How much is a used Kawasaki Versys 650 worth?

A 2023 Kawasaki Versys 650 in good condition with around 9,000 miles is worth roughly £5,700 (typical range £5,150–£6,300). Dealer asking prices sit higher than private sales, and a full service history, no crash damage and an unbroken theft record are what hold a bike at the top of its range.

How quickly does the Kawasaki Versys 650 depreciate?

The Kawasaki Versys 650 loses about 26% of its value over the first three years, against a 25–32% norm for bikes and 40–50% for cars. These figures are specific to this model rather than a shared default, though they remain indicative estimates rather than a measured sample of sale prices.

Can you ride the Kawasaki Versys 650 on an A2 licence?

Only if restricted. The Kawasaki Versys 650 is an unrestricted category A machine as sold, but it can be restricted to A2 limits. A restricted example is worth checking carefully — the paperwork matters to insurers, and a derestricted bike on an A2 licence is not road legal.

How much does it cost to insure a Kawasaki Versys 650?

Expect around £640 a year to insure a Kawasaki Versys 650, typically £480–£950. That assumes Age 30, 3yrs NCB, suburban postcode. Touring bikes attract older riders — premiums lower than equivalent-power nakeds. It sits in motorcycle insurance group 9 of 17. Bike premiums move far more on licence tier, rider age and postcode than car premiums do, so treat this as a starting point rather than a quote.

What goes wrong on a used Kawasaki Versys 650?

The wear and failure points we track for the Kawasaki Versys 650 are: cam chain tensioner (around 30k-45k mi, £150); rear shock (around 35k-50k mi, £280 (aftermarket)); regulator/rectifier (around 25k-35k mi, £170). We don't publish a reliability score for bikes — the MOT dataset behind our car scores doesn't support one at model level — so treat these as the specific things to inspect rather than a verdict. A full service history and a fresh MOT without advisories remain the best protection.

What does a Kawasaki Versys 650 cost to run?

Expect around 60 mpg, about £363 a year in fuel or energy, £310 for an annual service, £250 a pair for tyres every 8,000 miles, £220 for a chain and sprockets every 15,000 miles. Figures assume 3,000 miles a year, the UK average from DfT travel and traffic statistics, and current DESNZ pump prices. The cost-of-ownership table on the profile breaks this down per year and per mile.

Is the Kawasaki Versys 650 likely to be stolen?

The Kawasaki Versys 650 is a relatively low theft target. Touring profile, heavy, less attractive to ride-away thieves than sports nakeds. Disc lock sufficient for most postcodes. Theft is concentrated in E, N postcode areas. A Thatcham-approved chain and ground anchor, a disc lock and a tracker are what insurers look for, and secure overnight storage moves a premium more than almost anything else.

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Sport-tourerLicense A (Unrestricted)1,000/yr UK

Kawasaki Versys 650

Kawasaki's middleweight adventure-tourer — the ER-6 parallel-twin in adventure clothing with touring ergonomics and a generous 21-litre fuel tank. UK riders pick it for the same reason German riders do: it's the cheapest serious mile-eater you can buy, with an upright seating position, weather protection from the standard screen, and a chassis that handles two-up + panniers without breaking sweat. The 2022 refresh added TFT dash, ride modes, and slip-assist clutch. A2-restrictable so new riders can grow into it.

Engine: 649 cc
Power: 67 PS
Weight: 219 kg
Seat height: 845 mm
A2 licence: Restrictable

The short version

67/100

Forecourt score

Value 61 · Insurance 50 · Theft 100

The Kawasaki Versys 650 holds its value about as well as most bikes (around 26% lost over three years, against the 25-32% bike norm) and costs about average to insure (group 9). Theft risk is low. It can be restricted for an A2 licence.

A bike-specific blend of value retention, insurance and theft risk (weighted 40/35/25). Bikes carry no MOT reliability data, so reliability isn't scored. Higher is better.

Variant: Versys 650

Engine

Petrol · 649cc

Power

67 ps

Torque

61 Nm

Weight

219 kg

Seat

845 mm

Transmission

6-speed manual

Economy

60 mpg

License

A2 restrictable

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20152026

Mileage on the clock9,000 mi

0Expected: 9,00060k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical clean bike.

Estimated market value

£5,711

Range £5,140 – £6,282

HIGH CONFIDENCE

When new (2023)£7,718

Age-based value£5,711

Mileage adjustment+£0

Condition adjustment+£0

Holding value

Bikes hold value far better than cars — typical motorcycle 3-year depreciation is 25–32%, against cars' 40–50%. Some bikes (Hayabusa, Gold Wing, classic Z1000) actually appreciate in the 7–15 year zone as cult demand outstrips supply.

New

£8,200

At 5 years

—

At 10 years

—

Value loss by phase

Each band shows the share of original value lost during that window — not cumulative. Appreciation (green, marked +X% gained) is real for bikes that develop cult status.

Years 0–3First-owner depreciation26% lost

Years 3–7Used-market sweet spot14% lost

Years 7–15Stable / vintage-cult zone16% lost

After year 3: 74% retainedAfter year 7: 60% retainedAfter year 15: 44% retained

UK new price by year

How we estimate this

These figures are specific to this model rather than a shared default, but they are indicative estimates and not yet derived from a recorded sample of UK sale prices. Bike residuals depend heavily on theft history, service-stamp count and crash-damage signatures. Figures assume a clean, fully-stamped example.

What it costs to own

Over

Indicative running costs at 3,000 miles a year — the UK average from DfT travel and traffic statistics. Chain-drive bikes carry a chain/sprocket consumable line; tax (typically £25–£100/yr) and depreciation are excluded — see the section above for value retention.

3-year total

£2,522

Per year

£841

Per mile

£0.28

Servicing£930

Tyres (pair)£281

Chain & sprockets£132

MOT£90

Fuel / energy£1,089

Service costs assume independent specialist labour and OE parts. Tyre intervals reflect typical UK road riding — track-day usage burns through rear tyres in <2,000 miles. Fuel uses the variant MPG at the current DESNZ pump price of £1.60/L (week commencing 03/08/2026). Electric bikes are costed from battery capacity and published range at the current domestic electricity price; where a bike has no published range we show no energy line rather than guess. Lower-mileage riders see proportionally lower totals; higher-mileage commuters pay roughly linearly more.

Estimated insurance

Group 9 of 17 (mid — mainstream) · Comprehensive · 5 yr NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this bike. Bike insurance is far more sensitive to licence tier and rider age than cars — pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

Licence

Age

No-claims bonus

5 years

0 yearsBaseline: 5 years15+

Risk profile

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 30-39

£640/ year

Roughly £53 per month

Typical

Suburban postcode, 3+ years NCB, standard security (Thatcham chain + disc lock), no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-21	£1,056	£1,408	£1,971
Age 22-29	£648	£864	£1,210
Age 30-39Selected	£480	£640	£896
Age 40-49	£422	£563	£788
Age 50+	£384	£512	£717

How we estimate this

Premiums combine licence tier, rider age, no-claims bonus and a risk-profile multiplier on top of a bike-specific baseline. Bike insurance is materially more sensitive to licence tier (CBT / A1 / A2 / A) than car insurance, and young riders pay considerably more than older riders even on the same machine. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Theft risk

Bike-specific · Met Police + insurance reporting

UK bike theft rates are an order of magnitude higher than car theft. Nakeds and supersports lose more to professional gangs; large adventure bikes and tourers are statistically much safer.

Theft risk score · 1 to 4

1/4Low risk

1 — Low2 — Medium3 — High4 — Very high

Low risk

Not a typical theft target. Basic locking deters opportunists; standard insurance terms apply.

Theft hotspot postcodes

Postcode prefixes only; full London hot zone runs across E, N, NW, SE, SW, W boroughs depending on the model.

What this means for you

Touring profile, heavy, less attractive to ride-away thieves than sports nakeds. Disc lock sufficient for most postcodes.

How we set this band

Bands derived from Met Police bike-theft reporting (most-stolen lists) cross-referenced with insurance industry underwriting data. Model + postcode are the two biggest factors in motorcycle theft risk in the UK, materially more than vehicle value.

What goes wrong

5 known issues · sorted by severity

Documented failure modes from UK owner forums, dealer service bulletins, and aggregated mechanic feedback. Mileages are approximate — different riders see different intervals depending on use and maintenance. Always address "high"-severity items before resale.

High severity

Medium

Low / cosmetic

Severity	Part / issue	Typical mileage	Cost
medium	Rear shock Oil seal failure. OEM shock not rebuildable on UK spec. 35k-50k mi	35k-50k mi	£280 (aftermarket)
medium	Regulator/rectifier Kawasaki R/R pattern. MOSFET aftermarket replacement runs cooler. 25k-35k mi	25k-35k mi	£170
low	Cam chain tensioner Rattle at idle; replacement is straightforward. 30k-45k mi	30k-45k mi	£150
low	Fork seal leaks Standard wear item — UK weather speeds it up. 25k-35k mi	25k-35k mi	£100
low	Wheel bearings Two-up weight accelerates wear. 25k-30k mi	25k-30k mi	£60 per wheel

How we score severity

High — strands the bike or causes consequential damage if left. Medium — service item that affects ride quality or risks failure. Low — cosmetic or minor inconvenience. Costs are independent-specialist UK rates for parts and labour together; main dealer prices typically run 30–50% higher.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Kawasaki Versys 650, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Variant comparison

Versys 650

New: £8,200Fuel/yr: £3633yr depreciation: %

The default — sole variant. 2022+ has the more modern dash and ride modes; pre-2022 is still good but feels older to live with.

Known issues

Cam chain tensioner rattle (35k+ mi)
Rear shock leaks around 40k mi
Regulator/rectifier (Kawasaki pattern)

Strengths

+21L fuel tank gives genuine 250+ mile touring range
+Upright seating position comfortable on 4+ hour rides
+A2-restrictable to grow with new riders
+Strong panniers from factory accessories catalogue
+Standard screen offers real wind protection

Watch-outs

−Wet weight 219 kg makes parking on cambered surfaces hard work
−Suspension is set up soft — track riders look elsewhere
−Pre-2022 dash and switchgear feel dated next to KTM 890 rivals

Value this bike All bikes

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Common questions

Kawasaki Versys 650, answered from the data

How much is a used Kawasaki Versys 650 worth?: A 2023 Kawasaki Versys 650 in good condition with around 9,000 miles is worth roughly £5,700 (typical range £5,150–£6,300). Dealer asking prices sit higher than private sales, and a full service history, no crash damage and an unbroken theft record are what hold a bike at the top of its range.
How quickly does the Kawasaki Versys 650 depreciate?: The Kawasaki Versys 650 loses about 26% of its value over the first three years, against a 25–32% norm for bikes and 40–50% for cars. These figures are specific to this model rather than a shared default, though they remain indicative estimates rather than a measured sample of sale prices.
Can you ride the Kawasaki Versys 650 on an A2 licence?: Only if restricted. The Kawasaki Versys 650 is an unrestricted category A machine as sold, but it can be restricted to A2 limits. A restricted example is worth checking carefully — the paperwork matters to insurers, and a derestricted bike on an A2 licence is not road legal.
How much does it cost to insure a Kawasaki Versys 650?: Expect around £640 a year to insure a Kawasaki Versys 650, typically £480–£950. That assumes Age 30, 3yrs NCB, suburban postcode. Touring bikes attract older riders — premiums lower than equivalent-power nakeds. It sits in motorcycle insurance group 9 of 17. Bike premiums move far more on licence tier, rider age and postcode than car premiums do, so treat this as a starting point rather than a quote.
What goes wrong on a used Kawasaki Versys 650?: The wear and failure points we track for the Kawasaki Versys 650 are: cam chain tensioner (around 30k-45k mi, £150); rear shock (around 35k-50k mi, £280 (aftermarket)); regulator/rectifier (around 25k-35k mi, £170). We don't publish a reliability score for bikes — the MOT dataset behind our car scores doesn't support one at model level — so treat these as the specific things to inspect rather than a verdict. A full service history and a fresh MOT without advisories remain the best protection.
What does a Kawasaki Versys 650 cost to run?: Expect around 60 mpg, about £363 a year in fuel or energy, £310 for an annual service, £250 a pair for tyres every 8,000 miles, £220 for a chain and sprockets every 15,000 miles. Figures assume 3,000 miles a year, the UK average from DfT travel and traffic statistics, and current DESNZ pump prices. The cost-of-ownership table on the profile breaks this down per year and per mile.
Is the Kawasaki Versys 650 likely to be stolen?: The Kawasaki Versys 650 is a relatively low theft target. Touring profile, heavy, less attractive to ride-away thieves than sports nakeds. Disc lock sufficient for most postcodes. Theft is concentrated in E, N postcode areas. A Thatcham-approved chain and ground anchor, a disc lock and a tracker are what insurers look for, and secure overnight storage moves a premium more than almost anything else.

Answers are generated from this bike's Forecourt data — curated specifications, our valuation model and the week's DESNZ fuel and energy prices — and update with the weekly data refresh.