DIFFERENT PATHS, SAME DESTINATION
You don’t need great punch out of turns if you have excellent corner speed. Watching Kawasaki’s Versys 650 tip into turns without the brake light coming on through the twisties of the Bylong Valley was really showing how capable a machine it is, with Suzuki’s middleweight V-Strom shadowing the green machine’s rear wheel.
The two brands have taken different paths to the same destination – versatile middleweight allrounders which are economic, comfortable and capable. Suzuki uses a V-twin powerplant wrapped in Adventure bike styling with laced wheels, including a 19-inch front. Kawasaki’s Versys is more road bike focused, with a short wheelbase, 17-inch cast wheels and crossover styling that belies its street sports ability.
The Suzuki has been around for decades, the Kawasaki for nearly a decade and a half. Often purchased as commuters, they both accept panniers to turn them into touring bikes and
