I recently purchased a 2008 versys 650 10k miles on it. In very good shape with a just a couple additions like saddle bags, a helmet box, engine guard, different windshield, etc. I was looking at klr’s but when I saw a post that asked about taking the kle off-road and Alaska Jeff posted back that its meant for street only and to never do it all the while posting picks of hims la driving backwoods of Alaska, I was sold. I like this bike a lot and it’s astounding the technological upgrades over the bike I had 30 years ago. One thing I noticed right off the bat was how much better the tires are as an example.
My plan has been to have a dual sport/adventure bike setup so that I can ride down baja and back and then all over Mexico, and possibly other parts of North and South America. I figur d that this bike is big enough o get the job done, but also small enough to get back into “riding” shape. This forum and all the people here are the source I’ll need to achieve those dreams. Ride on!
Wait a minute, this must be fake news. Everyone knows you can't ride a Versys off road. Well, maybe you can but it's hard on the bike as witnessed by the third from last photo. The poor Versys was so exhausted it settled down to take a nap at the side of the road. 0
Thanks for all the great pics fasteddie. Those are very encouraging, even the one where versys is “taking a nap”! I look forward to some similar adventures down the road.
I’m finding d termini get what upgrade to do first is the hardest part right now given how many things are out there. However, something has to be done about the seat situation. As some (many?) have expressed on the forum, the boys tend to not be happy with the stock setup. So, that’s where I’m headed first.
The Versys 650 IS a street bike. But that doesn't mean you can't take it off road. There are better tools for that job though. KTM 790 Adventure maybe.
You can ride any bike off road if you are skilled enough, strong enough to pick it up, and crazy enough to ride it out of its normal environment.
Pretty cool. I forgot how much I loved it and I’m so glad I still do. I think I enjoy it more now than then, even. Can’t wait to get new tires and try some dirt roads around here.
My plan has been to have a dual sport/adventure bike setup so that I can ride down baja and back and then all over Mexico, and possibly other parts of North and South America. I figur d that this bike is big enough o get the job done, but also small enough to get back into “riding” shape. This forum and all the people here are the source I’ll need to achieve those dreams. Ride on!
I rode down to Baja for 3 weeks in June and did about 50 to 100 miles of off road (but most roads in town are dirt/sand too). The Versys did fine but I found that deep sand was the most difficult probably because at some point traction is lost with 50/50 tires which is about as much as you want for highway, rough roads and dirt roads. I had a Shinko 705 on the front and a MotoZ on the back. I would suggest a radiator guard, crash bars, skid plate too. I used mostly T-Rex and they worked fine. I have a Givi knock off for front crash bars but to really to protect front flashers (I broke one of my front flashers) something like the T-Rex might be better or reposition them so that they don't stick out quite so much. My son and I did well over 2,000 miles in Baja and the only problem I had was that by the time I got back to Phoenix my chain was shot. I put 14,000 miles on the factory chain.
The 650 has plenty of power but remember as far as suspension and weight goes, it's not a dirt bike. I would also use some bands to reinforce the side and top boxes, the roads are ROUGH. Have fun, watch out for topes, the bike will do it.
I rode down to Baja for 3 weeks in June and did about 50 to 100 miles of off road (but most roads in town are dirt/sand too). The Versys did fine but I found that deep sand was the most difficult probably because at some point traction is lost with 50/50 tires which is about as much as you want for highway, rough roads and dirt roads. I had a Shinko 705 on the front and a MotoZ on the back. I would suggest a radiator guard, crash bars, skid plate too. I used mostly T-Rex and they worked fine. I have a Givi knock off for front crash bars but to really to protect front flashers (I broke one of my front flashers) something like the T-Rex might be better or reposition them so that they don't stick out quite so much. My son and I did well over 2,000 miles in Baja and the only problem I had was that by the time I got back to Phoenix my chain was shot. I put 14,000 miles on the factory chain.
The 650 has plenty of power but remember as far as suspension and weight goes, it's not a dirt bike. I would also use some bands to reinforce the side and top boxes, the roads are ROUGH. Have fun, watch out for topes, the bike will do it.
Fasteddie I've seen your seat fix several times and decided that I was tired of the down slope of the seat and did the fix. It feels comfortable sitting still so I'll take it out tomorrow morning for a nice long drive. Ya know, any excuse for a ride is good...…
Update: Took it for a 100 mile ride and that little fix worked great, much more comfortable.
Ricki Ticki Tavi - when I joined this Forum back in mid-'08, probably the biggest question was HOW to fix the seat problem and what I suggest was something I got from the "early" V650 riders - a solution that WORKS. When I got my FIRST V650 in Sept '08, raising the front of the seat was my first mod, since done to my other TWO V650s in their first few days of being mine.
I have somewhere around 170,000 miles w/ that mod, and that includes a cross-Canada ride, as well as up to Alaska THREE times!
It works indeed! For many folks, not all, this is all the fix they need. I wonder how many people on this forum have replaced or modified their seats without trying this simple fix first!
Did the fix yesterday and got a short 60 miles today. So far so good. Expect it will pay big dividends down the road, too. Thanks for passing along fasteddie.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Kawasaki Versys Forum
507.6K posts
81.9K members
Since 2008
A forum community dedicated to Kawasaki Versys motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, touring, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, adjustments, reviews, maintenance, and more!