Kawasaki Versys 650: Little brother
Almost everyone who has been blessed with younger siblings by fate, nature and parents is, for a certain period of their life, a combination of celebrity and role model. Brothers and sisters try to dress and behave like their older brothers and sisters. Sometimes the era of imitation lasts only a moment, and sometimes it lasts a lifetime, sometimes taking on caricatured forms and lining the pockets of psychotherapists.
Fortunately, the new Kawasaki Versys 650 sticks to a healthy framework in this respect. In terms of style, it is clearly inspired by the current generation of the Versys 1000, which has been on the market for some time. The canopy and shape of the headlights of both motorcycles are something between a shark and a science fiction fighting robot, with the new 650 being drawn with a slightly softer line and, in my opinion, prettier in the face. This does not change the fact that it looks very modern and aggressive, and it promises a lot with its image. And how is it with the fulfillment of these promises?
City Tourist
The Versys 650 is a representative of the popular segment of city-touring crossovers, i.e. motorcycles that combine the features of road and adventure machines, especially in terms of ground clearance and suspension with greater travel. These vehicles have won great sympathy from users in the last two (or maybe three?) decades, because they allow for efficient and comfortable movement on asphalt of any quality - from smooth as a table to as potholed as a swindler's memory at an interrogation. They (or rather their drivers) are not afraid of short gravel commutes, although they are by no means off-road motorcycles.
Unfortunately, it often happens that they are advertised in this way, sometimes directly, sometimes "in passing". This can cause some confusion and sometimes frustration for potential customers. This also applies to Kawasaki, which placed both Versys on the shelf with a note "Adventure Tourer". Therefore, it is worth reminding at every opportunity that in this case "adventure" means poor asphalt and a sudden jump to packed sand or gravel, and not a ride down a steep, rocky gully or under the bottom of a stream.
17-inch wheels, road tires and a dozen or so inches of suspension travel. The perfect bike for bad and potholed roads, but still for roads.
Returning to the hero of this article, once we get to know and accept what kind of motorcycle it is, it turns out that it can become a dream companion for everyday struggles. The high demand for machines like the Versys 650 (manual) is evidenced not only by the numerous competitors on the market (which we will return to), but also by the long history of this particular model. It appeared in 2006, as a kind of "spiritual successor" to the popular "clunker", the KLE 500 model (produced from 1991 to 2007), although the Versys, while retaining the KLE 650 code name, was already a motorcycle definitely more focused on the road. Its name itself comes from the words "versatile system", which can be translated as "versatile system". In other words, a motorcycle for everything - daily commutes, long-distance tourism, flying around the city and taking adrenaline shots on mountain bends, and all this regardless of the quality of the surface (to some extent, of course).
