Versys owners checkin

Yeah the modification costs are expensive but the value of the overall bike makes it a great buy in the adventure category.

New Versys: $5200.
Traxxion AK-20 Mod: $1,400.
Elka custom shock: $1,400.
Woodys Wheels: $1,900.
Filter Pods: $30.00
Kildala Rad Guard and brackets: $220.
Mud Flap: $60.
SW-Motech Skid Plate: $240.00
SW-Motech Quick release Pelican mounts: $245.
Pelican cases: $480.
Hepco Becker Engine Guard: $190.
Givi wind screen: $140.
Cycra Probend hand guards: $135.
Rox rubber mounted 2" Fat Bar risers $140.
Pro Taper Fat bar: $70.
Custom seat: $300.
BRP chain guide $100.
New DID X-ring Chain: $180.
Raised Fender mount: $20.

Total Mods: $7,250.
Cost of Bike: $5,200.
Complete Adventure Bike: $12,250. (plus personal labor)

Very impressive.

That is without a doubt the hottest Versys I have ever seen! Just awesome!

A couple of questions about the wheels. When you say $1,900 for the wheels, does that include the "custom hubs", and the tires? Are they a bolt-on solution for $1,900? Thanks!

The Woody's Wheels include hubs spokes sealing and excel signature rims.
You provide the stock rotors and sprockets off your Versys to them and your choice of tires Knobbies or dual sport tires. They will mount and balance and verify seal quality for that price. Zak did the custom work at Woody's:

http://www.woodyswheelworks.com/

Also if anyone needs a good condition stock Versys rim front, rear or both we can sell them cheap.

That's the most impressive transformation of a Versys I have seen to date. Between all that work you put into it and that bulletproof engine, you have one nice ADV bike

David

That's odd that Woody was able to produce a set of Versys wheels "under the radar" when folks have been begging for Strom wheels for years now. :huh
I don't even know if the Strom wheels are even available yet.

Are the hubs on the Versys something that crosses over with another bike?

Actually V Strom 1000 and Versys wheels are an easy interchange.(the 650 V Strom uses smaller bearings) I've had a"19" V Strom 1000 front wheel on my Versys for a year now. The rear is not to hard either I just didn't bother to match them up yet. So it should be possible to use those hubs on a V Strom 1000.

I'm not trying to offend anyone, so please don't take this wrong, but Why?

I agree that it's a beautiful build, but for the money, couldn't you have come close to paying for a BMW or KTM?

That's not even touching the labor.

I see roughly the same labor invested in the several mutant ninja builds, and a cash investment of less than 20% of this machine, and at the end, I'm willing to bet that any of the ninja builds would be equally as capable offroad.

I'm not hating on your bike, I just think you've priced yourself way out of the market. There's a reason people build a bike instead of buying one off the shelf. Money.

IMHO It is a lot of money, but, it's a brand new bike set up with first rate equipment. Even a BMW or KTM would not come with: Traxxion AK-20 Mod, Elka custom shock, Woodys Wheels, Filter Pods, Kildala rad. guard and brackets, mud flap, SW-Motech skid plate, SW-Motech quick release Pelican mounts, Pelican cases, Hepco Becker engine guard, Givi wind screen, Cycra Probend hand guards, Rox rubber mounted 2" Fat Bar risers, raised fender mount, custom seat, BRP chain guide, DID X-ring chain. The BMW or KTM may have the Pro-Taper bars and laced wheels but not tubeless. But everything else would have to be added to the BMW or KTM also, if that is what you wanted. So yeah a $12000 Versys is high, but my $14000 BMW's final cost was a lot higher than $14000! The labor would be much more on a mutant build and $2500 would be really low also. The bike looks good and will perform the job the builder is asking of it, and considering what he's got $12000 ain't that bad. I think people just see $12000 Versys, WTF!!!!! They need to look at the big picture. Like I said "IMHO".

Do the brake dics swap over or did you run the Strom dics on your conversion?
BTW, PM me some pics of this

If the dics can swap perhaps Woody has finally made some wire wheels for the Stroms and the Versys piggy backed off that.
The last time I check on the Strom wheels was a few months back and they were still not being made.
Even piggy backing it seems real quick to have these Versys rims out.

Woody talked Bob at Radd into dong it for us. He did it knowing the demand would be out there. Woody stuck his neck out and hopes to sell them. Stock Versys wheels are a real problem for adventure riding.
These wheels give the suspension that little bit of cushion to make the new ride so smooooth!

No these wheels use all stock Versys rotors, sprockets.
They were made specifically for the Versys by Woody.

I couldn't care less about offroad, but this Versys is the best I've seen yet.

Compared to what?
Now you have a too tall 475lb dirt bike that still goes too fast in first and still has choppy low speed fueling. And it's not the great streetbike that it once was.

I like where you're going with it and you've done a nice job. For me I think I would just buy something that's already designed for that use. There are some nice choices out there that aren't any more than what you have in it. Models that come to mind are 690 enduro, F800GS, 800XC. I would probly just go find a nice used 650X or an LC4.

Definitely the wheels and suspension upgrades are a big improvement. But five grand to do that? Oh my! As much as the whole bike. I always invest and modify with selling in mind. Can I get my money back out of it?

Run it like a dirtbike and I'll bet lots of stuff breaks. Its not very waterproof either, the whole under-seat pan is just plastic and full of holes. Time to offload those fairings as well.

I love my Versys, and as much as I would love for it to be an enduro, I think I'll just keep it as a great streetbike and get a good enduro bike.

EDIT: BTW, in looking at the bikes in your sig I just have to ask myself WHY???

I used V Strom dics. That may be an issue, but it doesn't seem that converting the dics wouuld be a big thing.
There is a pic at the link below.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=276645&page=161

How true! I got $27,000. in my BMW F800GS and that is a stock motor and exhaust! The Versys is a great platform and this bike will kick butt against a stock BMW F800GS. I dont expect many people to do this but the development work is done and if anyone is interested in some of these mods it is posted here for collective database.

Well after 15,000 miles and 1 year, the too bright green was getting old to look at, so I took the gas tank and 2 tank cowlings down to a local auto body shop and the guy said $150...yes sir,sand,primer,black paint with clear coat mixed in...a few days later my 2009 Versys is looking very handsome while I had the tank off I checked my valve clearance and they were spot on specs... what a brilliant motorcycle ! Cheers ADV riders... Malcolm

Just a heads up for those looking to upgrade the OEM suspension. I had my suspension redone by Windmill Motorsports- he's local to me. Total cost for forks and rear shock were about a third of an aftermarket shock, and included setting the bike up. I am aware of still having a compromise suspension, but it's darn good for me on this bike.
The rear shock is rechargeable now, via a bolt. The front is much better, absorbing instead of just deflecting, but the best improvement was from the rear. Would've been nice to have a 3-way shock, but this one does a good job for me for the way I use the bike now.



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I am very intrigued by these 19/17 wheels on the Versys.
I bought my Versys cheap enough that I could pop for these and still be close to what a similar V-Strom would have cost.

What effect do they have on the street handling of the bike?

What is involved with raising the fender?

Would it be practical to keep the stock rims with long wearing tires for commuting/touring and swap them out with the 19/17's?

If you are talking about the V Strom front wheel swap it cost less than $450 total counting new bearings, seals, brake line and paint, not counting the tire as my old one needed to be replaced anyway. But the junk yard wheel did have an almost new tire that I chose not to use. The Woodys swap is a little more but looks a lot tricker.