f (aka Ninja 650R) all share the same engine- 650cc parallel twin and very similar frames.

The Versys engine is identical to ER6n/ER6f but tuned differently. While the bore and stroke are identical the ER6n/ER6f has a higher compression ratio.

Versys frame is very similar but not identical- it's been reinforced and the Versys sports a much stronger rear swingarm, adjustable inverted front forks and significantly more suspension travel that the road oriented ER6n/ER6f.

The front suspensions on the Versys is an inverted 41mm hydraulic telescopic fork with stepless adjustable rebound and preload.

Forks on both bikes are 41mm, but the Versys forks are adjustable for both preload and rebound while the ER6 forks are not adjustable at all. That's a HUGE advantage for the Versys over the ER6 IMO.

5.9 inches of travel on the Versys forks compared to 4.7 on the ER6.

Rear suspension on the Versys is also higher grade than the ER6-

Versys features a single offset laydown shock with 13-position adjustable rebound damping and adjustable spring preload. (The ER6 is adjustable for preload only).

The massive rear swingarm on the Versys is a lot more rigid than the rather flimsy swingarm on the ER6 and offers 5.7 inches of travel compared to 4.9 inches on the ER6.

The Versys also carries more fuel in its 5 gallon tank than than the ER6n/f which can carry only 4.1 gallons. (This also makes the Versys heavier than the ER6 when fully fueled.)

I'm probably forgetting some other points but I think these are the biggest and most obvious differences between the Versys and the ER6n/ER6f.

Considering how well is sells in Malaysia I think Kawasaki will enjoy great success if they offer it in Thailand at a competitive price.
versys.jpg


Let the Good Times Roll!

Tony
 
Dec 27, 2007
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2wheels wrote: Here's an interesting comparison including the Versys.

Nice review but looks like these guys (and girl) never took the bikes off the highway... A proper review would include some dirt! :happy2:
 
Dec 27, 2007
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I think they got it right on the review when they called the Versys "an ER6 on stilts" :lol-sign:

It's certainly NOT an adventure bike like the KLR650, but it should handle rough roads and 'gentle' off-roading just fine.

I had a great time tearing around on with my old ER6n with Pirelli MT60 enduro tires last year-
0922PirelliMT60ER6BkSm.jpg


0922PirelliMT60ER6FrtSm.jpg


092609Er6n1Sm.jpg


Throw a radiator guard on like this:
ER6NRADIATORGUARD2SSR.jpg


Exhaust... well, I suppose you wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on an expensive aftermarket can if you plan to beat it all to hell... The headers are strong and very cheap to replace. I'd probably ditch the heavy stock exhaust and throw on some sort of low profile car muffler on there.

Or if you want to keep your exhaust(s) out of harms way you could do something like this:
DSCF1714sss.jpg


Wooohoo! :mrgreen:

Happy Trails!

Tony
 
Dec 27, 2007
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2wheels wrote: Wow, and look at that rear wheel (lack of) tread!!
Tony, for what it's worth, I asked Tidavan at Kawa why an EFI from the Kawa range
couldn't be fitted to the KLR; no reply.
:thumbdown:
This rear wheel?
0922PirelliMT60ER6BkSm.jpg

Enough tread for my needs- If I want to get into serious off road and dirt I'll get a KLX250 or DR400.
Ride On!
Tony
 
Jun 24, 2010
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I was searching for new parts and found this site, very cool site. Tony, is that a custom dual exhaust set-up or do you have any other info on it, I have a 08 Versys with a little work done to it and am looking for ideas for the exhaust system. This is my ride (not complete yet).

 
Dec 27, 2007
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tragerbon wrote: I was searching for new parts and found this site, very cool site. Tony, is that a custom dual exhaust set-up or do you have any other info on it, I have a 08 Versys with a little work done to it and am looking for ideas for the exhaust system. This is my ride (not complete yet).

Lookin' good! That's a tough looking Versys you've got there!

The Two Bros cans on the ER6n is a custom job- there are so many muffler shops and talented welders all over this country that having custom headers made is not hard to do at all.

Here are a couple more pics of that particular bike-
DSCF1744sss.jpg


DSCF1688sss.jpg


Ride On!

Tony
 

KZ

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You can't really compare the versys with the KLR, IMHO. If you go off road a lot and don't mind being slow and blasted by the wind on the freeway, go for the KLR. The Versys is an "all rounder" which means lots of compromises. The point is that even though its dirt ability is very limited, the better suspension gives you more freedom on the roads. I love blasting Thailands paved backroads but had lots of bad surprises when entering a turn with speed and then encountering some huge potholes, cracks or bumps; the street suspension is not up to it so I had to slow down before turns and accelerate out when the tarmac looked good. The Versys should be able to handle these kind of situations much better and the ride on poor roads should be more comfortable. It also looks like trips on the highway are possible at higher speeds with that little fairing, alas not as good as with the full-faired version. That's where the compromises come into play again.
The Versys should be the best model of the three 650s for Thailand because of its "Versustility", and the new plastic looks way better than before.
 
Nov 7, 2007
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KZ wrote: ... and the new plastic looks way better than before.
Yes! What a difference! I have to say I am not a huge fan of the old design. The new one though rocks! Looks awesome.

Look at those panniers too... I am totally going to get these...

[youtube:3dys4or8] /youtube:3dys4or8]
 
Nov 7, 2007
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2wheels wrote: Went to Chiang Mai Kawasaki yesterday and was told the Versys is not coming!
Kawasaki marketing (Khun Tidavan) wrote saying 'check the website'.
So, who knows?
:crazy:
Really. That's certainly a bizarre turn of events - Tidavan was previously very sure to deny it, others more than happy to promise 100%, now they've both made U-turns. It sounds a bit like Kawa Thailand is tightening corporate communications. No leaks! Whatever, we'll see when and if.

I don't know what could possibly be preventing them from selling the Versys here considering it has the same engine as the already-approved ER6-n and Ninja, and it's being produced here. So from that, I think there's still a good chance. But we know how these companies act at times, example Honda building a big bike showroom, then deciding to wait 2 (and counting) years "until the economy improves".
 
Dec 27, 2007
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It's coming folks but anyone's guess as to when. Kawasaki moved production of the Versys from Japan to Thailand in July. It's now being made on the 650 assembly line at the Kawasaki Factory in Pluak Daeng, Rayong. No word yet on when it might be offered for sale in Thailand though... Will they wait until after the Bangkok Motor Show next April or will they be nice and offer it to us sooner? I don't think anyone at Kawasaki, Thailand knows the answer to that question.
Ride On!
Tony