Kawasaki’s Versys 650 (2012)

wonderfully poised and due to a major incident the first part of the ride saw us stuck in heavy, slow-moving traffic. TheVersys sat perfectly balanced at just 4mph.

Once out of the traffic and onto a flowing road, the Versys was a delight to ride. It has wide bars and a neutral riding position. You can lean way over into a bend (those wide bars drive it over easily and you find yourself moving into a more committed stance as you drive on through). The tall suspension keeps everything in line – there’s no wallowing here. The front felt planted at all times no matter the quality of the road surface and the Michelin Pilot tyres gave huge confidence. The brakes are excellent. Squeeze them hard and you stop on a sixpence, but there is plenty of feel.

The remapped engine suits the bike – the wider midrange allows you to pretty much choose a gear and stick with it and the torque coming in lower in the range lets you punch hard past other traffic when overtaking.

My only complaints came from the grips, which are a little stiff and the small screen drove wind at the base of my helmet. But it is adjustable, so I would need it on a higher setting.

The Versys has gained praise for its build quality and this one evidences that. With just shy of 20,000 miles on the clock it is pristine. The dealer wants £3799 for a 2012 model with 19,754 miles on the clock in pristine condition with a just run-in front tyre. Availability is good: Keeping to 2012-2014 I was able to find a number on sale at dealers, ranging from a 2012 model with 25,800 miles for £3495 to a 2014 model with 2200 miles on the clock for £5595.