On the go, the 649-cc parallel twin nestled in the Versys 650’s diamond frame puts out 69 PS at 8,500 RPM and 64 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 RPM. Transmission is via a fairly slick six-speed gearbox. The engine is a refined unit and there aren’t too many vibrations worth talking about. Although capable of getting up to speed quite rapidly, the bike is tuned more for touring than outright performance and has strong low- and mid-range grunt that allows the rider to overtake other vehicles on the highway by a simple action of the right wrist. In fact, the bike pulls cleanly from as low as 35 km/h in third gear all the way up to a triple-digit cruising speed. Speaking of cruising, the Versys 650 is quite comfortable cruising anywhere between 130 km/h and 150 km/h. It is also quite capable of pottering through a town or two en route to your chosen destination.
