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First Impression: Kawasaki Versys X 250 – RM23,789!

Video: Our first impression of the new Kawasaki Versys X 250!

At just RM23,789 with GST, the Versys X 250 is now the cheapest adventure bike in the market right now.
Tall riders will love the sitting position, which is similar to that of bigger adventure bikes, minus the weight.
The 249cc engine, though nothing spectacular, was designed to balance power and fuel consumption.
During the off-road session, the tall ride height of 180mm ensured that the bottom never met any rocks, and with a weight of just 173 kilograms, it was simple and easy to manoeuvre through the tight spots and thick mud.
If it is a light, cheap, do -anything, go-anywhere kind of bike you want, the Versys-X 250 is the bike you should be spending your money on!

What is it that makes a good adventure bike? Is it a brand? Or a certain look? Or a particular engine or perhaps it should have about a hundred different rider aids? We asked some friends and the general answers were that a good adventure bike should be simple to repair, lightweight, comfortable with good suspension and it should have good fuel range as well.

Well there are lots of bikes that meet all those criteria, and the latest one is this – the Kawasaki Versys X 250. I have to admit to being a little excited about meeting this bike, which is odd because it is not one of those bikes you would normally call beautiful, and neither is it particularly powerful. It is just a plain, functional simple green Kawasaki with tall suspension and seat height. I was excited because this is the bike that signals that all is well in the motorcycle industry and manufacturers are creating more and more models to meet rising demand. An adventure bike for less than RM25,000, who would have imagined we would have bikes like this 10 years ago. It is a brilliant idea, and one that gives almost everyone a chance to own a good bike.

You see, at just RM23,789 with GST, the Versys X 250 is now the cheapest adventure bike in the market right now. It is also quite a big, tall bike and could be considered as a almost full-sized tourer. And with more people relying on two wheels to commute and to travel, the Versys X 250 is the one bike that could potentially offer it all – add some boxes and you will have ample storage space, it has good fuel range and it is cheap to buy. This is the bike that is capable of taking you around the world tomorrow should you want to. It is prepared, and even comes with tubed tyres, something that is easy to repair anywhere.

But lets manage expectations first. To begin with, the X is not powerful, at all. It offers just 31hp at 11,500rpm and 21.7Nm of torque at 10,000rpm. This means it has a high revving nature, and acceleration is just that, and the bike wheezes its way to a top speed of 150km/h. I managed 161km/h but that was on a downhill, so that’s cheating, sort of. The foot pegs too vibrate way too hard at high speeds, making it uncomfortable and leaves your feet buzzing for a good 10 minutes after stepping off the bike. But that’s it, that is all that is wrong with the baby X. Everything else about it is good enough.

The sitting position for one is similar to the Versys 650. The seat has been plucked off the bigger Versys 650 and feels comfortable on the Versys-X, good enough for a long ride north in fact. Tall riders will love the sitting position, which is similar to that of bigger adventure bikes, minus the weight. Talking about weight, this bike tips the scales at just 173 kilograms, which can be considered as ultra-light in the world of touring/adventure/dual purpose motorcycles.

The 249cc engine, though nothing spectacular, was designed to balance power and fuel consumption. The 17-litre tank offers a range of about 260-300 kilometres, something overlanders will appreciate. The engine is a liquid-cooled unit with double overhead cams (DOHC), eight-valves with parallel mounted cylinders. Most of the power it generates is at the bottom and mid-range of the rpm band and peaks at the very top between 10,000 – 11,500rpm, and it is because of this that you need to downshift when cruising at higher gears if you suddenly need more power; there is very little acceleration power in high gears.

But it is this low-ratio gears and high-revving character that makes the Versys-X such a capable machine when off-roading, as we found out during the recent official test ride in Rawang. Part of the route took us into a plantation, and because it had been raining, sand had turned into mud with little to no grip, great fun it was and the character of the engine and the lightweight nature of the Versys-X truly came alive here. The low-ratios means you have to use first or second gear through the slipperies and gives you access to power throughout the tall rev-band. And the ride height of 180mm ensured the bottom never met the mud, and with a weight of just 173 kilograms, it was steady through the tight spots and thick mud, parts where heavier bikes will struggle. I have to admit that the Versys X 250 was fun and nimble for a rookie off-roader.

The Versys-X was obviously designed to tackle both tarmac and off-road. The all-new rigid backbone frame was specially designed to handle external shocks like the hard knocks and bumps you get when riding off-road. It was also designed to make the bike sturdy when carrying a pillion and luggage.

The suspension too was good enough for us with 41mm of fork travel up front designed to soak up everything the road could throw at it and a bottom-link, uni-trak, gas-charged fork with adjustable pre-load at the rear. The front fork is connected to a 19-inch wheel while the rear measures in at 17 inches. The varying wheel size and the long forks gives the bike good handling, though there were some members of the media who thought 21 inches would have been better, low and high speed handling is already pretty good.

The Kawasaki Versys-X 250 was a rather pleasant bike to ride. You can’t tell how good a bike is just by looking at it, and the Versys-X 250 cannot be judged just by the way it looks. In fact it has a larger than life spirit to it, the kind that is willing to go anywhere, anytime and is able to do it well. Kawasaki Malaysia even specified a multi-function LCD panel that clearly indicates speed, rpm, and even a gear position indicator, which gives the bike a high-tech touch and doesn’t leave you feeling short changed.

The Versys-X 250 is currently the only bike of its kind in the market right now, and it doesn’t seem like there will be any competitors any time soon. So if it is a light, cheap, do -anything, go-anywhere kind of bike you want, the Versys-X 250 is the bike you want!

Modenas Mobile Service now Available for Customers Nationwide

Modenas has launched their first ever Modenas mobile service for all Modenas motorcycle owners
The mobile service is available nationwide within 30km of the five official service centres
Customers can opt for this service for any repairs, breakdowns and even door-to-door service

National motorcycle manufacturer, Modenas (Syarikat Motorsikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd or National Motorcycle and Engine Company) has launched its first ever ‘Mobile Service’ for all Modenas motorcycle owners nationwide. (more…)

Pirelli Scorpion MX™ dominates FIM Motorcross World Championship Europe GP

Gautier Paulin (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) and many other Pirelli MXGP riders dominated the FIM Motorcross World Championship Grand Prix of Europe
Gautier Paulin and Pauls Jonass (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) emerged as the overall winners for the MXGP and MX2 race categories
19 out of 20 riders who finished in the Top Five of all four races raced using Pirelli Scorpion MX™ tyres

Gautier Paulin in Race 2

It was a good day for Pirelli in the Netherlands with the majority of their FIM Motorcross World Championship riders scoring top ten positions in the Grand Prix of Europe, Valkenswaard. The biggest accomplishment would be in the form of 27 year old MX rider, Gautier Paulin who emerged as the victor riding for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory racing outfit. (more…)

Moto2: Danny Kent leaves Kiefer Racing

Danny Kent recently announced his departure from Moto2’s Kiefer Racing team after a long and difficult time since stepping up to Moto2 last season
“It’s been a difficult period since joining the team and I don’t feel I’m able to reach my potential so I’ve decided to step away.”
“It was breaking me as a person and rider, and I honestly think if the right opportunity comes up I can be fast in Moto2.”

(more…)

MotoGP: Marquez wins #AmericasGP, Vinales Crashes Out, Rossi Leads Championship!

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) continues his MotoGP domination at the Circuit of the Americas for the fifth time in a row
Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) race brilliantly to P2, putting him ahead of the championship title fight with 56 points
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) landed his first podium of the season after quite a few amazing battles with Marquez and Rossi throughout the race

It’s official; Marc Marquez makes it five out five victories at arguably one of his favourite tracks in the race calendar, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Texas USA. After a brilliant qualifying session and race, it’s too early to put aside the 2016 MotoGP World Champion aside just yet for the title crown of 2017. (more…)

First impression: Kawasaki Z900 – RM50,959!

First impression of the Kawasaki Z900 and comparison against the Z800.

The Z900 is also a full 21 kilograms lighter than the Z800, which itself was oddly heavier than the then flagship Z1000.
The internal upgrades include a new crankshaft that is lighter by 700 grams, lighter pistons, a new cylinder head, open deck type cylinder block and a new intake.
Handling was predictable; the frame is designed to have as little bends and angles as possible, which then disperses stress quickly and evenly, giving the rider the most compliant ride possible.

The Kawasaki Z800 has been quite a darling among those looking for an affordable super naked motorcycle. The awesome edgy design and a smooth powerful engine made it a good bike for the daily commute to the office and to carve up mountain roads on the weekends. But it was far from perfect.

It was heavy which made simple manoeuvres like parking and u-turns feel as difficult as stacking sand bags. Most of the weight felt as if it were centred higher up at the top of the bike, making it a “top heavy” bike – easy to drop into a corner but difficult to pick up again for the next corner. Brute strength and serious muscle was needed to really wring the best out of the Z800, not to mention serious balls. It was a great bike, but needed some improvements.

And so that is exactly what Kawasaki aimed to change with the Z900. Having recently sampled it on a short 150km ride, we are pleased to tell you that the Z900 is leaps and bounds and stars and galaxies better than the Z800. It is also the de facto flagship bike now since the Z1000 is yet to be updated, if there is to be an update at all.

And just in case you were wondering, the Z900 is also a full 21 kilograms lighter than the Z800, which itself was oddly heavier than the then flagship Z1000.

21kg’ lighter does not sound like a lot, but you do feel the difference as soon as you get on the bike and turn a corner. It is more eager, more precise and a hell of a lot more manoeuvrable than the Z800. Heaving it around is a lot more manageable now too.

Making this possible is the new trellis frame that contributes the most to the weight savings. Not only does this frame weigh just 13.5 kilograms, but it also utilises five rigid mounting points, making it a stressed member of the frame, which in turn makes the Z900 a lot nippier than before.

Kawasaki also rid the bike of the subframe, a move that shaved a further 11kg’s off the total weight of the bike.

The light weight frame is further complemented by an aluminium swing arm, which shaves a further 3.3 kilograms off the total unsprung weight.

So the objective of making the Z900 a lot lighter than the Z800 was obviously achieved. But the new flagship is much more than a featherweight boxer, it packs a mighty punch too.

The 948cc, liquid-cooled four-stroke, inline-four-cyllinder is the other major improvement to the Z. The engine was designed to be quick-revving with most of the power stored at the mid and high-rev range.

Of course, power is up from the Z800 and now stands at 123.6hp (a 12.6hp increase from the Z800) and 98.6Nm of torque (a 15.6Nm increase), but because the engine is more rev happy than before, a lot more of that power is accessible much sooner, giving the Z900 some serious pulling power through all six gears.

The engine has a number of internal modifications that help it achieve its livelier character, the internal upgrades include a new crankshaft that is lighter by 700 grams, lighter pistons, a new cylinder head, open deck type cylinder block and a new intake.

But the engine is not the only thing that has been updated, the gearbox too is all-new. The ratios have been completely reworked for shorter ratios and this contributes to the wild acceleration and explains why the Z900 is so rowdy in the first and second gear.

In fact, slicing through traffic was best done in fourth or fifth gear, any lower and it is simply too eager to burst open, but on the highway, the zippy character was brilliant. Power was constantly available in all gears, even in sixth gear it will continue to accelerate towards the 11,000rpm red line. If it is constant power you want, the Z900 has miles and miles of that.

Handling was predictable; the frame is designed to have as little bends and angles as possible, which then disperses stress quickly and evenly, giving the rider the most compliant ride possible. The suspension was at factory setting, and it did feel a tad soft and lumpy in the bends, but both front and rear suspensions are adjustable.

The rebound and compression of the front suspension can be adjustable via a single control on the left fork, where previously you had to adjust both forks separately, risking an imbalanced set up. The rear suspension has been redesigned and now utilises a near horizontally mounted shock that is connected to a linkage system, which in turn is connected to a lighter, stiffer swing arm. The entire rear suspension is arranged in such a way that the weight of the bike and rider is centralised, eliminating the “top-heavy” feel of the Z800. The spring is adjustable for preload by 5.5 inches.

The new engine, gearbox and suspension gives the Z900 a lot more confidence than its predecessor. You can push this bike harder than before and it has what it takes to cope with all you can ask of it. It is lighter and more willing, which means you can carry mega speeds in corners. The combination of the engine together with the slick shifting gearbox ensures you are never starved of power, that I can personally testify to since this bike will still pull when you’re well into the rev-band of the sixth gear.

And just in case you run out of talent and approach a corner too hot, there is a new slipper clutch with assist function that ensures the rear tyre doesn’t lock up as you bang down the gears in a desperate attempt at using engine braking to slow you down. The clutch assist function makes the clutch lever extremely light, about 40-50% lighter according to personal estimates.

Kawasaki was obviously very serious about creating the best super naked in its price category, and it has come really close to doing it. Just incase the increase in power and diet program wasn’t enough, the company even carefully crafted an audible intake sound at about 6,000rpm where the Z900 sounds like it is sucking in some serious air, just like a sprint runner would at full flight.

The intake funnels are of varying length (50mm for the outer pair and 150mm for the inner pair) and this offers a balance of performance and intake sound. The longer inner pair contribute towards the low-mid rpm performance, while the shorter outer pair are the ones creating the whooshing intake sound.

On a personal note, the Z900 is very near perfect but for a guy of my height and size, the package is let down by the Malaysian-spec bike’s low seat height arrangement which made the bike feel too cramped.

It was not very comfortable even when sitting at the edge of the seat and resting on the balls of my feet – in the so called full race mode. I’m about six-foot tall and I could not find a comfortable position on the Z900 sadly. But with such a brilliant all-round package, maybe an aftermarket seat and foot pegs relocaters will do the trick.

The Kawasaki Z900 is an altogether different animal to the Z800 it replaces, sporting a totally different character but an obvious evolution to the older bike. Priced at just RM50,959, the Z900 seems to have it all. We’ll be spending more time with it soon, so watch this space. Meanwhile, just a note to Z800 owners, it is time to think of trading up, the 900 is really the bike to have now.