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Here's why the Kawasaki Versys 1000 is the best value-for-money sport-tourer

We bring you the lowdown on this liter-class adventure-tourer.

EJ Punsalang EJ Punsalang on Nov 02, 2021
Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE

Among the Japanese big four manufacturers, Kawasaki arguably has the best value for money offerings when it comes to its big bikes. Undoubtedly, machines like the Kawasaki Ninja 400 make the big bike experience attainable to a wider range of riders. Kawasaki’s value proposition, however, continues all the way to the top of its model range. 

The Versys 1000 is Kawasaki’s flagship adventure-tourer in its model range. Sharing the same engine as the Ninja 1000 SX sport-tourer, and the now-discontinued Z1000R. It boasts tons of technology, creature comforts, and performance, that make it one of the best value for money adventure-tourers in the market today. Let’s take a closer look at a few things we love about this bike. 

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Performance

From a performance perspective, the Versys 1000 veers closer to a sport-tourer than an actual adventure bike thanks to its road-bias. However, this isn’t to say that it can’t be taken down a bumpy gravel road. As mentioned earlier, it’s powered by the same 1,043cc inline four-cylinder engine as the Ninja 1000 and Z1000R. As such, it has 156 horsepower on tap—significantly more than other liter-class adventurers. The result is a powerful, confidence-inspiring ride which promises long-distance speed and comfort in a chassis that’s compliant and easy to maneuver. 

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Styling

Kawasaki Versys 1000

As far as styling is concerned, Kawasaki has employed the classic Ninja aesthetic that it has been using on the Versys for several years now. It essentially looks like a Ninja 1000 on stilts, so yes, it retains the sharp, angular, Transformer-esque styling which is oftentimes associated with Kawasaki’s motorcycles. Of course, one thing which can’t be denied about the Versys 1000 is its sheer size. Surely, this bike is bound to capture the attention of people on the street, thanks to how tall and wide it is. 

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Tech and Safety

Kawasaki Versys 1000

From a tech perspective, the Versys 1000 is way up there in terms of features. Just like European class-leading adventurers, Kawasaki has decked the Versys out in all the tech features you could ask for. For instance, it gets multiple riding modes, a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a full-color TFT display with Bluetooth smartphone connectivity. The IMU enables safety features such as cornering ABS, traction control, and cornering lights to be accessed at a moments notice. The bike even gets a bidirectional quick-shifter for sporty riding. 

Price

Kawasaki Versys 1000

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 is by no means a cheap motorcycle, however, considering how many features Kawasaki has put on the table, it’s hard to beat this bike’s value for money. It retails for P900,000 for the SE variant, which includes a whole host of all the features we discussed earlier. Given just how technologically advanced and loaded with performance this bike is, it really is one of the most versatile, go-anywhere liter bikes currently available in the market. 

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