Photo: insella.it
Rumors started circulating over the past days that Kawasaki is preparing a hefty update for its Versys bikes, currently slotting in the 650 and 1000 crossover classes. With only minor changes introduced since 2010, the Versys 650 is one of the modern bikes with the biggest inertia when it comes to upgrades, as only two revisions have been made to the model since its 2007 introduction.
Its liter-class sibling arrived in the market in 2012 and since then the model is virtually unchanged, but two years is a much more acceptable than 4 in this rather dynamic segment.
The rumors emerged after Kawasaki has shown a preview of its m2015 model year bikes on the Japanese website, depicting new liveries and whatever small changes were made to them… but with no 2015 Versys machines revealed. This obviously triggered suspicion, as some started to speculate that the house of Akashi is readying a heavily upgraded version for each of the bikes, most likely preparing for a dashing appearance in the upcoming European bike shows, the German Intermot and the Italian EICMA.
So far, the liter-class Versys failed to impress too many customers, despite its decently-priced well-equipped trim. Still, it looks like the competition was tougher than expected, with either sportier or more adventure-worthy machines stealing the customers.
On the other hand, the Versys 650 parallel twin enjoys quite decent sales figures and the fact that it remained untouched since 2010 clearly speaks about the fact that it occupies a well-established slot in the market. However, the competition is not asleep, and has come up with bigger machines or which got a bigger displacement, with the BMW F800 and the Triumph Tiger 800 to name only two of the off-road-friendlier beasts.
Rumors have the smaller 2015 Kawasaki Versys machine bored out to get closer to the 800cc class, if not loaded with a new engine altogether, and offering a hike in both performance and riding pleasure. Also on the tech side, a consistent frame update is also expected, especially as the actual chassis is derived from that of the first-generation ER-6 machines.
Obviously a solid makeover in the aesthetic department is heavily needed, even though fans seem to favor the dual stacked headlights. However, when compared to the modern machines in this segment, the Versys 650 does look a bit too cartoonish. Will it also sport the “beak” which seems to become the new fad in adventure and adventure-ish bikes?
Its liter-class sibling arrived in the market in 2012 and since then the model is virtually unchanged, but two years is a much more acceptable than 4 in this rather dynamic segment.
The rumors emerged after Kawasaki has shown a preview of its m2015 model year bikes on the Japanese website, depicting new liveries and whatever small changes were made to them… but with no 2015 Versys machines revealed. This obviously triggered suspicion, as some started to speculate that the house of Akashi is readying a heavily upgraded version for each of the bikes, most likely preparing for a dashing appearance in the upcoming European bike shows, the German Intermot and the Italian EICMA.
So far, the liter-class Versys failed to impress too many customers, despite its decently-priced well-equipped trim. Still, it looks like the competition was tougher than expected, with either sportier or more adventure-worthy machines stealing the customers.
On the other hand, the Versys 650 parallel twin enjoys quite decent sales figures and the fact that it remained untouched since 2010 clearly speaks about the fact that it occupies a well-established slot in the market. However, the competition is not asleep, and has come up with bigger machines or which got a bigger displacement, with the BMW F800 and the Triumph Tiger 800 to name only two of the off-road-friendlier beasts.
Rumors have the smaller 2015 Kawasaki Versys machine bored out to get closer to the 800cc class, if not loaded with a new engine altogether, and offering a hike in both performance and riding pleasure. Also on the tech side, a consistent frame update is also expected, especially as the actual chassis is derived from that of the first-generation ER-6 machines.
Obviously a solid makeover in the aesthetic department is heavily needed, even though fans seem to favor the dual stacked headlights. However, when compared to the modern machines in this segment, the Versys 650 does look a bit too cartoonish. Will it also sport the “beak” which seems to become the new fad in adventure and adventure-ish bikes?
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