KAWASAKI VERSYS 650 (2006 - 2009) Review

Version: Abs

Year: 2009

Owned for 5 yrs, longest I've ever had a bike, normally get a bike every couple of years. Handled lovely, I could keep up with other riders on litre + bikes in the Twisties.

Buying experience: Private

I bought my bike three years old for £3900 with 4k on the clock, FSH, hard luggage, heated grips, a touring screen, data tool alarm and in excellent condition. 10 months on and I've covered just over 6500miles with a decent mix of motorway, Sunday blasts, weekends away and city commuting. So far it's taken everything in its stride... OK, the engine is never going to set the world alight. It's a 650cc parallel twin designed to be economical and user friendly. However it certainly feels more powerful than the numbers suggest (circa 60bhp) with genuinely useful midrange at real world road speeds and a top speed approaching 120mph. I'd be lying of I said I never wanted more power but I'd also be lying if I said it was dull. The sound it produces is inoffensive and tends to be drowned out by wind at anything over 60mph but is pleasant enough. I'm sure an aftermarket end can would solve (or ruin - depending on your outlook) the noise issue but I'm leaving it standard for now. Suspension is adjustable front and rear but mine has stayed on the stock setting and seems fine. Handling is very easy and predictable although the front end in particular offers little in the way of feedback. It certainly hides its weight well and is good fun on twisty B roads. The ride quality is OK although it feels neither sporty nor plush - I guess budget suspension is to blame here. Either way I find the bike perfectly comfortable for at least 2 hours in the saddle, the only complaint being the distance between the seat and footrest is a little cramped for my 6'0 frame. Equipment is adequate and includes a digital fuel gauge and two trip meters. The Versys does not come with a centre stand nor is it available as an aftermarket accessory as the exhaust can is in the way. This is one of the more annoying aspects of a bike that is otherwise perfectly capable of touring. Mine came with the optional Givi panniers, which fit plenty of gear (including a full face helmet in each) and are easy to remove. It does stick out further than the mirrors though and is something to watch when filtering in traffic! (Luckily I am yet to make this mistake.) In terms of reliability the bike has been practically flawless. There was an issue whereby the exhaust failed on a weld a couple of weeks after I bought it but that was a cheap fix covered under the warranty anyway. Other than that it has been perfect. Quality wise, one has to accept this is a budget bike and if ridden all year round (as mine has been) bits will get a little rusty. On my bike this has mainly been a couple of welds on the subframe and pannier rack and the bracket holding the rectifier in place. General fit and finish is perfectly good in my opinion. Value is where the Versys really excels. Insurance is cheap and even when ridden in a spirited fashion it will return 55mpg. It really is a lot of bike for the money too with plenty going for around the £3000 mark and tidy, well loved, low mileage examples rarely fetching over 4k. One (potential- depending on your annual mileage) downside is the short service intervals, which are due every 3750miles or annually. (Which ever comes soonest.) for me this means the bike needs servicing twice a year. On the plus side the service costs are fairly reasonable so it's swings and roundabouts. How many bikes are there on the market that will happily top a ton, handle well, ride just as well in town commuting as they do loaded up touring and will still return a real life 55-60mpg? Not very many. How many do all this for less than 4k? The Versys is pretty much in a class of its own!

The best all rounder for the money in this price range. Very reliable although Kawasaki could learn a thing or two from Honda on fit and finish. Great handling for a bike of this type. Responsive engine, agile, fun to ride and very, very comfy ergonomics.

Done 52319 miles in 2 and a half years and so far been one of the most reliable bikes I have ever owned (much better than my BMW R1200GS. Would love to know if anyone else has done more miles?

First motor bike I ever owned. Passed my test and bought one. Got a great deal with all the touring kit did 8k miles in the first year. Found the vibrations in the foot pegs, but other than that great bike.... chopped it in for a Cb1300 as I wanted more power. But would recommend this bike to anyone as a commuter or just a weekend blast.

I got my Versys brand new, fitted with Kawasaki panniers and the flip top touring screen. It is a pre facelift 2009 model. I have had it for just over a year now and put 2000 miles on the clock. I suppose the obvious thing to start with is the looks, and I think it is fair to say that there are more visually appealing bikes in the Kawasaki range. However I think it looks distinctive and striking, especially in the orange colour I have. Looks are always subjective and lets be honest this bike is all about the riding experience and not the pose factor. Let me get this straight from the start this is a very good bike and it really can do pretty much any thing, the name of the bike fits well with the reality of the bike. However there are a few irritations so lets deal with those first. The back brake is poor and has the kind of power that you might think is acceptable on a 150KG 125, used in isolation it is not good however when used in conjunction with the front brake it is ok and is easy to live with when you have got used to it. The mirrors do not hold position and I find that I am constantly adjusting them at motorway speeds. Lots of reveiws talk about the vibes on this bike but I have to say I have not noticed any excessive vibration on my bike, however the fairing did start to make a hell of a rattle at about 5000 RPM when it had done about 1100 miles, this was easily sorted by inserting a couple of bits of inner tube in a couple of places. Not the end of the world but something you don't expect to have to do on a modern brand new bike. These are not serious faults but they are disappointing and not what you would expect to encounter on a well developed and well engineered machine. Over all the faults listed above do not detract too much from the riding experince. The engine is a peach and is very torquey and responsive, but when you are giving it some don't be tempted to hold a gear for too long as it is a little breathless above 9500 RPM, you can make quicker progress by grabbing the next raio at 9000 RPM and riding the torque rather than trying to wring it to the red line. I have seen an indicated 122 on the clock so I think the perfromace is very acceptable. The economy is great, at touring speeds on a trip to Wales last year I averaged 68 MPG for the whole trip and I was enjoying the ride not riding for economy, not bad considering my size and weight (6 ft and 19 stone). The handling is light and easy and I don't know why but I find it very nice and confidence inspiring to ride in the rain compared to some bikes I have had. It will take a very good rider to get the better of you on twisty roads on a sports bike as it is easy throw about and gives great feel and confidence to the rider. The seating position and position of the pegs and bars are just right for me and I find the bike is very comfortable to ride. apert from the niggles mentioned earlier the bike seems to be well put together and cleans up very nicely and still looks like new but I have to admit that while I am not averse to riding in the rain in the summer I do not subject my bikes to winter riding so it hasn't had a coating of road salt to deal with. So there you go' overall a very good bike and it is only the little niggles that I have mentioned that stop me from saying it is a great bike. If you are in the market for a genuine do any thing bike that won't cripple you financially then the Versys really should be on your short list.

Recently sold my 800 VFR,great bike, now own an 09 Versys,early indications are this is a fantastic bike,being vertically challenged i thought i might struggle with the hight but i find it really works for me, no problems at all, i get i little nervous when pulling up alongside other riders because i have to fully adjust myself to put a leg on the floor, but i manage it non the less. i still needed the luggage capabilty and the panniers are good looking and carry decent loads, i am still getting used to the engine, but even so i am getting fantastic MPG, i aint a geek so i dont know exactly what it is but i know when i am riding quicker than normal i still get a good distance between fill ups. I find that i can turn it in quite tight and fast wich suits me fine and the almost lack of any wieght is ideal for the twisties. The back brake lacks any real feel though, so i am having a look at what i can do, overall i am delighted with the bike, i will more than likely buy another sports bike,but hopefully i may just keep this along side so i can have the best of both, just dont tell the wife!!!

I had use this bike for almost 2 years now and the odometer has shown up to 114K km. So far the bike was excelent in all area. Easy to handle and fule economic for long distance ride. It is value for money to get VERSYS as your bike.

I had an ER-6n for almost two years and I loved it! Unfortunately, due to its naked nature,it wasn't too easy to take long trips. So, I decided to go for Versys, since I had already tested it and I was amazed by its sporty character! It is by far the sportiest bike of its category! Its engine delivers more power than you 'd expect but that doesn't follow up to high revs as with the ER. I 've adjusted the Mivv Oval Carbon exhaust and a PiperCross air filter and these modifications magnitude the lower and mid rpm range. Versys shows its best, when it's ridden fast on mountain country roads! Totally deserves every single penny!

I have a 56 plate Versys in Black which has now done 15000 miles. My other bike is a 56 plate Fireblade. Apart from Sunday morning blasts, I seem to take the Versys out more than the Blade, possibley because it is just so versitile. Recently did 1400 mile trip around Scotland all on A & B roads. Thew bike was faultless ( see below only concern) and returned 60mpg fully laden. It does polish up well but some of the welds are very poor quality, especially on the frame with 'splatter' eveident in places. Certainly not up to Honda standards. Great handling, no, really great handling, cant be faulted for ride either. My only grip is that the fuel injection suffers 'jerking' at aroung 4500 rpm which causes a hesitancy. Only does it when riding at a constant speed, ie not accelerating or de accelerating. My Street Triple did it, only much worse so I got rid of it. All in all, great bike and well worth the pennies. Streetsahead

Time for an honest long term review of the Versys I think. Started riding Feb. 08 with an 02 Reg. BMW F650Gs, hand a few problems and lost my confidence with it so traded it in for a new 08 Reg. Versys. Absolutely loved it. Loads of storage space in the panniers, good power, comfortable riding position always responsive even with the girlfriend on the back, good for a little blast on the country lanes and you can push 200+miles on a tank. I have had it 14 months and been on long trips to France and Scotland on it, fantastic. So far I have done over 12,400 miles on it as I ride it to work every day (apart from when there is snow and ice). The only thing its missing as standard is heated hand grips (bigger screen to for long motorway miles but that’s the same for most bikes). In summary I love it... However in the past 4 months I have had nothing but problems. 1st clutch cable fraying - replaced under warranty. 2nd electrical problems - wiring loom replaced - replaced under warranty (but I think they had to mine the ore for it the parts took that long) 3rd exhaust failure - don’t know its only just happened I am really disappointed as it’s a lovely bike but my patience has finally failed now. I am going back to the dealers tomorrow to see what they can do for me. I love the bike and would recommend it to anyone but the reliability has recently been shocking I am hoping this is just a one off from them as I am really really disappointed. (Also had some annoying vibrations from the screen around the 3500-4500 revs mark I could never get rid of entirely) I don't want to put you off a fantastic bike but thought people might like a good & bad review in one.

I bought the Versys 7 months ago and have done about 2000 miles so far with it. It was far too tall for me to start with (I am 5'4'' on a good day!) but with the help of a lowering link and getting the seat scooped out at customseats.co.uk I managed to touch the ground with my feet! I love it, it rides superb, great fun on twisty roads... after my BMW F650GS that rode like a tractor (and broke down everywhere!) it is a breath of fresh air! It has plenty of power and acceleration, fairly fast for a 650cc, easy to ride and very forgiving. And I haven't even dropped it yet which normally occurs doing tight U-turns!

I got done for speeding on my Zx6R last year. From the moment I got stopped it took all of the enjoyment out of riding the ZX for me. It was a great bike but only really provided any enjoyment when giving it big licks! In my opinion it’s just not practical to own a sports bike on today’s roads anymore - with the technology around you can easily get caught for speeding without even knowing it. This is where the Versys comes in - it's a great bike and has made biking enjoyable again for me. In the twisties it can keep up with the best of them. The motor is really flexible and the handling is superb. OK on the straights it’s going to struggle against the sports bikes but that not such a bad thing “your honour!”. It's even enjoyable to ride around town. I can't recommend this bike highly enough. Have fun.

Well, I had my Versys 07 for 16 months and did 16000 fun filled miles. I felt the need to change and almost was tempted to buy a Yamaha Tenere, but realised that nothing could actually beat my Versys apart from a "New Versys" so thanks to 0% finance and some cracking service from Irelands in Barnstaple I have got a super new 09 Tango Orange Versys and a large grin, looking forward to another trouble free 16000 miles, then "who knows" maybe another one! Possibly the best UJM ever built!! IMHO Ian (Harleyman341)

This is my 5th bike in 5 years of riding and my first new bike. After reading all the reviews and taking a test ride at the MCN show in London I knew that this was the first bike I would safely keep for the next 3 years without getting bored with it. It really is all of the great things the reviews are claiming it to be.

Changed from sports bike to Versys in August due to back injury (car accident). Versys lives up to the hype it is, versatile. Handling is excellent. Comfort 10/10. Has also made me a better rider, now I don’t have 100+ bhp to worry about. After I brought mine few friends tried it and have changed to Versys as well.I normally ride all years round. Which is were the only problems come. The OE Dunlop tyres are not very good it the wet I will be fitting Bridgestone’s when I replace them. This is just my own opinion I just prefer Bridgestone’s. The other problem is I have never had a bike corrode like the Versys does, callipers, discs, sprockets and bolts are all a mess. Bike is washed 3-4 times a week and protective spray used. Made next to no difference. Which spoils another wise brilliant bike?

Well, having chosen a FZS1 as my ultimate bike, I was slightly at a loss as to what else I should get. Had to be something different that gave me new fun as I wanted to keep the Fazer. The Versys fits that slot. I can go out on either and have wicked fun without prefering one over the other. On ride outs I can keep a high pace with my group, even two up, and have power to spare. My pillion likes both with two hours being OK before a rest interval. Reliability so far excellent and fuel consumption upper 40's. Now, which one shall I use tomorrow?

What a peach. Had a VF1000F until 98, and this thing is just a dream to drive. OK the VF was (at the time) a stonking fast bike, but it was a bit of a barge. very pleased at how Kawasaki have tried to get all the fun into the speed/rev range that I want to use these days. Only had it a couple of weeks so nowt's gone wrong yet except a mirror has come loose. Amazing value with all the extras like vario screen, lowered gel seat, and panniers for 4.5k .... can't beat it. Can't wait to get it run in properly.

I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL BIKES OVER THE YEARS AND THIS KAWASAKI IS JUST THE MOST COMPLETE BIKE FOR USE ON OUR ROADS TODAY UNLESS YOU ARE A COMPLETE BIKEOOLIGAN, ITS LIGHT COMFY ON LONG TRIPS AND SCRATCHED IS AS MUCH FUN AS ANY BIKE FUEL CONSUMPTION IS V GOOD IN FACT THIS IS THE BEST BIKE IVE EVER OWNED

I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL BIKES OVER THE YEARS AND THIS KAWASAKI IS JUST THE MOST COMPLETE BIKE FOR USE ON OUR ROADS TODAY UNLESS YOU ARE A COMPLETE BIKEOOLIGAN, ITS LIGHT COMFY ON LONG TRIPS AND SCRATCHED IS AS MUCH FUN AS ANY BIKE FUEL CONSUMPTION IS V GOOD IN FACT THIS IS THE BEST BIKE IVE EVER OWNED

I Paid just £4080 for mine by hardball negotiating with the dealer who took back my knackered gsf 600 bandit. Well I must confess they sold me all clothing accessories as well so hense the deal! I'm so pleased with the bike but saw it as a stop-gap to a BMW but having read the reviews I don't think I'll bother. The bikes only done 484 miles at the moment so can't say an awful lot about it but I'm planning to commute 20,000 a year so I'll review alot more then steve

Without doubt the best all round bike i have owned in 40 year's. Does need a rad guard though.Tank range is 210 miles plus another 20 with the light on,however you ride it and not as MCN say at 152 .I was waiting for the 800gs BMW but i'm glad I bought the Versys.it is loads better than a BMW.Well done Kawasaki.100%

I purchased my Versys at the discounted price of £4295 from Irelands MC's in Barnstaple, fantastic service a good hour test ride and good follow up on this wonderful machine. I was going to buy a new BMW GS650 and I am glad i didnt. On first sitting upon the Versys, everything falls to hand. The riding position is as good as my old 850GS BMW, which until now, I rated as the best bike i had owned. The handling and speed are superb, enough to cruise happily at 80mph with plenty in reserve for emergencies. Good fuel economy, I am getting 55 to 60 mpg when riding sensibly. The original screen is a bit short and I have fitted an ermax hugger, a fender extender and a higher screen plus handguards. But these items are all personal taste and how many of us aren't averse to fitting the odd bolt on goody? To sum up, I have nicknamed my Versys the "Ronseal Bike" because "it does what it says on the tin"! Best bike I have owned in 27 years of motorcycling, well done Kawasaki. Ian

Only got 2000 miles on it, but without doubt the best of the dozen plus bikes I've ever owned. Great range for touring, good in the twisties, light and easy to handle at slow car park speeds. Can't wait to get some serious miles on it this summer.

I read lots of reviews and visited various forums before buying a Versys. The bike delivers everything you expect from this type of machine especially in the ride and handling though the twistiest roads. The only negative were the stock tyres, which were fine in summer but useless when the temperatures dropped. A pair of Continental Road Attacks has transformed the wet and cold weather handling.

Am I glad I decided to buy a 'V'! What a bike! A real bargain too: £4650 for an ABS 'V' with a touring pack thrown in free by Kawasaki! Brilliant handling at any speed, relaxing riding position, great sound, good low down torque, and a looker too (yes, I like quirky!). Added a hugger and a fenda extenda, and I'm ready for some semi-serious touring too! Kawasaki, you're on to a winner here. Only known weaknesses: top speed (120mph, though this isn't an issue if you live in the real world, doh!), stock screen not that effective, needs a fenda extenda and hugger to keep the crap off the bike. Otherwise, this is a great great bike for a fantastic price! PLUS, look after it, and it'll give you legendary Jap reliability too!

I have only had the Versys for under a month but it is indeed a true versatile all rounder. The engine is a lovely water cooled 650 twin, long travel suspension and a funky frame. My only gripe is that at 5' 7" the bike is a little tall; but I would suggest anyone shorter could have problems, but once on board it really is a delight to ride and I am getting used to its fulsome character. I have added a slightly larger screen which gives the rider much more weather protection. The bike is one which inspires confidence and the ride is a high one and the term often used here is a 'commanding road presence' I think; it certainly has and for the non bikers out there it probably looks like a 'big' bike. I was attracted to the trailie style of the bike and I ride plenty of B and C class roads and the Versys is a sure footed beast in this sort of territory; but it is an urban warrior and I wouldn't take it off road, a gravel track is the furthest I would venture off road. It will also perform very well out on the wide open A roads and its true that the engineers have geared this bike for the 'real world' 50 to 80 mph range, rather than just give it a silly top end. I have yet to hear a bad word said about the bike and my money is on the fact that Kawasaki have got themselves a real winner here. 10 out of 10 from me.

Traded in my 750 vfr to Kawasaki Newcastle after a test ride and was most impressed with the demo,lots of mid range grunt, handled just fine,stops better than the vfr even though the rear brake is poor had to drop forks one inch coz i am only 5ft 5,boxes and gel seat for 4 & a half grand all in and it sounds good, burnt orange best colour cannot wait to get it run in, to sum up Spot on

Part exchanged my VFR for Versys and not missed it at all. What a great bike this is loads of fun, comfortable and great value for money. I paid £4400 and also 0% finance from Kawasaki Newcastle. Nearly got the Candy Orange but changed my mind and got it in silver, orange OK but I think you could soon get tired of it. It gets a lot of attention when I park it up from other bikers who haven't seen this model.

Just purchased a non ABS versys. Not a bad word to say about it. Having spent the last 9 years on sports bikes it`s a breath of fresh air,plenty of low down grunt and fantastic handling and brakes.£4.500 otr a bargain.

Strengths: Great all round bike, excellent for commuting, okay for short-medium touring. Very comfortable pillion too. Weaknesses: Needs a hugger and front fenderextender to keep crap off motor and electrics