India Kawasaki Motor (IKM) has discontinued the Versys 1000 tourer from the country, following low demand. The range-topping tourer from the...
India Kawasaki Motor (IKM) has discontinued the Versys 1000 tourer from the country, following low demand. The range-topping tourer from the Japanese bike maker never received the BS-IV upgrade, which was introduced in April last year and dealers say no new stock was delivered in the following months. The remaining stocks were sold out last year itself and the Kawasaki Versys 1000 has now been removed from the product listing on the manufacturer's website as well. That said, the bike maker continues to retail the Versys X-300 and the Versys 650 in the country that are doing relatively well.
The Kawasaki Versys 1000, despite being an extremely capable offering, is not seen as the ideal adventure tourer when compared to the Triumph Tiger 1200, BMW R 1200 GS Adventure and Honda Africa Twin. The kerb weight of 239 kg and a seat height of 845 mm, made it a heavy and tall bike for the Indian rider, making it a difficult bike to hop on to. In contrast, the competition offers far more flexibility when it comes to seat adjustment.
(The Triumph Tiger 1200, BMW R 1200 GS and the Honda Africa Twin make for better choices)
Moreover, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 has also aged over the newer and more tech friendly rivals. While the Versys 1000 matches the competition in performance, it lacks the electronics including an inertial measurement unit (IMU), cornering ABS and more. What it did get was the 3-mode Kawasaki Traction Control system and 2 riding modes, which is pretty basic in comparison. Within the Kawasaki family too, the more affordable Kawasaki Ninja 1000 gets all the tech wizardry and more, with improved power levels too, and makes for a compelling sports tourer.
The Kawasaki Versys 1000 was priced at Rs. 13.28 lakh (ex-showroom) and managed to offer a comfortable riding setup for long hours on the saddle, a powerful and refined four-cylinder engine and an impressive braking setup. Power came from the 1043 cc inline four-cylinder engine tuned for 118 bhp and 102 Nm of peak torque, while paired to a 6-speed transmission.
A global update for the Kawasaki Versys 1000 is yet to arrive, but when it does, the model is expected finally load up its arsenal with enough changes to take on its European rivals. Until then, the return of the Versys 1000 remains undecided in India.
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