New Kawasaki Versys 1000 in 2012

[precarious]

Originally Posted by GrahamD

+1. Oilers are the ducks guts.

Unless you are someone who gets all tissy when your pretty back wheel gets a bit of stuff on it.

Didums.

Excuse me for liking shiny things

[RaY YreKa]

I saw it yesterday.

Much bigger than I expected, like a DL1000.

Not for me but some folks will love it I suspect, especially as it will be the cheapest of the big adv/tour bikes.

[eakins]

Originally Posted by ray_rev

I saw it yesterday.

Much bigger than I expected, like a DL1000.

Not for me but some folks will love it I suspect, especially as it will be the cheapest of the big adv/tour bikes.

yep, the guy who looking for adv bike comfort but has no interest in dirt nor wants to spend top $ is gonna love these.

[sportmotogear]

Triumph has been making a variation this bike since 2007. Pretty much a 1050 Tiger to me, not that there is anything wrong with more choices. I just don't understand the excitement unless you live in an area without or with crappy Triumph dealer.

[RaY YreKa]

Originally Posted by eakins

yep, the guy who looking for adv bike comfort but has no interest in dirt nor wants to spend top $ is gonna love these.

Seat was tall, wide, and comfy looking. Apart from the frontal area, my impression was that it was actually bigger than the Tiger 1200.

[RaY YreKa]

[996DL]

Maybe Suzuki better drag out the old, short lived Suz / Kaw contract and demand rebadging these as DL1000 replacements, fair's fair, remember Europe's KLV1000.

Extremely smart move by Kawasaki, if priced accordingly !

996DL

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by eakins

yep, the guy who looking for adv bike comfort but has no interest in dirt nor wants to spend top $ is gonna love these.

Here I am.
Who called?

[olie]

Originally Posted by ray_rev

spectacular pics...

[xrcris]

Originally Posted by danketchpel

I think they are finding out that real people want comfortable bikes to ride longer distances. The sport bike hunch is NOT comfortable for more than an hour. Even some of the sport touring bikes have a pretty good lean to them, hence Heli bars etc.

It's part of the reason I chose the Vstrom over the Concours 14 I was planning to buy, the Strom was just more comfortable, plus it weighed a LOT less.

I'm very happy to see Kawi coming out with this, let's just hope it makes it to the USA market. And yes, I think it belongs here in the Beasts section, just as much as the Tiger 1050 does.

Yep. Crotch rockets are nice, but stale after a year when the "next big thing" comes along. The sport tourers are better in this regard, but I agree, those aren't comfortable for a long haul. I see these sort of the newest iteration of the UJM.

I was planning on a big V-strom to replace my VFR, looks like I have another bike to consider.

[amk]

Does it shake more/ same/ less than 650?

[tremor38]

Originally Posted by olie

speak for yourself...

I'm not the one all fixated with 'shafts'....

[RaY YreKa]

Originally Posted by amk

Does it shake more/ same/ less than 650?

It's an I4, it will be smooth. In fact, apparently, that was part of the brief, since big twins can stutter at low revs. OTOH that might be an excuse for using an existing engine and lowering development costs.

[Kawidad]

Originally Posted by ray_rev

It's an I4, it will be smooth. In fact, apparently, that was part of the brief, since big twins can stutter at low revs. OTOH that might be an excuse for using an existing engine and lowering development costs.

Knowing KHI, I'd say your first point is the sales pitch, your second point is the truth.

[996DL]

Kawasaki caught some real flak in the press, for excessive vibration in their early incarnations of the Z1000, steel framed, four mufflered naked bike and for as little as I keep up with those models, I think they've been praised as of late, with the smoothness of these detuned superbike motors, in aluminum framed budget bikes. I'd hope vibration control would have played a big role, in developing the Versys 1000.

996DL