[Red Liner]

I wonder sometimes If i should have waited for a nice pre owned triumph tiger, but the urge was catastrophically waiting to explode like a volcano on Jupiter and the versys came home immediately within 24 hours of setting foot in Bangalore.

No complaints at all.

However, if I ever "upgrade" again from this bike, which seems highly unlikely, I will most likely only downgrade on capacity - it will 100% be via the pre-owned route.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

but i think i should share how i got converted and this is like Jio offer, one needs to grab it when it's free and use it to max.

Jaggu, you are nicely drilling the "pre-owned" buying point home. I reckon till a certain upper limit ( Say about 10-12 lakhs), I think will continue to buy new but, god forbid the day, I fall in love with something that is beyond my financial reach then I will be forced to look at "pre-owned" a route that i may not necessarily like for many reasons (strongest being my personal choice)

But, there is also a middle class thought always in mind that spending >10 lakhs on a motorcycle is pure wastage of good money as motorcycles can get better only to some extent after a certain point so why break that FD for it?

Upgrade bug does not really bite me too often and only reason for upgrading would be "boredom", "full utilization" or " getting rid of jingle and jangle in the pocket"....Also, I also strongly believe that people who upgrade often are the ones who have no clue of what they want in the first place !!

Originally Posted by Red Liner

However, if I ever "upgrade" again from this bike, which seems highly unlikely, I will most likely only downgrade on capacity - it will 100% be via the pre-owned route.

Buying the Duke 390? That would be one heck of a downgrade from the Versys

I don't think I will upgrade anytime soon (2 years minimum)

Only an Africa Twin or BMW GS 1200 can tempt me to change my mind. (i.e), if there is a "pristine" one available for a throwaway price in the preowned market (imagine talking of preowned market of not even released bikes....LOL!)

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Buying the Duke 390? That would be one heck of a downgrade from the V

I don't think I will upgrade anytime soon (2 years minimum)

Only an Africa Twin or BMW GS 1200 can tempt me to change my mind. (i.e), if there is a "pristine" one available for a throwaway price in the preowned market (imagine talking of preowned market of not even released bikes....LOL!)

I am just waiting for a good 400-500 CC + 60 BHP + 160kgs kerb weight adv class bike to get launched. A KTM 690 would have been perfect.

Now I know my priorities.

BTW, I took a TD of the KTM 250 yesterday and it was hogwash. Impossible to tour in that contraption. Fantastic city cycle. If the 390 is anything similar in terms of ergonomics, that bike is far far away from my radar. I am yet to TD that bike however.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Only an Africa Twin or BMW GS 1200 can tempt me to change my mind. (i.e), if there is a "pristine" one available for a throwaway price in the preowned market (imagine talking of preowned market of not even released bikes....LOL!)

Keep the advance ready, am sure you will get one of these sooner than you think the same confused folks who buy bikes without thought are out there and are blessing for people looking for an upgrade.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I am just waiting for a good 400-500 CC + 60 BHP + 160kgs kerb weight adv class bike to get launched. A KTM 690 would have been perfect.

But you tour a lot right? I still would prefer a heavier and more powerful bike for this. The difference is same like driving a Ciaz Vs a Benz on the highways. They are lot less tiresome / effortless and bloody comfortable. More than the top speeds the way in which the bigger bikes munch up miles and effortlessly at that, makes a sea difference for me.

A KTM 690 would make sense if you are predominatly prowling in urban area with ocassional medium (200-300 kms) ride outs. Infact more suitable for me than you

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

But you tour a lot right? I still would prefer a heavier and more powerful bike for this. The difference is same like driving a Ciaz Vs a Benz on the highways. They are lot less tiresome / effortless and bloody comfortable. More than the top speeds the way in which the bigger bikes munch up miles and effortlessly at that, makes a sea difference for me.

A KTM 690 would make sense if you are predominatly prowling in urban area with ocassional medium (200-300 kms) ride outs. Infact more suitable for me than you

Correct Jaggu, but I have found that I do not exceed 120-130 kph for extended period of times on the road. Thus 60 horses is good enough for unstrained touring at these speeds.

Also, weight plays a major role for me. I myself weigh just 70 kgs and shrinking. Even the versys at 220 kgs is too much for me to go green laning or trail riding with confidently. Key word here is confidence. Add luggage and you're talking 250 kgs easy. Lifting that up from a fall alone on a trail somewhere is not enviable.

A bike that can do both quick tarmac touring and reasonable fast trail riding is my choice. Kind of like a 500cc Honda Africa Twin. That would be fantastic!

Lastly, I am looking at a reasonably mass market product so I don't get tied down with expensive spare parts.

A KTM 690 kitted out to tour the world like many folks on Advrider have done - this floats my boat.

Very tough to check all the boxes. But lets see how the market plays out in the next couple of years.

We should ride sometime. Does our BODA team ride or still stuck with their 4wd contraptions?

[Jaggu]

Yup the weight matters for smaller frames, especially in tricky situations. One of the reason i bagged my tiger was this; the previous owner got overwhelmed by the weight and parked it, after he had a narrow escape (drop) at a petrol filling.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

We should ride sometime. Does our BODA team ride or still stuck with their 4wd contraptions?

We do, usually head out to the hills or Mallu land. Just that this summer seems to be a super downer for any sort of rides. Will keep you posted if something comes up.

[atul.ktm]

Finally my 390 is ready to hang up it's boots for touring duties, will be booking a Versys (Green color) very soon.

Had one query, after the recent 18% interest rate hike of bikes in Karnataka, the on-road price of V650 has gone upto 8.35 lacs.

Is it really true or the dealer that i spoke with wasn't having the correct info and the on-road is still 7.79 lacs in Bangalore?

Also, I checked for the price of stock panniers, they are an exorbitant 1 lac for the pair. That's outrageous in my opinion.

Having used multiple sets of soft saddle bags in the past (Cramster stallion, Viaterra Velox, Rynox Nomad, Dirtsack Frogman to name a few), now I feel I should move towards hard bags for ease of loading/unloading on rides. There are few options from Givi, SW, Hepco, Shad etc.

So wanted to know the opinion of fellow T-bhpians if anyone is using any of the above. And if there are any other options?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by atul.ktm

Finally my 390 is ready to hang up it's boots for touring duties, will be booking a Versys (Green color) very soon.

Congrats Atul. Welcome to the Versys world.

Originally Posted by atul.ktm

Had one query, after the recent 18% interest rate hike of bikes in Karnataka, the on-road price of V650 has gone upto 8.35 lacs.Is it really true or the dealer that i spoke with wasn't having the correct info and the on-road is still 7.79 lacs in Bangalore?

With the new tax calculations in Bangalore that is the correct price. That was one of the reason people were scrambling to buy it before March 31st

Originally Posted by atul.ktm

Also, I checked for the price of stock panniers, they are an exorbitant 1 lac for the pair. That's outrageous in my opinion.

Having used multiple sets of soft saddle bags in the past (Cramster stallion, Viaterra Velox, Rynox Nomad, Dirtsack Frogman to name a few), now I feel I should move towards hard bags for ease of loading/unloading on rides. There are few options from Givi, SW, Hepco, Shad etc.

I would recommend using the saddle bags and saddle bad stays have been made by one of the Versys owner from Bangalore (He also made Front Forks, Rear Forks, GPS Holder, Jack to lift the bike etc)

Plenty of options so don't take any decision hastily. Explore and then decide

Originally Posted by atul.ktm

So wanted to know the opinion of fellow T-bhpians if anyone is using any of the above. And if there are any other options?

When you buy the Versys, you can benefit from the 125-member strong VIR (Versys India Riders) so they can guide you what is best with respect to luggage options


Well, it was exactly 1-month that I touched my bike. It's so hot just don't feel like riding besides my work schedule is crazy so not been able to ride at all

I decided to change my tyres this weekend so went to the friendly neighborhood guy and asked him to check for rim bent as well as change the tyres for both front and rear

There was a small rim bent identified in the front rim which was corrected and then both tyres were changed with rear now 10mm smaller than stock size.

Overall Damages : INR 700/-

Tyre getting removed from the rim



Look at condition of rear tyre. Even the steel braids are visible. I have never used a tyre until this condition. But, yeah V makes me ride it aggressively and result is this. Even in this condition, I was able to do some decent lean angles



New tyres after the installation. Hope these last little longer















P.S : Rode it gently for 10kms only after installation. Will share a detailed feedback after 200-250kms

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Overall Damages : INR 700/-

Is this a typo, is it Rs. 7000 for both tyres or Rs.700 only for work on bent rim?

Tyre getting removed from the rim

Would have preferred tyre technician to have kept a cloth beneath rim so that disc doesn't get damaged.

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Is this a typo, is it Rs. 7000 for both tyres or Rs.700 only for work on bent rim?

Should be INR 700 for the work done at the garage.

Would have preferred tyre technician to have kept a cloth beneath rim so that disc doesn't get damaged.

It looks like the wheel is resting on the center hub rather than on the brake disc but yes, the surface looks uneven so high chances of scratching the disc.
I wonder why the technician didn't use the machine to remove the tyre from the wheel though!

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I decided to change my tyres this weekend so went to the friendly neighborhood guy and asked him to check for rim bent as well as change the tyres for both front and rear

How long did the stock tyres last, mobike008? Also are tires that fit the Versys readily available in Hyderabad? In Bangalore we often hear of big bikes being temporarily out of commission as tires are just not available when you need them. The ones that are available are usually either far too expensive (especially if you look to the service centre) or are old stock. Despite having such a large market, this is the state of affairs here which is quite sad. I hope things are better for you guys over there.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Look at condition of rear tyre. Even the steel braids are visible. I have never used a tyre until this condition. But, yeah V makes me ride it aggressively and result is this. Even in this condition, I was able to do some decent lean angles

You sir, are a far braver rider than me. I would not have ventured out with the rear tire in that condition, much less attempted decent lean angles!

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Is this a typo, is it Rs. 7000 for both tyres or Rs.700 only for work on bent rim?

Bent Rim Repair : INR 300
Replace New Tyres : INR 300
Tip : INR 100

Total : INR 700

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Would have preferred tyre technician to have kept a cloth beneath rim so that disc doesn't get damaged.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Should be INR 700 for the work done at the garage.

This is a small shop who do all mechanical works (Handle bar straightening, Wheel Rim Bent repairs and other structural related work) and these guys really know their job and are used by all big showrooms (Kawasaki, KTM, Harley etc) apart from regular small 2 wheeler showrooms

The speed, agility and smoothness with which they work is to be seen to believed and they came highly recommended and other Versys owner from Hyderabad keeps going there for all sundry works related to mechanical jobs (He fitted a GPS holder made out of metal made by this shop on his Versys)

Originally Posted by Porschefire

It looks like the wheel is resting on the center hub rather than on the brake disc but yes, the surface looks uneven so high chances of scratching the disc.I wonder why the technician didn't use the machine to remove the tyre from the wheel though!

I was sitting there and supervising the whole job and even though it looks like it was handled roughly but, they knew what they were doing

They removed both tyres and fixed the bent rim and fixed back the tyres in < 2 hours

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

How long did the stock tyres last, mobike008? Also are tires that fit the Versys readily available in Hyderabad? In Bangalore we often hear of big bikes being temporarily out of commission as tires are just not available when you need them. The ones that are available are usually either far too expensive (especially if you look to the service centre) or are old stock. Despite having such a large market, this is the state of affairs here which is quite sad. I hope things are better for you guys over there.

The stock tyres lasted me 13,500kms ( haven't ridden after my Goa trip last month).

There are many options to get tyres sourced

Super Expensive : Heidananau which would have set me back by 32K/pair

Expensive : Pirelli Angel GT/Metzelers would have set me back by 27K/pair

Economical : Michelins that I have installed set me back by 14K/pair and going by some of the V owners feedback they are lasting pretty good too apart from providing reasonably good performance

Sourcing as you rightly said is a pain and needs to be planned in advance which many of us are already doing. As soon as folks are hitting 10,000kms they are placing an order for their tyres and change them as and when required

Just a matter of planning !!!

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

You sir, are a far braver rider than me. I would not have ventured out with the rear tire in that condition, much less attempted decent lean angles!

Imagine this was the condition of tyre when I rode back from Goa and did not have any issues with braking, lean angles or bike ever skidding Hence, my love for the Versys

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Imagine this was the condition of tyre when I rode back from Goa and did not have any issues with braking, lean angles or bike ever skidding despite reasonably high-speed riding. Hence, my love for the V

That is some confidence on the bike, Sir.
I personally would've refrained from riding within the city itself on those tyres with the metal braids exposed. No matter how good the bike is, it is the tyres which make the bike capable in the first place. It is a good practice to replace the tyres well before they reach their ultimate limit.

Please don't take my words in a negative way, I'm just advising as a fellow biker myself.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

That is some confidence on the bike, Sir.
I personally would've refrained from riding within the city itself on those tyres with the metal braids exposed. No matter how good the bike is, it is the tyres which make the bike capable in the first place. It is a good practice to replace the tyres well before they reach their ultimate limit.

Well, I think my message was read incorrectly. I didn't ride to Goa with tyre in that condition, tread was decent and worth using it for that trip. The tyre gave away during that trip (~1800kms trip)

I noticed the tyre sometime during my return ride and I was cognizant of that fact of it's horrible condition but, there was no option but, to ride back home and first thing is to change tyre before it goes for a ride again

What I was trying to point out is that even in that condition when I rode back from Goa or about 30kms to the tyre store I didn't experience anything uncomfortable about the bike (no wobble, no braking issues etc)

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Please don't take my words in a negative way, I'm just advising as a fellow biker myself.

None taken. Infact, I totally appreciate the concern

[Red Liner]

I agree with Porschefire.

You were risking a massive concern with a tyre blow out mate. Consider yourself extremely lucky. A tyre blow out on a motorcycle of this size is certain death even on a flat out empty road. Tyre blowouts due to tyre wear do not send alarm signals ahead. They just happen.

Dont push these kind of things. I know you're on to new tyres. However, this doesn't set a good example to a lot of other novices who follow this thread.