VIDEO: 2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT

Judging purely by this video, which was shown to the press at AIMExpo 2014 in Orlando, you get the sense that the new four-cylinder Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT—replete with new fairing, handguards, and quick-detach hard saddlebags—has been designed with long-distance Alpine travel in mind. Nothing wrong with that. But the big news here is this: The new Versys 1000 LT is coming to the US, which means we now have another asphalt adventurer to consider. And we like what we see, especially the 1043cc inline-four, which is closely related to the torquey powerplant in the Ninja 1000 and Z1000. We also are a fan of the Versys 1000 LT's lower pegs, which help keep taller riders more comfortable on those long trips across the Alps...or the Appalachians!