Kawasaki Versys 1100 (2025) - Technical Review

It’s already been more than five years since Kawasaki last gave its Versys 1000 a visual spruce-up in the form of the rebodied 2019 model. And however hard you look it’s a struggle to see where the 2025 version differs. But tucked on the side there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it badge that reads ‘1100’ and it denotes a huge performance hike for the latest variant.

Despite only boasting 56cc more than its predecessor – the new Versys 1100 is really 1099cc while the old Versys 1000 had a 1043cc four-cylinder – the 2025 bike gets an extra 15hp thanks to engine changes that are much more extensive than merely an increased combustion stroke. It’s 12.5% more power from only 5% more engine, and that elevates the Versys into a somewhat higher category altogether when it comes to performance.

Pros & Cons

2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Price

While the base 2025 Versys 1100 is priced £1020 higher than the last remaining examples of the 2024 Versys 1000 – coming in at £11,899 compared to £10,879 for the old bike – the higher-spec ‘S’ and ‘SE’ versions are less than £100 more expensive than their predecessors.

On a horsepower-per-pound basis, that’s a bargain – try to get a 15hp hike for under £100 on any other bike. The Versys 1100 S is the outright winner of the bunch, as its £13,649 tag is just £70 more than the £13,579 of the 2024 Versys 1000 S. That’s £4.66 per additional horsepower. The Versys 1100 SE runs it close at an £80 premium over the 2024 Versys 1000 SE, or £5.33 for each extra horse.

Despite getting the biggest price increase over its predecessor, the base Versys 1100 is still substantially cheaper than the S and SE versions. It’s only offered in one colour combo – a grey and black scheme – while the higher-spec bikes share the options of their own grey/black graphics or a more eye-catching white/black. All three versions will reach dealers in December 2024.

2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Engine & Performance

The essential layout of the four-cylinder engine is unchanged from the old Versys 1000, with an extra 3mm of stroke – 59mm instead of 56mm – alongside the existing 77mm bore to achieve a 56ccc capacity increase from 1043cc to 1099cc.

That can’t explain the 15hp power hike alone, and digging deeper into the engine spec reveals that the motor is closer to that used in the much more potent Ninja 1000 SX (which itself will be replaced with an enlarged Ninja 1100 SX for 2025). The compression ratio, for example, was only 10.3:1 on the old Versys 1000, but rises to 11.8:1 – the same as Ninja 1000 SX – on the 2025 Versys 1100. Max power is now 133bhp - still not quite as high as the Ninja 1000 SX’s 140hp, but that’s because the new Versys engine also gets tweaks targeting midrange torque. These include new centre intake funnels, now 45mm longer than the outer ones, to boost grunt between 4000rpm and 7000rpm, and throttle bodies and intake ports that are narrower in relation to the engine’s displacement, boosting air velocity – again in pursuit of torque.

The ECU is reprogrammed and the cam profiles are new. Once more, torque is the target here, so valve lift is reduced. On top of all that, there’s a heavier flywheel and a secondary balancer to reduce vibration, plus a revised exhaust header, and an oil cooler has been added.

As on the old model, max power arrives at 9000rpm and peak torque – now 112Nm (82.6lbft) instead of 102Nm (75.2lbft) – comes at 7600rpm instead of 7500rpm.

Drive goes through a six-speed box as before, with an up/down quickshifter on the S and SE models that’s been reprogrammed for 2025 to reduce its minimum shift revs to just 1500rpm. The gear ratios have been revised to suit the new engine’s extra power and torque, and a tooth is removed from the rear sprocket which either gives a slightly higher top speed or (more usefully) a lower rpm for a given cruising speed.

2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

The engine changes might be significant, but Kawasaki has left the chassis largely untouched for the 2025 model – with suspension that’s carried straight across from the previous model year.

That means you get an aluminium frame with 43mm inverted forks at the front and gas-charged monoshock at the back. On the base Versys and Versys S, the adjustability is limited to preload at the front and preload and rebound at the rear, but the range-topping SE gets Kawasaki’s KECS electronic Showa suspension front and rear. It uses ‘Skyhook’ tech, where the bike’s position is compared to an imagined position above it (the ‘skyhook’) and if there’s too much vertical movement, the damping is automatically adjusted to minimise it – ironing out bumps and dips as you hit them. The electronics adjust the compression and rebound damping front and rear, while there’s manual front preload and electronic rear preload adjustability as well.

That might all be carry-over stuff, but Kawasaki has made a tweak to the brakes across the range, with a larger, 260mm rear disc and conventional 310mm front discs instead of the petal design of the previous model.

Weight depends on which version you choose. The base model is lightest at 255kg (kerb), the S comes in at 257kg and the SE at 259kg – each 2kg more than their predecessors.

2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Comfort & Economy

In terms of comfort, the unchanged bodywork and riding position mean that we can’t expect the 2025 Versys to be a huge leap compared to the previous model – although the increased torque and more relaxed gearing promises lower revs at cruising speeds and the engine’s increased flywheel mass and balancer should reduce vibrations and improve rideability.

As before, the level of comfort increases as you step up from the base Versys 1100 to the S, which gets a bigger, adjustable screen and hand guards as standard, while the SE’s electronic suspension raises the game another notch.

Fuel economy from the revised 2025 engine is claimed to be around 50mpg, which gives a theoretical range of 220 miles from a full, 21-litre tank of petrol.

2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Equipment

On board, the base Versys shows its age with an analogue rev counter and small, monochrome LCD display for other functions, while the S and SE versions get a more modern version – still with a traditional tach but using a larger, colour TFT side panel, complete with all the usual Bluetooth connectivity.

The higher-spec bikes also feature comforts like cruise control and IMU-based rider assist tech including power modes and cornering ABS and traction control, again as on the previous models. S and SE models also get cornering lights in the fairing.

Changes for 2025 are limited to the addition of a bar-mounted USB-C port on all three variants.

2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Rivals

Upping power from 118hp to 133hp arguably pushes the Versys into a higher category altogether, moving it from a class where rivals might have included the 107hp Suzuki V-Strom 1050, 105hp BMW F900XR and 113hp Ducati Multistrada V2 into one where rivals include the 150hp Suzuki GSX-S1000GX and perhaps even the 143hp BMW R1300GS. As in the past, the Versys positions itself as pure street-oriented machine despite its high-rising stance, though, and that can pay off given that most riders never venture away from the tarmac.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX | Price: £14,799

Read more

Power/Torque

150bhp/78lb-ft

Weight

232kg

BMW R1300GS | Price: £16,470

Read more

Power/Torque

143bhp/110lb-ft

Weight

237kg

Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ | Price: £15,016

Read more

Power/Torque

118bhp/69lb-ft

Weight

223kg

2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Verdict

Most people who bought a Versys 1000 didn't complain of a lack of power, but equally most of us will put our hands up for a few additional horsepower. It'll be interesting to get the new bike on the dyno and see how and where the power is made and whether Kawasaki's work to find more torque is more visible in the midrange than just the peak torque figure.

The old bike was an unsung choice for two-up tourists who prefer the smoothness and power delivery of four-cylinders and there have always been some very good deals around the base model too. This new version offers a lot more performance for not much more money. we're really looking forward to putting some miles on it on our favourite roads.

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2025 Kawasaki Versys 1100 - Technical Specification

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