2011 Kawasaki Versys Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2011 Kawasaki Versys, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical150.0%
- Exterior lighting150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS TRAVELING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AROUND 1 AM ON THE 152 EAST IN CALIFORNIA FROM THE 1 TO THE 101. AN SUV HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ME FOR A BIT AND THE CAR HAD ITS HIGH BEAMS ON. I STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN FOR THE TRANSITION TO THE 101, AND THE CAR STARTED HONKING AT ME. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND A NICE LADY PULLED UP AND APOLOGIZED FOR FOLLOWING ME WITH HER HIGH BEAMS ON, BUT SHE SAID SHE DID IT TO MAKE SURE SHE COULD SEE ME BECAUSE THE BACK OF MY MOTORCYCLE WAS COMPLETELY DARK. I LOOKED BACK, AND LOW AND BEHOLD SHE WAS CORRECT. I THEN PULLED INTO A BUSINESS AND DID SOME CHECKS. THE WIRING LOOKED ALL GOOD, AND THE LEDS CAME ON WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE. I DECIDED TO RESET THE FUSE FOR THE TAIL LIGHTS. I THEN STARTED THE BIKE AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON. AS I HAD 300 MILES MORE TO GO THAT NIGHT, I ADJUSTED A MIRROR DOWN AND IN TO MONITOR MY LIGHTS AND TOOK OFF. AT MY NEXT GAS STOP THE LIGHTS AGAIN WOULD NOT COME ON. I RESET THE FUSE AGAIN SUCCESSFULLY. AT THE NEXT GAS STOP THEY AGAIN DID NOT COME ON. THIS TIME I RESET THE FUSE FOR THE ECU. THE LIGHTS CAME ON, AND FOR DAYS AFTER I HAD NO MORE ISSUES. THE ISSUE DID COME BACK THOUGH, AND I FOUND THAT BY WIGGLING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION I COULD GET THEM TO COME ON. ONCE ON THEY SEEM TO COME ON EVERY TIME LIKE NORMAL UNTIL I DRIVE THE BIKE, PARK THE BIKE, AND REST IT FOR A BIT. THEN I HAVE TO WIGGLE THE KEY AGAIN TO GET THEM TO COME ON. I HAVE NOT TRIED RESETTING THE ECU AGAIN. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS TRAVELING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AROUND 1 AM ON THE 152 EAST IN CALIFORNIA FROM THE 1 TO THE 101. AN SUV HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ME FOR A BIT AND THE CAR HAD ITS HIGH BEAMS ON. I STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN FOR THE TRANSITION TO THE 101, AND THE CAR STARTED HONKING AT ME. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND A NICE LADY PULLED UP AND APOLOGIZED FOR FOLLOWING ME WITH HER HIGH BEAMS ON, BUT SHE SAID SHE DID IT TO MAKE SURE SHE COULD SEE ME BECAUSE THE BACK OF MY MOTORCYCLE WAS COMPLETELY DARK. I LOOKED BACK, AND LOW AND BEHOLD SHE WAS CORRECT. I THEN PULLED INTO A BUSINESS AND DID SOME CHECKS. THE WIRING LOOKED ALL GOOD, AND THE LEDS CAME ON WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE. I DECIDED TO RESET THE FUSE FOR THE TAIL LIGHTS. I THEN STARTED THE BIKE AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON. AS I HAD 300 MILES MORE TO GO THAT NIGHT, I ADJUSTED A MIRROR DOWN AND IN TO MONITOR MY LIGHTS AND TOOK OFF. AT MY NEXT GAS STOP THE LIGHTS AGAIN WOULD NOT COME ON. I RESET THE FUSE AGAIN SUCCESSFULLY. AT THE NEXT GAS STOP THEY AGAIN DID NOT COME ON. THIS TIME I RESET THE FUSE FOR THE ECU. THE LIGHTS CAME ON, AND FOR DAYS AFTER I HAD NO MORE ISSUES. THE ISSUE DID COME BACK THOUGH, AND I FOUND THAT BY WIGGLING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION I COULD GET THEM TO COME ON. ONCE ON THEY SEEM TO COME ON EVERY TIME LIKE NORMAL UNTIL I DRIVE THE BIKE, PARK THE BIKE, AND REST IT FOR A BIT. THEN I HAVE TO WIGGLE THE KEY AGAIN TO GET THEM TO COME ON. I HAVE NOT TRIED RESETTING THE ECU AGAIN. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .