A month ahead of EICMA, Kawasaki has revealed the new Ninja 1100 and Versys 1100 models and both bikes use a larger motor but styling is near-identical to the previous 1000 models.
- Power is up on the Versys but lower on the Ninja, compared to 1000
- Ninja gets top-spec SE variant for the first time
- USB-C charger standard on both, design nearly unchanged
The big change on both bikes is the new liquid-cooled, 1,099cc, inline-four engine that makes 136hp on the Ninja and 135hp on the Versys, both at 9,000rpm. This is a small 4hp decrease for the Ninja but a big 15hp gain for the Versys, compared to the earlier 1000 models. Both models make 113Nm of torque at 7,000rpm, which is a minor 2Nm gain on the Ninja but a substantial 11Nm improvement on the Versys.
There have also been some changes to the gearing, with the 5th and 6th gears now having been made longer for lower engine rpm while cruising. Both the Versys and Ninja now have the same final drive gearing with 15/42 setups (front/rear sprockets). This makes the final gearing taller on the Versys, but shorter on the Ninja.
Both bikes now also come with a USB-C charger near the left hand switch cube. The usual raft of electronic rider aids like riding modes, traction control, cruise control and dual-channel ABS is expected to continue onto the 1100s as well.
For the first time on the Ninja, you get an up-spec SE variant. In typical SE variant fashion, the Ninja gets an Ohlins shock, Brembo M4.32 calipers, brake discs and master cylinder. The Versys gets S, SE and SE LT variants internationally over and above the standard variant, but India has always gotten the base variant.
It remains to be seen if Kawasaki India brings in the higher-spec variants of the Ninja and Versys to India. Traditionally, only the models that come here as CBUs (like the ZH2 and Ninja H2 SX) are offered with the higher variants and none of the CKD models (like the Z900 and ZX-10R) have been offered with the better-specced variants. We shall see if Kawasaki India amends this policy when these bikes launch here sometime in 2025. These bikes have seen a minor price increase in international markets and we expect a similar policy when the Ninja and Versys 1100 launch here.
Also See: 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX review, test ride
BMW F 900 XR Pro vs Kawasaki Versys 1000 comparison
