I owed a Kawasaki z1000st back in 1979 and it was the most fantastic shaft drive , why oh why did Kawasaki stop doing it . There was no splines that could seize like on BMW and the st was so comfortable on long journeys but I after say the old disc breaks just didn’t stop you , I used after throw an anchor out , feet , everything. Thank goodness modern breaks are now good.

don't no why people keep going on about the price it's alot of bike .well made and is great to ride. as for BMW you only get back what the bike is worth at what ever age it is .why look at a 15 grand bike if you can't afford one .yes i own an 2016 versys 1000 and perfer it to my triumph 1050 tiger . bit of an versys fan.

My next bike.Getting older now and this would be all the bike I need for those long roads and comfort.And it looks great I think.

If you're worried about the height they do a lowering kit by lust racing drops it down 38mm front forks the same and don't forget the side stand , it makes a massive difference to your confidence on the bike around town

Wow, lovely Honest review.Appreciate the enthusiasm to ride and review bikes..... Great👍👍👍

Big thumbs up. great review. practical demo. Thanks for that. Im sold

I watched all 99 reviews that KZfaq offers for 2019 Versys 1K. This is the best! Good job!

Great review guys, test rode one earlier in the year and my GS is now going- lot more of a refined ride and far more enjoyable. PS the lean angle sensor is not just to see how far you throw it over it operates the IMU so the ABS and Traction Control knows when you are in a bend and operates accordingly when needed.The suspension seemed a bit hard for you because you set it on Rider with luggage.Keep up the good work

Great entertaining review as usual guys. This bike has now made it to my next bike list along with the BMW 1250 gs, and the Ducati 1260s. The price of the Kwaka could well be a deciding factor as it appears to have the same tech levels of the other two!! Nice work fella's.

Hi Toby, excellent review as usual. Thanks

Another good review Guys

Great review thanks. I had one a couple of years ago. It's a great bike but I found it really top heavy, especially at low speed, and now it's way too expensive.

Thanks gents, enjoyed that; one of the guys in my local group has the previous model and he’s very pleased with it. I would be interested to see you do a review of the Z900RS, if you haven’t already done one. Cheers, Andy.

Best review yet! You looked genuinely pleased... and its not a beemer?.. will probably spend more time on the road than in the workshop too which will be a bonus lol. Cant wait to try one out, but id miss the shaft of the gtr. Great vid.

Great video guys! Really interesting - never considered Kawasaki before....may have to look at a test ride!

Thank you for the amazing review of this very intriguing motorcycle. If I had to pick one of my bikes this Versys 1000 would replace I suppose it would be my 2011 GSX1250FA. I don't know that this bike would be enough to lure me away from my '17 Triumph Trophy SE. The tech that the Versys has is in fact a bit of an upgrade from the slightly older Trophy, but the Trophy has it in all other areas. It would be great to be able to do a proper ride-off between the two just to give the Versys a fair shot at it, but to my chagrin I cannot find a Kawasaki dealer out here willing to let me test one. And I find that perplexing. I guess Kawasaki doesn't really want to sell a motorcycle - if they did they would either allow test rides or bring more demo trucks out to play. At the price they are asking, which in my opinion is too high, I damn-well better be able to test it first! I'm looking at the Versys because unfortunately Kawi has given up on the Concours 14 - Otherwise known as the GTR 1400. I have been holding out hope that this model would get some kind of refresh, but they are not going to do it I suppose. What, with this bike out with all of it's tech etc. and the H2SX now in the market they have stupidly neglected the Concours. Oh well, I will wait and see what the next year or so brings. I'm in no rush. In the meantime, I will continue to hunt for a test ride on the Versys! Thanks again for your review, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If it were shaft drive,I’d give it serious consideration.Thank you for the excellent review!👍👍

Nice, once again great review.

Top review guys, I'll take one out for a spin purely on your recommendations. :)

Great review as usual thank you. I am very tempted but I suspect there will be deals to be done within the year. As far as I can tell the equivalent GS with luggage and inner bags is around £1,500 more and that will probably be gained back at PX time a few years down the line. Kawasaki need to work on the price a bit I think. What do you think? Of course the dealer may make a very tempting offer in the PX deal which makes it better value than the new GS

I love it! I want one.

Lovely Review.Very well explained.

Absolutely fantastic review, I absolutely love a review an honest review and a person that speaks English not technical all the time that I do not understand. How wide is your grip between your thumb and your little finger 9 inches. Lol Keep up the fantastic videos. Can you do a review on the verses 1000 2022 As apparently this has full electric suspension.

Good review again chaps, the top box looks as if it's a GiVi 47 in which case it will hold two helmets.

Thanks guys great review of a great bike. Sorry but poor location for the walk round, background traffic noise almost made it unbearable. Keep up the good work. Love the channel. 👍🏍

Good honest review cheers 👍

Good review, would of been good to have seen it on the motorway a bit !!!

fantastic review , like the bike and price . but I think this one is one of your best reviews just because of the smiling and liking another bike . I am also wondering what are the extras you can have . eg heated seats . cause for the price I dont think you could compete

I nearly bought the previous model of this beast. It didn’t, however, have a quick shifter or cruise control & with my arthritis these are a must. The BMW R1200 GS got my money then, but ...I also have a ZR750 Zephyr & have had a GPZ 1100 in the 80s, so I do like Kawasaki’s. When I do my sums on running costs/parts/insurance I strongly suspect the Versys will come out a winner. I do a lot of two-up touring so will be interested to hear some reports on how it handles the extra load. I’m 90kg with a 60kg wife + baggage. I’m interested, cheers guys.👍🏍

Smooth is 90% of my riding, but on occasion I want to feel a small thrill. Will it do the part. Really enjoy the reviews.

Thanks great video fella's nice bike but its the Boxer engine for me every time.

Kawasaki 86’d the KLR 650 and I hear talk that the Versys line is the replacement. In the first minute and a half you said I what any sensible person would know, the Versys 1000 is not an ADV bike, let alone a dual sport. The other Versys aren’t Adv/ dual sport either. I do think the Versys line are awesome street bikes. Great review.

They put that cap on the gauges to keep them from melting. I've had mine replaced twice. I'm hoping that cap will retrofit to the older models. I think it looks smokin in that color. I hate the white on black one though. The white panels coming down by the engine appears like a giant "M" in the sides of the bike. Looks like a giant advertisement for Monster energy drinks. BTW, it works pretty well for mild off roading too, but get the rubber removable grip pegs from SW Motech. The stock Kaw pegs are very slippery if you get mud on your boots.

Ive hard m'y verses 1000 se Gt for a year now and i agréé With your review apart from thé comment about thé instruments buttons etc . Ive had numéros bises in m'y Tim'e and this Is by far thé most accomplissd or them All thé engine is bomb proof but must say your ride and vidéo spot on

Well-done. I test rode one of these the other day and was surprised at how smooth the engine was. Low RPM torque is not quite there with the Bandit 1250, but it's not bad either. The shifter sure is mushy, isn't it? That's my biggest complaint. I'll be looking into removing the quick shifter ASAP, as the clutch is so light and I'm not a racer. What's the trick to getting the side cases off? I don't like them dragging in the wind when I don't need that capacity.

Great review ! I'll get mine in 2 weeks. No SE edition because I don't need the extra's ! Anyway, I got a bandit 1250 for 11 years so i'm quite curious if I'm gonna miss my bandit or not...

Great bike

Nice review with lots information. I've ordered one myself awaiting delivery. Thanks!! PS How do you like your Helite vest? I own one too. Cheers from Canada.

My Kawasaki Z1000st cost £2450 brand new , what a bike for the money back in 1979

And they do it in orange, great!

Versys 650 Tourer is £8,099 ( RRP ) and Versys 1000 Tourer is £12,199 , Compare the price difference and its around £4000 ( thats pretty much £1000 for a 100cc ) for all models except the SE and that is £1700 more, Its a really nice bike but its not worth the money,1000cc models are far too expensive.Great Review.

I've got a top tip for you. Don't put your helmet on the ground in a dirty wet layby lol - Nice review, I love the bike. For me it was a tose up between this bike and the Kawasaki H2 SX SE+ Sports Tourer Bored of the GS now.

I just checked the local price, unfortunately it has yet to be released. The 2018 model was $20knz but £15k would suggest around $30knz for the new one, that would be quite a hike even with the luggage and other stuff included. It does look very nice, and they are doing an orange paint scheme as well, but may be pushing the price bubble too far.

Wow that’s a lovely looking bike. Looks very well put together too, also like how they’ve added stuff like cruise control. Is the headlight LED too? Please don’t take this as a criticism but those aren’t Vented discs, I’ve only ever seen them on cars as they’re too bulky for motorcycles as it’s effectively two discs stuck together with a gap in between. Thanks for the review guys, excellent stuff.

I like your review, you're a jolly ole chap! :) And a thumbs up for liking the front end look, I like it too. ;) I love the bike as well and I don't mind the chain honestly. Shaft drive would just add weight and incur power loss due to such transmission. And let's face it, 120 BHP isn't exactly face melting to begin with these days. But it does have a center stand, so can you really complain about chain maintenance? It takes 10 minutes out of your day and you're good for another 400 miles. As far as the rest of the package goes (electronics wise), clearly Kawasaki can compete with the expensive names now AND offer a better deal too. They really hit the spot this time!

And cruise control . I don’t think I heard that mentioned. I agree fantastic bike . The only drawback for me like u said is a chain . Y can’t they design in the drive shaft from the Kawasaki Concourse . Shaft drive & I would bet it would b the best selling tourer . Great video u guys . Keep up the good work. Weather looks great . I’m shocked . If I wasn’t ill I’d b there . Thanks .

Like the look of this bike, however torn between this and the Vulcan 900

Good measuring skills 😁

Just had a test ride and really liked it, but I am somewhat put off by the 4,000 mile service intervals. Seems low compared to competitors.

Brilliant review yet again but don't you think the base model at 11 k is far better value for basically the same bike?

I like all the Versys, just wish this one was shaft drive.

I now own this bike:-)

The only problem is,if you can afford one,whats next? This bike is so good..

Question; does Kawasaki offer a lower seat? Enjoyed your review, fixing to watch it again 👍🏽

I liked your review and like Kawasakis. The styling to me looks like someone through the bits on the bike, a little BMWish. I think I would like riding the bike but not one I would sit and stare at in the garage on a winter's day.

Seriously looking at this bike. But I'm curious about the cut out in the windscreen, I know it's for the laminar effect, but does it allow water through when its raining as it looks like it would be directed straight into the your face. Strange not one reviewer has talked about it. Would appreciate your experience with it. Great review by the way.

The center stand on the Versys 1000 base modell (and SE i assume) is the most easiest to operate i ever came across. To mention practical things like that i definitely would like better than this half hour talk about the lean angle indicator but then again - that´s just me - so, just saying. :o)

12,699 for top gtec spec 15,800 is rrp dealer price DONT be fooled. Get on auto trader and you will see :-)

Nice bike. Almost the same price as KTM's 1290 Super Adventure R and S (minus the panniers). Kawasaki's got one other problem, and that's the TRACER 900GT. Much of the same features including cruise control, $5000 (U.S.) dollars less expensive and 92lbs (41kg) lighter!

Like Toby I love the colour, though could you change the title, me being a bit pedantic as the bike is the Versys 1000 SE, not the bog standard Versys1000 as that doesn't have all those bells and whistles? The seat height would be too tall for me and I prefer the look of last years bike TBH plus the chain and not being able to change the screen height on the go (Yes I do change mine on the GS) would put me off. Nice to hear it's got decent engine breaking though and has a rear hugger as standard, though I suspect they will sell more of the standard bike as the SE is getting a bit close to a GS/Tiger 1200 etc price wise

I sit in one and feels nice,but, for a brand new design they make a few mistakes, like,the ignition switch is way down there,and on top of that if you want to put a GPS on top of the bar you can't because of that,and by the way no provision for navigation, or a least a bar to mount one, and chain? Remember people this is a expensive bike! She do feel nice when sitting on it

Barry Who??? Ha ha. Had the base model previously pulled like a train, smooth and comfy. The only neg for me was the suspension and lack of usefull extras, display. No power socket and gear indicator both optional extras, crazy but looks like they listened! had cotton wool in when i said shaft drive please peasy please Kawasaki. If you put this on you would double sales for sure. They could make this a real replacement for the ageing FJR and the way to heavy dated GTR.

Bike looks great lads but find a better spot away from all that noise , keep it up

Nice looking bike. Pitty you didn't have the panniers, then you could have reviewed them against the GSA or GS..Not Shaft drive? that's a deal-breaker for me.

It would be fantastic if it had shaft drive for touring

Kawasaki. Electric Screen, please. My 2004 Honda ST1300 has an electric screen. I adjust mine according to the speed I'm doing. It really is a great feature on a touring motorcycle.

The big Versys is a bit too much for me! I think the 650 could be my next choice! Enjoy the bike life 🤙

I'm toying with buying this motorbike. I might wait a year and see how much it depreciates on second hand sales.

£15,800!!! I agree with Tony Bryne..way over priced. You know, with today's tech. and convenience of production, prices should be going down..not up. Parts and labor would cost them about £1000-£3000 to make the damn thing after the initial molds are made for it. The same goes with cars, they're all mass produced..it costs about 1/3 the retail value of them. The more electronic gadgets (show it's leaning-as if I wouldn't know? ), the more can go wrong and why should we bare the brunt of those kinds of repairs?

Hello Im 5.7 would it be to high for me to ride this bike? Thanks

So who had the idea" Lets do this review this this lay-by next to this very busy road with the lorries roaring by,, that will come out great won't it?"

keep it up))

great bike, better than BMW.

Do you think it is worth to pay 7500 usd more to ES model compare to base model.

I don't have a problem with the indicators this bike is orsum lol

If it was shaft driven it would be ideal

You should consider testing the new KTM 1290 Super Duke GT

👍👍💖💖

840 seat height "not too high"??, way to high for my 5.6", Tried one at that very shop a week ago, just got about my tip toes on the ground. Never mind, I'm obviously a short arse

Better value in the Yamaha GT 900

£15,800!!! Hmm BMW GS 1250 or Ducati maybe for the Same price,I think this bike is over priced

So close but so - so - far away, two words: shaft drive.

The front end looks a bit .. " Transformer"! ..

only 5.6 and i don't think it would suit

It doesn't justify the price and the more the electronics, the more that could go wrong ..nice bike though.

Yep lovely bike but the manufacturers of bikes are getting greedy way over priced and the best bit is most bikes or parts are made in China

priced 19 grand in California....way, way overpriced...

You guys just need to read the manual....lol