Versys owners checkin

[william t.]

Videos from the day.

This is hwy 68 in Tn. on our way back towards Ducktown from Tellico Plains.

http://media.putfile.com/Hwy-68-south-from-Tellico-Plains


The best of all Hwy 30.
http://media.putfile.com/Hwy-30-on-the-Versys


Hwy 315
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2204795281558602130&hl=en

[Gaston Gagne]

Versys tour

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=373022

[william t.]

Originally Posted by Gaston Gagne

Versys tour

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=373022

How does the beaded seat work for you? I am thinking about trying it.

[Ko]

Originally Posted by tac650

The bags are big and catch a lot of wind, I use them mainly on trips. Around town I have the small E21s that I like. The E360s will take a full face helmet though.

Regarding the racks, I would pay attention to what goes in bags and where the bike goes.

I recently broke the L-brackets on my Givi top rack. For those looking to buy racks, I would suggest to buy SW, the Givi ones use those brackets to support the whole weight of the bags. Wish I thought about that before spending the money on them. I could get new brackets machined, but I am sure they will give up again, thus it's SW this time.

[Ko]

Everyone has a busy schedule, so I will keep it short and to the point. Well, went for a short trip West, mainly British Columbia and Alberta (Canada). Logged on the bike about 4600km in 6 days, 2 up.

I was a bit worried about going 2 up, not because of the bike, but because wife and luggage means I will not be able to enjoy the roads as much. Those going 2 up know what I mean, it’s the added weight and the occasional jabs…which mean take it slower, NOW… jabs that can be felt through the jacket…Unfounded fears, weight wise, because jabs I got some, especially after catching air couple times while in Glacier park, Montana.

To give some context, I am 180lb and wife is 140lb in full gear, and our luggage oscillated between 25 to 50lb. I am running on Avon Storm front and PR2 on rear, the shock was on highest position, 7 I think, and I have a Speedy lowering kit mounted on the bike. The tires were great, only one event while at glaciers, but was my own stupidity for pushing it a bit while we had rain mixed with flurries, and 4C outside, resulting in a small side sleep of the rear.

Bike felt great while pushed through corners, it actually felt more stable than when single at speeds that can leave one without bike and license in Ontario, Canada. Of course it worked harder, but it did not complain at all. The chicken strips were about 3/8 of an inch after this trip, which is a bit more than usual. My philosophy is to not push it all the way to allow for surprises, talking about bike now, I would not even dare discuss family matters, you never know...hate to sleep in the doghouse... Back on topic, had the oil changed right before departing home, and the level is still the same, nothing lost.

The brakes though were a bit of a let down when worked hard. The initial dullness, don’t know how to explain this otherwise, was way more accentuated with all this weight. The brakes were still grabbing, but were hard to modulate, and it felt like nothing was going on at the beginning.

Seat wise, maybe I am the odd one out there, did not bother me at all. Similarly, wife had no complaints either. I had the seat raised with washers at the front to diminish the slope towards front, and also had some rubber underlay pushed through the vents in the seat pan (thanks Invader). The result is a raised seat with no slope, and is wider than before. I also had a Alaska sheep skin to give me some airflow. Wife had a gel pad that gave her a bit more room at the back by going over the seat handles. Longest distance 2 up was about 900km. Biggest issue with this bike were tired knees, for both of us. I solved this issue by using the crash bars as highway pegs, while my wife was resting her legs on my footpegs. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the roads had very few straight sections to allow us to rest our feet.



There are couple of pictures to demonstrate once and for all that Canada is nothing but a desert…With couple glaciers thrown here and there…



leaving my in-laws place, gloves still to come...


Rockies mundane scenery


a bit of desert, still Canada


nice roads




nice bike








had to take her in the ocean



and a bit of glaciers






PS for those able to get there, do not miss Logan Pass (I missed it again, it snowed when we got there after riding from Calgary only to make the pass). Also, at the top of my list is a road on Vancouver Island, #14 (West Coast Road), from Victoria to Port Renfrew . So far is the best stretch of road I rode/drove ever. About 80km of road with lots, lots, lots of corners and switchbacks. And best of all, no one there, and no donut shops…Just the ocean on one side, and the mountains on the other, most times anyways…Road Map I did not have time to do the inland loops, those look interesting as well...

[tac650]

Great pictures and ride report....

[Gaston Gagne]

Originally Posted by william t.

How does the beaded seat work for you? I am thinking about trying it.

Those are marshmallows. But seriously, with cordura pants on, the beads are a big improvement for staying in the seat for long periods. Around town in street clothes, they become a bit uncomfortable. I rode Saturday (The Dirt Dragon) for two hours, and I wished I had worn the cordura pants. Not too uncomfortable, but I would have prefered just the seat.

For 9 bucks at Auto Zone, they're hard to beat.

[Kynosis]

I've never been to vancouver island on a bike ( I remember getting carsick on the way to Tofino though when I was younger) Those roads would be sweet but the logging truck would scare the $#!T out of me I think.
cool trip.

[Lukejt]

Originally Posted by SATEX

Ok. That tells me more than "kicks ass." I'd say the quality of your posts, after only two tries, is improving dramatically.

Re the power, the Versys seems to me a very nice middleweight/mid-power bike. If I thought more power would allow me to ride the bike quicker/more effectively, I'd be interested.

Alright, should have re-read that first thread.

Anyway, I did the vacuum hose T mod a couple weeks ago. I found that the mod smoothed out the bottom end of the rev range a lot and seemed to also reduce engine breaking a bit while eliminating some of the "herky jerkiness" when on and off throttle at low speed/rpm.

I wanted more wheelie power. I wanted my V to feel more like a dirt bike. It was hard, but I forked over substantial $$ for a TBR CF can (after reviewing a couple before and after dyno charts and trying that stupid cherry bomb POS kit sold online...waste of $$ and unsafe that kit). I removed the gold noise reducing insert on the TBR because I think the can looks better w/o it, but the bike was just way too loud imho. I mean like stupid quadtarded loud. I reinstalled the tip for a db loss of 2-3 according to TBR (2-3db = 1/4-1/8 the sound output) and it is indeed much quieter. My wife says its no where near as loud as our neighbors Hardlys. In fact, when I came home last night niether the kids or wifey heard my come down the driveway, all three were freaked out when they heard the garage door open.

The TBR can definately helps down low in the RPM range. Prior to the TBR, I could wack the throttle wide open from 2Krpm in 4-6th gears and just hold it there for what seemed like forever while the bike bogged and SLOWLY accelerated. It will now actually pull really well, even from 2 or 3k rpms. I found myself shifing a LOT less yesterday. The front end comes up much easier now (I'm 6'2" 240lbs), I've had it stand right up shifting into 2nd and 3rd, and I've had a bunch of roll on wheelies at 50mph from around 4000 rpms (try that with the OE exhaust). Last night I let my friend ride it, and it sounded sweet. Definately not too loud when just cruising or at idle. I feel the can was well worth it. Acording to a dyno posted on another Versys sight, a slip on boosts torque about 10%, and it does it 2000 rpms sooner than stock. In other words, you get more torque at 3k rpm than the stock muffler at 5500rpm. It does nothing however for the top end of the rev range. The V is a bike thats faster when you short shift around 7500 rpms (still getting used to this as I'm coming off an FZ1).

Speaking of the FZ1, the V motor feels like a real pussycat. My FZ1 was an 01 that was geared down, fitted with an Ivan's jet kit and an M4 exhaust. It was SCARY fast! The V is better handling, more comfortable and more fun. The only place I'd rather be on the FZ1 is when cruising at way more than legal speeds on the highway, or if I just felt a need for speed.

How about some pics?

The V handles dirt and gravel roads with ease;


All along this road in the Catoctin mountains north of Frederick are tiny creeks loaded with rocks and water falls;



Wifey enjoys the V a lot more than the FZ1, and for some reason I don't even notice her on the back of the smaller bike, it's excellent 2 up;


Lot's of gravel roads around here;


Smooooth sailing;


Massive machine located at a quarry outside New Windsor;

[OnlyVees]

To those who have installed washers under the seat... where, exactly did you put the washers? How many? etc... I took a peek, and it looks pretty tight under there...

[Ko]

Originally Posted by OnlyVees

To those who have installed washers under the seat... where, exactly did you put the washers? How many? etc... I took a peek, and it looks pretty tight under there...

There's an upside down U shaped bracket toward the tank where the plastic lip of the seat pan goes in. That bracket is held by 2 bolts, I think they have a 7 stamped on them. I don't have the bike here now, but I think I have added 2 heavy washers on each side. I am not sure how much I gained doing that though, because I added rubber underlay used for commercial flooring through the vents in the seat pan at the same time, with the same purpose, to raise the front.

The foam holding the battery in place is still touching the battery, so no concern there. Having said that, the seat is rocking slightly sideways, but is not something to be felt while riding. The rocking could be prevented by adding something under the seat pan at the front, but like I said, after 7000km it doesn't worry me at all.

[Bear on a bicycle]

Originally Posted by OnlyVees

To those who have installed washers under the seat... where, exactly did you put the washers? How many? etc... I took a peek, and it looks pretty tight under there...

I think this thread may help:

http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums...light=seat+mod

(I hope you can see the pictures)

[rich_mc]

Anybody know what the 2009 color(s) will be??

[Gustavo]

Originally Posted by rich_mc

Anybody know what the 2009 color(s) will be??

My dealer says that based on what he's been hearing it's going to be black and green for '09. It's not official info yet, though.

Gustavo

[william t.]

The green would be nice.