The 2021 Versys V649HP, and 2023 Versys Scooter

2021 BUILD SHEET

First generation Versys frame, clear title

2012 EX650 swingarm, extended 25mm, extended 520X-ring chain, custom adjusters

R1 shock, shaved and clearanced Versys 16kg/mm spring, needle bearing bushings

KX450 forks and clamps, 48mm, with custom adapter bushing, tapered roller bearings

DR650 19” front wheel, Buchanan HD rim/spokes, custom spacers, custom 17mm axle

Warp9 320mm front rotor, ER6 caliper, custom double offset caliper mount, SS brake line

DR650 17” rear wheel, Buchanan HD rim/spokes, 520 46T sprocket, custom spacers

DR 650 240mm rear rotor, ER6 caliper, custom double offset caliper mount

Shinko Big Block tires, 804/805

Modified sub frame, custom fender and seat trim mounts, custom fender brace

Fender liner, custom aluminum, OEM fender liner deleted

2012 EX650 sport bike engine…the famed cop motor

Two piece Versys exhaust, custom exhaust port sleeves, Leo Vince slip on

Uni angled pod filters added in airbox

KTM 1290 rear luggage plate, custom mount

KLR650 offset side stand, 85mm extension

Fastway Evolution billet stainless footrests, bored for 12mm pins

Shifter, custom folding end, KLR650

Brake lever, custom folding end, KLR250 footrest

Radiator guard, custom aluminum, custom mounts

SW Motech gravel guard

SW Motech engine guards, custom radiator/engine cover protection added

Custom Wolfman Expedition racks, Berg Briggs 2nd generation hoops, custom mounts/ cross brace

Husqvarna 610SM front fender, custom mounts

Rally Raid KTM690 screen, LED conversion, custom mount

Auxiliary 4” LED lights, Protech switch, LED pilot light, custom mounts, 12V relay

Auxiliary LED running lights, amber side and rear red, custom mounts

Coolant overflow, custom, 400ml

Instrument tower, custom with instrument console protection

ECU, relocated, custom mount

Volt meter, 12V outlet, GPS mount

Battery maintainer lead, fused

Protaper fat bars, Protaper bar mount, Rox risers

Cycra Probend hand guards, SS bar ends

Pazzo short levers

Custom paint

First generation Versys frame, clear title

2009 green Versys on right after the start of part-out. this bike was purchased cheap with a clear title in what the owner reported as non running condition. the bike had a bad battery and i never bothered to even try to start it, although i did note some apparently shorted wires in the main harness located at the typical chafe locations. it also had a bad chassis ground, but that does not usually prevent a start/run on these bikes.

this bike was 100% dealer maintained, and pointed to the fact that a rider/owner should not place all their trust in a dealer service department.

all i wanted from this bike was the frame, controls, harness, anything connected to the motor (but not the motor itself), tank, seat, a few pieces of OEM plastic trim and miscellaneous parts. the rest was sold for 250% of the purchase price.



the bike on the left is also a Versys.

going, going...



gone...

2012 EX650 swingarm, extended 25mm, extended 520X-ring chain, custom adjusters

i've never cared much for the OEM Versys swingarm, i always thought it looked slab sided on the right side, plus it was subject to damage due to the thin sidewall of the casting. a damaged swingarm is not something you would ever want, especially not on a moto built to prowl the backroads.

although 3# lighter and reportedly stiffer than the swingarm on other ER6 model bikes, i always swapped in the ER6 steel swingarms, starting with the 2nd gen ER6F/N. this swingarm had a D shaped tube, and was an upgrade from the original 2006-08 swingarm. the track bike and street racer dudes wanted the Versys swingarm so it brought a good price, whereas the steel swingarms were dirt cheap, meaning the swap was a money make for the builder.

the ER6F/N swingarms were a no mod swap to the Versys, worked fine, but a game changer happened in 2012 with the new model EX650 and it's newly designed and massive steel swingarm. oh baby, i like what i see, but can i get it to fit?

2009-11 swingarm right, 2012+ swingarm left. note that these swingarms mount completely differently to their respective frames, with the 2012 departing from convention by using a center mount and side plates rather than end mounts like the Versys. hmmmm, i should buy one, check it out, they're very inexpensive. after a comedy of errors by the seller, i ended up with two of the 2012s and a refund of the purchase price. Weird, but talk about a monster swingarm, lets make it work.

the swingarms use the same bearings/seals, pivot shaft, and end bushing, but the SS sleeves are different although the ID/OD are the same.



2012 side plate mount.



when i check the assembled width of the 2012, i find that it's exactly the same as the Versys and ER6 swingarms despite the different mounts, so it will swap right in to the Versys frame by using the long SS sleeve from ER6.

the 2012 has the same gap between the needle bearings found on the other swingarms, so this gap needs to be filled with WP grease when grease is applied to the bearings themselves prior to assembly. little grease is used when the bike is assembled at the factory and is never checked at the dealer prior to sale, so assume there isn't any in there. the pivot shaft surface corrodes quickly without grease.



now that there's a heavy duty swingarm on the build sheet, it's time to cut it up, that's next.

one of the things at the top of the performance mod list for backroad ventures is to swap in a suspension that is fully adjustable and affords more suspension travel. swapping components doesn't do any good if the rear wheel, for instance, doesn't have the physical room to move to the limits of the shock at full compression when combines with the geometry of the swingarm movement.

in more basic terms, there ain't enough room on the ass end of the Versys for more suspension travel in stock configuration, the tire will hit the fender liner even with the OEM shock if run hard enough, and the tire will break the fender liner in similar conditions if the commonly swapped R1 shock is installed. lots of riders say "Gee whiz, that never happened on my bike"...all i can say is, load the bike for travel, pick worse conditions, run harder. the big suspension pays a huge dividend on the Versys, even more so if ya make some room.

i wanted at least 2 additional inches of rear travel, and there are only so many ways to go about this when the R1 shock swap is already on the build sheet. typical bike geometry, the angles of the swingarm and subframe diverge, let's increase the radius of swingarm travel at the axle to move the tire away from the subframe. got that monster steel swingarm on hand, let's cut that SOB up a little.

i wanted to move the axle back 25mm and still have room for chain adjustment. i didn't want to move farther back and then face other complications with the chain length. fortunately, the 2012 subframe has huge axle lugs that are easy to modify, and no, you don't need any machine tools to accomplish the job.



the cuts were carefully scribed...



then cut and smoothed...



new end caps fabbed...



then carefully aligned and welded in place...



now i'm halfway to increased wheel travel.

first, take a look at the left side axle lug before the cut, you can see the configuration of the section aft of the slot. this section is 17mm in length, but the raised surface which rides on the wheel spacer is only the full 17mm width for half that length. when the new end cap is in place, now there's 30mm of A36 [email protected] for the entire length. the end cap captures the slot and is double fillet welded on both sides. short version...more steel was replaced than was removed.



second, the axle rides tight in the wheel adjuster blocks, and the blocks sit tight in axle lug receiver slots. while the design incorporates room for the maximum foreseeable chain adjustment, i don't see the blocks ever being fully outside the original slots.

this swingarm ain't going to break.

chid said:

what is the reason you want to increase the wheel base?

what is the target this summer with this new bike? you build it specifically?

Click to expand...

the subframe and swingarm angles diverge, subframe up and swingarm down, so for each unit of measure from some common point, say the swingarm pivot, the greater distance they are apart.

moving the axle back increases the measurement above the tire to the point where there is interference with the subframe assembly. having broken 4 OEM fender liners, i guess i've proven that something needs to be done to fix this issue along the way to greater rear suspension travel. extending the swingarm is the first step, not the last.

broken fender liner after a number of impacts from the tire...



this bike is being prepped for northern gravel, your territory, and north to the Arctic. the new moto will be capable of doing the trip, i just need to get the pass...lots going on here, and i'm temporarily grounded as far as 15,000 mile trips go.

R1 shock, shaved and clearanced Versys 16kg/mm spring, needle bearing bushings

the popular Yamaha R1 shock is a common shock swap to the Versys, and this is my 4th R1 suspended Versys. still found relatively cheap, fully adjustable reservoir style with the correct mounting ends, very durable across all conditions, and longer in length and stroke. what's not to like? this bike gets the shock from a 2008 R1, showroom clean, it looks like it was swapped out for an aftermarket shock after almost no miles.

much has been written about the R1 shock on this forum and others... fitment, bushings, spring size, spring swaps, spring collars, on and on. c'mon, this is just a cheap ass shock swap that happens to work surprisingly well, let's not make it complicated.

yes, you need to make a nice clean radius cut on the right side tank trim to clear the reservoir, but let's talk bushings and springs, springs first. i used to get a custom spring made for the R1 to my specs, and while the introductory price was great and the service fast, the price soon went up 50% and the spring was no longer a bargain. the heck with it, i didn't recommend that source any longer.

i wanted to stay with the OEM Versys spring rate at 16kg/mm, and pulled the spring off an a Versys shock for comparison to the OEM R1 spring. hmmmm, this spring was very close to the R1 spring in length, but the R1 springs i had on hand were not all the same length with the variance about 7-8mm even though they were all from the same model year, strange. secondly, the R1 shock collar only fit one end of the Versys spring, you would think that the ends would have the same ID, but not so. i need to fix these issues if i want a free spring.

springs, for comparison, R1 left, ER6F/N center, Versys right...



Versys spring ground to match the average length of the R1 spring, then clearanced on one end to fit the R1 spring collar. the Versys spring length can be used as is, but i decided to make the change this time. the ID can opened with a Dremel quite easily, only the last 270 degrees of winding need to be addressed.



try fit the shock collar as you go...



until the collar fits and seats without effort...



PLEASE NOTE: a compressed 16kg/mm contains plenty of stored energy, use caution.

R1 shock bushings, let’s cut right to the chase. The R1 uses 10mm mounting bolts, while the OEM Versys shock uses 12mm bolts, big freakin’ deal. Ok, it can be a big deal, and has been for some riders according to their reports as they try to make this swap. it doesn’t need to be difficult, let’s keep it simple.

As everyone must know at this point, the needle bearing end of the R1 uses a hardened SS sleeve with an ID of 10mm, ya need 12mm. How do you handle this little problem? It’s hardened, ya can’t drill it, don’t bother trying. You could have a plain bushing machined from a variety of different materials, source some other needle bearing assembly from an industrial supply, or just have the R1 bushing bored to 12mm and be done with it. C’mon, which sounds easiest? I like the ability to replace the OEM R1 bearing with the same part number if the need should arise. The R1 shock is often sold used with the aluminum shock linkage. If you get the linkage with your purchase, you’ll find an identical SS sleeve included as a spare.

The opposite end of the R1 uses a conventional rubber damped bushing, also with a 10mm ID. Like the other end, this bushing can be swapped for a machined bushing, or after market industrial needle bearing bushing. I’ve elected to swap in the ER6/Versys needle bearing with 12mm ID sleeve, or drill the mild steel bushing insert on the R1 to 12mm. Again, if I’m going to swap needle bearings, I want an OEM part.

Let’s take a look. I’ve never had to order the needle bearing/sleeve from the ER6 shocks since I’ve always had one of these shocks on the shelf and could just press the bearing out. The bearing is just a mild press fit, almost a friction fit, and is easy to remove from the donor shock end. You could also remove it from the Versys shock. Don’t damage the bearing.

R1 shock with end bored to accept the 12mm ER6 bushing assembly from the donor shock...



As you might expect, the R1 shock end has a smaller ID, and needs to be bored for the ER6 bearing. I have done this by hand, but have also had it machined, it’s a simple operation, and inexpensive. The question has been asked as to whether there’s enough material left on the R1 shock end if it’s bored for the larger diameter needle bearing bushing. All I can say is, if I haven’t managed to break one, I doubt anyone will.

R1 with 12mm needle bearing bushings on both ends...



The other option many have used is to drill the steel bushing insert on the R1 to 12mm. The mild steel insert has a thin sldewall, and the bore must be concentric to the original 10mm bore or the bushing is ruined. Riders have reported ruining the bushing, and there have also been reports of machine shops doing some careless work too.

If I decide to use the conventional end, I’ll use a simple fixture to hold the R1 while the bushing is drilled, pretty simple. Low rpm in the drill press, cutting oil, and sharp twist drills in a few graduated sizes up to the metric equivalent of 12mm. check your OEM 12mm mounting bolt with a caliper, you may find it is not exactly 12mm, plan accordingly.

for a simple fixture, i'll bore a piece of scrap 2x4 to fit the diameter of the R1 reservoir, block the shock parallel to the table and square to the quill, then index the bushing insert with a twist drill that is a snug fit on 10mm. go ahead and drill the bushing with stepped twist drill sizes, you should end up with a very satisfactory concentric bore.

scrap bored for reservoir to stabilize the shock...



simple alignment fixture...



if the bore is screwed up for whatever reason, don't let it ruin your day, go to plan B, and swap in the needle bearing bushing.

KX450 forks and clamps, 48mm, with custom adapter bushing, tapered roller bearings

i've previously used DRZ400S fully adjustable forks on my Versys bikes, 49mm conventional, 300mm travel, and very solid performers. simply massive in comparison to the OEM Versys 41mm USD forks.

Versys 41mm USD left, DRZ 49mm conventional right...



the DRZ400 forks are an easy swap to the Versys since the OEM Versys clamps are used along with inexpensive adapters. the swap recipe is well documented with both photos and narrative, mild to wild, very easy overall. add a 19" front wheel at the same time, then take your moto places you hadn't considered possible.

instead of DRZ forks, the 2019 Versys uses KX450 48mm USD forks, also fully adjustable, and 300mm travel. these forks are used with the KX450 clamps and are easy to fit. most clamps that fit forks sourced from the dirtbike world have a smaller center dimension so you want the pinch bolts facing the side or front to avoid interference. other 48mm forks could also be used, but forks from a Kawasaki seemed appropriate for the Versys. personally, i wouldn't fool with forks having stanchions less than 48mm, ain't worth the effort. worldwide, "Go big, or go home" will translate.

first, get rid of those stupid cheap OEM steering bearings, those price point things don't work well, have a short life, were probably never greased at the factory, and are not suited for use with the big suspension.

not hard to see the difference, roller bearing vs OEM ball bearing...



i use my handy shop-built bearing installation tool to install the races...



don't damage the receivers or races during the R&R process, and make sure that the new races are fully seated. note that the race sits slightly below the top edge of the receiver when seated, same on the bottom.



the KX450 stem does not match the Versys stem at the top in either length or diameter, but the 450 bearing race does work with the Versys roller bearing on the bottom, making the swap very straight forward. all that's needed is an adapter that mates the 450 stem OD to the Versys bearing ID, plus the height adjustment.

better get on the computer and create a CAD file so i can get the adapter machined, man, i'm fast with this techy nerd-o-matic stuff...



adapter on the steering bearing...



adapter with the KX450 top clamp...



the stem nut was fully engaged with the 10mm adapter flange, but i liked 7mm better and had it cut down to that dimension.

the steering stop on the Versys frame head stock was sized and positioned for the Versys clamps/forks and does not work with the KX clamps/forks setup, it needs fixin'.

i didn't want to add a piece of junk, wouldn't look right, better pick up the OD of the head stock, get out the white board, do some high level arithmetic...damn, this is hard work.



piece of scrap steel, 2.5" and 4" hole saws, single pilot hole, then make the cuts to 90%, snap it apart, smooth the edges, and you have a steering stop with perfect ID and OD radii.

position the new stop...



weld it in place...



now ya have an installed and functioning set of KX450 forks on the Versys frame.

DR650 19” front wheel, Buchanan HD rim/spokes, custom spacers, custom 17mm axle

DR650 17” rear wheel, Buchanan HD rim/spokes, 520 46T sprocket, custom spacers

Shinko Big Block tires, 804/805

the previous bikes have been all over the USA and Canada, some miles across "road" conditions you would have to be there to believe...all on cast wheels. riders don't seem to think cast wheels are up to the task in rough conditions under a big bike, but how can that argument be made to a rider that went way the heck out there, then came way the heck back, all on cast wheels. tens of thousands of miles on gravel, never bent a cast wheel, never broke a cast wheel, ok, ok, i did scratch the paint from time to time. let's put the issue to rest, it's baloney. y'all got the cast wheels, get on out there, don't park the damn bike.

so with all those cast wheel miles, coupled with claims that i would never ever run spoke wheels, i promptly sourced a very nice set of spoke wheels for the 2019 Versys, let's check the view from the other side. i already had a cast rear wheel for this new moto and was looking for a cast DL1000 19" front when i stumbled on a spoke set that i thought i could make work.

this set of wheels came from Procycle and were custom built for a 2nd gen DR650 in 17/19 at substantial expense. this set was ordered turnkey, complete with Shinko 705s, and ready to install. check it out on Procycle, the price for this set will take your breath away. the guy who purchased them decided to sell for some reason, and i bought them for next to nuthin' relative to the original cost. some nubs were still on the 705s. the rims will eventually be sealed to run tubeless.



those 705s do work on these bikes, but i had other things in mind regarding travel, so a 804/805 set showed up at the door. some day i'll put up a tutorial on changing tires by hand, no tire machine for me, it's easy. i guess i'm authorized to say that after the R&R on dozens of tires.



i couldn't resist, got the frame, got the extended swingarm, got the KX forks, got the shock, got the spokes, plus an old KLR fender and fatbars, let's stand back and see how this moto is shaping up...

Fastoman said:

:thumb:jdrocks , you are building a bike from scratch...

Click to expand...

that's it, why wait for some moto company to offer up an expensive bike that fits some of your performance criteria, but is easily damaged in the event of a drop, and is expensive to fix, not to mention expensive to maintain.

the flip side, build your own bike that checks off all the boxes, is ultra cheap, is very rugged and not easily damaged, but cheap to repair if it is. these bikes are all about cheap used parts, only the occasion items are purchased new, like tires, or parts that are very infrequently found used no matter how hard you search.

all these bikes have been flopped numerous times, sometimes due to very trying conditions, sometimes due to bad decisions, sometimes due to lack of skill. the idea is to jump the moto back up, and ride away...not break something and face a long damn walk.



the bikes are easy to build, require an absolute minimum of machine work, and are well documented. there's not much guesswork left for anyone thinking about a clone. i've fielded questions about building these bikes from dozens of countries representing all continents except Antarctica, i guess riders like the "build your own" concept.

the USA is awash in cheap moto parts, and modifications are not regulated for the most part, contrary to laws in some other countries. a moto that's easy to build in the States may not even be possible in other countries.

speaking of cheap, i expect the 2019 Versys to be turnkey, road ready, and fully equipped, for 500 USD greenbacks...the total out of pocket cost exclusive of the new tires, which technically i didn't need since the 705s were near new.

Fender liner, custom aluminum, OEM fender liner deleted

extending the swingarm moves the axle back and the tire away from the subframe assembly, now the job is half way down the road to making the room for added rear suspension travel. y'all want 200mm plus of rear travel, start cuttin'.

i already mentioned that i break the OEM fender liner, maybe i could modify it, or swap in a fender liner from a different model bike...



nope, that's not going to work, just hit the fender liner delete buttom, get rid of the whole damn thing.

Versys subframe/fender liner prior to the massacre...



trimmed out all the unnecessary junk..



new liner support frame...



new aluminum liner raised in the subframe on the custom mount...



that's it, phase two complete, now there's room for rear suspension travel...a measured 215mm, i'm hopeful that i won't break anything under there now.

the frames and related assemblies on these bikes have been Kawasaki silver, gloss black, hot rod black, and gloss red. new bike, let's pick a color you don't see too often for the frame, and i really liked the color of the Husqvarna 701 frame, even stopped by the dealer to check it out, yeah man, let's go with that one...



i shoot Summit single stage urethane for most moto parts, a good value, and very durable. these are not show bikes and the paint work is not pro level work, but looks pretty damn good from say...about 10-15 feet.

with the frame painted, let's get this moto back on it's feet. at the start of the process, a section of pipe through the frame tube and a pair of jack stands make things easy...



the forks got a bit of black urethane, i don't know why manufacturer's seem to think that gold anodizing looks great on a bike, not this one, don't care for it myself...



remember that new set of Shinko 804/805 tires, now they're mounted...



then the wheels are temporarily mounted, there's still some work that needs to be done to finalize the spacers, caliper mounts, rotors, sprocket, and so on...



the EX650 swingarm is equipped with an OEM hugger, required on these bikes...



fancy paint, new pair of sneakers, right side up...