Versys 650 – 18 Months, 25000kms

The Versys came home on July 24, 2017, and I’ve been travelling and commuting on it since then and 25000 kms on, this is one of the best decisions i have made!

It was easy whitling down the list of available bikes. Somehow the versys kept calling while I test rode the following;

KTM390

The new one, the fancy one with LED headlight and a TFT screen. Loved the features, and the price. The “wring the throttle and vanish speed”. Had ABS. All Awesome.

But damn, i was just too Tall for it. I felt like the hulk sitting on a fly! Probably good for commuting, but even then not very comfortable for me. Long rides would have been a pain!

Benelli GT600

A friend had it. I rode it a little bit, but found it extremely heavy on the slow turns. And watching him take a U-turn, or take it on slippery slopes was fun for me, daunting/scary for him! On Straights though it felt like a car. Planted. Unshakeable. It was not my cup of tea. Plus no ABS. The service centre too had its own set of issues, hearing many complaints of overcharging and non availability of spares etc. Its discontinued from the Indian Market though. 

Triumph Bonneville 

Superb bike. It is basically a better Bullet. Same stance. Similar presence. But built for the average Indian. I am over 6ft tall and the handle bar would hit my knee at every turn! Plus i wanted something more than a better bullet. Plus no ABS

Triumph Tiger

Would have been my ideal choice, cos it ticked all except 1 box. Vitamin M (money). I dint see a point of paying 15+Lakhs on a bike i plan to take to commute on , plus it was known to heat up a lot in those jammed up traffic scenarios, bangalore is know for. Has ABS, and in higher models, traction controls and other safety features.

Royal Enfield Himalayan
Loved the design. Hated the ride. Took this for a whole day rent from Wicked Ride. Was headed to Ajax Fiori and Musashi Auto in Dodballapur for a meeting and the roads were the right mix of city and highway.

I was the first one to ride this brand new bike of theirs which didn’t even have its number yet!

Over 80km/h on straights, the wind was hitting my neck. No amount of slouching or sitting low helped. The buffeting was crazy! The non Adjustable windscreen was not helping at all! The roads were empty at the time I left. But The return ride was in thick traffic and my legs and inner thighs were hot like tandoori chicken soon!! ..

Not happening!!

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 (2016 version)

This is the bike i took for a +2000km trip on rent and the one that started my hunt for a bike in this “middleweight” superbike category.

A beautiful machine, i took a few days to get used to the posture. But the power was linear. I took very little time to really “learn” the bikes power and what left me most impressed was the braking. It had no ABS. But still the brakes were able to stop the bike in panic mode without throwing me off!!

The engine was already a world proven product, and Kawasaki has milked this engine to bring out the Ninja, the Versys, and more recently the Vulcan. 

It has no qualms of fuel type, It is easy and simple to service. Probably cheaper to manufacture in india as well.

But a sport tourer, did not do too well in bad road/ no road / gravel conditions. and would touch each and every speed breaker on the highways with low ground clearance.

The Versys 650

8.30 L on road. Has Abs. 200mm ground clearance. More torque, less speed. Same Kawasaki engine.

The Bike is tall, but not daunting. The Seat very comfortable. The Black version, which i test rode, was not eye-catching. It, according to a friend, felt like an “overgrown pulsar” . No-one would give it a second glance. Just right for me.

However, in 2017, Kawasaki decided to run a new “green” color as the only color. I wanted to change it back to black initially. But now, after 25000 km on it. I am glad it stands out, as so far, it catches your eye in the rearview mirror and on the highway. and standing still attracts the junta to it to have a look but doesn’t make them comfortable enough to try and sit on it! I Spke to Venkat Shyam, an old friend / client and owner of Auto Service about it. He was one the first to get his hands on the ninja, and he highly recommended the versys for my build and use!

I firmly believe that if you buy an expensive bike/car/ anything – Use it. There is no point doing breakfast rides , or leaving it the garage, or sitting inside “safely” in the confines of your home for people to see.

Another big driving factor, i must admit, was the famous Powerdrift Versys Review – 2016  that sort of sealed the deal.

For me this was my first bike. The one i actually paid (and still paying for). .

I paid 3 Lakhs as down payment and balance 5.4 lakhs is going to go on for the next 5 years at less than 10K a month. An EMI i was ok with paying. 

The Bike is easy to live with. Nice to commute on and do long trips. Its quite easy to maintain. Costing about 3k to 5k every 6000kms at the service centre. Mileage – 18/19kmpl if I ride it on fire. but if i ride it on 110-120km/h the mileage goes to 25kmpl! .. 

I have ridden so far to Goa, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and multiple trips to mangalore. 

My riding has improved in terms of distance travelled between breaks. There is no longer a worry about a clutch cable being broken suddenly, or a breakdown in the middle of nowhere etc. 

The bike has taught me about the importance of tyres , chains and lights ! Accessories are expensive, and i have only add stuff to make my commute easier and more comfortable. Some i have bought original “branded” stuff. But some are from Aliexpress from non-brands but still the quality is very acceptable

The Accessories list so far: (Some have links that will open to a place you can purchase these from) (I have no affiliation to the company the links are from, except as a satisfied customer)

• Barkbusters Hand guards
• Baja Squadron Sport 20W Aux lights  – one in driving pattern and one in spot.
• 12V Cigarette adaptor -Sw Motech
• Aliexpress Mini Led Headlight bulbs (4300k)
• Cameleon Plus Chain Oiler
  • Highly recommend this product. The product is easy to install and configure. And it contributes a significant life to the chain and sprockets. I was able to eke 25000+ kms on the stock chain before finally replacing the stock chain
• Shad 48 Top box
  • Must have for the long haul. But the shape is curved so its not very easy fitting in luggage, which i am usually overloaded with!
• Grip puppies 
  • Extremely comfortable hands. The foam dries very quickly during rain. It keeps my hands from going numb over long rides
• USB charging port
  • bought a qualcomm 3 certified product from aliexpress. Charges the one plus quite quickly
• Ram mount for the phone
  • Extremely durable product, and my phone is very safe in its clutches. Safer still with the tether on!
• Madstad Windscreen (adjustable for rake and height)
  • Highly recommended. The product is made of acrylic, as against polycarbonate of most other windscreens. The product is also adjustable for height as well as angle. 
• HepcoBecker Engine Guard
• Cox Radiator Guard
  • Protects your radiator from stones / debris hitting it and making a hole ! Have seen few bikes waiting for new radiators for want of this. In india, parts can take anywhere between 2 to 10 weeks for it to come from Kawasaki india!
• AliExpress off- road Foot Pegs
  • These are wide foots pegs meant for off road. Cost about 3-4K at Aliexpress. Ideally would loved to have the SW-Motech footpegs.  they are better in looks and function than the Aliexpress one. But pricey! Extremely comfortable for long rides. Especially with people who have big feet!
• AliExpress Wheel Guard
• Aliexpress Tool Tube
  • Good to have. It carries my tools and pack Jack. Sits very comfortably for those rides when you don’t need a top box 
• Sliders and engine guards – Manufactured locally by another Versys Enthusiast

Headed to mangalore again in a few weeks. 

Versys. Truly versatile machine. Enjoying every bit of it! .. Will update this as and when i add more accessories.