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2011 Kawasaki Versys Project Part 1

The Versys is one of Kawasaki’s great do-all bikes. We snagged a 2011 model as a last-minute fill-in for a Pacific Coast Tour from Southern California. Little did we know the 650 Twin would start to grow on us, and so it was decided to keep the Kawasaki street bike and find some products to help accentuate its capability.
Take a look at the 2011 Kawasaki Versys now that weve installed some touring and protective accessories.
As the name implies, versatility was high on the list when Kawasaki designed this motorcycle. An upright, comfortable seating position allows the rider a solid platform and excellent view of their surroundings. Immediately we decided this bike could be a useful touring mount if it had some carrying capacity. Strapping a duffel bag to the passenger seat wasn’t quite what we had in mind, so our first call went in to the Italian company, Givi. This accessory manufacturer produces luggage and protection with a 24-month warranty on all of its products.

The newest hard cases from Givi are the Trekker series. Compared to Givi’s traditional streamlined, smooth edges, the Trekker bags are much more utilitarian looking. The square cases are black plastic with an aluminum finish on top and have a rugged appearance similar to what you would find on a BMW GS or comparable adventure touring machine. The top case is available in 33-liter or 46-liter capacities, both rated to hold 22 pounds. Ours came as part of the TRKPACK3, which includes the larger top case and a pair of 33-liter side panniers for $925. We easily fit a full-face helmet and our jacket in the top case. The entire luggage is capable of holding a large laptop case and they all have internal straps to help keep items from bouncing around.

One of the best features of the Trekker bags is the mounting hardware. The racks are sturdy and the connection is simple. Givi equipped the Trekkers with its patented MONOKEY technology which allows a single key to open the case as well as remove it from the racks. Each bag comes with two keys, and all six keys are matched, which means it only takes one to access all the bags. We’ve got plenty of spares!

The Givi Trekker hard cases add some bulk to the rear of our Versys, but they are extremely useful for commuting and touring.
Using the latching mechanism is simple and secure. It only takes a single use to get the hang of it and there are no complicated or hard-to-see connecting points. The only complaint we have is that the bags are locked every time. It would be nice to have the option of leaving them unlocked. The key must be inserted every time the rider wants to open a bag; however, we’re happy with the security it provides and are willing to cope with such a small gripe.

We have not ridden the bike in rain yet, which leaves the question of waterproofing, but the Trekker bags have a recessed, waterproof foam seal which runs around the inner edge of the lid. It looks like it will be a secure seal, but we’ll have to wait for some inclement weather before knowing for certain.

After spending a couple weeks with the latest crop of mega-adventure touring bikes in the 2011 Adventure Touring Shootout, we had plenty of experience with different sets of luggage. For the most part, there were glaring errors in most of the designs. This surprised us considering that the OEMs built the cargo specifically for their own machines. So far the Givi Trekker bags are outperforming virtually all of the ones we recently sampled. Since they were all factory accessories and cost in the neighborhood of $1000, we’d rather equip all of the bikes, except for the KTM, with the Givi Trekker bags.