Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE has got the right substance and stance of a flagship adventure tourer, which gives the motorcycle the commanding road presence of a premium and range-topping motorcycle. While it has got the right amount of muscle everywhere, the motorcycle looks slightly disproportionate from the rear, with a huge gap between the rear wheel and the rear fender.

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE creates a strong impression of an aggressively-styled motorcycle right from the front, with its Ninja-inspired fascia comprising of a dual-LED headlamp setup which looks sharp. This headlamp setup sits within a rakish front semi-fairing, the sharpness of which is further amplified by an aerodynamic chin, much like in the Ninja range of sport bikes. The sharp-looking V-shaped side body panels come with LED turn indicators and vertically-laid LED cornering lamps integrated into them.

The beefy appeal of the Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE is further amplified by the muscular-looking fuel tank and the busy-looking side body panels, which along with a blacked-out engine cowl, partially hide the grey-themed engine. The single-side large exhaust pipe goes well with the gargantuan look of the motorcycle. The Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE comes with a split seat arrangement, which gives the touring-oriented image of the motorcycle, a look and feel comfortable and roomy.

Towards the rear, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE comes armed with nice-looking dual-tone side panniers on the sides of the tail section, along with a top box fitted on the luggage rack at the back of the tail section. Apart from these add-ons for making your long-distance touring easier, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE retains the compact but wide LED tail lamps, along with LED turn indicators, from the standard version of the Versys 1000.

While most of the design of the Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE looks fresh and up-to-date, the part-digital instrument console looks a bit out-of-place and slightly outdated. Nevertheless, this console is pretty informative with an analogue tachometer and a blue-backlit LCD screen for the speedometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator, odometer, trip meters, and selected ride and traction control modes. Being a range-topping flagship motorcycle from Kawasaki, fit and finish levels are among the best-in-industry.

At 257 kgs, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE is not a light motorcycle, which might be too much to handle and manoeuvre for riders new to big bikes. However, this very large stance and substance of the motorcycle gives it a planted feel on long stretches of the highways, where this motorcycle comes into its element as a comfortable and relaxed tourer. This sense of comfort is further enhanced by the supple suspension setup comprising upside-down telescopic forks with 150mm travel and horizontal back-link mono-shock with 152mm travel. Bringing this behemoth to a halt are potent brakes – dual 277mm discs at the front and a single 216mm disc at the rear.

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE shares its four-stroke, inline-four, liquid-cooled, 1043cc engine with the standard version of the Versys 1000, which itself shares this powertrain with the Ninja 1000 sport tourer. This super-refined and reliable engine is coupled to a slick and precise 6-speed transmission and churns out 120 PS of maximum power and 102 Nm of maximum torque.

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE is armed with all the range-topping, high-quality electronic riding aids one expects from a motorcycle of this size and price. The list of these riding aids includes dual-channel ABS with cornering management function, 6-axis IMU, power modes, traction control, bi-directional quick-shifter, assist and slipper clutch, and cruise control.

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE might not be a go-anywhere adventure tourer like its proper full-size rivals like the BMW R 1250 GS, Ducati Multistrada V4, Triumph Tiger 1200 and Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250. However, what it does more is offer a more comfortable touring experience with a slight hint of off-roading.