WOW! I like this bike! New to the US for 09!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/K4XA/ER-6N.jpg

Doesn't it share the same engine with us and the 650 Ninja? If so, which is it more tuned like?

The specs are the same as the 650R Ninja

The specs are the same as the 650R Ninja
Other way around... this came out first "over there", been around since 06 iirc

Yep... here you go (http://www.motorcycledaily.com/29june05_2006kawasaki_er6n.htm)

"There are rumors that the new engine will find its way into at least two other models, including a dual sport and a bike with a larger fairing." :D

The question asked was, doesn't it share the same engine with us and the 650 ninja, and which is it tuned more like.... The 650 Ninja and the ER6n share the same specs......... I guess I could have used the quote option tho, would have made it clearer

I've liked it since it came out and was actually hoping to buy one if it made its way stateside. Something happened along the way and this amazing maching called "Versys" came out here and I found a new lust.

Good looking bike though. I really loved the bright Yellow/Green color it came out in back in '06.
http://www.kawasaki.be/nl/Objects/w544h408_000003400B43DDDF.jpg

I like our swingarm better!

+1 antman325...I also don't like that weird little instrument pod up top.:D

how 'bout the er6n naked?


NEW BUILD THREAD AND TRIP REPORT HERE-

http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5480

mmm.... I wonder if that seat would fit on a V.

im ashamed to say i would consider a trade in....

they call that bike "urban x", kind of a motard/streetfighter concept. different forks and shock, with a single disc and 6 piston caliper up front. remus exhaust. claims 80hp. under 400#. i'm building a similar bike, but the heck with urban use. i'm taking it to the arctic circle this spring. even with the racks for pelicans and fuel, it still looks pretty good.

you know what makes me a little mad is that and now that it's here is North America and its' cheaper than the Versys

Oh my!!! :eek: Any more pics of that bike? I would love to see the gauges. And that headlight set up looks easy to convet to.

you know what makes me a little mad is that and now that it's here is North America and its' cheaper than the Versys

It looks like the main differences, other than styling, appear to be cheaper suspension parts and smaller gas tank (4.1 gal). For some reason they tuned the engine for a little more torque 48.5 vs 44.9 and higher compression ratio. I also don't see how you would add a winshield (which I like having).

I think I will stick with the V!!!

Here in Oz we get the
ER-6n http://kawasaki.com.au/index.php?category=motorcycles&sub_category=5&product=76
and
ER-6f http://kawasaki.com.au/index.php?category=motorcycles&sub_category=5&product=6

They are similar, except one's naked and one's faired. They share the Versys motor except cammed for more top end.

The sub-frame looks quite different in the brochure I have on my desk, and I suspect the seat is not a clean swap to the Versys.

The Er-6f has a dial speedo. After watching the digital speedo on the V for a while and losing sight of it in direct sunshine and polarised sunglasses, my preference is for the dial.

er6n shares the ex650r spec motor (and frame/swingarm etc.), not the versys. same basic motor, but tuned for more hp and torque. i'm not sure exactly on the reasoning for this since versys miles are likely 99% slab in total. the ex650r motor can get to 80hp pretty easy which is why i'm using this version in my project bike.

It looks like the main differences, other than styling, appear to be cheaper suspension parts and smaller gas tank (4.1 gal). For some reason they tuned the engine for a little more torque 48.5 vs 44.9 and higher compression ratio. I also don't see how you would add a winshield (which I like having).

I think I will stick with the V!!!



OH Iam too dont worry about that this bike has roots in me now and I'm not pruning

er6n shares the ex650r spec motor (and frame/swingarm etc.), not the versys. same basic motor, but tuned for more hp and torque. i'm not sure exactly on the reasoning for this since versys miles are likely 99% slab in total. the ex650r motor can get to 80hp pretty easy which is why i'm using this version in my project bike.

The ex650r is not sold in Australia, but it looks the same as what we know as the ER-6f, the faired model of the one beginning this thread.

My guess is that they brought the faired model into the US a while ago, and are only just bringing in the naked ER-6n.

Kim

ex650r in US is the same as er6f in euro/aus/nz. er6n has the same engine spec.

the LSL version of the er6n has different forks, brakes, etc. and no plastics-ie. a naked naked bike.

that engine in a true dualsporter has been done, i just wish the factory would do it. saves a bunch of time and effort. with 70-80hp it would give the f800gs a run at half the price tag. with the cheap parts available, you could actually take it out and bash around some, as compared to the bmw where every scratch seems like it costs $1000.

mmm.... I wonder if that seat would fit on a V.

It doesn't look like it. I saw one of these at the local motorcycle show and the geometry of the back end is quite different from the Versys. And the seat on the ER-6N is really thin. I don't think it would be an improvement. Too bad. It was a good thought.

I wanted the er6-n and walked straight passed the versys when i went to view it at the dealer, but after riding the er6n and my mates taking the micky,,, anyone over 6 foot
will look silly on the er6n,,,,,,,,,,I even read in one magazine, anyone over 6 foot on the er6n/er6F will look like a giraffe mounting a monkey :)

At 6 foot 3 the versys is perfect for me and after walking straight past it at first I much
prefer the looks of the " V "

I do have a pic of me sitting on the er6, i will dig it out then you will see tall fellas look
silly silly silly, its the seat I think its very flat looking

I first found out about the Er back in November when I went to a dealership to inquire about a Versys.

What attracted me to it was that the seat was lower (i'm 5'6" with short legs). It also cost a grand less. BUT, it has no windshield, the tank is smaller and you sit on it different. The dealer basically described it as a naked ninja.

As of late, I am still interested in a Versys over that bike.

The Er6 model has been around awhile here in europe, the new model 2009 has had a few updates,( Only cosmetic though ) the engine did not need any tweeking as its a stormer already, the same as in the versys but just tweeked to give a better top end basically, But the Er6 is aimed at a differnt group of riders, it has a lower seat hight , smaller fuel tank and here in the uk it is aimed at young riders as a step up between learner and bigger bikes, Its a good bike and the 2009 model is a real good looker. But the versys still pushes my buttons as it really is that versatile as I like to tour, as well as hoon around at weekends, yoohoo,:thumb::thumb:

Here's a good review from 2005 for the '06 ER-6n:

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/15july05_2006kawasaki_er6n.htm

I'll be dog gonned if that review doesn't fit the Versys as well.

3 bikes - same soul?

Anyone have experience on a 650R and a Versys that could shed some light on the characteristics of both in comparison?

one of the great things about the er6f, er6n, and versys is that this platform has a bunch of interchangeable parts and you can build a custom bike on the cheap to suit your purposes. there are already some builds on this forum that took the versys naked which i think looks good. i did the same thing with the er6f version and i'll post up some pics when it's done. amazing the difference in appearance when you get rid of all the plastic junk. it looks like an engine with wheels. not for everyone, but the idea of a cheap 75hp, FI, 6speed super motard appeals to me.

So the '09 er6n has a newly designed frame, swingarm and rear shock. New finish, rubber engine+handlebar+footpeg mounts and a lower seat. The instruments are an analog speedo and a digital tach.

Anyone know what the difference in engine setup is between the er6n and the ninja 650r? I see TBR doesn't have a slip-on for the er6n because it's exactly the same as the 650r?

650r is the same as er6f or ex650. er6n has the same engine. versys or kle650 has the same engine but tuned differently. all the models share many parts in common.

I wonder if the 09 650R rubber mounted handlebar riser would fit the V????

I had the 650R and it is a great motor. Seat is like sitting on a log. 50 miles and that is enough. A little leaned forward position but not bad. Very responsive and fun in the curves. Is the biggest reason i bought the Versys was the same motor tuned a little different. Found out i could lower a Versys and that sealed the deal for me. Better seat design on the 650R and i might have kept it. Every evening i rode the R i got a faceshield full of bugs. Tried a different windshield and that was terrible. Versys will be much better i think and not so leaned foreward for my older body. Other than that the R was a great bike and got 50 mpg and over most of the time.

the 650r is not a versys, but it is an inexpensive platform that can be modded on the cheap into a small adv type ride that is certainly gravel road capable. low mile used 650r are everywhere and if you can turn a wrench with some creativity, a reasonable expectation would be to put the bike on the road for half the cost of a versys.

They are not everywhere for half the price around here. the young kids can buy them and get under the sportbike ins. and then modifie them into a semi sportbike and was told that by a dealer in a college town. I bought the Versys for less than the 650R by a long shot as they can't sell them and two dealers have left over ones. Frame is such you can never make a 650R close to what the Verys is. Wrenching won't solve that suspension issue. Like takeing a BMW R model and trying to make a GS out of it. Can't be done. Like you said a 650R is not a Versys. I have owned both.

used low mile 650r bikes can be found cheap if you're patient and look around. the plastic might be scratched, but you're going to toss that anyway.

as far as the frame, you are simply misinformed. the 650r frame and versys frame are almost identical. the subframes are slightly different. the major bolt on parts for one will fit the other, so much so that you would have to ask what's not interchangeable rather than what is.

like i said, there are many options for the 650r platform. you can pick your flavor and do it cheap.

i see you're from iowa. i saw a 2006 650r set up as a street racer sell for about $1200 in iowa last year. missing all the stock plastic, but less than 1000 original miles. so for about $2500 and some elbow grease, you could have a tricked adv bike that would run with any versys.

i would have bought it myself, but it was too far away.

Every article i have read says the frame is different. Seems like you have a lot of elbow grease. Go for it. Mags. all say the only thing the same is the engine retuned and the trans. You must know something they don't. Where do you get the long travel suspension of the Versys out of the 650R ? Lot more different than you think. How much are you going to spend makeing a Versys out of a 650R ? Figure up the cost. Sure a 650 R would run with a Versys. Why wouldn';t it Same motor and a much better race bike. You are probably young and want a racer. Lets see now, we buy the Versys parts and bolt onto a R bike. You could buy one bike of each stye and make whatever you want. Sounds like an expensive and time consumeing project to me to make a bike that already exists. Have at it if that is what you enjoy. They race the R bike on track but the Versys is not up to it for a good reason. Two differnt purpose bikes. I would rather ride than wrench buy do what you enjoy. Have fun.

the frames are slightly different, but not enough to be significant from the standpoint of building a cheap bike that will compete on performance with the versys. for instance, you could put a used versys fork assembly with trees on the 650r in about an hour. it's interchangeable with the 650r fork assembly. the versys shock fits also, as does the swingarm, engine with all related components, wheels, brakes, chains/sprockets, etc. so if the mounting points are the same for all these interchangable parts, how different can the frames be?

as for the cost of kawasaki parts, about $500 shipped to my door. there's probably a less expensive way to do it, but i took the easy route and found good used stuff when and where i could.

i could take a photo if there's any interest in seeing 50mm versys usd forks on a 650r. i have the new 130/80 for the front, maybe i'll take a photo after that's mounted.

...and i'm about on social security and certainly no racer. yep, i'm old and still like building cool ****. i suppose i could go out and buy something, but building on the cheap is a hobby of mine.

Is a fine hobby and don't mean to belittle you. I just don't get the point of buying all the parts to make a Versys out of a 650 R. The motor is not tuned the same even. 650R has more on the top end and the Versys has more midrange. You going to take the motor apart too. I have owned and rode both bikes and they are totally different. In my experience buying all those parts hasn't been cheap. Maybe you have access to wrecked bikes and don't pay the price for all those parts to interchange. Kind of sounded like Johny Cash song " One piece at a time", Enjoy your hobby and my hat is off to you for your mechanic ability. Would like to see the finished bike that you are trying to make. Also a final honest price of all the parts involved. We all have our hobbies and i used to be a car nut and built several engines and raced in my earlier years with boats and drag race and off road. All expensive time consumeing. Now i just want to ride a great bike and not wrench so i bought the Versys. Have fun and keep me informed.

i've got a 650r with some versys parts on it. it's not built from a wreck with a salvage title or anything like that, but i did buy it cheap because the fairings were scratched up and the guy wanted to get rid of it. it was his GF's bike. 07 model with low miles.

the 650r motor is fine for this bike. plenty of everything and no changes necessary.

the forks, trees with stem and bearings, bar mount, keyed ignition/gas cap/seat lock, shock, fender, complete tear down bolt set including axels, cable set, brake lines and misc. cost $460 delivered.

i'm not a mechanic, just a hobbyist. i'm not trying to "make" a bike. this bike is registered, licensed, inspected, and being ridden. lots of fun and runs great. put 700 miles on it recently. has custom fabbed pannier mounts with pelicans, fuel can mounts, 510 piaas, wrap around skid with gravel guard, radiator guard, swmotech engine guard, protaper raptors, barkbusters, raised fender on custom mounts, buell dual lamp, garmin gps etc. had a two bros on it but it was a little loud and i took it off. have two new sets of tires for it-tourances and tkc80s in 150/70 rear, 130/80 front.

sure, i swapped in some used parts and fabbed up some homemade stuff, but i've got a real decent ride for about half the cost of a similarly equipped versys if i just went out and bought everything. looks halfway decent too. just a winter project for those bad weather months.

Deano... you talkin' bout' the Johnny Cash song where he builds a Cadillac one piece at a time? cause that song is bad ass!

650r, ex650, er6f whatever you want to call it-with a few changes and additions. prepped to run the big gravel in upper canuckistan.

(started a new bike build. see it here)
http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5480

Looks real good. Did a good job. Just ribbing you some. Admire your skill. More of a GS bike. Liked my two BMW GS 1150's but too many high tech problems all the time. Hated the abs as half the time it had to be shut off and restarted to make it work. Brand new bikes. Versys seems more reliable. Like i said the 650R i had i liked. Just not the position and seat. Not as talented as you. You must run off the pavement more than i do anymore. Now someone will want you to make them one. How is the seat height? Like the Versys or the R?

thanks. it takes longer to dream up what to do than the work actually takes. fits my skill level-it's pretty easy. the jap FI 650 twin/6 spd is about the perfect platform for those long distance rides. the versys and strom are ideal. they have the power, speed, and reliability. on those western and northwestern rides you're jumping back and forth across the continental divide and the FI engines shine in those circumstances. when the japs decide to bring FI 650 thumpers into the states, i might reconsider.

i've thought about bmw, but in the end i didn't want shaft drive and the unreliable electronics. at the top of our northern loop, you're 1000 miles from the closest bmw dealer. the next closest is 2000 miles. i can get 520 O ring chain almost anywhere these days and the jap bikes are pretty reliable. heck, you could completely replace the engine in the versys with a low mile takeout for the cost of scheduled service at the bmw dealer on a 12GS. i saw a brand new 12gsa on a rollback up there. the transmitter ring on the key switch failed and he couldn't start the bike even though there was nothing mechanically wrong with it. the rollback made a 1500 mile round trip to pick him up. no thanks.

the seat height is close to the versys. this bike has the versys bar mount and protaper se raptor atv bars. i would rate the riding position as very good.
the extra fuel is mandatory. this bike has the 4gal 650r tank and is bone dry at 200 miles. fuel is always sketchy, and i see many places where we need legs out past the 250 mile mark. there's one road where we may not have legal fuel for 350. bring a siphon hose.

the bike is not offroad, but will run the gravel just fine. i've been running whatever gravel i can find to see if there's any squirrels built into it, but it runs nice and solid, tracks straight. our ride this season will have over 3000 miles of gravel, maybe closer to 4000. i'll spoon on the tkc80s for that stuff. should look pretty wild with a 130/80 tkc on the front.

i wouldn't hesitate to make the same trip on a versys if i had one. i'd still make the same changes and run the same tires.

What seat are you running on it? I rode 150 miles today and the Versys seat is soo much better than the R seat. Not bad for me. Sure had fun in the twisties. I rather like the shaft drive and miss it. Hate messy chains. Had the shaft on the BMW's and Guzzi and the vulcan jap bikes and not one problem. They went to belts now. Dealer asked the rep and he said it was because it is a cost factor. Cheaper to make. Vulcans never had a shaft problem and i never knew a Guzzi with one. Know of a few belt problems. Sticks got into one and gravel in another and recall on one other brand. You do loose some power to a shaft. Been trying to compare the powerband of the Versys to the R but haven't got mine broke in enough yet. Seems to smooth out at around 5000 Rpm. Might just be me but i think my R was a tad less vibration. See as it breaks in. Either motor would do just fine. Would like to ride a Vee stom 650 sometime. My GS 1150 Bmw was ugly but the best street bike they made as far as i was concerned. Is in the eye of the beholder. Right? V feels like a lighter version to me. Kind of funny that the FI in the jap bikes run smooth and my GS has such a terrible surge at city speeds it was tough to ride. BMW reps told me all FI twins have that problem. Wrong. Guzzi didn't and none of my Jap bikes did. Several dealers tried to fix it. Some had it worse than others. We all learned to test ride the bike and make sure that one didn't surge. Many, many did. Did it for years after years models. Big reason i left them.

stock seat with a pad. not much for those 500 mile runs. shaft drives are fine, but there's no fix if you're way off the beaten track. usually no chance to fix a bmw period. in contrast, there's usually a honda, yamaha, or kawasaki dealer within reasonable distance. it might be 200 miles away, but that beats a 1000. i've got an 1150gs with me this next trip, we'll see. oring and xring chains changed the whole deal vs shaft drive. lube it with wd40, adjust it 4 or 5 times in the life of the chain. few people put enough miles on a bike to wear out the oring chain while they own it.

my 650r also has a sweet spot at 5000 where it kinda settles in for the haul, but i wouldn't say there's much for vibes on either side of that.

i haven't ridden the wee strom, but i did sit on one not long ago to get a feel for the ergos. nice. vanilla. with all the plastic, it's a skinny little guy in a big puffy suit.

Which stock seat. R or V Boy the V is so much better for me. Total different shape. Flat compared to the log shape R. I have never had a shaft fail. Only a few old airhead GS had universal joint issues. Have heard of the WD 40 lubes and some swear by them but have seen write ups saying it is a bad idea. Know some clean the chain with WD 40 and then lube it. Know it works to start an engine on a carb one. You know more about chains than i do. Most of mine have been shaft. Whole can of worms. Guess you use whatever works for you. Total agree with the dealer thing. IS why i am rideing a kaw. Felt the same sitting on a strom. Felt like the plastic was overwhelming on top. Versys has a little the same around the tank. No need for it.

i'm running the stock 650r seat with a sheepskin pad. seems fine so far. been running around with the 130/80-17 front to see if it has any quirks and after 750 miles i'm pleased with that. 750 miles and the nubs aren't scuffed off the front-i must be on the gas more than i think. shipping a set of conti TKCs (also with the 130/80 front) to the yukon this week to stage them in front of me to spoon on before starting the big gravel roads up there. the bike will put a smile on my face with that big knobby up front. i was concerned that my shop fabbed skid/gravel guard would hold heat against the engine, but after a run i can put my hand on it-warm but not hot-so that worked too. it's designed so i can change oil/filter without removing it and that's a convenience. put hot grips on and tweak a few things, then it will be time to light the fuze. if we get everywhere we're scheduled, it's looking more like 3500 miles of gravel roads.

seat height unloaded is 34".

Your butt is better than mine if you can sit the R seat. Hope i never see one again. Sounds like you have yours is built just fine for what you need. Good idea on the oil filter, oil access. Had one bike with a skid plate that didn't and what a pain. Funny how we can think of these things and the genius at the factory design can't. I bet i have put 200,000 miles over the years on shaft bikes between my wifes and mine and not one failure but you are more versed with chains. Good luck on your travel and keep us posted.

Vulcans never had a shaft problem and i never knew a Guzzi with one.

I beg to differ on that one. Vulcan 750's are notorious for coming from the factory minus lube on the shaft splines, resulting in complete shaft failure by 20,000 miles. Wish I'd known about that BEFORE last summer's 12,000 mile trip. My wife's shaft crapped out 1,000 miles from home.
Lubing a chain is much easier than disassembling the entire rear of the Vulcan to lube the splines, or in my case to replace the shaft and rear drive unit.

Well then we beg to differ because i had two Vulcans. One was a 700 when they came out in 85 i think and no problems whatsoever and the last one was an 03 that was the 750 and i went over 20,000 miles with no problems at all. When i bought my last 1600 vulcan classic the dealer was mad as they went to belts. He also told me they had never had a problem with the shaft drives ever other than one had a slight leak around a seal. Now some of the bmw's like a few K75's came with not much lube on the splines and they recommended a spline lube after so many miles. Never ever heard of a vulcan haveing a shaft problem. Nothing on their site about it that i saw.

Well then we beg to differ because i had two Vulcans. One was a 700 when they came out in 85 i think and no problems whatsoever and the last one was an 03 that was the 750 and i went over 20,000 miles with no problems at all. When i bought my last 1600 vulcan classic the dealer was mad as they went to belts. He also told me they had never had a problem with the shaft drives ever other than one had a slight leak around a seal. Now some of the bmw's like a few K75's came with not much lube on the splines and they recommended a spline lube after so many miles. Never ever heard of a vulcan haveing a shaft problem. Nothing on their site about it that i saw.

If you still have the 750, I'd take it apart and lube the splines. Check the forum at www.vn750.com (http://www.vn750.com)
I had one dealer tell me he thought the bean counters at Kawasaki were responsible. Lube every other bike to save some cash, it won't break until the warranty expires. I almost didn't buy the Versys because of this factory integrity issue.
BTW, I've seen the slight seal leak as well, it kind of makes the rear wheel look like it would if a chain was flinging some excess lube on it...

Maybe i was just lucky with mine. I traded it for the 650R and then to a 1600 classic Vulcan which was nice but just too big for me and not my ride style. Like to play in the curves. Then to the Versys after i found i could lower it. The Vulcans all went to a belt. Dealer was not happy as he said they never had a driveshaft failure and asked Kawasaki why the belt. They replied COST. Much cheaper to make. Maybe the chain is best now as i have seen two belt failures. One a stick cut the belt. Over $600 and some labor. Other one was a Harley and a rock got in and tore up the belt and the rear hub with the grooves. Very expensive. I never in all the years did see a Guzzi shaft problem or a BMW other than the 800 GS on some years but that was a universal joint issue. We had 60 in our club and traveled tons of miles with no failures. K 75 did have a few that had a spline lube recall notice to lube. Guess no system is perfect.

Boy, this thread has been hi-jacked in several different directions. I thought it was about the ER6n and not custom building your bike from parts.

Sorry about that. We did get kind of carried away and off track.

i think i'll wait for the guy that started the thread to mention a hijack before i get too concerned.

so how about that er6n? comparisons, modifications, performance reviews? any input at all, or did you just drop in to say hello?

Just remember, the ER-6N is strictly a street bike, very different in many respects to the versys. Shares the same engine as the 650R iirc and the Versys, obviously tweaked and finished differently though. Very popular in Europe amongst the younger "Racer" type kids

When I saw the new er-6 at my dealer, I was so angry that I had bouht my Versys last summer. That bike looks awesome, LOVE LOVE LOVE the look of the er-6. But, all I had to do was take a seat and I knew it wasn't the bike for me. I love the high seating of the V, extra clearance, and more upright position. Give me a V with an er-6 headlight assembly, I'll be a happy camper.

Boy, this thread has been hi-jacked in several different directions. I thought it was about the ER6n and not custom building your bike from parts.

My apologies if anyone was annoyed. I was definitely completely off topic.
To rectify: I'm not a fan of naked bikes like the ER6n because they hang so much weight on the front forks. That's the reason I got a new Versys instead of a used SV650.
Consider me one of those guys that considers it sexier to conceal a bit than to reveal it all...
Dad gum it, that comment probably belongs on the bike porn thread. My apologies again.

I loved my ER6n (first big bike after passing my test), very nimble and easy to ride. The seat is different to the Versys and not interchangeable (I had the tall seat option on the ER6n which made it better for my 6'4" frame).

The main reason I bought the Versys was I missed the ER6n so much! (but liked the slightly better ergos).

Matt

just back from my 13,500 mile ride to upper canuckistan and alaska on my custom "bike from parts". maybe i should hijack this thread again and tell ya how it did.


trip report and new bike build found here
http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5480

By all means. Threads gone cold anyway. We'll find a way to bring it back later.

It is a good looking naked, but I just read the comparison test with the Suzuki Gladius, and the testers preferred the Gladius. Apparently, the ER (Emergency Room?) doesn't share the wide powerband of the Versys, and the testers found it lacking in performance, which surprised me a little. The forks are conventional and brakes different, and most important they riding position was cramped(no surprise).

RoadRunner Magazine did a comparison of the Versys and the Gladius in the latest issue. Typical of their comparisons they didn't really pick a winner, just pointed out things they did or didn't like. But I think the article said what we all know...the Gladius is designed for shorter less experienced riders and the Versys is great but too tall for some people.

Funny as i read a comparison on the Gladius and Er-6 in Cylcle world and my take was the 6 beat the Gladius in most everything other than milage. I really think the Gladius was a mistake for them. Don't like the look and they said the suspension was not very good at all. Sv has had the spotlight for a long time but is a little leaned over and reports that it isn't much of a bike to ride for much distance at all. Good race bike. Guess everybody takes comparisons as they want. I am not crazy about the front looks of the ER-6 as i looked at it on the showroom. Versys is a better all round bike for me. I had the ninja 650 R and not a bad bike. ER-6 must be in the middle somewhere and funny how the 6 and the Gladius are almost twins. Little plastic difference here and there is all in style. Boils down to a v-twin or a parallel twin i guess. Both good bikes.

It is a good looking naked, but I just read the comparison test with the Suzuki Gladius, and the testers preferred the Gladius. Apparently, the ER (Emergency Room?) doesn't share the wide powerband of the Versys, and the testers found it lacking in performance, which surprised me a little.

Funny, the test I just read showed the ER6N had a slight performance advantage.........although that didn't stop them from saying they preferred the Gladius' V twin. Not sure why; maybe a sound thing.

Dave

Beware all you tall folk, you will look as silly as me.
especially once a jacket and helmet is added :)

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/7063/moto0024.jpg
Shot with Motorola Phone (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=Motorola+Phone&make=Motorola) at 2009-06-21

getting fuel at coldfoot, alaska on the dalton after coming down from deadhorse in the mud. snow and sleet crossing the pass. TKC80s front and rear-anyone who wants to run the gravel roads up there on street tires, be my guest. bike performed extremely well. got a little bent up after getting hit by a grain truck in western montana on the way home, but pounded things back together and continued on.

I think I see an Airhawk hiding in there.

Geez...I usually feel pretty adventurous with my occasional jaunts down a gravel road. Perhaps I'm closer to the old folks home than I think!

Great pic jdrocks...

no airhawk-it was a thermarest pad. for $20 it works pretty good, but a hook from my sheepskin pad eventually knocked a hole in it.

this kawasaki platform has to be one of the best all around bikes for these trips-versys included of course, since this is just an er6f (650r) with a versys suspension. the distances are huge and you need a bike that can get up and run when necessary. it's well established that the bike can cruise 80 effortlessly. with the big TKCs on it, i think the bike will run with any dual sport on the gravel, and will outrun most except dedicated dirt bikes. i could run away from the bmw gs for instance. i ran hundreds of miles of gravel on tourances in the same tire sizes, but as you would expect, the TKCs did a much better job.

like i said, 13,500 miles. clogged the radiator once despite the guard, replaced the chain (had a new one with me), tightened up some loose bolts, changed oil twice (15/50 mobile1 and didn't use a drop), and replaced a lamp on one of the piaas. that's it for mechanical issues. pretty amazing since the bike was run hard on some incredible roads and in very harsh conditions.

lot's of stories to tell in addition to getting run over in western montana. rode home 2500 miles with just one piaa fog burning on the front end-that's the only light that was left.

things happen in that many miles and that's why they call it adventure riding. did i tell you about all the blood on the side of the road in northern BC...?

Awesome.

Awesome.

+1

keep up the pics and posts.

here's one going up heckman pass ("the hill") on the bella coola road, BC. the previous day i had come over the pass and down the west side in snow with fresh snow on the road at the top. to make matters even worse, three graders and two water trucks were working the pass on the downhill grades and turned the road surface into pig poop. this pass is reported to have the steepest grades in BC and as you can see i was back on the tourances, not TKCs. i had ridden thousands of miles of gravel roads in all kinds of conditions at this point, but this extremely steep and slick road scared the heck out of me. get off the edge of this sometimes one lane road and it's straight down 2000'. 1st gear compression braking was too fast, but you hardly dared to touch the front or rear brakes. it was 30F at the top and by the time i got to the bottom, i was soaking wet with sweat. got up early the next morning to get back over the top before the road crew got going again. beautiful country and worth seeing.

the tourance is an outstanding tire for these bikes, but they're not made for that greasy slick road condition you can run into all over the place up there. the problem is that you can never predict when you will get into it. if the road is not wet from rain, the road crews will be happy to dump about a million gallons on it.

Hey jdrocks, I think you're my new hero. I caught your bike over on ADVRider a while back - glad to see you're making postings here. You've put together an awesome bike and it appears you had an equally awesome trip. Please, feel free to start a whole thread detailing your trip, if you are so inclined.

I do have one question about your set-up though. Do you have your front fork "taped" or something, down near the lower stanchions - I have notice I am never able to get the last couple of inches of travel out of my front fork (at least with the stock springs and valving). Thus, I wondered if maybe you just negated it and taped over the shaft to protect the finish.

Again, thanks for the posts - they're awesome!

E

thanks. it was a fun build and ran just the way i hoped it would. tony on ADV was the inspiration for the build, although i took mine a different direction because it was purpose built for this upcoming trip. these are very capable bikes when you make a few changes. ...and tough. mine got dragged down the road caught under a hopper body grain truck, 6L of gas draining under the bike, bike was hot and the ignition was on, key was bent and i couldn't turn it off...you get the idea. rode it home. heck of a story.

i ran my forks stock and they did fine. i'm not sure how much travel i was using out of the rated 6". there's no tape on the fork leg. you might be looking at the black deflector wing that is part of the bracket that was fabricated to raise the fender. if you raise the fender, you need to do something to protect the lower fork leg or it will get trashed. i'm sure these forks can be tuned to work better.

this photo is from atigun pass in the brooks range on the dalton. weather fronts are coming in off the arctic ocean and you never know what kind of road you'll find. heading north, i had rain, hail, sleet and snow. heading south, i had sleet and snow with zero visibility. i could barely see the road. when wet these gravel roads are really slick, a by product of applying chloride to the surface. takes much concentration to run these wet roads-blink twice in a row and you're down. now run hundreds of miles in it and it's no wonder you start feeling a little strain. long steep grades and abrupt transitions to graded marbles also found on this road. above the pass, caribou are running around in the road. there have been many riders down on this road this season already. usually it will kill a few per year. that said, it happens to be a place that holds great adventure. if you get a chance, you have to go.

to get a feel for the dalton, watch the "ice road truckers" TV show. this season episodes are on the dalton. strangely, the first year of this show they shot in yellowknife-i had just been there. the second year, they shot in inuvik-i had just been there. the third year, they shot in...you guessed it. watching tv back at home, they show two guys drinking coffee at the little cafe in coldfoot. i was sitting in the same chair three weeks earlier. spooky.

so the kid and his 25 tons of grain truck ran me down. that's the short version. if he had stopped right away, i wouldn't have had as much damage. he didn't, and while i was rolling around in the montana dust trying to get out of the way of the rear duals i saw coming my way, the bike was pinned under the hopper body and being dragged the opposite direction. the truck finally stopped, but with a final lurch a rod that controlled the dump gate went right through the rear tire and bent the rim from the inside out. wow. the left side damage was front to back from being dragged across the road, while the right side damage was back to front from the truck's final lurch. one hurt bike under that truck. the cover of the left side case had been sheared off exposing the fuel can mount and now the fuel can was draining 6L of gas under the bike. the ignition was on, but the instrument cluster mount had been slammed down over the top of the key and i couldn't shut it off. not good, and that's the way it sat for two hours until a trooper showed up-did i mention that this happened out in the middle of...well, it was way the heck out there. i had a chance to look it over pretty good while waiting for the trooper, and while all the bystanders thought it was totaled, i pretty much thought i still had a runner. so the short version is...what you see in the pics is what i repaired that day and rode 2500 miles home. you want some adventure, come ride with me.

i didn't take any pics at the scene, and i didn't get out a cell and call home. i thought about it and decided that if i took some photos they might eventually end up in the wrong hands. married guys know which hands that might be. don't want to get "grounded", i have too many places to go, things to see and do.

i was wearing hard armor head to toe. pretty good hit-not a scratch. i'm lucky.

we have the er 6 n in Canada. If I am not mistaken i think that i seen it in another post from a guy that retro fitted it to goto Alaska and he did a nice job on it

so the kid and his 25 tons of grain truck ran me down. that's the short version. if he had stopped right away, i wouldn't have had as much damage. he didn't, and while i was rolling around in the montana dust trying to get out of the way of the rear duals i saw coming my way, the bike was pinned under the hopper body and being dragged the opposite direction. the truck finally stopped, but with a final lurch a rod that controlled the dump gate went right through the rear tire and bent the rim from the inside out. wow. the left side damage was front to back from being dragged across the road, while the right side damage was back to front from the truck's final lurch. one hurt bike under that truck. the cover of the left side case had been sheared off exposing the fuel can mount and now the fuel can was draining 6L of gas under the bike. the ignition was on, but the instrument cluster mount had been slammed down over the top of the key and i couldn't shut it off. not good, and that's the way it sat for two hours until a trooper showed up-did i mention that this happened out in the middle of...well, it was way the heck out there. i had a chance to look it over pretty good while waiting for the trooper, and while all the bystanders thought it was totaled, i pretty much thought i still had a runner. so the short version is...what you see in the pics is what i repaired that day and rode 2500 miles home. you want some adventure, come ride with me.

i didn't take any pics at the scene, and i didn't get out a cell and call home. i thought about it and decided that if i took some photos they might eventually end up in the wrong hands. married guys know which hands that might be. don't want to get "grounded", i have too many places to go, things to see and do.

i was wearing hard armor head to toe. pretty good hit-not a scratch. i'm lucky.


Hold on, you say he ran you down?? You can't just drop that little gem with no further explanation. What happened? Were you hurt?

wow.

Hold on, you say he ran you down?? You can't just drop that little gem with no further explanation. What happened? Were you hurt?

wow.

truck suddenly turned left into me as i passed-i was already up to the back of the cab when he turned. he showed no brake lights or turn signals, and obviously hadn't checked his mirrors. to me, he looked a little dazed when he climbed down from the cab. at least he wasn't smoking a cig. he didn't say anything to me beyond "ya ok?", and got on a cell instead.

why he didn't stop right away is a mystery to me. basically, he completed his left turn and then stopped. that's how the bike got dragged underneath the trailer, and how i was nearly run over by the tandems. i had taken a pretty good fall, and when i looked up, the left rear trailer tires were coming right at me.

had full hard armor on, including motocross boots. surprisingly, not a scratch. like i said, i was lucky.

the ranchers out there are really good people. helped me get things back together and on my way. i was the big news of the day. people drove in from quite a distance to take a look. trooper wanted to call a rollback to come out and pick the bike up-no way. what you see in the photo is AFTER it was pried, pounded, and bent back into shape to ride. one guy drove back out to the ranch and pulled a footpeg off some old bike he had behind the shed. my right side peg had been sheared off by the underside of the grain body-remember, the bike was down on it's left side. pretty amazing people in the far reaches of montana. then 2500 miles home. it ran fine. the rear tourance had a huge tractor tire patch covering a hole you could stick your finger through and even that made it all the way.

Again, wow. You must be the luckiest unlucky guy I've ever heard of! Glad you're ok & nice to hear about all the help. And you still rode 2500 miles back home. Amazing...

ok, i see posts on this forum and others that the versys can't really dual sport, should only be ridden on graded gravel at most, there are no 17" tires that will work, blah, blah, blah. maybe the owner doesn't want to get it dirty, get a scratch, or (gasp) get a dent in the thing. it's ok if you don't want to go out there, but please don't blame it on the bike. the bike will go.

this photo is from what is known as signpost hill above the historic silver mining town of keno, yt. the road up there is considered 4x4 accessible during the summer when dry. well, it wasn't summer and it wasn't dry, so i rode up anyway. the spring snow melt usually washes out sections of this road and some roughly graded repairs had been made to the lower part, but nothing beyond that. snow melt on the upper part was running down the two track like small rivers and the going got pretty tough through mud and rock. i finally had to quit when i ran into snow cover on the road near the top. the photo was taken from the first level spot i thought i could stop without dropping the bike. quite a view. i must have passed dozens of ptarmigan. they seem only slightly more wary than a spruce grouse. if i wanted roast chicken, i think i could have gotten one with a rock. notice that it's not too springy up there-things had hardly budded out.

...from my trip log-May&June/09. Alaska Highway, south of Ft. Nelson.

The road was in pretty good shape, although there were the usual gravel construction zones including some on long grades. No real difficulty if you stayed alert. We had maintained good speed and were running 75 on chipseal when I raised my visor to push my sunglasses back up. Before I closed the visor, something hit me on the right side of my nose, a bull’s eye. I have no idea what hit me, but it opened me up like I’d been cut with a straight razor. By the time I hit the brakes and got to the shoulder I was already covered with blood. I had blood all over my face and neck, riding jacket, pants, boots, bike…everywhere. I had a hand up to my face to try to keep it under control and was afraid to let go long enough to get my helmet off. The bike was still running, and blood was just pouring out of me. Freakin’ A, I think I have a little problem here. I fumbled around in my cargo pockets for some paper towels I keep to clean the visor. They get used up one after the other and now there was a growing pile of blood soaked paper towels beside the bike. I see Beemer coming back and he turns around and parks in front of me, walks back and says “What the hells going on, you look like you’ve been shot”. I’m not sure what’s going on, but the only thing I can do is to wait it out. I can’t ride right now anyway, and there’s no help for miles in either direction. After 45 minutes the bleeding had slowed to a drip and after an hour I was able to get cleaned up enough to ride. We took it easy to the next fuel stop and when I pulled up to the pump a smiling young gal came out to fuel the bike. I was looking her direction when I raised my visor and when she got a look at my face she jumped back about five feet. I said “I need to get cleaned up.” She pointed in the direction of the restrooms, turned on her heels, and took off in the other direction. Never said a word, I must have scared her. I locked myself in the restroom and tried to get some of the blood off me. Every time I touched my nose it would start bleeding again. A half hour of work and it was as good as I could get it. Unfortunately, the restroom looked like there had been a chainsaw murder in there. Sorry about that. Let’s hit the road, things can only get better.

we were headed north on the Dempster and looking at clouds that were best described as coal black. the storm was coming in off the arctic ocean and the guy i was riding with claimed he had a barometer reading of 26. when i told him that reading was highly unlikely, he reluctantly continued the ride north. the Dempster is another of those long gravel roads that can be a pleasant easy ride one minute and a deadly treacherous ride the next. spectacular scenery, you cross the arctic circle and the continental divide on this road. people want to try this road on street tires. not me, i'll take the TKCs.

Thanks for sharing that jdrocks, it is really inspiring. I hope I can do something like that with my Versys someday.

you already have the bike, you just need the time. that's some wild country up there, but changing very fast, especially on the Canadian side. The Campbell Highway-over 300 miles of gravel-wasn't much more than a ranch road when i was there in 2007. now it's straightened and widened. three new mines are now accessed from that road. see the north before it gets paved over.

you already have the bike, you just need the time. that's some wild country up there, but changing very fast, especially on the Canadian side. The Campbell Highway-over 300 miles of gravel-wasn't much more than a ranch road when i was there in 2007. now it's straightened and widened. three new mines are now accessed from that road. see the north before it gets paved over.

Amen brother.
The long winter and wicked bugs have only delayed the inevitable. We will find reasons to develop in places previously thought too remote and desolate to be noticed. It won't stop.

On that happy note maybe some of my Canadian cohorts could suggest some replacement bars for the my er6n. The stock bars are a little narrow with way too much sweep. Can't get most of the bars available in the states without getting killed by brokerage and duties at the border.

Amen brother.
The long winter and wicked bugs have only delayed the inevitable. We will find reasons to develop in places previously thought too remote and desolate to be noticed. It won't stop.

you're right. i'm getting ready to leave for a month in the bush in NW Ontario to work on a 6 million acre mapping project. just north of our project area in the Hudson Bay lowlands there are 15 companies with active exploration or prospecting operations. off the grid and no roads within hundreds of miles. if it's in there, someone is going to try to get it out.

not the egg laying kind. the Top Of The World Highway connects Dawson, YT and Chicken, Alaska. after crossing the yukon river by ferry at Dawson, the road is partially paved on the YT side. there is so much loose gravel on top of the chipseal and the transitions to gravel so abrupt that it would be better if it was all gravel. the road is gravel from the border to Chicken. the temps were at freezing this day and i ran into sleet, snow, and fog as i climbed to the border. this is the most northern crossing in the US, and i saw only two other vehicles between dawson and chicken. no guardrails, it's a long way down. be careful on this road, it can bite you. Chicken is an old gold mining town and the original buildings are still standing out in the bush-take a look if you happen to get there.

about every rider stops at Chicken-cafe, bakery, bar, and fuel. what more is there? the tiny bar can get pretty rowdy and wild-all the girls' undergarments hanging from the ceiling is proof.

Hey jdrocks. I appreciate your posts, but they have made all the more curious about two things; if I may ask.
(1)What are you going to do with your "mutant" ninja - are you going to repair the wreck damage or toss it or what - will you use it for future expeditions?
(2)What do you do for a living, seeing as how you seem to be able to get nice sized chunks of time off for adventures, as well as do things like travel to the Ca bush as part of work.

I understand if you don't want to share the latter, but your posts have made me very curious.

ah yes, what to do with the ninja? the bike is not wrecked and runs fine. the parts and pieces that were damaged out in montana were mainly the custom pieces i fabricated. the few damaged factory pieces have been replaced. to answer your question, i've already designed a new bike based on the same platform and hope to build it over the winter. i have places to go. stay tuned.

i own the corporation that employs me, so i can set my own vacation schedule. between adventures, i get to work like a dog. i do enjoy the north country, and 2009 is my 47th year above the 49th.

It's good to hear the bike wasn't mortally wounded - I look forward to more of the "mutant ninja chronicles." Perhaps you should start a dedicated thread on this forum.

That's excellent that you are able to enjoy the fruits of your years of hard work, i.e. setting your own vacation schedule and business travel to the bush. It appears you have carved-out a very satisfying course in life.
I'm still picking a heading to ensue!

"mutant ninja chronicles."

that has kind of a ring to it. well this is a major hijack here and i prevail only through the goodwill of the guy who started the thread. next time i'll remember to start my own.

i have many interests and watch a few forums connected to those interests. the thing i like about the forums is that subjects pop up that i had been considering on my own. follow the forum discussion, and i realize that "hey, i can do that". look at the pics and say "hey, i want to go there". adventures that once seemed unlikely now look very possible. so let the planning begin.

Yeah lets hear how the trip went on that bike. I saw the new naked bike and really didn't like the looks of the front. Think it is a younger kids style. 100 mile trip on that with nothing on the front would do me in at the 70 mph i average on the two lanes.

riding an unfaired bike 13.5K was part of the adventure. kind of a retro deal. if you don't want 100 miles, then you wouldn't have liked some of the long days and mucho miles. the longest was about 825 and only only two were slightly under 400. if you think there's some buffeting at 70, try 85. a trooper was about to give me a ticket until i took off my helmet. when he saw it was an old guy riding that retro thing, i think he felt pity and only gave me a warning.

"Slow down, ok. You could get hurt out here."

"Yes, SIR!"

runnin' 85 on a retro bike should at least count as being young at heart. must be one of those younger kids.

my trip notes tend to have some detail and i'm not sure how well they translate to a readable trip report. if i decide the whole thing might be worth reading i'll put it up. in the meantime, i'll add a few more things from the trip and then i'm headed to the border.

that's what i call those long unpaved roads in Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories. All are remote, maintained to varied standards, cross all kinds of terrain, and are subject to unpredictable weather. a photographers dream, the scenery is simply stunning. either you find adventure on these roads, or adventure finds you. you can encounter extreme riding conditions on these roads and wonder how you got out in one piece. many don't. through good fortune, i've been on all the big ones, but have left enough of the smaller gravel roads as an excuse to go back and do it all again.

photos left to right: Dempster, Dalton, Denali

awesome.

we were headed north on the Dempster and looking at clouds that were best described as coal black. the storm was coming in off the arctic ocean and the guy i was riding with claimed he had a barometer reading of 26. when i told him that reading was highly unlikely, he reluctantly continued the ride north. the Dempster is another of those long gravel roads that can be a pleasant easy ride one minute and a deadly treacherous ride the next. spectacular scenery, you cross the arctic circle and the continental divide on this road. people want to try this road on street tires. not me, i'll take the TKCs.
Could u tell me please wheres did u found that "carter" protector? (on the exhaust!!)
its amazing (i dont like the one of versys.info)
thanks!!

i'm going to assume that you mean the gravel guards on the front and under the engine.

all the gravel guards were designed and custom fabricated in my shop. the guard under the engine is 10ga steel and the one in front of the engine is aluminum. the aluminum guard developed two stress cracks and needed to be TIG welded in Yukon. unusual for me, i'm not used to having my fabricated parts fail. the next time this guard will be fabricated in steel also. when i got home, i found that the upper right hand mount had also broken, so i need to rethink the whole assembly. you need at least some kind of guard to run those rough roads.

i'm going to assume that you mean the gravel guards on the front and under the engine.

all the gravel guards were designed and custom fabricated in my shop. the guard under the engine is 10ga steel and the one in front of the engine is aluminum. the aluminum guard developed two stress cracks and needed to be TIG welded in Yukon. unusual for me, i'm not used to having my fabricated parts fail. the next time this guard will be fabricated in steel also. when i got home, i found that the upper right hand mount had also broken, so i need to rethink the whole assembly. you need at least some kind of guard to run those rough roads.
ok, but alumium seems bad because if it cracks (here) i cant fix it so easy.. when u have it all avaliable in steel if u wish to tell me the "page" wheres i can purchase it from you :)
Thanks for reply!

i don't sell these guards, they're just fabricated for my own use. what i can do is get a photo of the guards so that you can make your own, or have someone make them for you. the materials are inexpensive and it's not difficult to do.

without the guards, gravel that comes off the front tire with eventually take all the paint off the front and bottom of the engine. the guard also protects the oil filter and drain. whatever you fabricate, make sure that there is enough clearance so you can service the engine without removing the guards.

you're right about the aluminum, it might be hard to get repaired if you're traveling in a remote area. with steel, everyone seems to have a welder these days.

put the guards on and you'll be ready for morocco.

jdrocks, I too would appreciate you posting some up-close pics of your fabrication work (gravel guards). Your previous pics already had me thinking about putting together a similar set-up, based on my SW-Motech bars and bar clamps. I had originally considered Al diamond plate, but your experience has me leaning towards some type of pre-perforated steel, similar to what you used. Was the steel plate you used actually pre-perforated, as it appears, or did you engage in tedious work with a hole-saw?
Thanks.

i did think about aluminum for the whole works and did have some on hand. it would have been lighter, but then i said the heck with it and went steel on the lower and aluminum on the upper per my previous post.

the lower guard was not prepunched. i just put an offset layout pattern on the steel and started drilling holes. i used a drill press, but you can do the same thing with a drill. it's just 10ga, so it goes pretty fast. the work is more fussy than hard. the holes take out 30% of the weight, make it easier to power wash, and provide some ventilation for cooling. i don't consider the guard a real skidplate, but it does protect the drop for the drain plug-it would take a real odd hit to damage that area with the guard in place. as i said, make sure you can r/r the oil filter with your design. you can service the bike in minutes if you don't have to remove the guard. the guard is strong enough to put a floor jack under the bike and lift the whole thing off the ground.

although the guard feels really secure without a front mount, i wouldn't rely on just the rear lug mounts. that's where your choice of the sw motech engine guard pays dividends. the motech guard is by far the best choice for this bike in general, but the design also allows you support the gravel guard from the motech tubing. the motech guards kept my bike up off the ground as it was being dragged under that truck out in montana. your choice on the design, but i would do it in steel. i drilled a bunch of holes in this piece also and for the same reasons.

all that's left is the tubing clamps. i used aluminum tubing clamps and found the right clamp sheared when i removed it after the trip. the break was so fine i never noticed it while on the road. there was no displacement at the break either which speaks to the strength of the rest of the mount. there are a variety of clamps that fit the motech tubing diameter-just find a pair that won't break.

i'll see if i can get a photo posted.

HI Dave

Thanks for the link. I am going to make the same mods to my 650. They worked for you they should work for me. Your bike looks like what I been looking for. This is bike # 29, I have had 2 KLX 2 KLR a v stron 650 2 DRZ 400 a dr 650 ,Husky TE 650. This has to be the one.
My trip this year is up to NW Ontario, Lake Windigo, As far north as you can get by road in Ontario. Good to hear you walked away from your Accident.

rubicon-these are very capable bikes on the gravel with the advantage of an effortless 80mph highway cruise to get you to the interesting areas, a real advantage. the custom work is pretty darn easy and you can tweek it to incorporate your own design features. my objective was to keep the build costs under control and the result was a fun, fast, and inexpensive ride.

i did figure the bike would be down on this trip (but not under a truck in montana), and tried to design the custom pieces with this in mind.

if you build one, i'd like to see photos. also your ride report. i'll be back in ontario in august myself, but only about 53 north.

jdrocks It runs good on dirt roads 50-60 mph with Avon Distanzia tires. I run as much dirt as I can find in Ma Vt NH and Me. Your bike is just what i want. The first thing I need is a Buell headlight, What one do I get and what mount, or are they all the same ?
This is a good link to riders in NW Ontario ZZRon has all the info

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183099&page=156

try this one. confirm with the local buell dealer.

http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes/street/XB9SX/gallery.asp

the light assembly has two mounting ears on the top and a 1/4x20 tapped insert on the bottom. there's a bracket that holds the small windscreen which is a separate part, as is the wire screen across the front of the light. four socket head screws with flat washers hold the windscreen to the bracket.

you would need to design and fabricate the light mount bracket. in my case the same mount also held the guage cluster and signals.

hope this helps.

The headlight is on the way. Lake windigo is just below 53. Where do you base out of ?

i use a float plane service out of armstrong, 150 miles north of thunder bay. fly north from there.

post photos of your bike when complete.

JDROCKS when you get to Armstrong you will you have your bike

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=484519

When my bike is done it should look just like yours only green

no bike, just a truck load of gear.

a word of caution on riding off of 527 and 599. some of the dirt roads are restricted access-first nation, licensed logging, licensed outfitter, or others specifically mentioned in the forest management plan. all other uses prohibited. if you think enforcement won't target US plates, you're kidding yourself.

both roads are known radar traps, both by first nations and OPP. let's face it, if you're a rookie OPP officer and get posted to armstrong or pickle lake you didn't exactly graduate at the top of your class. there's a certain hostility present, and they don't need probable cause to pull you over.


get that bike built. we need photos.

my response when someone thought the bike wasn't fast enough-

"ride a gravel road, jerk the throttle bodies open on that engine, get a freakin' heart attack!"

ok, for those that want a photo of the gravel guard, you're in luck. this is a steel version, but it could also be fabricated in aluminum. if you plan on spending time on gravel roads, you need some protection in this area-something similar to this or your own design. the guard needs support at the front even though it feels very firmly mounted without one. the front support ties into the swmotech engine guard and provides a real strong mounting point.

if you fabricate your own guard, come back with a photo.

just back from another canadian adventure. where the heck are all the photos of those modded ninjas that guys have been talking about?

as for my part, i'm dreaming up some new bike mods for this winter and trying to set the trip schedule for next year.

let's see those photos!

just back from another canadian adventure. where the heck are all the photos of those modded ninjas that guys have been talking about?

as for my part, i'm dreaming up some new bike mods for this winter and trying to set the trip schedule for next year.

let's see those photos!

I have my 08 ninja all done, but I don't know how to post pics yet. It look good and runs great. Just spent 3 days on Maine logging roads, great but I need a better rear shock setup. For your winter project how about a KLR with a ninja 500 motor

have an 08 KLR project bike in the shop that i found just before i left for canada back in august, so i'm kicking around lot's of ideas.

easy on this forum to add a photo to your post. just scroll down to the "Attach Files" heading, "Manage Attachments" box and link the photo from your hard drive.

Some guys kicked around the idea of putting the 650 twin into a KLR frame on Advrider a few days ago. Let us know if you do it! :interesting:

I am doing something similar, although with a KTM 640 Adventure frame. I choose it because of the better suspension, brakes, lighter weight, etc. Of course these might not be as easy to find cheap in the US.

the 650 twin in the klr frame has been done already and there were pix floating around recently. the 650 sportbike engine is a great swap engine and not hard to get 80hp out of it although stock is plenty. the engines and all related parts are cheap in the states. as with most custom projects, it takes longer to design it and figure out what will work than it does to actually put it together.

my objective would be a bike about 400# for an acceptable dual sport the way i use it, so the engine in the stock frame with a different suspension might still work for me.

come back with photos when you get your bike done.

so the kid and his 25 tons of grain truck ran me down. that's the short version. if he had stopped right away, i wouldn't have had as much damage. he didn't, and while i was rolling around in the montana dust trying to get out of the way of the rear duals i saw coming my way, the bike was pinned under the hopper body and being dragged the opposite direction. the truck finally stopped, but with a final lurch a rod that controlled the dump gate went right through the rear tire and bent the rim from the inside out.

If it was in the middle of harvest, the driver had probably run some long hours and would be a little rummy. Plus in the middle of nowwhere you don't worry too much about traffic; blinker and brake lights are ornamental. Don't pass if you see an approach and equipment or bins off to the left. :badidea:

Anyway, nice conversion, :thumb: your riding roads I want to visit.

David

you're probably right all the way around.

you just can't ride defensively enough. the only two vehicles on the road and they got together.

on the bright side, i can't say enough about the montana people. ranchers offered me meals, places to stay, and more than one said "let's put that bike in the back of my truck, son. i'll take you wherever you need to go." one even went back out to the ranch to pull a footpeg off some old bike he had "behind the shed". they all helped me get myself and bike back together and on the road. it worked-i rode another 2500 miles.

rural America, still the backbone of the USA.

Hi guys,

Some of you have contacted me about making the lowering kit for ER-6N and Ninja 650R. Sorry it took me so long, but it's finally here. Mrs. Speedy is happy too because at 5'4" she can reach with her feet flat on the ground without high heels :grinangel:

Anyway, you can see them here:
http://motowerk.com/ER6N.aspx and http://motowerk.com/Ninja650R.aspx

Speedy

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/677665411_6BgWG-M.jpg (http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/9933005_F4J5H/1/#677665411_6BgWG-A-LB)

a new victim...er, build project, so i'm going to get out of this thread and start a new one.

thanks to the guy that started this thread. it's been a ride.

new build here http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5480

http://www.flattrack.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=46&func=view&id=60654&catid=3

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp16/Rocket71_photo/pix2.jpg

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/11/30/kawasaki-ninja-flat-tracker/
http://thekneeslider.com/images/ninja650flattracker.jpg

I remember when the 650 Ninja came out in the USA. I really liked the bike.I thought it looked pretty darn good. I love the fact that you can remove rhe transmission without having to split the cases (as in the pre 2004 Sportsters). And, believe it or not, I love the fact that it has a linkless rear shock (I may be the only one in the world).So there are no bearings,pivots etc to wear out and have to be rebuilt.Yeah, I know the link type rear shock systems are "better", but, I don't care.You see, I'm 56 years old and have ridden motorcycles since I was 8, so I am a very opinionated old sob.I also like vertical twins, like the old 500 BSA I used to own in high school, or the many Honda twins, even the old classic Yamaha XS650s.
Anyway, I wasn't in the market right then, but, I admired the 650 Ninja, ans still do. Now just recently I've started paying attention the both the Versys, and the ER6N.Both have all the good points of the 650 Ninja. At first I didn't care for the looks of the Versys, but it is growing on me. It looks WAY better than the Suzuki Vstrom.But then I took a look at the ER6N and I can't get that bike out of my mind. I haven't looked at either the Versys or ER6N in person yet-but I will very soon.I've ridden motorcycles of all sizes, and I am not concerned with big horsepower any more.Right now I am lusting after a new ER6N.Plenty of power,great looks (even for an old geezer like me),six speeds,"cassete" transmission,linkless rear single shock ( I would rather have twin shocks though),25,000 mile valve adjust intervals(!!),decent price-whats not to like?
My only snag is that I already own three bikes: my 2007 Yamaha XT250 dual sport (95 mpg-won't be selling that);my 2006 Harley-Davidson XL883 Sportster;and my 2007 Royal Enfield Bullet (better "Google" that one!).
I won't be doing any two up riding anymore, since my wife discovered what fun a scooter can be to ride (she has an SYM HD200-a dam fine scooter), so a 650 would be plenty.
I am going tp go see the Versys and ER6N this week in person-but no more motorcycles unless I sell or trade one I already have.

Take care, Jon in Puyallup, Wa. USA

And, believe it or not, I love the fact that it has a linkless rear shock (I may be the only one in the world).So there are no bearings,pivots etc to wear out and have to be rebuilt.Yeah, I know the link type rear shock systems are "better", but, I don't care.

Take care, Jon in Puyallup, Wa. USA


I (and a great many other people) am not convinced that linkage rear suspension systems are "better". My 2010 KTM 300XCW dirtbike has the best suspension of any bike I've ridden and I prefer the linkageless PDS system KTM uses on all it's dirtbikes for it's better ground clearance, light weight and less maintenance.

2 pennies,
Dave

I (and a great many other people) am not convinced that linkage rear suspension systems are "better". My 2010 KTM 300XCW dirtbike has the best suspension of any bike I've ridden and I prefer the linkageless PDS system KTM uses on all it's dirtbikes for it's better ground clearance, light weight and less maintenance.

2 pennies,
Dave

Rumor has it that the new SX bikes are going to come with linkage because KTM had to admit that it works better. For the EXCs ground clearance is still a priority so they will stay PDS.

Rumor has it that the new SX bikes are going to come with linkage because KTM had to admit that it works better. For the EXCs ground clearance is still a priority so they will stay PDS.

I'm aware of the rumor and it's a bit of a dissappointment to me as I prefer the linkageless for the reasons I stated previously. I hope the off road bikes (XC and XC-W's) stay sans linkage....I guess we'll see.

My point is that if KTM can stay competitive in MX and totally dominate offroad with a linkageless system, then such as system can obviously be more than adequate for any streetbike application.

Dave

I love the way the ERs look but they are just so blasted SMALL

...but they are just so blasted SMALL

that's when you make some changes, and then your feet don't touch the ground anymore.

To raise a thread from the semi-dead state it's in, here's a question for you all:

I am looking for rear luggage options. I want to mount a pelican to the rear and have found two options through Twisted Throttle: SW Motech and Givi. Both would have to be modified to attach a Pelican, since I haven't found any adaptors for these specific models of racks.

There's this guy : iversonscandinavian.com/ but I am not sure I can look at that every day. I like the weight over the pillion seat, though.

Any other options you have run across? I've search high and low with little luck.

BTW its a 09 ER 6N

And thanks in advance

RunningWild-

The SW-Motech Alu-Rack would not require any modification to mount a Pelican to. You could hard-mount it using the pre-exisating holes in the rack, or by drilling your own pattern. If you want to shift the weight distribution while still using the Alu-Rack, simply mount the box further forward.

The SW-Motech rack is the strongest and most versatile of the two racks you mentioned, and I have been extremely happy with mine.

If you were looking for a quick-release set-up for use with a Pelican, you could mount something like the following to the Alu-Rack - no problem.
http://cariboucases.com/store/?name=Catalog&mode=i&item=000316

Incidentally, if you did decide to mount a Monokey box to it, I would go with the SW-Motech Monokey adapter, as opposed to Givi's, as it is better made.

Hope that helps.

I remember when the 650 Ninja came out in the USA. I really liked the bike.I thought it looked pretty darn good. I love the fact that you can remove rhe transmission without having to split the cases (as in the pre 2004 Sportsters). And, believe it or not, I love the fact that it has a linkless rear shock (I may be the only one in the world).So there are no bearings,pivots etc to wear out and have to be rebuilt.Yeah, I know the link type rear shock systems are "better", but, I don't care.You see, I'm 56 years old and have ridden motorcycles since I was 8, so I am a very opinionated old sob.I also like vertical twins, like the old 500 BSA I used to own in high school, or the many Honda twins, even the old classic Yamaha XS650s.
Anyway, I wasn't in the market right then, but, I admired the 650 Ninja, ans still do. Now just recently I've started paying attention the both the Versys, and the ER6N.Both have all the good points of the 650 Ninja. At first I didn't care for the looks of the Versys, but it is growing on me. It looks WAY better than the Suzuki Vstrom.But then I took a look at the ER6N and I can't get that bike out of my mind. I haven't looked at either the Versys or ER6N in person yet-but I will very soon.I've ridden motorcycles of all sizes, and I am not concerned with big horsepower any more.Right now I am lusting after a new ER6N.Plenty of power,great looks (even for an old geezer like me),six speeds,"cassete" transmission,linkless rear single shock ( I would rather have twin shocks though),25,000 mile valve adjust intervals(!!),decent price-whats not to like?
My only snag is that I already own three bikes: my 2007 Yamaha XT250 dual sport (95 mpg-won't be selling that);my 2006 Harley-Davidson XL883 Sportster;and my 2007 Royal Enfield Bullet (better "Google" that one!).
I won't be doing any two up riding anymore, since my wife discovered what fun a scooter can be to ride (she has an SYM HD200-a dam fine scooter), so a 650 would be plenty.
I am going tp go see the Versys and ER6N this week in person-but no more motorcycles unless I sell or trade one I already have.

Take care, Jon in Puyallup, Wa. USA
hehe.i read the post and the only bike i had to google for was the harley one :D the xt is perfect for some light touring in forests and bad roads.highly efficient engine,dont sell it.the royal enfield is a piece of history and i would love to have one in my garage..:thumb: the er-6 would just complete the trio nicely ;),combining everything in a very cheap overall package...go for it man you wont regret it

RunningWild-

The SW-Motech Alu-Rack would not require any modification to mount a Pelican to. You could hard-mount it using the pre-exisating holes in the rack, or by drilling your own pattern. If you want to shift the weight distribution while still using the Alu-Rack, simply mount the box further forward.

The SW-Motech rack is the strongest and most versatile of the two racks you mentioned, and I have been extremely happy with mine.

If you were looking for a quick-release set-up for use with a Pelican, you could mount something like the following to the Alu-Rack - no problem.
http://cariboucases.com/store/?name=Catalog&mode=i&item=000316

Incidentally, if you did decide to mount a Monokey box to it, I would go with the SW-Motech Monokey adapter, as opposed to Givi's, as it is better made.

Hope that helps.


Thanks for that info, I haven't been able to find real world usage of these racks, so its good to get the scoop on one of them. I appreciate it.

Twisted Throttle says you have to purchase additional OEM parts to make it work. Did you have this experience?

Twisted Throttle says you have to purchase additional OEM parts to make it work. Did you have this experience?

OEM parts? like what? it's just a bolt on rack.

you can see a photo of one mounted on an ER6F in the ER6C thread.

as was mentioned, bolt the pelican right to it.

OEM parts? like what? it's just a bolt on rack.

you can see a photo of one mounted on an ER6F in the ER6C thread.

as was mentioned, bolt the pelican right to it.

That's what I thought. Twisted throttle website lists the following:

*To install on the North American-spec 2009-2010 Ninja 650R and ER6N, you must also purchase optional grab rails and fitting hardware from Kawasaki to convert the bike to Euro-spec:
- Ref number 46075, Part number 46075-0078 GRIP,TANDEM,LH x1
- Ref number 46075A, Part number 46075-0079 GRIP,TANDEM,RH x1
- Ref number 92161 92161-0663 DAMPER x 4 (grab handle hardware)
- Ref number 92152 92152-0707 COLLAR x 4 (grab handle hardware)
- Ref number 92161C 92161-0765 DAMPER x 4 (grab handle hardware)

The above OEM Kawasaki parts are NOT included in the SW-MOTECH product and must be purchased through your Kawasaki dealer. These grab handle components are included on European-spec ER6F and ER6N bikes only.

---
I'll check the ER6 C thread again for the picture. BTW, I really like what you did with your 650. It's more the direction I want to go. Thanks

Twisted Throttle says you have to purchase additional OEM parts to make it work. Did you have this experience?

The only time you would "need" to buy any additional parts would be if you wanted to mount a Monkey or Monolock case and have the functionality of the easy removal. Beyond that, all the bolts/washers/spacers you need to mount the rack will come with it.

Anything listed on that website as additional OEM stuff is some sort of superfluous BS. Like jdrocks said, search the site and you will be able to see a pic of one mounted, and what it involves - which is not much.

The only time you would "need" to buy any additional parts would be if you wanted to mount a Monkey or Monolock case and have the functionality of the easy removal. Beyond that, all the bolts/washers/spacers you need to mount the rack will come with it.

Anything listed on that website as additional OEM stuff is some sort of superfluous BS. Like jdrocks said, search the site and you will be able to see a pic of one mounted, and what it involves - which is not much.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

I may be slightly stupid, because looking at the pictures now and seeing that the rack is also sold for the 650 r, (which doesn't have the hand rails) I realize that I don't need any extra parts. Duh. Ordered and on its way.

Got the SW Motech rack mounted and the Pelican 1550 bolted on. Haven't noticed any changes in handling, and it seems pretty solid.

http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz234/splitscreen/IMG_3145.jpg

interesting...my rack is different than the one you have mounted.

i also see some parts that i might want to see if there is an interchange to the earlier models. how about a photo of the right side?

Here's the right side..they're pretty much the same on both sides.

http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz234/splitscreen/IMG_3151.jpg

and off the bike, assembled

http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz234/splitscreen/IMG_3118.jpg

Connection points on both sides of the grab rails, then the plates in the middle attach to a crossbar underneath the seat.

Just picked up one of these ER6N's for $3999 - 2009 leftover. Not too bad I think. It was a close call between the Versys and the ER6N. Anyhow, I pick up my new Blue scooter tomorrow.
Any input would be helpful.

Rumor has it that the new SX bikes are going to come with linkage because KTM had to admit that it works better. For the EXCs ground clearance is still a priority so they will stay PDS.

The ONLY reason for the linkage is to make the shock progressive. Linkage was used to allow progressive linkage to be used with a linear shock to tailor the progressive curve. Since the spring and shock were linear it was easy match them.

In the beginning, (after linear shocks and springs), Fox and many others (including myself) built Air Spring Progressive shocks. Air shocks are really progressive, in fact, too progressive for almost damping circuits.

So Fox used 2 air chambers and one was soft until it bottomed out and then another another came into play that kept the shock from becoming too progressive. Remember that gas pressure doubles when the volume is halved.

When I started building shocks in 1975 there were only 2 other progressive manufacturers. At the peak there were 13-15. My solution was to use progressive damping. I used a slotted rod to adjust the damping everywhere in the stroke. When most of the bikes had progressive linkage, I was finished.

I still have a few parts that I use for my own bikes.

Don :)

Here's my 09 with 5100+ miles which is 4 months old today. Was going to get a Versys but having a 30" inseam didn't like the fact that I couldn't flat foot it. Ended up getting the Er6n as a 09 close out for 5300 out the door, threw on a full set of givi luggage and am very satisfied with my naked ST mount.....do the full riding gear gig in Florida so the airflow is very welcome.

I've heard the griping about the stock seat, it's the most comfortable stock seat I've set on and I'm a 260lb'er....go figure. 600 mile days with no issue at all. After reading about the Versys tank mounting right up, seriously considering getting one for the extra range. http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs217.ash2/48004_1375276259681_1165070564_30993033_902638_n.j pg

Welcome aboard! Good looking bike!

geez, haven't seen the ER6N back at the top since forever.


the ER6C thing is going to pop back up soon.

:yeahsmile: Well I'm back here . I scored a nice ER6N and I'm having a blast on it . Back to the garage ,I just put some Pazzos ,Mirrors,and grips on it and I'm putting red stripes on the rims right now. Came with a Scorpion .:D

a year later, and right on schedule, this thread pops back to the top. brings back some memories of that first bike, this one...

http://jdrocks.smugmug.com/photos/679181612_Xv3sC-M-1.jpg (http://jdrocks.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/2009-ER6N-Custom-Build/9933005_W7T526#679181612_Xv3sC-A-LB)

and when i see the photo, i remember the trip, plus that wreck in Montana.

Whenever you remember your wreck, start humming Dylan's "With God on our Side".......

Whenever you remember your wreck, start humming Dylan's "With God on our Side".......

i wasn't humming along with Dylan, i was singing along with Sammy Hagar "I can't drive 55..."

no real surprise, but i come back down across the border on the east side of that wreck too.

i can still see those duals on that grain trailer coming at me like it all happend minutes ago.