We're getting the Versys 1000!

Probably

New Kawackers
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012...-ninja-300-and-ninja-400-confirm-636cc-zx-6r/

" Also listed by the EPA is the Versys 1000 adventure-tourer, a machine already on sale in Europe as a 2012 model"

Dear God let's hope it's true! However, the last sentence of paragraph two.... "Note that a certified model does not have to be put on sale (the Ninja 400 was previously certified by the U.S. EPA, but not made available here)."

My next bike will be a Versys 1000 "IF" it turns out to be true!

That's good news. I bet the Versys 1k will take a big bite out of the full size adv bike sales and ST bikes.

I've seen a number of Ninja 1000s around, and fewer and fewer liter sportbikes. At the price it is likely to hit, I would think it will be hard for the 95% street ride to pony up the extra for a Tenere, GS, or Tiger Explr.

That is a fantastic, tractable motor. Big fan here.

I hope they sell them like crazy. It should do well. This may be bad news if you're in the V-Strom business though.

I think a chassis like this with upright ergos and Big K's 1000cc in line four should be just what the doctor ordered if you want to carve the canyons and cross the continents. This should be an excellent do everything bike.

I'm not a fan of Kawasaki, but more big general purpose bikes in our market can't be bad.

Before you guys jump my ass for trashing Kawi, I'll just say that I've seen some quality issues with the 650's and the Connies that make me balk at their stuff. However, I understand that the Z1000, ZX10, Ninja 1k, and Z750S were all pretty successful (quality, not sales numbers) and reliable machines. So, don't tar and feather me.

No problem. I've had more Kawasakis than any other brand. Not because I prefer them but, due to chance good deals that came up. I feel that Kawasaki definately cuts the most corners in quality. However, I can honestly say I've never gotten a lemmon from Kawasaki just alot of things for my farkle list. Good thing I love to farkle.

I've had several bikes from each of the "big four" & one KTM. I'll ride anything, as I've yet to find a machine I didn't have fun on. Some bikes are funner than others but, ANYTHING beats the hell out of walking.

I'd vastly prefer the Z-1000 which I feel is one of the sexiest bikes ever but, my bad knees could NEVER take the sporty riding position. The Versys 1000 will plant my a$$ back on a litre class in line four for the first time in well over a decade.

http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/Versys1000

That's the link to the UK version. Looks cool, if they keep the price down, near the ninja 1000 price, a definite winner!

What are the HP numbers? Seems like a very nice configuration. Wish it had a 19" front.

They are in the link above to the UK site, if you can read it.

Converting it to SAE looks to me like 118hp @ 9k and and 75 ft/lb torque @7.7k

1000cc is the perfect amount for touring. The only thing I'd worry about is that motor is known to buzz your nuts off. Hopefully that were able to mount it well enough to keep it smooth.

Dear Dog I hope this is true. I just picked up a Ninja 650. If I had any reason to have anything bigger I would have waited to pick the V1000 up.

How much sense does it make to bump up the Ninjette to a 300 AND bring in the 400 from Canada? Very strange.

A bumped up 250 with EFI is interesting as can be, maybe the cbr250 is denting there sales too much. The kawi 400 just doesn't make any sense at all being it's just a 650r with a smaller motor for nearly the same money.

Small CC bike don't do that well in the states, I agree, a 300 and a 400 will just take away from each other's sales, unless they are marketed differently, Like if one is marketed/setup as a commuter, and the other as an aggressive small sport bike. I'm not familiar with either bike, so I don't know what their angle is.

The cbr250 has got to be hurting the little ninja's sales, so a bump up to 300 sounds like a great sales point.

This should be a great bike but I don't know how many they'll sell in the US. The people who believe I4's have no soul won't want one but the slightly retuned engine should be great in this application. Same for the chassis and body changes from the Z1000/N1K.

This will be a great 2 up touring bike for all sorts of roads as long as you're not looking for a 700lb+ barge.

Provided that this is not afflicted with the same farty buzzing sound that the 650 seems to be notorious for, I'd certainly be interested in one as well.

Now if only Honda would get their sh!t together and bring that damned Cross-Tourer over, we could have some real choice in this market segment!

I have only owned one Kawasaki, a 1999 C10 - and everyone knows about them "a lot of bike for the money" - damned with faint praise. Some folks saw them as low quality bikes built to a price point - but there were lots of like me who absolutely LOVED the C10. Mine gave me 100,000 mostly trouble free miles. It also led to my involvement in the Concours Owners Group, which may very well be the BEST owners group there is. Also don't forget that Mama K is just a small part of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. No doubt they have the resources and the engineering prowess to build ANYTHING

needs shaft drive..

I think that would make it enormously more attractive, sure would for me.

If you added shaft drive to that package then it really starts to look very attractive assuming it's not a pig. But in the early ride reports I read from the UK it sounded like it wasn't too porky. I'm glad they chose to keep it at 1,000cc and not bump it up to 1,200. A liter 4 cyl should have all the go anybody needs.

Hopefully they got all the buzz ironed out as that is my biggest beef with inline 4s. My KZ650 would make my thumbs go numb in about 45 minutes. I've opted for lower pitch vibrations ever since.