I'm in Australia, and have only gotten my license in the last year, so I ride what's referred to as a "LAMS" Versys 650 (Gen 3). When you're on a restricted license here, the biggest bike that you can own is a 650, and it has to be under a certain power to weight threshold, so the Versys 650 is restricted with a restrictor bolt on the throttle body, limiting you to 80% of throttle, as well as some ECU restriction.
So as everybody on a restricted license does, I spend some time thinking about the bike I'm going to get when I get my unrestricted license, which for me will be next August. I've been looking at the larger middleweight adv bikes, especially the Tiger 800 XRt, and BMW F850GS.
I had given some consideration for upgrading to a fully powered Versys 650, but it seems like a lot of money to spend just to have, basically, the exact motorcycle that I currently own, with a little more power, so I probably wouldn't go that route.
However...
I was looking at the feature list of the 2019 Versys 1000 SE (it's probably a little too much bike for my needs, which are mainly commuting and weekend twistie riding), and it's pretty impressive. If I could buy a Versys 650 that came stock with:
I'd almost certainly be all in.
Am I asking for too much out of the next generation? Will that raise the price by too much? One of the things that would slow me down if I were to go the Triumph or BMW route is definitely the price, and Kawasaki surely wouldn't want to be in the same price range as those bikes.
Anyways, those are options that would almost certainly keep me on a Kawasaki when I go unrestricted.
So as everybody on a restricted license does, I spend some time thinking about the bike I'm going to get when I get my unrestricted license, which for me will be next August. I've been looking at the larger middleweight adv bikes, especially the Tiger 800 XRt, and BMW F850GS.
I had given some consideration for upgrading to a fully powered Versys 650, but it seems like a lot of money to spend just to have, basically, the exact motorcycle that I currently own, with a little more power, so I probably wouldn't go that route.
However...
I was looking at the feature list of the 2019 Versys 1000 SE (it's probably a little too much bike for my needs, which are mainly commuting and weekend twistie riding), and it's pretty impressive. If I could buy a Versys 650 that came stock with:
- heated grips
- up/down quickshifter
- different riding modes
- cruise control
- a nice TFT screen
- twin led headlights, that both were on as regular headlights and high beams, instead of just one being on for regular headlights
- A better designed seat
I'd almost certainly be all in.
Am I asking for too much out of the next generation? Will that raise the price by too much? One of the things that would slow me down if I were to go the Triumph or BMW route is definitely the price, and Kawasaki surely wouldn't want to be in the same price range as those bikes.
Anyways, those are options that would almost certainly keep me on a Kawasaki when I go unrestricted.