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Motorcycles & their Riders: Kawasaki Versys & James Potter
Potter & Maverick - Apr 28, 2009
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James Potter thrives as a manager and master technician in an industry that produces what is widely viewed as the most efficient of human transporters; i.e., the bicycle. For the past 20 years, up to and including the present, he toils for Vecchio’s Bicicletteria in Boulder, Colorado.
As such, he has an understanding of and appreciation for the technology and tuning that goes into building and maintaining a high performance transport vehicle.
James Potter got the “motorcycle bug” in 1992 after moving from Michigan to Boulder, CO and experiencing the foothills and mountains primarily on a bicycle.
As a competitive bicyclist, and with an older brother, who has for a long time drawn Potter’s attention toward the motorcycling culture, Potter looked forward to the day when he too could integrate a motorcycle into his family and lifestyle.
Potter’s Father owned a couple big American V-twins and he used to take James for rides on his Benelli-built, Montgomery Ward Riverside 250 as a young boy. His brother has a ‘68 Shovel Head, an ‘86 Sportster, and an ‘02 Road King, so Potter’s attention was drawn to the look and sound of a Harley-Davidson.
But, after first completing a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course, he decided on a Kawasaki KLR 650 S in July of 2007. The versatility and ease of this dual sport served him nicely until late afternoon on October 24, 2007.
It was that afternoon that Mrs. Potter, seven months into her pregnancy with their 2nd child, called James to join her for a pregnancy related procedure at their local hospital. Potter jumped on his KLR 650 S to meet up with her (he was within a mile of their rendezvous point), when a drunken driver executed a left turn into Potter and his motorcycle. He woke up in the ICU!
He spent the next three days in the ICU recovering from injuries including cracked ribs, bruised lung, broken wrist, and ruptured spleen. Needless to say, Mrs. Potter was not real happy. She was over the idea of her husband riding a motorcycle!
Potter credits his gear for saving his life: a Shoei RF1000 full face helmet, Tourmaster jacket, over the ankle boots, riding pants, and gloves
James also credits the instructors at Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Training with providing him with the skills and knowledge necessary to be as safe as possible on the roadway, and for encouraging him to wear all the above mentioned protective riding gear!
So, James rehabbed from his injuries, assessed his priorities, took on new responsibilities with an expanded family, and reasoned to his family in general, and Mrs. Potter in particular, that the injuries he sustained in the motorcycle accident could have occurred in any of a number of scenarios, and that operating a motorcycle was not the cause.
By January 2009, Potter was again ready to take to the roadways on a motorcycle. His desire to experience the open road prevailed.
After test riding multiple brands and models, Potter purchased a Kawasaki Versys. He uses it primarily for his 12 mile (each way) commute, and for day trips having logged 1200+ miles during the first two months of ownership.
He was drawn to the Versys due to handling, performance and weight features. He says that while he can easily cruise at 70+ mph, the majority of his riding will be the commute between Longmont, Colorado and Boulder, Colorado at between 45 and 50 miles per hour. He needs a motorcycle that is easy to navigate in traffic and is easy to maintain. The low center of gravity and clutch and brake responsiveness provides a sense of control. “The bike is easy to ride and comfortable,” according to Potter. A taller windscreen and Givi V35 hard sidecases were also added to make commuting and travel more convenient. So far the Versys has returned an average of 50mpg.
The name Versys comes from “versatile system.” This simply refers to the different riding attributes this bike has that make it more versatile.
The Versys is an all around middleweight bike, designed for rural and urban roadways, and has a standard, upright riding posture. To create the Versys, Kawasaki engineers turned to the already user-friendly Ninja® 650R sportbike. Building upon its 649cc parallel-twin engine, six-spoke superbike-inspired wheels, light steering and neutral handling chassis; they added an adjustable-height windscreen, a longer “gull” shaped swingarm, adjustable, long-travel rear shock, long-travel inverted 41mm forks and provided it with a roomy, comfortable cockpit. The resulting motorcycle is ready to excel at almost any task its rider needs, from gridlock traffic jams, to canyon carving, to long-distance touring.
The Kawasaki Versys:
Details & Features
649cc Parallel Twin-cylinder, DOHC Engine
- Most compact engine in its category, helps reduce the dimensions of the entire motorcycle
- Triangular crank and transmission shaft layout makes it short from front to back
- Semi-dry sump oil system reduces overall engine height
- The narrow pitch of the chrome composite plated aluminum cylinders helps reduce engine width
- Tuned to deliver smooth, responsive power in the low-to mid-rpm range for exceptional roll-on response – ideal in negotiating city traffic
- 180-degree crankshaft plus balancer shaft smoothes engine pulses
- Oil jets on the connecting rod big ends spray oil on the undersides of the pistons to aid cooling
- Muffler with 3-way catalyzer and bullettip opening is mounted below the engine to help lower the center of gravity and aid weight centralization
Liquid Cooling
- Keeps engine temperatures consistent for long engine life and sustained power during hard use
- Allows closer engine tolerances for more horsepower
- Coolant is routed through the engine cases reducing the number of external hoses
Digital Fuel Injection (DFI®)
- Utilizes 38mm Keihin throttle bodies with ECU controlled sub throttle valves for optimum performance and rideability
- Sub throttles, located behind the main throttle valves, give the DFI system a more precise throttle response, similar to a constant velocity carburetor
- Automatic fast idle system makes starting and warm-up easy
- Precise fuel injection and exhaust catalyzer significantly reduce emissions
Digital Capacitor Discharge Ignition (CDI) System
- Microprocessor controlled timing never requires adjustment and is ultra responsive to engine needs
- Spark plug mounted “stick” ignition coils are compact and help reduce weight
Six-Speed Transmission
- Cassette style transmission with the shafts and shift drum in a compact layout that is easily removed as a single unit from the case for easier maintenance
High Tensile Steel Trellis Frame
- Trellis frame is small and light and Narrow at the knees and feet for increased rider comfort and control
- Designed using 3-dimensional computer analysis to achieve the optimum stiffness balance for better handling
Single Shock Rear Suspension
- Aluminum gull-wing swingarm and offset, laydown single rear shock complement the frame design via an integrated line flowing from the steering head to the rear hub
- Short, compact frame and engine design allows the swingarm to be longer, which helps improve overall handling
- Showa shock has adjustable preload and rebound damping and uses a free piston and two-stage damping valves for smooth action during initial compression that becomes much firmer near the end of the stroke for a more planted feel
Long-Travel Fork
- 41mm Inverted fork with stiff springs combines the best of dual sport and sportbike-type suspensions, to deliver excellent performance over a wide range of conditions
- Tapered, relatively short outer tubes help provide the ideal stiffness balance to compliment chassis settings
- Fork height, preload and rebound damping can all be adjusted to fine-tune the suspension to specific conditions or riding styles
Petal Style Brake Discs
- Braking duties handled by dual 300mm front petal discs with two-piston calipers and a single 220mm rear petal disc with a single-piston caliper
- Same rotor design as found on the Ninja supersport machines, petal design rotors offer improved cooling and warp resistance
Six-spoke wheels
- The six-spoke design requires much less material between spokes so that the rim thickness is thinner and overall wheel weight is reduced
Comfortable Ergonomics
- Each part of the two-piece seat was designed with a different thickness and firmness of foam to optimize comfort for both rider and passenger
- Passenger seat and grab bars were designed to provide a natural seating position for added comfort
- Easy-to-read instrument panel has a large analog tachometer and digital readout for the speedometer, fuel gauge, odometer, dual trip meters and clock. White LED backlighting provides increased visibility at night
Adjustable Windscreen
- Three different settings, each 20mm apart, allows riders to set the windscreen height to suit their preferences
Specifications
- Engine Type: Four-stroke, liquid cooled, DOHC, four-valve per cylinder, parallel twin
- Displacement: 649 cc
- Bore & Stroke: 83.0 x 60.0 mm
- Compression Ratio: 10.6:1
- Maximum Torque: 44.9 lb/ft @6,800 rpm
- Cooling: Liquid
- Fuel Injection: Digital fuel injection with two 38mm Keihin throttle bodies
- Ignition: Digital CDI
- Transmission: 6-Speed
- Final Drive: O-Ring Chain
- Frame: Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel
- Rake/Trail: 25°/4.3 in.
- Front Tire Size: 120/70-17
- Rear Tire Size: 160/60-17
- Wheelbase 55.7
- Front Suspension / wheel travel: 41mm hydraulic telescopic fork with adjustable rebound and preload / 5.9 in.
- Rear Suspension / wheel travel: Single offset laydown shock with adjustable rebound and spring preload / 5.7 in.
- Front Brake: Type Dual 300mm petal discs with two-piston caliper
- Rear Brake: Type Single 220mm petal disc with single-piston caliper
- Fuel Tank: Capacity 5.0 gal.
- Seat Height: 33.1
- Curb Weight: 454.1 lbs.
- Overall length: 83.7 in.
- Overall width: 33.1 in.
- Overall height: 51.8 in.
- Color: Candy Plasma Blue, Candy Lime Green
- Warranty: 12 months
James Potter is very happy with his Versys motorcycle. He is not ready to assert that this is his last motorcycle, however he likes the dependability, handling, and performance of the Versys, all for a very reasonable price of $7,200.
Some day, Potter intends to become a motorcycle safety instructor. He feels uniquely qualified and motivated to share his accruing knowledge and skills required for motorcycle operator safety.
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