- Kawasaki Versys 1100 unveiled
- Gets a bigger engine and more power
- To go on sale globally in December 2024
Kawasaki has finally revealed the Versys 1100 for global markets. News about the existence of the motorcycle went around after patent filings revealed a bigger Versys was possibly on the way.
The new motorcycle mostly gets ‘under the surface changes’, as Kawasaki says. So now, the 1043cc inline-four mill has been increased to 1099cc thanks to a 3mm longer stroke. That’s pushed the power from 118.3bhp to 133.1bhp while torque has gone up from 102Nm to 112Nm. Kawasaki have also fitted a heavier flywheel and a secondary balancer to reduce vibrations while a new oil cooler improves cooling. Further, the intake funnels are 45mm longer than the outer funnels, the intake ports are narrower and the lift cams are lower to improve the engine’s mid-range character.
It doesn’t stop there. Kawasaki has tweaked the internal gear ratios and final drive ratios on the Versys 1100 which now runs a 42-tooth rear sprocket which is one tooth lesser than before. In addition to that the new Versys also comes with a 10mm bigger rear disc, the quickshifter now has a lower limit of 1500rpm and a USB-C port too.
The Kawasaki is being offered in three variants- standard, S and SE with the latter two getting connectivity with voice command function. The Kawasaki Versys 1100 goes up against the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, Yamaha Tracer 9 GT, KTM 1290 Super Duke GT and the BMW S1000XR. With Kawasaki announcing that it will be available in global markets by December 2024, we can expect it to arrive in NZ and Australia around the same time too.
