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NC thru VA and back

735 views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  drt15versys 
#1 ·
Hello all!

Last week I took a trip from Knotts Island, NC to Asheville, NC. I took all back roads across southern VA, over to the Blue Ridge Parkway and then down south to Asheville. All in all, that day it was 540 miles and a 12 hour trip! When I got to the mountains it was all twisties, and I spent about 5.5 hours on the BRP. It was an amazing trip, and I must say I am extremely impressed with the Versys. However, I will say, I ordered a carbon fiber seat from Seat Concepts, and emailed them and asked them to make it softer because the stock seat was literally a torture device. I could not have done that ride with the stock seat, but the Seat Concepts seat, a bargain price compared to a corbin or sargent, is well worth the money. The motorcycle took me through long country roads in VA where it was 100 degrees, and kept on going. I got to the mountains, where the Tom Tom Rider planned a winding route up mountain roads with no centerline and unbelievable twists and turns. I was literally cornering almost all the way over up these twisties and the bike performed flawlessly. I hit gravel in a corner and the ABS helped me stop without issue. The 5.5 gallon gas tank let me go as long as a cruiser, and with the seat concepts seat, I couldn't believe how good it felt. Overall, I really couldn't come up with any cons for this bike. Kawasaki absolutely nailed it, and I got a lot of compliments on how good it looked! (I have a '16 ABS in Black). Its a damn good looking bike and it performs up to its standard. It truly does encompass the word "Versatile". For $6750 out the door I bought a bike that looks great, performs outstanding, has a large gas tank for cruising, user friendly, cheap to run, and has ABS standard, with lots of aftermarket parts! I am more than pleased with this purchase.

While in Asheville, my sister and I went to a KTM and BMW dealership just to look. I was very impressed with their products, but two things stood out. Neither manufacture really had a comparable model, and I could not believe that I bought my Versys for 6750 new out the door, and these bikes (that were almost comparable) were 20,000 and up! When my sister and I left I looked at her and asked, "are these bikes really almost 14,000 better?" And we both could not say yes to that question. Furthermore, if I thought the Versys stock seat was bad, the BMW put it to shame. I literally sat on a 24,000 BMW and after 3 minutes wanted off the seat. It was truly awful. I could not imagine anyone paying that much for a bike, and literally having to rip the seat off and buy a new one before you got home. My sister, who also rides, agreed. And again, the KTMs and BMWs were very nice, but could they really outlast a Kawi? Or cost as little in the long run? To that I would say no.

Two days after that I did a 3 hr ride from Asheville to Ferguson, NC and it was also backroads. The bike did amazing through the twisties and even through some rain on the BRP. Again, very impressed, even over gravel roads.

The next day was a 3 hour ride from Ferguson to Charlotte, and even when I got to Charlotte I still had not needed to get gas since I had left Asheville. I still had a gallon and a half left! I could not believe the range on the bike. It was a ride through the country and on a gravel road, and the bike just kept humming along, another nice ride.

The following day I left Charlotte and headed back to Knotts Island. Again, I took all country highways and roads. This time, it was a little over 7 hour trip. I filled the bike up leaving Charlotte, and did not stop until 5 hours later when the reserve light kicked on. Turns out, I still had over a gallon left! Such a great bike. Over 300 miles logged for that trip, and when I finally got home, I was quite exhausted from the trip and all the riding I had done, but still rode the bike into work 40 minutes away the next day.

So, overall, I must say the Versys is without a doubt the best 6750 out the door you can pay for a brand new motorcycle. I have been thinking a lot about the negatives, and the only glaring one I can think of was the stock seat, but most of those suck anyways. At 6' 4'', I also plan on buying the motorwerks pedal and footpeg droppers, but with the Seat Concepts seat it is still comfortable and tall for me. In total it was about 1200 miles traveled, and I averaged 57.1 MPG. I really cant complain about this bike and I highly recommended it for anyone looking to buy one!
 
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#2 ·
Sounds like a great trip. I have the same bike and took a trip in early June from NYC to the Skyline Drive and BRP. I was pleasantly surprised how little traffic there was on both roads. The Versys worked well in all conditions and I got about the same mileage as you did. It really is a great all-round bike for the money. (I bought mine last May for $6200. It was a demo with 1,400 miles.). My riding partner has a Ducati Multistrada 1200 and while it certainly has more horsepower than the V, it is rarely usable on the street. The only thing on his bike that I'm jealous of is the cruise control for the interstates. I agree the stock seat is uncomfortable. I sent mine to Spencer in Florida. He replaced the rider's foam and shaved it down a bit to lower it. Major improvement. I also replaced the stock windscreen with a Givi. It eliminates all buffeting, though I do have to look through the screen, which I eventually got used to provided it was always clean. I'm originally from NC so it was great to introduce my Northern friends to Lexington-style BBQ in Mt Airy.
Hankster
 
#3 ·
Wow, thats quite the ride too! Very cool to hear, and it sounds like you got a good deal on the bike. Yes, that is true, I wish the bike did have cruise control. My wrist was definitely sore, but I know there are some after market ones that are good and people use. I went on a Wednesday, and it was pretty nice how little traffic there was. I'm sure the Multistrada was nice, but dang are they pricy. The Versys is such a good bang for your buck. My first bike was a 2006 KLR 650, so I think I am good with the windscreen on this bike just because what I have dealt with in the past. Glad you were able to show your friends some good bbq!! Thats one thing lacking up there. That was a good move getting that seat taken care of, doing long rides on that stock seat is rough.
 
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