Anyone come from a DRZ or similar bike to the Versys? I sold my DRZ 400S to buy the Versys.

I wish I could've kept both...

Anyone come from a DRZ or similar bike to the Versys? I sold my DRZ 400S to buy the Versys.

I wish I could've kept both...

I am living the dream my friend.... I have the new Versys and I still have my 2006 DR-Z400 SM. The SM is setup with a full system Yosh RS-3, JD Jet kit, Air box mod, Corbin seat and some other minor stuff. I love that bike, but the Versys is MUCH better for commuting to work.

Hey Bear,

I know the felling. Sold my KLR650 for the Versys. Which I could have kept both, but the price of plates and insurance for 2 bikes is too much and I can't ride the 2 bikes at the same time!!!

Same as DanPorges, I wanted a better ride for the commute which is every day morning and night:cool:

The Versys is far more comfy than the DRZ. I imagine its more comfy that the KLR as well.

I know what you're saying about the cost of owning two bikes. I tried to squeeze the Versys in the budget without selling the DRZ, but it would've put us a little too tight. I sold the DRZ to put a chunk down on the V & the insurance only went up a little. Wife is happy with the budget & I got my new ride. :D

I have a dr-650 that I converted to a supermoto 6 years ago. Great & fun bike, but I have hardley ridden it since getting my new versys. The versys does everything the dr did (almost) and more comfortably. I sold my sv-1000 to buy the versys and I'm glad I did, the versys is much more fun to flog. I do wish it had about 30 more horses though, my sv had 115 at the rear wheel.

I have a dr-650 that I converted to a supermoto 6 years ago. Great & fun bike, but I have hardley ridden it since getting my new versys. The versys does everything the dr did (almost) and more comfortably. I sold my sv-1000 to buy the versys and I'm glad I did, the versys is much more fun to flog. I do wish it had about 30 more horses though, my sv had 115 at the rear wheel.


I agree, it would be nice to have a few more ponies. I'm really surprised there aren't many (if any) performance mods/parts out there. The Ninja 650/ER-6 has been around for a while. I guess most of those owners are content with the power... :confused:

Anyone come from a DRZ or similar bike to the Versys? I sold my DRZ 400S to buy the Versys.

I wish I could've kept both...

Hey Bear... i unloaded a KTM 625 SMC in favor of the Versys.
Almost as much fun as the Supermoto with none of the detached
retinas and bruised kidneys. :D

Hi Bear
I also sold my DRZ (I had the KLX from Kawi, same bike) to buy the Versys....was trying to keep both but just didn't use it enough. I realized that I spent most of my time riding the roads and less in the dirt, the DRZ's seat kept making my willy go numb on long stretches.

Hi Bear
I also sold my DRZ (I had the KLX from Kawi, same bike) to buy the Versys....was trying to keep both but just didn't use it enough. I realized that I spent most of my time riding the roads and less in the dirt, the DRZ's seat kept making my willy go numb on long stretches.


Of course, nobody likes a numb willy on long stretches!! :D

I have the Versys for roads and light trails, but have a KLR for dirty stuff!

i sold my 03' r1150rt bmw, to get the versys, wanted something capable of touring on but still lightweight, the RT was fun, but heavy and awkward when i rode on gravel roads.

Looks like you might have traded down as far as comfort goes. How do the two compare, besides what you've already mentioned?

the leg room is about the same, no real noticeable difference for me i'm 6'2" 190 lbs the RT seat is larger but i found it hard after a few hours of riding, the biggest issue with the RT for me were the handlebars, too narrow causing a bad cramp in my neck, where as the versus bars are wider, feels more natural, also i can more easily swap them for other 7/8 diam bars if i want to, I felt very uneasy in gravel on the beemer, like the feel of the V in regards to riding in less than ideal road conditions

I've 2 drz400 and 1 klx400 previously but still have an 99 XR600 customised Safari bike. The dirt is my biggest love but the Versys just totally blind sided me and SO recaptured the essence of the Motorcycle riding drug for me!!!
After 10 or so fireblades of all years and XR drz and other 2 smoke combo's all brilliant too... i was type cast and of the opinion supersport was the only real road machine for me... man i've had to chew some humble pie since and am a reformed attitude to Kaasaki most of all.
What a tremendous motor and gearbox the 650 has yeah? Potential?!

I -even put **** on the very bike i now own... for 6 months while it sat on the showroom floor I walked past it and called it names.. " wad'ya good for eh? what are ya meant for.. weird bug eye thing!.. and you know what?? i'm now the sole Versys owner in my state.. why??
because people aren't riding them!! anyone who rides a 650 kawa F N versys will come back and say " Sheeet that was fun!!! How much torque has it got?!? and go and stop?? but its only a learner packagee!!

Never mind looking at all the reviews on HP stats, Pro rider, magazine blaa blaa that really sells the bikes for the dealers instead of the bike itself. My green machine is already the Nemesis of the brotherhood in standard trim... i still am having to get used to this green too. Here in Australia this was a good choice of colour for this Versys as it screams team green but it still burns my desire for Honda to do something serious with the 650 single in Ralley cross or hyper motard stunter even. ( versys project to be)..
Check this site out founded by my mates
www.cunningstunts.com

I currently ride a DRZ-400 S converted to a sm but hope to get a Versys if they bring them to california. I hope to be able to keep both bikes and convert the S back to dirt full-time. Right now I can switch between dirt and street wheels in under a half hour. But I find my self riding it 90% of the time in sm mode. It get 45 mpg compared to my lifted jeep that does 14 mpg on a good day. And its so much fun to make the sportbike guys feel slow in the canyons. But I can do that on a Versys too and not get monkey-butt for ride over 20 miles at a time.

Brian:thumb:

The DRZ is a better turning bike than the Versys. Its lighter & more flickable. The Versys is way more comfortable, though. Having both would be great!!

I came off of a BMW F650 GS and an '04 Gas Gas 450 Supermoto. I wish I could have kept the Supermoto but I do like the ability to run freeway speeds without worry.

what comparisons can you make betwwen the f650 and the Versys?

what comparisons can you make betwwen the f650 and the Versys?

Versys has alot more tourqe, smoother, more reliable, cheeper to maintain, I can go on, but won't. It was in my short list when I got the Versys. The F650 is a good looking bike though! The new twin may be alot better, myt referance is to the single.

what comparisons can you make betwwen the f650 and the Versys?

I agree with hunting1, there's much more torque and the handling is so much better. I liked the BMW and it was a great tourer, I just wanted that supermoto feel much more. I like the 17" wheels with street rubber much more than the dirt/street tire combo on 19" wheels. I wanted this bike and was bummed when they said it wasn't coming to the states so I bought the BMW. My first words to the Kawi rep when I got off of the V at the Phoenix MC show were, "I'm so F*$#^$%G mad at Kawasaki right now".

As I've explained to people before, where the F650 is a good bike, the Versys is just that much better in my opinion.

I sold The Bandit to get the Versys...I kept my XR650L.

I have owned 10 bikes in 3 years . Loved them all. Almosy bought a DRZ until saw Versys. Glad I held back....no regrets. I currently have a stunning 2003 silver sv1000 naked set up nicely for sport touring and 08 Versys for what ever mood strikes me. Two completely different bikes. Rotate every week unless going for longer ride...Versys wins ! Great luxury in chaotic world.

I currently have a XR600 converted to supermoto. Lot's of fun for play, but not good for the long commute to work. Hope to buy a Versys when my divorce is final. Not sure on keeping the XR though. Just don't see it getting ridden much when I have the choice of wind protection and electric start. Kawasaki doens't properly advertise this bike. I just found out about it and was looking at a Bandit but not really wanting 1250cc of weight.

I have just recently decided that I cannot keep both bikes. The versys is the only bike I am riding on the regular so the DRZ is up for sale!! Anyone interested??

2 weeks ago last Saturday traded the DR for the Versys.Would like nothing better than to have afforded to keep it and the Versys.For a 10 mile commute round trip 95% on highway ,55 mph,the DR was excellent.I have been to the dealer twice since the trade for 'stuff',and there sits 'my' DR out front looking for a new home.I tell 'ya' it hurts.Perfect world would be the DR for commute and messing around on trails,and the Versys for week-end road jaunts of a couple hundred miles or so.And on test course for license day,(no brag,just fact),I was the only 'ace' of the day on that DR.Even a couple sportbike guys and a guy on a DRZ400 fell short of 'aceing ' the course.A really great bike that DR is. Cheers.......Lefty.

I sold my FZ1 last year as I was living close to the city (Baltimore) and had too many close calls with absent minded text messaging college kids, plus the bike was uncomfortable and really buzzy hurting my knees and numbing my hands after just a short ride. I'm 6'2", 240lbs. I've got the first 06 50 state street legal Husky TE450 off the assembly line (serial number ends in 00000), and I've bashed the crap out of that bike on the trails. It's a fantastic dirt bike that comes with a plate to get from trail to trail. I moved out to the country and found myself riding the Husky on these beautiful country roads every chance I get, tearing up my expensive knobby tires and winding the piss out of the motor. The Husky gets a bit shaky at speed. I knew I wanted something just for the street, but it had to be comfortable. I was looking for an old bike, but they're expensive right now due to the season and high fuel prices I guess. I saw the new KLR650 at the dealer and liked the way it looked, but it was already sold. I went online to do some research on the KLR and saw the Versys. I read all I could and knew it was the bike for me. I picked it up and have been riding it every chance I can get. I even picked up a big bag of dog food with it last night using one of those spider web looking bungy thingies to hold it to the passenger pilon.

Traded in my 2003 drz400 for a boulevard c90, after 30000km later I traded that for the versys. I was happy with each bike but most happy with the versys. Would have liked to keep them all, just like everyone else has said.

My first road bike was a dr350s. Fun little bike and very similar to the dirt bikes I was used to before that. I basically used it to go to work/school.

Then of course being 18 or 19 at the time I decided I need a sport bike and got a fzr600. Fun and Fast but a fairly awkward bike overall in my opinion. Did a 500 mile day on it from Pittsburgh to niagra falls for lunch and back. Anyway that Is when I decided I need something I could travel on.

So I moved to a very used r1100gs (160,000 miles used). grat bike still ran well but I just graduated college and started a job and have been looking at the V for awhile. So I picked up one a couple weeks ago and couldn't be more pleased. It is actually half an inch taller or so than the 1100gs but being lighter makes up for it. Since I am only 5'9" sometimes height is an issue.

Anyway in my short 7 years of road riding I can say that this bike is the best all around motorcycle I have riden or owned. I can do 800 mile days and I can keep up with the guys that have mohawks on their helmets.

Anyone come from a DRZ or similar bike to the Versys? I sold my DRZ 400S to buy the Versys.

I wish I could've kept both...

Unfortunately that's what happens as one experiences different types of bikes. Being purpose built for their nitch, those nitches become very apparent. The models slightly overlap into the next category and so on. Of course the dual sport is always a compromise in both dirt and street. It makes a person want a garage full of bikes to cover the spectrum. Then that pesky responsibility and financial thing gets in the way!

I don't own a Versys but did own the Ninja 650R so that sort of counts. Can I still play?!:D I purchased the Ninja before we could get the Versys here in the U.S. I put 7000 miles on it and sold it for a KLR of which I just sold to a friend.

Currently I own 2 bikes, a KTM 450 and a Sportster. Two is the number I want to keep my bikes at. The DRZ 400 and Versys seem like a perfect match to have in the garage if a person could own 2 bikes. You can cover a lot different types of riding with those two bikes.:thumb:

I kept my DRZ when I bought the Versys. Two totally different bikes and great to have a choice of which one to ride. I have too much fun riding backroads and trails to let the DRZ go:D

I have a street legal KLX300...Do not want to sell, I am saving for the "V"..http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn152/ForDRTnST/newbike.jpg[/IMG]

fordrtnst that is a sweet looking 300 you have!:thumb: It is nice that you were able to dualsport it in your state. Here in Washington state it is hard to do that. My KTM 450 exc is plated but I don't ride it on the street anymore. It was fun to just roll out of the garage swing by the gas station and then head for the woods. Man it was hard on knobbies though.:D It's always a compromise when on a dual sport.

fordrtnst that is a sweet looking 300 you have!:thumb: It is nice that you were able to dualsport it in your state. Here in Washington state it is hard to do that. My KTM 450 exc is plated but I don't ride it on the street anymore. It was fun to just roll out of the garage swing by the gas station and then head for the woods. Man it was hard on knobbies though.:D It's always a compromise when on a dual sport.

You not kidding! Not very good on the Highway, The willy falls asleep after 20 mil!es at 70-75 mph

Been away for a while. I did the complete opposite and sold the Versys and the sv1000 to own a dualsport DRZ400s. Both bikes were outstanding and I know the new owners are totally stoked. I bought the DRZ for easy commuting which seems to be all I have time for. I have tricked it out like all my bikes and have made it into a very cool tourng bike with the focus on comfort. I really do miss my V, but it was a lot of bike and is best being served with it's new owner who flew up from UTAH and rode it back......Winter conditions. Anyway, hope all is well with the V gang,ride safe and enjoy life.

You can SELL bikes? :confused: I thought all a person could do is BUY them........


:D

Dave

I had a Husky 610 before getting the Versys. It was the first bike I owned since the '80s. A relatively exotic and fun bike. But there are several things I don't miss about it - lousy headlight, suicide kickstand, expensive oil changes, uncomfortable seat, maintenance issues . Glad I got the Versys. Reliable bike that's a blast to ride.

I kept my 07 DRZ-SM when I bought the V. Just couldn't give it up. I use it as my errand bike and for shorter excursions away from town. If someone was chasing me in town and I was on the SM they wouldn't catch me. I don't care what they were riding. Plus I have had it on some really horrible trails in the mountains and it has done just fine. I'll probably put DS tires on it when I get there.

Hey Bear,

I know the felling. Sold my KLR650 for the Versys. Which I could have kept both, but the price of plates and insurance for 2 bikes is too much and I can't ride the 2 bikes at the same time!!!

Same as DanPorges, I wanted a better ride for the commute which is every day morning and night:cool:

Same story here. I'd love to have kept the KLR, but with a short riding season (6-7 months) and absolutely insane insurance rates up here, owning more than one bike is more $$$ than I could justify.

Dave C