New Versys 1000 2015 looks pretty good.

[Debs]

Debs is right again 

Alan

Should have gone to   

[BigAlan]

With my new glasses on i have watched the video of the new Versys 1000 in Candy and with the panniers on looks pretty damm awesome.

Even though i love my GTR i may well have to have a go on it just to see, already i am thinking i will like it.

Alan

[100milesaway]

With my new glasses on i have watched the video of the new Versys 1000 in Candy and with the panniers on looks pretty damm awesome.

Even though i love my GTR i may well have to have a go on it just to see, already i am thinking i will like it.

Alan

Alan, as Kawasaki have not upgraded the GTR, and most owners  look to upgrade every 2/3 or maybe 4 years, present GTR owners will have to move somewhere. I suspect most will move to the German bikes, and just accept the re-calls and other assorted grief as part of owning a BMW. One factor that has to be taken into consideration though, is the fact that we are all getting older, and the sheer weight and bulk of bikes has to be allowed for in our decision making. Also the price of dedicated touring bikes seems to carry on going up and up (I have always questioned wether most of us actually need a touring bike), where as there are lots of Adventure style bikes on the market, that will do everything that a tourer will do, but without the price tag, weight and bulk. When you have had your test ride, give us a report of what you think.    Geoff

[BigAlan]

Alan, as Kawasaki have not upgraded the GTR, and most owners  look to upgrade every 2/3 or maybe 4 years, present GTR owners will have to move somewhere. I suspect most will move to the German bikes, and just accept the re-calls and other assorted grief as part of owning a BMW. One factor that has to be taken into consideration though, is the fact that we are all getting older, and the sheer weight and bulk of bikes has to be allowed for in our decision making. Also the price of dedicated touring bikes seems to carry on going up and up (I have always questioned wether most of us actually need a touring bike), where as there are lots of Adventure style bikes on the market, that will do everything that a tourer will do, but without the price tag, weight and bulk. When you have had your test ride, give us a report of what you think.    Geoff

I have to agree with Geoff, at best i go away for a week to foreign lands with no pillion so the GTR is a luxury, yes its heavy and cumbersome when pushing it around and yes proper tourers are expensive, at 58 tomorrow i am wondering if indeed i need the GTR and could get decent money for it trading it in for the Versys.

Indeed when i see one and have a go on one i shall report back.

Alan

[Boomer]

I still don't get this attitude of Kawasaki must upgrade the GTR that we hear on here every year. Is it perfect, no, but then no bike is. You are never gonna find the perfect bike for you, so you start with something close and then make it yours. Me, I'm still happy after 7 years and 62k miles that Kawasaki finally made a sportsbike for me, that can tour if pushed to it. I've tried most of it's competitors and have yet to find anything that come close. Each to their own I guess. If I had the money some of you waste changing bikes every 3 years I'd have over 10 bikes in the garage hy now.

[PRD]

The problem I have with the GTR is that when ever I feel  like a change and test ride  something else nothing matches it. At the mo,

[100milesaway]

I still don't get this attitude of Kawasaki must upgrade the GTR that we hear on here every year. Is it perfect, no, but then no bike is. You are never gonna find the perfect bike for you, so you start with something close and then make it yours. Me, I'm still happy after 7 years and 62k miles that Kawasaki finally made a sportsbike for me, that can tour if pushed to it. I've tried most of it's competitors and have yet to find anything that come close. Each to their own I guess. If I had the money some of you waste changing bikes every 3 years I'd have over 10 bikes in the garage hy now.

I agree to a certain extent, but it is a fact that most of us like to change bikes, just because we can. Manufacturers upgrade and change colours of next years models to, A.  try to address owners comlaints/ suggestions, as to what they like or dislike about the currant model. Or B.  Manufacturers need to keep making, and selling new bikes. I think that we would all agree that the GTR has not been a massive seller, so if Kawasaki keep updating year on year, they are hoping that their improvements will encourage more buyers. They have to recoup the initial research/development costs somehow. If as you suggest we all bought a bike, then kept it for 7/10 years, in no time at all there would be no motorcycle manufacturers left. At the end of the day they are trying to make a profit, so making a bike and letting that model run and run, even though it is not selling well, would be a recipe for disaster. It does look though that Kawasaki have called time on the GTR, surely if there was going to be an updated model it would have happened by now. So present owners will either have to do as you do, and keep the bike for a greater number of years, or move on.

[Kwikasfuki]

I still don't get this attitude of Kawasaki must upgrade the GTR that we hear on here every year. Is it perfect, no, but then no bike is. You are never gonna find the perfect bike for you, so you start with something close and then make it yours. Me, I'm still happy after 7 years and 62k miles that Kawasaki finally made a sportsbike for me, that can tour if pushed to it. I've tried most of it's competitors and have yet to find anything that come close. Each to their own I guess. If I had the money some of you waste changing bikes every 3 years I'd have over 10 bikes in the garage hy now.

I don't think it's about the perfect bike. Riders want the bike design to move with the times. Whether that means a minor redesign, new gadgets etc it doesn't really matter. The fact is that other manufacturers have upped their game and i think the GTR is getting left behind. We know its a fantastic bike, but ultimately consumers are fickle. I love the GTR and hence why I'm on my second. But it would be nice to know there's a newer model out there to upgrade to.

[O.C.]

As I've said before I reckon its horses for courses, if your motorcycling needs require the capabilities of the GTR then buy one, we all have different biking requirements   

Personally we don't tour anything like as much as we used to and the vast majority of my/our current, and I expect future motorcycling, is riding out locally, strangely I cover many more miles these days with my current biking activity than I ever did when I toured more, which often meant that we set off, toured, returned and the bike was frequently 'laid up' for longish periods of time. I now have more time on my hands and as a result I ride out on average about 2-3 times a week and now cover about 10,000 plus miles per annum.

My bike requirements have, therefore, changed and a lighter more 'flexible' machine better fits my needs (although I did used to wrestle my GTRs around all manner of country lanes)..TBH the standard Versys 1000 is, in y opinion, much more comfortable and flexible than the GTR anyway, it has an absolutely stonking engine and power delivery, it's also very much better value than the GTR which is a pricey under specified option in today's competetive marketplace.

I recently changed my 2013 Versys 1000 after 10,000 superb trouble free miles for a 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere ZE which has already covered 4,000 miles since July this year all of which have been on ride outs with my mates ~ no touring as yet, the Yam is  massively capable, superbly built and perfectly suited for all my types of biking activity, plus it puts a smile on my ugly chops every time I ride it.   

My Yamaha wouldn't be every-ones choice of bike but TBH I couldn't give a stuff about that, it was purchased for me and Gill to enjoy       

[PRD]

Perhaps kawasaki view the versys 1000 as the successor  to the GTR and the GTR will gradually fade away, It probably is a great bike . Now if it had shaft drive  I would clonsider it but I don't like chain drive.

[STX1300man]

I still don't get this attitude of Kawasaki must upgrade the GTR that we hear on here every year. Is it perfect, no, but then no bike is. You are never gonna find the perfect bike for you, so you start with something close and then make it yours. Me, I'm still happy after 7 years and 62k miles that Kawasaki finally made a sportsbike for me, that can tour if pushed to it. I've tried most of it's competitors and have yet to find anything that come close. Each to their own I guess. If I had the money some of you waste changing bikes every 3 years I'd have over 10 bikes in the garage hy now.

Agreed. When I moved from an ST1300 after ten years all the 'toys' on newer bikes were one of the things that swayed my decision (negatively). I've no need for cruise control, audio systems and especially not for fancy/expensive electronic suspension. I rarley carry a passenger, so once set the suspension is left alone. Its ridden, serviced and cleaned and repeated regularly.

All the bells and whistles is what pushes the 'touring' bike prices to astronomical levels, but with so many low milage pristine bikes about I can't see myself ever buying new.

Do I need a touring bike? Probably not, but I do need something that I can use all year round, for all purposes etc. etc. An adventure bike would meet those needs but personally I can't get past the styling with every bit of engineering on show and the majority are chain driven (and I'm not going back there).

[BigAlan]

Perhaps kawasaki view the versys 1000 as the successor  to the GTR and the GTR will gradually fade away, It probably is a great bike . Now if it had shaft drive  I would clonsider it but I don't like chain drive.

If the Versys was a shaftie I would "almost" place an order now.

Alan

[100milesaway]

If the Versys was a shaftie I would "almost" place an order now.

Alan

When most of you last had a chain drive bike, the chains and sprockets were crap. Now they are not crap. My chain drive bike has had 2 chain adjustments (2 minutes) and is still on original chain after 23,000 miles.

[STX1300man]

When most of you last had a chain drive bike, the chains and sprockets were crap. Now they are not crap. My chain drive bike has had 2 chain adjustments (2 minutes) and is still on original chain after 23,000 miles.

It's not that they are crap, it's just the crap. 

I don't need oil/chain lube flicked all over the place, including the backs of my legs/boots.

[100milesaway]

It's not that they are crap, it's just the crap. 

I don't need oil/chain lube flicked all over the place, including the backs of my legs/boots.

Nah, chain lube has also changed. It now stays on the chain