[trialsguy]

After riding my '16 Ninja 1000 for the past 5 years, I'm thinking I might switch to a more comfortable bike this spring. A used V1000 looks like a good candidate, because its a relatively lightweight touring bike. I know I already like the 1043 cc engine, and the Kawasaki reliability. My current ride, a Ninja 1000, becomes uncomfortable on my straight and level rides to get to the twisty roads. The footpeg/handlebar/seat/cockpit orientation is fatiguing and uncomfortable for me when riding for more than a couple of hours on the highway. I upgraded the seat, lowered the footpegs and added Murphs handlebar risers, which helped a bit. I do like its wind protection, without getting too hot in the summer or too cold in the Wisconsin Spring and Fall. My wife does not ride, so I'm not concerned with pillion capability.

I've not test ridden a V1000. How is the wind protection? Do you experience much buffeting? Is there an aftermarket screen that most average sized riders prefer?
[I owned and '08 Versys 650 for 9 years, and the buffeting was an issue for me. No matter what windscreen I tried on it, I experienced buffeting, likely because the screen was so far away from me.]

Is it hot when riding a V1000 in 85 degree F weather? Or does the bodywork route the hot engine air around the rider like the Ninja 1000 does?

When riding in 40-55 degree F weather, are you exposed and out in the open, like on the '08 Versys 650? [That's another reason I traded in my V650.]

How is the seat? Is there an aftermarket seat that most average sized riders prefer?

Is there anything that I should take note of when looking at used V1000 bikes?

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

 

[HelloFrom2012Versys650]

After riding my '16 Ninja 1000 for the past 5 years, I'm thinking I might switch to a more comfortable bike this spring. A used V1000 looks like a good candidate, because its a relatively lightweight touring bike. I know I already like the 1043 cc engine, and the Kawasaki reliability. My current ride, a Ninja 1000, becomes uncomfortable on my straight and level rides to get to the twisty roads. The footpeg/handlebar/seat/cockpit orientation is fatiguing and uncomfortable for me when riding for more than a couple of hours on the highway. I upgraded the seat, lowered the footpegs and added Murphs handlebar risers, which helped a bit. I do like its wind protection, without getting too hot in the summer or too cold in the Wisconsin Spring and Fall. My wife does not ride, so I'm not concerned with pillion capability.

I've not test ridden a V1000. How is the wind protection? Do you experience much buffeting? Is there an aftermarket screen that most average sized riders prefer?
[I owned and '08 Versys 650 for 9 years, and the buffeting was an issue for me. No matter what windscreen I tried on it, I experienced buffeting, likely because the screen was so far away from me.]

Is it hot when riding a V1000 in 85 degree F weather? Or does the bodywork route the hot engine air around the rider like the Ninja 1000 does?

When riding in 40-55 degree F weather, are you exposed and out in the open, like on the '08 Versys 650? [That's another reason I traded in my V650.]

How is the seat? Is there an aftermarket seat that most average sized riders prefer?

Is there anything that I should take note of when looking at used V1000 bikes?

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

I went from a 2012 Versys 650 to a 2019SE+ V1K. Absolutely no regrets. The V650 was a great ride but was looking for more comfort in anticipation of doing longer trips. Finances permitting I may someday look into adding another smaller bike for commuting to work (V1K is fine for commuting, just hate to pile up the miles on it).

Riding consists of 75% commuting and 25% fun rides of some sort or another. Commute is light suburban with fun rides almost all out on country roads. Riding style is mostly relaxed

I'm 5'11", about 200lbs, 32" inseam with lots of old/sore/creaky joints. The seating position and size of the bike just work for me. Adding highway pegs really helped. Can now shift feet forward, below and on the rear pegs which really helps with longer rides. The 1.5" bar risers also helped so that I don't lean forward as much.

The stock windscreen worked OK but did not offer the desired wind protection. Went with the Cali Scientific windscreen. Much better wind protection but now experience some buffeting. Need to get a new helmet (that fits better) so hopefully that helps. For now the increased wind protection improvement "over rides" the buffeting.

The V1K is great in cold weather. Between wind protection, heat from the engine and heated grips (and some decent cold weather riding gear) I can ride down to freezing (try not to ride below freezing - worried about ice). On the flip side the V1K cooks in the summer. There is a lot of warm air hitting your legs and if sitting still the heat just rises up. The highway pegs help a LOT by getting your legs out of the hot air flow. I was stuck on I65 northwest of Indy last summer in stop & go (mostly stopped for a while) - in the upper 80's with huge trucks all around me. That was one uncomfortable ride - want to avoid that if possible. I just don't ride on those 90 degree sunny and humid days (unless its a morning or dusk ride). That is one area where the V650 worked better than the V1K, riding in really hot weather.

The stock seat was uncomfortable. Like the 650 (but not as bad) the seat forced me to slide forward. Went with a Seth Laam seat. Definite improvement over stock but still not quite there. The deep bucket makes it difficult to shift riding positions. Staying with the Seth seat for now. Standing on the pegs helps stretch ...

The engine is amazing. Great torque at very low RPMs. Engine is also very smooth. Makes riding easy whether in traffic or on the open road. One thing to watch for is the engine being really smooth you sometimes don't realize how fast you are going (or maybe just me?). I'm sure your Ninja 1000 is wicked fast, perhaps the V1K can be described as sneaky fast???

One of the surprises of the 2019 V1K was how much I appreciate cruse control. Use it all the time on extended rides but also when commuting. Allows me to relax one arm at a time with less pressure on the wrist. Also helps with trying to avoid speeding tickets.

One downside to the V1K is it does require premium fuel and doesn't get as good of mileage as the V650.

Various related links below. Hopefully you can test ride a V1K before buying. BTW, western Wi is one of my favorite places to ride! So beautiful out there. Good luck with your decision.

https://calsci.com/

coldest ride ever but the V1K got me home safe and sound

Another weird start to winter - normally we have snow this time of year in NE Illinois but this year we're on a roller coaster with temperatures and no measurable snow. Today was sunny and in the mid to upper 40's (and roads were completely dry) - thought I'd leave work early so out came the...

www.kawasakiversys.com

2018 Versys 1000 LT compared to 2019 Versys 1000 SE LT

I have Versys 1000, 2016. I think all those new changes are baloney. same with the way nowadays they push people to buy new mobile phones; the mobile works the same as 5 years ago, but it is double more expensive. more electronics means more potential trouble. all I need is ABS. the LED that...

www.kawasakiversys.com

What is the Versys 1000, really?

Hi Everyone, I'm new. I currently ride a 2020 MT10. It's an amazing bike and I grin from ear to ear every time I ride it. My wife also rides and she frequently does long multi day/week trips on her 2017 Can AM Spyder F3 Limited. I join her occasionally for a weekend trip. We live in Central...

www.kawasakiversys.com

2019 Versys 1000 SE LT Aftermarket Tall Windscreens

Hi folks. I have called a few companies that make shields for 2018 Versys 1000's such as Givi and Puig to check on availability. So far I haven't found anyone who makes a windshield for this bike yet as they have changed the mounting/screen shape for this year. I'm sure that by next spring these...

www.kawasakiversys.com

 

[pizza_pablo]

Here is my post from another thread.
Some said that my experience with buffeting and removed buffeting was a placebo affect.
I stand by my claims.
6000 miles later, I feel the same way about the Givi windshield and the removal of the hand guards.

NEW MEMBER LOOKING FOR WIND PROTECTION

New member here, no better place to get info than the forums. I have been looking at the 1000 for awhile and wondering how the wind protection is on the 1000. I have had a vstrom 650 and 1000 ( 05 and 06) and the wind protection was soso. I also have a ST1300 and it awesome. After a long ride I...

www.kawasakiversys.com

Seat: I really didn't like the way the stock seat slanted forward, driving me into the tank continually. I tried Corbin and Sargent. They were similar to each other. I did not like the seating position. It felt more like sitting in a chair and opposed to straddling the bike.
I added a piece of foam to remove most of the forward slant. I wish I had been more aggressive.
The original seat cover was dry and worn and it to tore some, when trying to attach it over the added foam. I used it for a while and then got the Tappezzeria Italia cover from ebay.
Here are some pics to give you an idea of what I did.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[fasteddiecopeman]

On the V650 we can change the seat from 'tipping' forward, to level, by use of a couple of longer bolts, a piece of scrap steel and a dozen 1/4" washers, to where the front of the seat is held, at the aft end of the gas tank. I do NOT know whether the V1000 seat is similar.

DSC00059 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

DSC00060 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

 

[twowheeladdict]

On the V650 we can change the seat from 'tipping' forward, to level, by use of a couple of longer bolts, a piece of scrap steel and a dozen 1/4" washers, to where the front of the seat is held, at the aft end of the gas tank. I do NOT know whether the V1000 seat is similar.

DSC00059 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

DSC00060 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

It is definitely a function over form solution when you look at the seat from the side. Of course it is not like the Versys won any beauty contests at bike night.

 

[Jmason]

I've not test ridden a V1000. How is the wind protection? Do you experience much buffeting? Is there an aftermarket screen that most average sized riders prefer?
[I owned and '08 Versys 650 for 9 years, and the buffeting was an issue for me. No matter what windscreen I tried on it, I experienced buffeting, likely because the screen was so far away from me.]

Looks like the Givi windscreen worked well for pizza-pablo. I have the Puig touring windscreen on my V1K, and it is a night and day difference as compared to my 2009 V650. at 5-11, I can ride with the visor in the up position up to 65 - 70 MPH. It's also easy to 'slouch' in the saddle just a bit if I feel any buffeting at higher speeds.

Is it hot when riding a V1000 in 85 degree F weather? Or does the bodywork route the hot engine air around the rider like the Ninja 1000 does?

Most times I don't notice much heat, even on longer trips. But on a trip through Wyoming last summer, my right thigh/calf definitely felt the heat of the engine once the temperatures were in the low 90s (we were also riding at a spirited pace, so the engine was probably running in the 195 - 205 degree range). Easy enough to either put my feet on the highway pegs, or stick my knee out into the air flow to cool it down.

When riding in 40-55 degree F weather, are you exposed and out in the open, like on the '08 Versys 650? [That's another reason I traded in my V650.]

I live in the Denver area, and spend a lot of time on the bikes in 40-50 degree weather, and colder. The V1K definitely pushes the air around the rider better. I also have crash bars on the engine that I think also help to shield my lower legs from wind.

How is the seat? Is there an aftermarket seat that most average sized riders prefer?

I think I'm an outcast when it comes to Versys seats. I've grown accustom to the V650, and I don't think the V1K is nearly as bad. I do like to ride with a beaded seat cover in the warmer weather, it provides a TON of airflow. I bought this set last spring. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HFI6EGS/ They are a little slippery, so I just hit them with a coat of rustoleum textured spray paint so I don't slide around on them too much

 

[Grumpy]

My 2017 is one of the best bikes I've ever owned.
I got a wild hair last summer and bought a BMW R1200RT. The V1K is less comfortable, but is superior in just about every other way.
The V is for sale btw. But I'm not too sure that I'm selling the right one.

 

[TowerMan]

On the V650 we can change the seat from 'tipping' forward, to level, by use of a couple of longer bolts, a piece of scrap steel and a dozen 1/4" washers, to where the front of the seat is held, at the aft end of the gas tank. I do NOT know whether the V1000 seat is similar.

The V1k front seat mount is completely different and cannot be raised in the way the V650 can 👎

I have already tried 🥴

 

[tmasalin]

After riding my '16 Ninja 1000 for the past 5 years, I'm thinking I might switch to a more comfortable bike this spring. A used V1000 looks like a good candidate, because its a relatively lightweight touring bike. I know I already like the 1043 cc engine, and the Kawasaki reliability. My current ride, a Ninja 1000, becomes uncomfortable on my straight and level rides to get to the twisty roads. The footpeg/handlebar/seat/cockpit orientation is fatiguing and uncomfortable for me when riding for more than a couple of hours on the highway. I upgraded the seat, lowered the footpegs and added Murphs handlebar risers, which helped a bit. I do like its wind protection, without getting too hot in the summer or too cold in the Wisconsin Spring and Fall. My wife does not ride, so I'm not concerned with pillion capability.

I've not test ridden a V1000. How is the wind protection? Do you experience much buffeting? Is there an aftermarket screen that most average sized riders prefer?
[I owned and '08 Versys 650 for 9 years, and the buffeting was an issue for me. No matter what windscreen I tried on it, I experienced buffeting, likely because the screen was so far away from me.]

Is it hot when riding a V1000 in 85 degree F weather? Or does the bodywork route the hot engine air around the rider like the Ninja 1000 does?

When riding in 40-55 degree F weather, are you exposed and out in the open, like on the '08 Versys 650? [That's another reason I traded in my V650.]

How is the seat? Is there an aftermarket seat that most average sized riders prefer?

Is there anything that I should take note of when looking at used V1000 bikes?

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

I went from back to back ZX14s that I had set up for touring with raised bars, lowered seats, throttlelocks etc to a 2020 V1000 SE, and the stock seat aside, it is incredibly comfortable and runs much cooler than the 14s, I assume at least partly because there is less plastic around the engine. I upgraded seat to a Holeshot Performance seat (Holeshot Performance Products, Inc.) and absolutely love the bike now. 21k miles in, zero issues, just bought 4 more years of ext warr in case the electronics go haywire. On the windshield, I went the direction, and found the shortest one I could, Ermax Sport in a pitch black tint and love it. I didn't like having to look through the stock screen. Nothing but thumbs up from me!

 

[Tennmoto]

I recently bought 2015 v1000. It’s light handling and powerful engine make it a great sport tourer or even a backroad bomber. Also the early models are probably by far the most motorcycle for the money anywhere i