2022 Kawasaki Versys 650| 1200 mile owners review| Pros/Cons

[@dragoclarke9497]

Bought my GT version new in 2019 and have over 34,000 miles on it. Did a tour to Croatia last year 3600 miles in 3 weeks. Great bike, I traded down from a VFR1200X as I wanted a lighter bike, it was the right decision. Absolutely no problems with the bike. It does handle much better with Michelin Road 5 or 6 tyres, and you get over 10,000 miles from a set. Just back from a tour in Scotland and getting 75 miles per gallon. 😊

[@senraXD]

I just bought the 2018 GT version used. Only has 8,000km (~5000 miles) on it. I guess the old owner didn't ride long distances. It's my first bike, only ridden for a day but I love it. Happy to hear others are enjoying it too!

[@enyelator1239]

That’s 2021 Versys. The 2022 comes with a TFT display and traction control. I have a 2015 Versys 650 LT which is exactly as that one but in white. I have 81,000 miles on mine (130,000 km). It’s a good bike for commuting.

[@VoIPPortland]

Thanks! I was wondering about that. Would prefer a 2022+ for both of those features.

[@joecamel6835]

81K ...noice

[@joecamel6835]

@@VoIPPortland If you can get a great low mileage used one for half the price fk the TFT .

[@SomewhereInside]

Have a 23 model , think you could plug a CarPlay unit into the older ones for $500 AUD and hey presto a 25 model 😮

[@fingerhorn4]

As this kind of 650cc machine can get to the national limit in about 4-5 seconds and can cruise all day well over the limit, why on earth would anyone want to spend thousands more on a bike whose power you will never use? The answer is a combination of the Motorcycle Press and peer pressure persuading not very bright people that they "need" a 1200cc bike. It's total nonsense. And then there is the added weight. Who wants a bike that weighs 220 kg without luggage? Madness. You made the right decision. And the Versys seat is among the most comfortable in the motorcycle world.

[@MidLifeNinja]

I’ve just bought a versys 650 can’t wait to do that coast road on it. I’ll keep my eyes open for ya in future.

[@Murraymoto]

Epic ! How’re you finding it ? Are you based down this way?

[@MidLifeNinja]

@@Murraymoto I don’t pick it up until end of the month. Just sold a Zx9r my back wouldn’t take much more of that riding position lol. Yes I’m in Camborne. Getting the bike from Cornwall Kawasaki.

[@neilcole3406]

I love the new triumph tiger 900 , but it’s over £13 grand and the Kawasaki does seem value for money which is important in this ever price hike world!

[@daveh5625]

Nice review... i am a new rider of 22 months , bot a 2015 650 in nov of 2020... i like the 5.5 gal tank... dont take that nice bike off road , i dumped my in the sand east of Tucson.... i love mine and take it on interstate rides, easy at any speed... Dave 64, Arizona

[@ljb4374]

Had the 2014 bike in black with the stacked headlights, loved it, tourer 2up with camping gear, it did it with no complaints! Put Pirelli mt60s on it and took it off road. Been looking at the latest mid range bunch, ruled out the Vstrom, great to ride but too heavy and ugly af, needs MAJOR styling update! Took the Triumph Tiger 660 Sport out, great bike lovely engine. Just need to try the Yamaha Tracer 7 and the new Versys then decide! Decisions decisions!!

[@Murraymoto]

amazing stuff ! I purely made my choice on the money side, wasn't until about 2 months of riding it I was super glad I did! I considered the Yamaha, just felt it was such a bare bike for the money! but the newer models seem decent, looking forward to hearing what you chose! ride safe

[@protectorh9167]

This year I swopped my ktm 1190 for the versys 650 2023 😊😊😊 love it on the small roads and can make more miles without being exhausted, better bike for longer trips than the ktm. Only the tyres I don't like but that's easy to change to Pirelli diablo rosso 3😮😮😮

[@brizz769]

I like your helmet, can you please tell me the brand and model?

[@jellemeijer5397]

This is not the 2022 but the 2021.

[@Murraymoto]

Hi Jelle , thanks for the comment.. as described in the description technically is the 2021 model, as the 2022 (newest) model, came out for sale a week after I bought it .. thanks again :)

[@Pebbzor]

@@Murraymoto No bitterness over that? I own a Versys 650 (2020) and love it. Struggled some with buffeting and wind blasts. Gone through seven windscreens now I think, and some deflectors. The new one isn’t necessarily better looking but it has some new gizmos for the same price.

[@Murraymoto]

@@Pebbzor to be fair, I should of done my research on timings for the latest model, but then again the pricing went up by around 2k for the latest Versys so there's pros and cons to It! chuffed with how this bike has been so far regardless ! yeah the wind protection is a bit poor, the little bolt on screen doesn't really cut it so im going to look at a big touring screen, keep me posted if you find one? id be interested to know!

[@willewinky]

Can you fit a centre stand on this bike? I'm riding the Honda Forza 300cc scooter and thinking of trading it in for this. I'm an old fart and not ridden a geared bike since I passed my bike test 35 years ago. I love the luggage options and touring capacity of this bike but concerned about the transition from a scooter.

[@angusestcourt7120]

great commentary, perfect timing, i am about to buy one of these, having just done the Scottish 500 on a hired Honda NC750X and loved the ride it seems the Versys has a bit more 'Pep' on long runs. useful vid, thanks.

[@Murraymoto]

amazing news! glad I could help with the decision, I've got a few more videos planned in the coming month so stand by! off to Wales next week! enjoy the bike mate

[@mylesputnam9407]

How are you able to flat foot this stock bike at 5' 7"? I'm 5'8" with an 32 inside leg and on my front heels.

[@JoseAlvarez-dl3hm]

as you already guessed what is importan here is inseam, not much the height, although they are related, but ppl from the same height can have different inseams

[@jazephlewid8290]

Why didn't you do a walkaround on the bike? If it wasn't for your thumbnail, I wouldn't have known what the bike looks like. All we saw was you and the dashboard innit?

[@americandude3825]

Gosh dang I miss my versys 650. Two brothers full exhaust was perfect for it.

[@bradhorne6552]

Love mine. Real surprise package!

[@Murraymoto]

Cracking bike for the money in my opinion mate ! Thanks for the comment !

[@chrispack3131]

Having less electronics is a pro not a con!

[@jamescornflake1542]

My 2020 one is coming tomorrow. Can't wait))))

[@Murraymoto]

amazing! I'm sure you'll love it

[@jamescornflake1542]

@@Murraymoto I do. It's fab)))

[@mancunianboy2576]

Great review, considering getting one of these over the new 2022 model and save a bit of money

[@Murraymoto]

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed mate, other than the tft screen, the bikes pretty much the same ! Other than the price hike !

[@FranBunnyFFXII]

That's not a 2022. 2022 it was updated to a new more modern cockpit and fairing aero.

[@nellymonkey5465]

Def do a walkaround of the bike. Ive got a 2018 LT. love it. What helmet you got.

[@motoant]

Great video. Re: Cons. Does your bike have a jerky throttle especially in first gear doing slow corners? My 2020 has a very snatchy throttle.

[@dragoclarke9497]

I have the 2019, fitted a Booster Plug (It costs about £120 and takes 30-45 minutes to fix, depending how competent you are with tools) which has improved the throttle response off-idle dramatically. Wish I'd done it 25000 miles ago 😁

[@motoant]

@@dragoclarke9497 yes, I did fit one. A bit better but still a bit jerky in first gear in low speed technical stuff.

[@q-tubeadventures]

i had a 2009 Versys 650 and i loved it, fun, agile and a great little bike. The only con i had was i bought an aftermarket exhaust and that engine with an exhaust sounded like an angry purple minion no matter where you were in the rev range. The only saving grace was that my mate hated the sound just a little bit more than i did, so i kept the exhaust on to wind him up. I have the 1290 SAS now, but i got a mega deal on it, brand new for 11k so it was a no brainer. The litre versys is 16k which is comparable in cost to the ktm.

[@Murraymoto]

Hi mate ! I completely get that, I changed the stock exhaust to a black widow a few weeks back, hated it ! Changed it back , was far to yobbo for me, thats the trouble with twin parallel engines ! Yeah that’s a deal and a half ! I’m thinking that’s the way I’ll go after this bike, either that or the triumph tiger !

[@q-tubeadventures]

@@Murraymoto I’ve only ridden the old tiger 1050 and the newer 800 but that was still a few years ago now. Both great bikes but you also have a cracker with the versys. I like my litre + bikes, well I did before fuel was this mental. Keep up with the good work mate.

[@Chrislibao]

Good choice 👍🏻 had mine for 2 yrs and did 13k miles. Now I use Michelin road 5s and the bike handled way better. You may want to check your bike height, I'm 5'8 and on tippy toes 😁

[@intergalacticbasketballdro7186]

Had my Versys 650 for a year, and put 10,000 miles on it. No problems. Still Lovin' it ! 💚

[@protectorh9167]

I put Bridgestone T32, fantastic, it turned my bike complete I feel myself 100 times more confident.

[@MrTannerreed]

Thanks for the review! What’s the MPG on average for you on this bike? Thanks

[@Murraymoto]

Hi axel ! So I’ve been getting 55-60mpg without fail, with the way fuel is at the minute £30 for a full tank, and that gives you just Over 300 mile range ! Hope this helps !

[@sing904]

I have recently bought one with 10k on the odo. I am struggling to pull more than 33mpg driving slower than my nana

[@lastinline000]

Nice review, been watching several different peoples and they seem to all have the same opinion. I'm looking to get one soon. Tired of the old Harley heavy weight. I had an older Triumph Tiger years back, should have kept it. It seems that majority of the reviews are from the Brits, don't know if there's more there or less reviews here anyway thanks for adding to my decision making. oh yeah you're riding on the wrong side of the road. Cheers mate....Posted from Texas

[@whitneybrown3902]

Hey Texas…I’m in in top of the Panhandle. Bought a 2015 in April 2022. Best thing I ever got. I love her. Put 50/50 tires on her, do about 40% dirt/sand/gravel riding. She’s a better rider than me…. But I’m just a girl…

[@lastinline000]

@@whitneybrown3902 Hey Panhandle, I did it , Got a 2019 650 LT. really is a great bike!. I've known some girls that can run circles around guys...enjoy and be safe

[@riverthecat]

She's a beauty

[@lynnfortner4370]

thanks for the ride great video, great review.

[@Murraymoto]

Appreciate that mate ! More content incoming !

[@Murraymoto]

Appreciate that mate ! More content incoming !

[@Fiatmannen1]

2021 model

[@roadkill8161]

I just hate how versys sounds, besides that its a great bike

[@teamtempest844]

💚

[@MsDenver2]

They used to pull out on me all the time😊

[@carlitosquinones7652]

no es 2022, e .

[@MsDenver2]

They used to pull out on me all the time😊😊

[@thebrowns5337]

nom nom nom. Maybe lose the chewy before talking into a helmet mic.

[@Murraymoto]

Thanks for the advice

[@bossb2539]

Complete waste of time.

[@MsDenver2]

They used to pull out on me all the time😊😊

[@joecamel6835]

lol