2019 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT SEKawasaki St-Hippolyte, Quebec — For those motorcycle engineers looking to test suspension systems, let me offer you a bit of time- and cost-saving advice. There’s no need to create complicated chassis dynos to replicate all the cracks, crevices and undulations the world’s roads will throw at your new products. Nor do you need to construct, as so many of you have done, multi-faceted test tracks around the world, their roadways emulating the most troubled tarmacs — the most nefarious reputed to be Belgian cobblestone — on the planet. And there’s absolutely no need to trek all the way to the far-flung steppes of Siberia to find pavement perdition. Nope, all you gotta do is plunk your bike in Quebec’s Laurentians and you’re good to go torture testing.Don’t bother asking specifically where because pretty much anywhere will do. St-Jerome is all huge frost heaves and giant craters. Estoril specializes in longitudinal cracks that will swallow a chopper front tire. And Lord, by the time you hit Saint Alphonse Rodriguez — you know the locals take their religion seriously when they name their town after a medieval Spanish Jesuit priest — it feels like Quebec’s highway department is deliberately trying to bend rims. If it’s north of Montreal and west of Trois Rivieres, you’re pretty much guaranteed it’s the worst road in the world. This, of course, makes La Belle Province the perfect place to test a motorcycle whose major year-over-year revision is enhanced suspension, which, if you have not yet guessed what I have been leading up to, perfectly describes Kawasaki’s Versys 1000 LT SE.Now, the Versys 1000 has always had a lot going for it — a smooth, silky 1,043-cc four-cylinder engine, excellent fairing protection and lithe handling. And, truth be told, there is a little more to 2019’s updates than just suspension improvement, an entire raft of new electronic goodies added this year, stretching from cruise control system and automatic cornering lights (that shine brighter the more you lean over) to upgraded traction control, “intelligent” anti-lock brakes and something called Kawasaki Corner Management Function. The big news, however the only thing anyone is talking about is Kawasakis Electronic Controlled Suspension. The same kind of adjustable suspension seen on higher-end BMWs, Kawasakis version is particularly sophisticated, but, after you set those basic settings, the LT continues to monitor the suspensions every movement and makes minute adjustments every millisecond. In other words, even after you set your desired ride quality, KECS continues to alter the suspension parameters according to speed and bump size to optimize ride and/or handling. Too trick!So, how effective is it?Very, in fact, the KECS upgrade completely worthy of the many accolades its garnering. Sport mode, for instance, is perfect for smooth, twisty roads, but thanks to KECSs ability to constantly alter resistance does make it somewhat passable even in La Belle Province. Road proved much more sympathetic, still firm enough that one could play silly buggers but without the forearm jarring compression damping. Rain, meanwhile dialled the suspension all the way back, providing the softest ride, though the lack of rebound damping did have it occasionally flouncing about like an overstuffed 1969 Ford F-150 riding on original shocks.All that said, knowledgeable bikers will probably be ready to put pen to paper or, more accurately, fingertips to keyboard telling me that switching to Road and Rain mode also decreases the engines power output/throttle response; not so much in former, but dramatically so (about 25 per cent) in the latter.So, what do you do if you want the super squishy Rain mode suspension married to Sport modes maximum power? Well, you simply toggle to Kawasakis custom Rider setting that lets you meld superbike throttle response with Gold Wing suppleness. OK, that may be doable, but better perhaps is to, as I did, marry Sports engine and traction control calibrations with softish compression damping, but firmer rebound damping. Then I just left KECS alone.And therein lies the sole caveat about Kawasakis indeed, everyones electronic suspension system. Once youve gotten over the novelty of flipping between modes or constantly customizing your suspension, one tends to find one baseline adjustment and just leave it there. Oh, maybe a few inveterate button pushers continue to juggle their ride quality, but most people just find their favourite compromise and then be done with it.What they will use, however, on a much more frequent basis indeed, what makes all this electronic control truly worthwhile is the electronic spring preload adjustment. Indeed, it is so frequently fiddled with that it has its own button on the left handlebar, the spring preload adjuster allows the rider to compensate for different loads a passenger, luggage, etc. at the flip of a switch. Considering how
Origin: Motorcycle Review: 2019 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT SE
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New engine raises Dacia Duster prices by £1000
Dacia has raised the pricing of its Duster SUV following the addition of a new entry-level petrol engine. The new engine is available on Dusters equipped with Access, Essential and Comfort trim, with prices ranging from £10,995 to £13,995. This marks a £1000 increase over the Duster’s previous £9995 entry price. The turbocharged three-cylinder TCe 100 unit replaces the 1.6-litre SCe 115 engine with less power, at 99bhp, but improved emissions. CO2 output is down 18% at 126g/km and fuel efficiency has been improved from 40.9-43.5mpg to 48.7-49.5mpg. Torque output is improved as well, with the TCe 100 producing 192lb ft, 66% more than the SCe unit’s 115lb ft. Acceleration and top speed are slightly reduced, though, with the TCe capable of 0-62mph in 12.5sec and a top speed of 104mph. Dacia claims the TCe 100, also found in the new Renault Clio, is lighter and more compact than the engine it replaces. Mechanical improvements include an electronically controlled turbocharger wastegate, a redesigned exhaust manifold, twin variable valve timing and bore spray coating. Dacia has sold nearly 10,000 Dusters so far this year, an 89% increase compared with the same period in 2018. Even with the newly increased prices, the Duster remains the UK’s cheapest mainstream SUV, with MG’s rival ZS available from
Origin: New engine raises Dacia Duster prices by £1000
MG ZS EV: first 1000 UK buyers receive £7000 discount
MG has revealed that UK prices for launch editions of its first fully electric model, the ZS EV, will be significantly less than both the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro. MG will match the government’s £3500 plug-in car grant for the first 1000 ZS EV buyers in the UK, bringing the entry-level ‘Excite’ variant’s list price down to £21,495. The same offer also applies to more luxurious ‘Exclusive’ trim, which costs £23,495. Owners of these early models will receive a free home charging point, which will be installed at no extra charge by MG. Once the first 1000 examples have been sold, the ZS EV will be available from £24,995, including the government grant. Although largely unrivalled in its position as a value electric compact SUV, the ZS EV represents a much more affordable alternative to the Kia e-Niro, which starts from £32,995 after grant. The ZS EV’s chief rival, Hyundai’s Kona Electric, is priced slightly higher at £27,250, but is currently off-sale in the UK, with prospective buyers encouraged to join a waiting list. Like Hyundai and Kia, MG is applying a seven-year warranty to all ZS models sold in the UK. The discounted price for the first 1000 models puts the ZS EV among the cheapest electric cars available in the UK. The ageing Citroen C-Zero is the only mainstream EV available for less, at £17,020 including the grant. The ZS EV was first revealed at the Guangzhou motor show in China last year, and will be sold alongside the existing petrol versions of the ZS. The UK-bound ZS EV makes use of a front-mounted electric motor, producing 141bhp and 260lb ft. The car’s water-cooled 44.5kWh lithium ion battery is good for a 163-mile range on the WLTP test cycle, and is capable of rapid charging from flat to around 80 per cent capacity in half an hour. Styling changes over the conventionally fuelled model are minimal, and limited to the integration of a charging point in its blanked off grille, and the addition of a newly designed set of 17in alloy wheels. Inside, standard equipment includes an 8in touchscreen, satnav, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth and DAB radio. The ZS prioritises interior space and practicality, with a split-level boot and several hidden storage areas maximising load capacity. “We’re delighted to be entering the electric car market at such an exciting time,” said Daniel Gregorious, MG’s head of sales and marketing. “With MG’s trademark value-for-money approach, we’re confident that we can help more and more new car buyers to go electric.” UK sales of the EV weren’t confirmed at the its global debut last year, but now come as part of the steady growth of the MG brand worldwide and its transition to being a maker of SUVs. MG is enjoying sales success in China, under the ownership of SAIC. Last year, it sold 134,786 cars, a significant increase over the 80,389 sold in 2016. That success accelerated in 2018; MG had already surpassed its 2017 total by the end of August, having sold 179,109 cars. China is the world’s largest market for electric cars, and ranges in excess of 250 miles are now the norm there, rather than the exception. The ZS EV first made its debut alongside the new HS SUV, which is understood to be lined up to replace the GS in MG’s UK range later this
Origin: MG ZS EV: first 1000 UK buyers receive £7000 discount
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