Hi folks

I do not have a Versys yet
never did ride one yet
never sat on one yet
not even sure I ever seen one so far

but I am tired of having an F800ST with issues almost every time I ride it and *vicious-mode-on* great dealer support
worst of, that thing just does not ride like a dualsport
had an X-Challenge and an XR650L before
did not only like them much better, no, was faster and felt safer at the same time on either dualsport

the Versys' specs and description are very promising
please help me
how dualsporty does she feel despite the funky 17" in front?
the dealers here are not much help, been only to three Kawa places, neither had one in stock so I did not even ask for a test ride

thanks
jojo

Welcome, jojo!

In order to get my Versys, I sold a 2006 KLR650 that I had "beefed up" quite a lot for off-roading. I don't think the Versys, out of the box, is as suited to off-road stuff as is a KLR650. I have equipped my Versys with Corsa MT60 dualsport tires and it does nicely on roads that are primarily gravel, cinder, oil-and-chip, etc. And, of course, it's much nicer on the highway than was the KLR650. It's more powerful, smoother, quicker, etc.

I'm sure that you could get a Versys into full dualsport mode with some suspension modifications, aftermarket bits and pieces, etc. Let us know how it goes!

Kevin

Thanks Kevin,

you misunderstood ;/
I am looking for a dual sport to ride on road
not a streetbike to ride on rough roads
got a DRZ for that
even the F is doing OK without pavement

no, my biggest worry is that silly 17" in front might make the Versys' geometry too much street- and not enough dirt-worthy for 'normal' people and therefore no fun to ride on road for me - did I confure you now? sorry, don't quite understand the why and how, but off pavement I do not give a ... what I ride, as long as it has the pegs under or behind my butt, on road the better the bike the less fun I have and the slower I get

Hi jojo, welcome.

Like Elllvis, I sold my KLR for the Versys due to the fact that I wanted something more road worty for day trips and commuting, but I still wanted the same riding position and not be leaning on the gas tank. The versys offers the same riding position, but with the foot pegs a little more towrads the rear and the Versys is a narrow bike which makes it more agile in traffic.

Hope this helps.

I think that I now understand what you're after, jojo. It sounds like you really ought to find a dealer or rider who has a Versys - and ask them to let you sit on it for a while and, if possible, ride it around.

I've been searching my foggy, Monday-morning brain for a bike that feels to me like the Versys. The closest I can come is the Triumph Tiger that my son had a couple of years ago. The Versys feels much narrower and lighter than did the Tiger, but it has the same sort of rider's stance: upright; a very, very slight forward lean that keeps pressure from making your butt sore (and then numb!); wide bars; boots underneath you at a comfortable distance (although my looooong legs might be bent a bit more than would those of a "normal" person!); generous seat that braces you a bit from behind, but doesn't "swallow" you in the way that some cruisers' seats can do.

On the road, I find the Versys much more comfortable than was either my KLR 650 or my Honda VFR800 (to which I added handlebar risers and a Corbin seat). I added a pair of soft foam "Grip Puppies" (about $10) to my Versys and they remove any trace of the small amount of buzz/vibration that some riders have noted. When bitter weather returns, I'll probably trade the small windscreen for a bigger one from Givi or elsewhere. Because of my long legs (I'm 6' 5", with a 35" inseam), I'm in the process of adding a set of cruiser-style highway pegs to my Versys's MoTech engine guards so that I can stretch out once in a while during extended rides. But even without "tweaks" such as these, I would be happy to have the Versys as my "do everything" and "long distance" road bike.

It's too bad that we don't live closer to each other, because I would be glad to let you try out my Versys so you could see what you think. Maybe there is someone else on the forum who is in your neighborhood and might be willing to let you spend a little time with his/her bike.

Hope this helps!

Kevin

Thanks Kevin,

you misunderstood ;/
I am looking for a dual sport to ride on road
not a streetbike to ride on rough roads
got a DRZ for that
even the F is doing OK without pavement

no, my biggest worry is that silly 17" in front might make the Versys' geometry too much street- and not enough dirt-worthy for 'normal' people and therefore no fun to ride on road for me - did I confure you now? sorry, don't quite understand the why and how, but off pavement I do not give a ... what I ride, as long as it has the pegs under or behind my butt, on road the better the bike the less fun I have and the slower I get

Yes, totally confused. An F800ST is NOT a dual sport, so not sure what the problem with that was, although since that's a bike I was very interested in I'd love to hear what your experience was. As far as the Versys, it sounds like you want to ride "on road" but are concerned about the 17" wheel? That seems backwards to me, but...

Check out the Webbike world Versys saga, might answer your questions:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycles/kawasaki-versys/

...Because of my long legs (I'm 6' 5", with a 35" inseam), ...
oh how I envy you
I am shy of 5-7 and lot's of bikes feel a bit tall

yes, helped a lot, am curious enough to check dealers farther away for a demo
seat is definitely not an issue, did a FL-AK-and-back trip on a DR650 w/no seat problems and had an XChallenge last year w/no problems with the stock seat
seated position and handling will be my biggest issue

have access to an 07 KLR650, feels like mid 80s design, seat to low, bars to tall but that are things I could change, wish for a little more power since our mountains are steep and I pitty the engine in 3rd w/throttle pinned
also would like a bit more stability, fells like the frame made from cooked spaghetti
I'll keep you updated once I did ride a Versys

Yes, totally confused. An F800ST is NOT a dual sport, so not sure what the problem with that was, although since that's a bike I was very interested in I'd love to hear what your experience was. As far as the Versys, it sounds like you want to ride "on road" but are concerned about the 17" wheel? That seems backwards to me, but...

no need to be confused
an F800ST is not a dual sport, nor is a CBR or an SV650,
nonetheless all of my motorcycles sooner or later will go off pavement,
not really off-road, more like forestry service roads, the stuff you would ride your KLR on.
The problem with the F is that I do feel like BMW's beta tester again, the bike has a recall every other day, or something does not work, last week the rear brake froze up on me, OK, got a new disc and pads on warranty, but again 30mi one way, my time, finding someone to give me a ride home and back to the dealer, and being treated like you have to be gratefull you have a Beemer
stock the power delivery sucks and the suspension is grandpaworthy