Starting in 2025 through 2027, Kawasaki will supply the official motorcycles for the iconic Tour de France and another 21 cycling competitions, totaling 22 events. This recently announced partnership renews Kawasaki’s connection to the historic cycling race, which began in the 1980s with models like the GTR1000 and later the 1400GTR.
The chosen model for this comeback is the new Versys 1100, with a fleet of 45 units in 2025, marking the collaboration’s first year. The Versys 1100 was designed for long-distance comfort, combined with enhanced power and torque, and it promises to fulfill key roles such as road-opening and race support. Among the standout events on the list are European cycling classics like Paris-Roubaix, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and La Vuelta. Each motorcycle is expected to cover about 20,000 km annually.
Described as a “Destination: Everywhere” motorcycle, the Versys 1100 embodies Kawasaki’s philosophy of performance and versatility, featuring state-of-the-art technology, including voice command capabilities for rider-vehicle interaction.
Kawasaki Motors Europe President Shigemi Tanaka expressed the company’s enthusiasm for the renewed partnership, highlighting that the brand, traditionally associated with green, aligns with their commitment to sustainable solutions and technological innovations, saying in a statement:
– Kawasaki has traditionally been associated with the colour green and this aligns perfectly with our drive towards carbon neutral clean, green energy, alternative fuels and cutting-edge innovations across the spectrum of new transport solutions plus further innovations within the scope of traditional internal combustion engine technology.
The Tour de France – plus these twenty-one other incredible events we will be part of – represent a global showcase for human endeavour and extracting the maximum performance from rider and machine in an ecologically responsible environment. This aligns perfectly with our passionate approach to our products, and we are proud to re-ignite our relationship with world class cycling adding a further showcase for the exposure of our products and brand ideals.
Among the 22 events where Kawasaki will participate are:
- Tour de France
- Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
- Paris-Nice
- Paris-Roubaix
- Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift
- La Flèche Wallonne
- La Flèche Wallonne Femmes
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes
- Critérium du Dauphiné
- Paris-Tours
- Paris-Tours Espoirs
- La Vuelta Ciclista a España
- La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es
- Arctic Race of Norway
- Lidl Deutschland Tour
- Eschborn-Frankfurt
- Cyclassics Hamburg
- Tro Bro Leon