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New Member (Long Island)

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  fasteddiecopeman 
#1 ·
Hi everyone! Glad to join the forum. A little about myself, I’ve been riding on the road for about 14 years (and off the road for quite a bit longer). I’m currently NOT the owner of a brand spanking new Versys, but that’s what brings me to the forum! The Versys has made it to the top of my short list and I hope to pick some of your brains about it over the next few weeks. Also, I live on Long Island, so if anyone is local and willing to let me fawn over their machine...:grin2:
 
#2 ·
#4 · (Edited)
:welcome: aboard!

FWIW - I bought my FIRST V650 (an '08 in AZ) after MOTORCYCLIST magazine gave it their MOTY (Motorcycle Of The Year) award in '08, and I was so happy w/ it that I bought an '09 'leftover' that I imported into Canada, which I later replaced w/ a '15 V650.

Around 170,000 happy miles among the three. And a LOT of those on dirt roads including the Dempster Hwy in the Yukon/ NWT!

:cool:
 
#5 ·
<a href="http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/images/smilies/welcomesign.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Welcome Sign" >:)</a> aboard!

FWIW - I bought my FIRST V650 (an '08 in AZ) after MOTORCYCLIST magazine gave it their MOTY (Motorcycle Of The Year) award in '08, and I was so happy w/ it that I bought an '09 'leftover' that I imported into Canada, which I later replaced w/ a '15 V650.

Around 170,000 happy miles among the three. And a LOT of those on dirt roads including the Dempster Hwy in the Yukon/ NWT!

<a href="http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/images/smilies/cool.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Cool" >:)</a>
That’s great to hear! I’m coming off an HD Road King. It has just wound up being way more bike than I need, and even in 2019 I find the reliability and build quality to still be classically HD. I’ve had enough of my important pieces rattle off or stop working after being exposed to rain once. Since you clearly have put some miles on those things...I know the question of it’s highway chops has come up already and, at risk of being reference to the previous posts...I commute 100 miles round-trip when I work and about 85 of it is highway. When traffic is moving, it’s typically going 75-80 mph. I’ve read a bunch of posts in which people say it will run at those speeds all day, but what I’m curious about is if it’s gonna feel like its working a little bit at those speeds or if it’ll just be in cruising speed. If someone dives into my lane at that speed I guess I want to know that I will have enough “in the tank” to twist the throttle and get out of the way. Thoughts?
 
#7 ·
Ditto what Fast Eddie said.

I have a 2014 V650, similar commute to yours (80 miles r/t, all highway, 75mph). It's spinning 6000 RPM in 6th gear but will still accelerate. A quick jab down to 5th and it accelerates FAST. No, it can't compare to the down-low torque of your Road King (or my prior bike, an '02 Bandit 1200), but it definitely has room to run above highway speeds (don't ask me how I know ;))
 
#10 ·
My '08 = 85,219 miles;
my '09 = 62,790 kms at which time it was an insurance 'write-off' from a low-side crash on the Dempster Hwy an hour S of Inuvik, then ridden to Kelowna, BC;
and my '15 (ALL V650s!) = 73,498 kms as of this morning's ride

The '08 gets ridden during winter (in AZ), while the '09 and '15 are (or were...:wink2:) ridden the rest of the year in Canada.
 
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