#KAWASAKI BEASTRUN MOTORCYCLE UPDATE#
#KAWASAKI BEASTRUN MOTORCYCLE PLUS#

You don’t need to rev the 650 out to achieve decent performance although it will happily play along when your sportbike fantasies take over the next time you’re out with your buddies. Kawasaki doesn’t release claimed power figures but notes the Versys 650 has a peak torque of 44.8 lb-ft at 7000 rpm.

#KAWASAKI BEASTRUN MOTORCYCLE PLUS#

On the plus side (and there are many pluses), the engine has a lovely, smooth throttle response and provides ample torque right from the go at just over 1500 rpm for general cruising. If you like the sound of a fart through a ripped-open coke bottle, this bike might be up your alley. It has a thoroughly uninspiring exhaust note, but that’s more a characteristic of the parallel 650cc twin-cylinder class than the Versys itself. The motor is about as vanilla as you can get, but I quite like vanilla when the time suits.

As Kawasaki says, “let the good times roll.” And roll. Now, I’m not sure about you, but I can’t think of any motor currently circulating in any manufacturer’s lineup that can not only trace its heritage back 15 years but actually is 15 years old.

#KAWASAKI BEASTRUN MOTORCYCLE UPDATE#

Kawasaki really nailed the powerplant, so much so they have not given it a single update since it came out in 2008. The Kawasaki Versys 650 has been a stablemate in the big K’s touring lineup since making its debut as a 2008 model, providing millions of highway and backroad miles to its riders via its near bulletproof 649cc parallel twin-cylinder motor. Kawasaki certainly made sure that they made their LT as black as humanly possible. The LT’s $1100 premium comes with the benefit of twin 28-liter KQR hard saddlebags with the ignition key matched to the lock and hand guards that will keep a little of the chill off your mitts when the air gets cold.

Released in two variants in the $8899 Versys 650 and the upper-class $9999 650 LT, Kawasaki’s mid-level touring bike is getting a fresh suite of electronics including two-stage traction control, a new 4.3-inch dash and revised bodywork including new LED headlights, a four-way adjustable screen and more expansive bodywork to keep the rider comfortable on long trips. If only it was that easy, right? Well, it kind of is.

Long miles for days are in the cards with the Versys 650 LT.Ī nip here, a tuck there, and, voila, you have your 2022 Kawasaki Versys 650. Need a jack-of-all-trades motorcycle that won’t break the bank? Kawasaki might have just the ticket in the new Versys 650 LT.

Kawasaki beastrun motorcycle