Versys owners checkin

[hunting1]

The Givi screen is the cat's A$$! Much quieter ride now. I have a 16-tooth I will sell cheep, did not swap them, just went to a 150/70/17 rear which did the same thing.

[guesswork]

Originally Posted by OnlyVees

First, does anyone regret switching to a 16-tooth front cog?

Second, has anyone here tried either the Givi or the larger Kawi screen? Feedback?

Thanking you in advance.

If I did not have the GIVI screen, I would go out and buy one tomorrow.
Someone had posted about the 16 tooth, lacks a rubber bushing found on the stock 15T and theirfore a bit more vibs. Said they went back to the Stock,,fwiw

[wardo]

I swapped out to the 16t, steel CS sprocket. It is a bit noisier, but I prefer the lower revs for most of the riding I do. There is plenty on tap for the twisties, and it is less spun out on the long straights/Interstate. I've also seen a modest improvement in fuel economy, although that might be due to a variety of factors. It is an inexpensive mod, so I suggest you give it a shot. Do use a 6 point socket on the CS nut, otherwise it is easy to strip.

Regards,
Wardo

[Ko]

Originally Posted by OnlyVees

First, does anyone regret switching to a 16-tooth front cog?

Second, has anyone here tried either the Givi or the larger Kawi screen? Feedback?

Thanking you in advance.

Why would anyone regret switching to a 16T?!? In my case it made the bike MUCH more smoother...it is true that the chain is a bit noisier (I was in a hurry and did not get the sprocket with the rubber damping). Nevertheless, the noise is obvious to me, and only in city driving (I wear earplugs all the time). I had somebody else ride my bike and did not notice a thing. Also, the 16T makes a huge difference when cruising, the bike is more relaxed, like in less vibes and smoother. I have to use the brakes a bit more than before, since it has less engine break power, yet I like it this way more since I can modulate the brake better than I was able to modulate the clutch. Next weekend I hope to have my wife with me, I am curious to see how it feels.

I know two other guys who have the larger Kawi screen and they are disappointed, it gives a bit more protection than the stock one, but not much, and it's noisy.

Since I had to make room for handguards (Zeta straight) I installed 3mm rubber washers underneath the screen to move it farther away, and the result was a quiet ride. It seems that the washers changed the airflow enough that the Givi is not only providing nice weather protection, but the buffeting, which was minimal to start with, disappeared now. The Givi looks big when compared with the stock one, but on the bike looks like it belongs there. For comparison purpose, I am 5'8", and I have a modded seat (changed shape).

The only issue I have with this screen is that when really warm outside I have to ride on pegs from time to time since it gets hot behind. In city driving I switch to stock, but for anything that involves going over 100km/hr I make sure I have the Givi. On the other hand, Givi works great when wet, I lean on the tank/tankbag and look through the screen (it's treated with Raincoat), and it's sweet not to have to clean my visor

[hunting1]

If you put a 150/70/17 rear you will get the same result, more milage and no swapping. I have a 16-tooth I will ship for $25 if interested new.

http://www.heartlandhonda.com/eshopp..._SPROCKETS.htm

[Louisville]

My 2008 Versys has been great. It's so well rounded.

It just passed 4700 on the odometer.

How can I get a pic of it uploaded on here?

[william t.]

Originally Posted by Louisville

My 2008 Versys has been great. It's so well rounded.

It just passed 4700 on the odometer.

How can I get a pic of it uploaded on here?

I use photobucket but there are all kinds of storage places on the net.

[llamapacker]

Just put on new tires, and no issue jacking the front up after building the stand submitted by HR100 on the UK forum. Simple to build if you are a welder or have a friend that welds.

150/70/17 Anakee on rear (still running 16T CS also) Update: changed to 15T and really like the combination!



120/70/17 RoadSmart on front

http://www.versys.co.uk/index.php?op...1&topic=3665.0

[mdaniels]

Originally Posted by orv

It was great to see Pilot at the MOA rally in Wyoming. About the time he found me, we attracted a crowd...we screwed up...we coulda sold 6 or seven of them that night!
...

Pilot will be back soon to chime in on his multi-week adventure throughout the west on the Vs. Great stuff.

I just met him at the Top 'o the Rockies Rally this weekend. It was nice to finally meet another Versys owner - I've seen a few around, but haven't met anyone that has one yet. In the sea of BMW's at the rally, I had quite a few questions about mine.

This was the first trip I've taken on my Versys and it handled it well. No issues at all. A little over 800 miles in 3 days of riding and I'm happy to report my reworked seat was great. No issues at all, other than general soreness after being in the saddle for 6+ hours.

I rode with a few cruiser guys and on the way home I decided I needed to take my own way - their riding was a little conservative for my tastes. I was able to really put the V through its paces and for awhile I even led a small group of other bikes that came up on me - I figured they were going to pass at some point in time, but I guess they liked my pace and they stayed behind for quite awhile.... of course, 40 or so miles later when we got to a stop light, the lead rider pulled up next to me and flipped me off.... I just assumed it was because of the ADV sticker and not that I held them up.

Here's a few photos of the weekend:

Load and ready to go:



Getting the rain gear out on top of Monarch Pass:



General photo of the rally:


Shot from the bike:


Pilot's Versys:


On my way up Independence Pass:


At Independence Pass:


In the Eisenhower Tunnel:


You can see larger version on my Flickr page

Edit: Photos not showing up? Just go to the Flickr link above...

[Louisville]

Originally Posted by mdaniels

I just met him at the Top 'o the Rockies Rally this weekend. It was nice to finally meet another Versys owner - I've seen a few around, but haven't met anyone that has one yet. In the sea of BMW's at the rally, I had quite a few questions about mine.

This was the first trip I've taken on my Versys and it handled it well. No issues at all. A little over 800 miles in 3 days of riding and I'm happy to report my reworked seat was great. No issues at all, other than general soreness after being in the saddle for 6+ hours.

I rode with a few cruiser guys and on the way home I decided I needed to take my own way - their riding was a little conservative for my tastes. I was able to really put the V through its paces and for awhile I even led a group small group of other bikes that came up on me - I figured they were going to pass at some point in time, but I guess they liked my pace and they stayed behind for quite awhile.... of course, 40 or so miles later when we got to a stop light, the lead rider pulled up next to me and flipped me off.... I just assumed it was because of the ADV sticker and not that I held them up.

Here's a few photos of the weekend:

Load and ready to go:



Getting the rain gear out on top of Monarch Pass:



General photo of the rally:


Shot from the bike:


Pilot's Versys:


On my way up Independence Pass:


At Independence Pass:


In the Eisenhaur Tunnel:


You can see larger version on my Flickr page

Edit: Photos not showing up? Just go to the Flickr link above...

nice pics man!


does the front seem a bit light with all that gear toward the back of the bike?

[Louisville]

Originally Posted by mdaniels

I just met him at the Top 'o the Rockies Rally this weekend. It was nice to finally meet another Versys owner - I've seen a few around, but haven't met anyone that has one yet. In the sea of BMW's at the rally, I had quite a few questions about mine.

This was the first trip I've taken on my Versys and it handled it well. No issues at all. A little over 800 miles in 3 days of riding and I'm happy to report my reworked seat was great. No issues at all, other than general soreness after being in the saddle for 6+ hours.


...

nice pics man!


does the front seem a bit light with all that gear toward the back of the bike?

[mdaniels]

Originally Posted by Louisville

nice pics man!

does the front seem a bit light with all that gear toward the back of the bike?

To be honest, I hardly noticed I had anything back there while riding. If anything, I thought it handled a little better, which might be a clue that I should play around with the stock suspension settings, which I've never touched. :)

[llamapacker]

Originally Posted by hunting1

The Givi screen is the cat's A$$! Much quieter ride now. I have a 16-tooth I will sell cheep, did not swap them, just went to a 150/70/17 rear which did the same thing.

Okay, took my 16T off this morning and ran into town and back (35 miles oneway) on the backroads. GREAT combination stock CS with 150/70/17 rear Anakee, plenty of pull and not bad on the highway speeds. I really like the feel of this setup.

Think a lot of the transformation comes from the new tires front and back also. This is a great bike!

[tomatocity]

How many RPMs does the 150/70/17 rear Anakee reduce vs the stock stock rear tire? How many RPMs does the 16T reduce?

[RideAbout]

Originally Posted by tomatocity

How many RPMs does the 150/70/17 rear Anakee reduce vs the stock stock rear tire? How many RPMs does the 16T reduce?

15 vs 16 with stock tire. I need the diameter of the 150/70/17 Anakee to figure the difference vs stock.