Skip to main content

Kawasaki Versys

SPECIFICATIONS:

year: 2012
make: Kawasaki
Model: Versys
Engine: liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine
Displacement: 649 L

There’s no going around what is already considered one of the best bike values on the market today. The Kawasaki Versys is an award-winning bike for a reason. It’s a solidly built multi-purpose ride that will have you searching for more reasons to ride and more roads to explore. Customers can’t get enough of it, and surely, the 2012 model will further strengthen that belief.

The bike’s aggressive styling compliments its dynamic flexibility and strength. Adding to the comfort of the rider are rubber bushings on the rear engine mounts and hollow rubber inserts atop the footpegs that also help to isolate the rider’s feet from engine vibration, resulting in a smoother, more relaxed ride. The Versys also has a carefully designed cockpit that provides a mostly upright, natural seating position and features a stepped seat constructed to provide optimum comfort for both rider and passenger. Last, the Versys has an easy-to-read and informative instrument panel that allows riders to quickly scan the gauges and keep their eyes on the road.

Inside, the heart of the Versys is a 649cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine highlights the bike’s light and nimble do-anything characteristics. The torquey twin delivers a deep ribbon of power in the lower and middle parts of its rev range, making the Versys a great commuter and relaxed traveling companion. As far as its handling and suspension features are concerned, the Versys has a long-travel high-tech suspension to go with a Showa rear shock with two-stage damping that firms up progressively as the wheel moves through its stroke, providing an initially plush ride that almost hits to the level of high-end sports bikes.

Engine

The most compact engine in its category helps reduce the dimensions of the entire motorcycle
Triangular crank and transmission shaft layout keeps it short front to back
A semi-dry sump oil system reduces overall engine height
The narrow, chrome composite-plated aluminum cylinders help reduce engine width
Tuned to deliver smooth, responsive power in the low
to mid-rpm range for exceptional roll-on response – ideal for negotiating city traffic, tight backroads and anything in between
A 180-degree crankshaft and a balancer shaft produce a remarkably smooth engine
Oil jets on the connecting rod ends spray oil on the undersides of the pistons to aid cooling
An under-engine muffler with 3-way catalyzer aids mass centralization for light handling and great looks
Suspension

A distinctive aluminum gull-wing swingarm controlled by a lay-down single shock complements the distinctive frame design, with an integrated line flowing from steering head to rear hub
The short, compact frame and engine design allow the swingarm to be longer, which improves overall handling
The Showa shock has adjustable preload and rebound damping, and uses a free piston and two-stage damping valves for smooth action during initial compression that becomes firmer near the end of the stroke for a more planted feel
BodyWork

The fairing, stacked dual headlight, front fender and mirrors, and a Z1000-style LED tail light give the Versys a bold high-tech look
The windscreen provides a large still-air pocket for comfort; three-position adjustability makes it adaptable to fit a variety of riders and climates.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Mercedes-Benz SL550

Of all the Mercedes-Benz models that could be accused of being born with a silver spoon in its mouth, the SL arguably tops the list. Unlike many grand-touring cars, the Mercedes SL has never been forced to compromise its blue-blood personal-luxury/sport ideals with feigned attempts at practicality to please executives or attract buyers. It has, more or less, remained an unapologetic take-it-or-leave-it proposition since it debuted nearly six decades ago, and the 2013 SL550 does nothing to alter its course. Cool, Quiet Confidence Every move the 2013 SL550 makes is steeped in a competent, laid-back confidence; pin the throttle, and the car takes a moment to gather itself, as if saying to the driver, “Okay, dude, you ready? This is gonna be pretty awesome.” And with that, the seven-speed automatic downshifts, the twin turbos gorge themselves on air, and the whole shebang takes off, pulling hard to an observed 159-mph top speed (Mercedes claims an electronically limited 155). Life in th...
Read more

McLaren 650S Sprint

McLaren’s new 650S model now comes in three flavors, the standard road going 650S, the competition-spec 650S GT3 for serious racers, and now there’s the 650S Sprint which is aimed at track enthusiasts who still want a little bit of comfort. The 650S Sprint also replaces the MP4-12C-based 12C Sprint as McLaren’s track toy for the super-rich. Compared to the road model, the 650S Sprint features increased downforce and better cooling airflow to the 3.8 litre twin-turbocharged V8. It also features a competition-spec fuel tank and quick-fill cap, a larger radiator borrowed from the GT3 car, a new hood with additional cooling ducts for the radiator, front wing louvres for improved airflow, reduced ride height and recalibrated damping and spring rates, 19-inch center-locking race wheels with either Pirelli slicks or wet tires, onboard air jack system, and an upgraded braking system. On the inside the McLaren 650S Sprint features a stripped-out design with a FIA-approved rol...
Read more

Lamborghini Canto – What the Murcielago could have been?

Back in the late 1990s, when Lamborghini were starting to realise they needed a replacement for the ageing Diablo, they started reviewing design proposals from various automotive design firms. Zagato’s offering was the Zagato L147 SuperDiablo, or as it was to be later known, the Lamborghini Canto. The Lamborghini Canto first appeared in 1998, it arrived only two years after another Zagato designed Lamborghini concept had been unveiled, the Diablo-based Raptor. The cars shared a number of similar features, including the wraparound windows, triangular lateral air intakes, and trademark double-bubble roof. However of the two, the earlier Raptor was probably the better looking. Clearly Ferdinand Piech – head of the Volkswagen Group – thought so too. After VW bought Lamborghini in 1999, one of his first decisions was to review the Canto’s development and redesign the concept. The car was re-engineered and the rear extensively restyled to include smaller air intakes....
Read more