[siddhant]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Forgot to mention the costs - 5750/- a pair

Was able to capture some pictures late at night. All three pics taken the with same camera manual settings.

Must say the aim you got is just perfect. Very even and well aligned. If you could share some tips on how you did it, that'd be great.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Ordered caps for the AUX lamps to keep them covered up when not needed. Reasonably priced at Rs 599/- (4 rubber caps + a pair each of black, clear and yellow lenses) as against Rs 2000/- etc charged by other brands like Baja for just a pair.

Have you used the yellow lenses in the rain yet (or otherwise)? Do you have any feedback?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Riding after a long gap can bring in a fresh perspective! Just got back from a weekend ride of 1000+ kms - and after a long break (as obvious from the lack of activity on this thread), and just couldn't help appreciate the versatility of this machine once again.

The ride was from Trivandrum to Coonoor and I was was joined by BHPian neil.jericho from Kochi on his Triumph Street Triple. At Coonoor - we were joined by BHPians KarthikK (RE Himalayan), ebmrajesh and his friend Maha (on two Interceptor 650 bikes), and shaikhmimran on his company Apache RR310 BTO! A nice ride that threw at us a variety of conditions - from the two lane highways of Kerala, to the four and six lane highways, poor under-construction roads, winding sections, rains, spirited cornering opportunities, etc and shaikhmimran even jumped pillion on the Versys for a small Coonoor-Ooty ride.

"One bike to tame them all" - was a cliched title, but ~30k kms into the experience - the machine has truly lived up to that title! And of course the name! (derived from Versatile Systems). Just a few highlights on the bike since I'm not sure if I would be able to write a detailed log soon -

• Mile muncher par excellence - Covered Coonoor to Trivandrum, via Coimbatore - Kochi with only one main lunch/fuel break. Extremely relaxed cruising and almost no fatigue! The torquey nature of the parallel twin just needs the lightest throttle inputs to maintain 60-70kmph and doesn't even need a downshift most of the time to overtake vehicles. This was also my first ride through Kerala (I usually take Nagercoil or Madurai options out of Trivandrum) and I enjoyed the Versys way more than I thought I would!
• Comfortable over rough roads - The roads around Coimbatore had a dozen diversions into non-existent service roads and the Versys took it all in its stride. While poor Neil was struggling with the road conditions - all I had to worry about was the traffic.
• A good enough seat for the pillion - Imran hopped on-board for the Day-2 Coonoor-Ooty-Dolphin's nose viewpoint-Coonoor ride since the Versys had the most comfortable rear seat among the bikes available. Guess he was not too disappointed with his choice of bike, though may be not the rider! A top box can really add to the pillion experience, but then my better half rarely joins on rides!
• Fun around the corners - This one will raise eyebrows, for the Versys is tall and heavy, and people generally struggle to come to grips with the idea of an ADV styled motorcycle being enjoyable in the corners. But I've always had fun with it in the corners and this time too! Rains and broken roads ensured we couldn't push any machine to its limits - but on one particular stretch where Neil decided to go crazy on the perfectly-suited RR310 BTO, the Versys could manage to keep up (and with a pillion on-board!). Guess that speaks! Manage to scrape the pegs on one occassion with Imran on-board and also play around with the rear losing grip on a couple of occassions - thanks to Imran for being a sporty pillion, not moving or panicking and not making a scene of it!
• Fuel efficient - Returning much nicer figures than the STriple over the same stretch, though of course not an apples to apples comparison. 22.6 kmpl was the overall MID indicated figure, but the tankful methods also gave 23 and 25 kmpl figures (yet to fill the tank to get the final reading). Not bad!

Except for the weight when parking and the occasional clunky gearshift - there was nothing to fault on this ride. While riding the last leg - I kept thinking to myself - What a machine! And what a privilege to be able to own one!

The bike. Didn't have time to do too much research into the saddlebag options available as it was a last minute decision to join in - and hence picked up Rynox Nomad Saddlebags from a local store. Suits the Versys though - IMHO!



Finally a chance to ride with Neil. Hope I inspired him to pick up the mini-Versys from the Honda stable soon!



Arriving at the homestay, all wet and drenched -



All the bikes (Pic courtesy - Maha)

















With their riders, getting ready for the return ride on Sunday -



After some fun, chasing Neil on the RR310 BTO - (Wait! Whats that elephant on the tyre and why didn't I notice it before!)



Average FE for the ride -



Overall distance on the tripmeter -



What a machine! And what a privilege to be able to own one!

Originally Posted by siddhant

Must say the aim you got is just perfect. Very even and well aligned. If you could share some tips on how you did it, that'd be great.

Have you used the yellow lenses in the rain yet (or otherwise)? Do you have any feedback?

Didn't need to align it myself as the fitting from Gear Gear Motorcycles in Bangalore was spot-on! However, the stock mount has provision for vertical and horizontal movement - hence it shouldn't be a problem to align if needed.

I haven't used the lenses! RTO and Police action is too strict in Kerala and hence the aux is under the black cover except when absolutely necessary.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Renewed insurance for the Versys - 6th year, IDV of 3.97L, Zero Dep cover and 50% NCB - for 6,661/- with Oriental Insurance.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

More sweet pictures of the motorcycles, thanks to Neil and Maha -

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Happy Birthday!

My Versys 650 completes 5 years with us today.

Five years is a good enough time to start the next fresh innings, so as these things go - thought to reviving some good old memories.

Top 5 things I like:

+ Brilliant mile muncher - SUV-like seating position, upright and comfortable, excellent suspension, good fuel range. Can cover journeys like Bangalore-Trivandrum with only 1 major break and almost zero fatigue!
+ Excellent suspension manners. Comfortable and yet - confidence inspiring. Fun into corners unlike what the stance suggests!
+ Torquey engine performance! Well suited for the Indian conditions, be it calm cruising on two lane highways or blasting on six lane expressways. Excellent heat management too!
+ Good local support for service, spares and accessories. Reasonable to maintain in comparison to this segment standards. Good ownership groups and many long term owners around to support with their knowledge too!
+ Looks. Five years down the line - still is a desirable motorcycle (subjective!) and IMHO - better than the new iterations (including the upcoming 2022 facelift!).

Top 5 things I dont:

- You never get to forget the weight at parking speeds! It is one of the heaviest (in terms of feel!) motorcycles out there - with even many more expensive ADVs feeling lighter when you are on the saddle.
- Gearshift is a bit clunky. Also has a slight nervousness at low rpms that urges you to get a move on, or shift. Clutch is average - neither light for city traffic, nor bothersome.
- Not a hardcore adventure machine! Period. This one is a brilliant tourer - for the road - which can take on a bit of the broken stuff. Think Harrier, not Thar!
- Feature list is outdated by modern standards - Halogen headlamps, old school instrument console and dials, no traction control, etc - Its a wonder how they still managed to sell it with sticker changes till end-2021.
- Still wish it had a triple or an inline4, just for that extra doze of engine character! Reason to upgrade someday would be to pick up an i3/i4 before the world goes electric silent.

Some of my favourite moments with the Versys -

Spreading cheer -



Of the bike -



With the bike -



Versatile System - Come slush, rain, waterlogging, smooth roads, winding corners or no tarmac.



Rides with fellow bikers and BHPians-







Usage

Versys was used only for weekend rides, with only city commutes for service, etc. Things were going really smooth with around 8k -9k kms of usage per year till Covid struck, and the bike has not been used much afterwards, but that situation should change for the better in 2022. Two reasons why I'm expecting it to -

1. Fitness

All the lockdowns and sitting lazily at home had really played spoilsport with my fitness! At the peak of my laziness - I weighed closed to 101.4kgs, and could barely manage to fit in my riding gear (PS: I had to remove the back protector from the jacket and the knee guard from the riding pants to actually fit in the gear, but let that remain a secret from my better-half!). Riding the Versys from Bangalore to Trivandrum back in Jan 2021 felt like a cumbersome affair and I was not looking forward to managing the Versys in the narrow lanes and highways of South Kerala.

Come April - Covid got me in a bad way and I spent a week in the hospital. Recovery was slow and it felt like a pointless exercise to even think of taking the bike out for the next couple of months.

However, from that situation came determination - to work on fitness and to get better. Long story short - I'm 84.xx kgs now, down from 101.xx kgs, regular at the gym, riding gear has room to breathe and the whole riding experience on the Versys has become so much more enjoyable. Surprisingly so in fact - I used to tell friends I am sure I wont enjoy riding the Versys in Kerala, but the last weekend ride was absolutely lovely! Looking forward to more of it now.

PS: Another reason the bike felt difficult to manage would be the cone-set issue. Mentioned later in service updates.

Back in Jan when I came to pick up the bike from KarthikK. Was ~101+ kgs and barely managed to squeeze myself into the riding gear! This picture was actually taken in response to question from friends if I could actually manage to fit in it (though I cheated by removing the spine armour and knee guards).



Last weekend with KarthikK during our Coonoor ride. Currently 84.xx kgs and in a much, much better state of health!



2. Job Change

I had invested a lot of time over the past few months to make a directional shift in my career and that finally paid off! Although I expect the new company to start draining the blood out of me for the next couple of months - at least I'm done with all the studies and certifications and interviews for a while. Hoping for the better, with fingers crossed!

Anyways, below is the usage graph for the past five years, as shown by Drivvo, currently averaging ~5850kms per year!



Glossary of all the rides so far -

1. Break-in ride with the N650 around north Bangalore.
2. Versys Bangalore Riders meet and breakfast ride.
3. Breakfast ride with Versys Bangalore Riders to Maddur.
4. Photoshoot ride with BHP'ian KarthikK and his beemer to Markonahalli Dam.
5. Morning ride with the N650 to Dandiganahalli Dam.
6. Team Bhp Breakfast Meet @ Chikballapur Kamat Upachar.
7. Bangalore - Trivandrum - Bangalore. An unofficial saddlesore. 1623 kms.
8. Davangere breakfast ride. ~ 550 kms.
9. Chikmagalur. ~ 530 kms.
10. VBR ride to Gauribidanur. ~ 200 kms.
11. Krishnagiri Dam. . ~ 220 kms.
12. Vani Vilas Sagar Dam. ~ 400kms.
13. Bangalore - Hassan - Sakleshpur - Bisle and back to Bangalore. ~550kms.
14. Bangalore - Preeti Canteen, Birur (breakfast) - Bhadra Dam, Koppalli (Kavyasala) - Balehonnur - Chikmagalur - Bangalore. ~750 kms.
15. Yelagiri. ~ 320 kms.
16. VBR ride to Dandiganahalli Dam.
17. Team Bhp Ride to Kodachadri.. ~920 kms.
18. Anchetty loop bikers circuit. . ~ 250 kms.
19. Shettihalli Church. ~ 420 kms.
20. Shoolagiri Breakfast Ride (Team Bhp group)
21. Shettihalli Church (VBR anniversary ride). ~ 420 kms.
22. Rameshwaram & Dhanushkodi (The Road - A Petrolhead group ride log - Rameswaram & Dhanushkodi). ~ 1300 kms. Overnighter.
23. Ooty. 620 kms.
24. Kudremukh. 662 kms.
25. Vani Vilas Sagar Dam. ~400 kms.
26. Kodaikanal. 1015 kms.
27. Breakfast ride with apartment group
28. Breakfast ride with Team BHP bikers
29. Team BHP Bikers meet.
30. Iglur Dam. ~400 kms.
31. Team BHP meet at Radisson Salem.
32. Team BHP Bikers meet at Shoolagiri Dam
33. Team BHP Breakfast ride to Halli Mane.
34. Breakfast ride to Hassan
35. Breakfast ride to Salem.
36. Team BHP breakfast ride to Mallaghata Kere.
37. Bangalore - Sakleshpura - Subramanya - Madikeri - Bangalore. ~650 kms.
38. Yercaud. ~500 kms.
39. Bangalore - Trivandrum - Bangalore. 1513 kms.
40. Breakfast ride to Salem.
41. Mavanuru Malleshwara Temple.
42. Coorg. ~500kms.
43. Bangalore to Trivandrum. ~750kms.
44. Trivandrum - Coonoor - Ooty - Trivandrum. . 1012 kms.

Few of the most memorable rides -

Bangalore - Hassan - Sakleshpur - Bisle and back to Bangalore with rbp.


From rain to even more rain leading to thick fog, to navigating potholes, broken roads, no roads, cattle, leech bites and what not! Surely was one of the best rides with the Versys till date, with member 'rbp' on his Ninja 650 for company!



Kudremukh ride with KarthikK

662kms of one of the rain-soaked and beautiful monsoon rides ever done by me!



Bangalore - Sakleshpura - Subramanya - Madikeri - Bangalore with KarthikK and ebmrajesh.


Supposed-to-be monsoon ride in one of the hottest and most humid days in the recent past. And some beautiful corners and roads too!



Rameshwaram & Dhanushkodi



Service Costs and Maintenance

Battery finally gave up, possibly due to sitting idle - even though I used to top it up almost every other weekend. Due to lockdowns and restrictions - I got the one which seemed to be easily available - the locally made Crank1 in the same spec as OE. Fingers crossed how long this would last!

Another major expense was the coneset. I hadn't realised that the steering manners had degraded over time, and could also be one of the reasons that the bike didn't feel as enjoyable back in Jan. I had visited Motonerdz for a coolant change (originally for catching up with BHPian neil.jericho, but ended up changing coolant as well - from Motul to Engine ICE) and they were prompt to detect the coneset issue after a quick test ride. Got the same replaced after the part arrived in about a month's time.

For the past three years - the Versys has not visited Kawasaki service even once, and hopefully won't need in the future either! Kawasaki does have a decent service reputation (especially in Bangalore now with a new service head), but most of the FNGs do a much better job for the same asking rate. Owners don't need to depend on the authorized center, except maybe in case of accidents.











Overall, the service costs for five years has been decent. May be not exceptionally cheap like a Honda, but not heart-breaking like some of the Euros either. I have not stuck to the service manual per-se, and been a little on the conservative side for repairs - and the major expenses have been engine oil change, tyres, labour costs, GST!!!, chain and battery - most of these parts bearing similar expenses across brands.

Other major expenses - Accessories and Insurance

Insurance is a major dead expense for such bikes, and not very different for the Versys. Almost 60k INR has been spent on insurance. Can't help it though - as panels can be very expensive in case of an accident and insurance cover is certainly a necessity. That said - I'm into the last year of zero dep cover, I guess.



Accessories cost has been very reasonable for the Versys (as per big bike standards). Many parts were available locally, thanks to the bike doing decent numbers and the bike is functionally and aesthetically good in my eyes without spending 3X-4X this amount (and some owners have!). Wont be surprised if many owners have a single item (Lights, hard luggage, etc) with a bigger amount than the total listed below -



Making friends

Most importantly - the past five years have given a chance to get many new friends, and have some nice memories with existing ones. The biking community sure is more closely knit that the car guys!

Some have moved on, but will always be remembered.

[AirbusCapt]

As a fellow versys owner, I suggest you increase your tyre pressure to about 35/40 psi. The bike will be as easy to maneuver as a moped.

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

My Versys 650 completes 5 years with us today.

Lovely recap of a wonderful ownership experience, still boggles the mind how you did a Bangalore-Trivandrum-Bangalore ride in one day. Your fitness journey is also truly inspirational, keep up the great work. I would love to say "looking forward to many more years with this bike" but I would rather you start looking for a bike to do justice to your riding skills and don't discount a certain twin cylinder bike (L Twin) just because you have your heart set on an inline 4.

[abhi_tjet]

Congratulations for the 5 years of Versys ownership. The detailed log of almost every trip, expense and service that you have mentioned is out of the world. Kudos!

Beautiful pictures of the ownership duration. For a reliable , fuss-free ownership of a superbike, one can’t go wrong with 650cc Kawasaki parallel twin engine.

Versys body shape further makes it more ‘versatile’. N650 is a very welcoming first option for people who are of average height(5ft6in).

[KarthikK]

Fantastic reports on the ownership logs and expense details as the bike completed 5 years this December. As someone who was there for your delivery ceremony in Dec 2016 and followed your Versys journey till today, it is really wonderful to see how you have loved, taken stellar care of this machine from Day 1 and done so many fantastic and memorable rides, glad that I could be a part of many of those trips even in cager mode .

The level of details with which you have captured ride details, maintenance tasks and expenses is a lesson for Data Interpretation enthusiasts . Very handy and useful information for anyone seeking historical data on not just a Versys but in general even for most big bikes. Thanks for sharing!

Wishing you many more years of joyful ownership and memorable rides to beautiful destinations. You missed quite a few of the rides this year, time to make up for those by joining for some nice rides planned next year *wink*.

[Mafia]

Wow!

The love of biking and travel is apparent in the first few lines

This is one of the most elaborate expenses sheet record-keeping I have seen.

Ride safe! Ride long!

[VijayAnand1]

Crisply elaborated academic submission is what I would term this. One of the most detailed and wonderfully concised paper.

Although I reckon, you did miss to add a very crucial pie to the list, which I have duly did for you.

You can thank me later.



Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Riding gear change -

Five years is good enough time to be refreshing the riding gear. Now, before someone jumps at that and claims they have been using one set for ages - let me clarify that I do not intend it to be a blanket statement and only based on the condition of my riding gear at present. I have been pushing a replacement for as much as possible and can't do so any longer.

The first to go will be the Rynox Advento riding pants. During the midway lunch stop on the last weekend ride, I noticed that the Rynox pants have (quite embarassingly! ) stitches starting to come out in some ackward places. Bye Bye Advento.

Rynox had served me quite well for the last five years - so the replacement ordered is their new flagship - the Storm Evo Noctex.

Originally Posted by AirbusCapt

As a fellow versys owner, I suggest you increase your tyre pressure to about 35/40 psi. The bike will be as easy to maneuver as a moped.

Will try! Thank you. Doesn't it come with handling compromises though? I had set 42 once (rider + pillion recommended) and then had to ride solo - and found the tyres too stiff to be gripping properly around corners. This was with the old stock Dunlops though!

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

I would rather you start looking for a bike to do justice to your riding skills and don't discount a certain twin cylinder bike (L Twin) just because you have your heart set on an inline 4.

No immediate plans though! Let's see five more years down the line. Till then you will have to slow down for me!

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

Beautiful pictures of the ownership duration. For a reliable , fuss-free ownership of a superbike, one can’t go wrong with 650cc Kawasaki parallel twin engine.

True. The only missing piece is the engine character - of a triple like yours or an i4. My bike was sounding like a splendor till the Hepco-Becker was installed and the foot of the stand came right infront of the silencer - giving it a slightly different note. Lol!

Originally Posted by KarthikK

You missed quite a few of the rides this year, time to make up for those by joining for some nice rides planned next year *wink*.

Lets hope for a better 2022.

Originally Posted by Mafia

This is one of the most elaborate expenses sheet record-keeping I have seen.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Although I reckon, you did miss to add a very crucial pie to the list, which I have duly did for you.

Thanks guys. This record-keeping is not all that elaborate if you consider the ownership reports from BHPians like arun_josie. I do not have the fuel log, for example (which I'll probably maintain for upcoming ownership reports!)

All I have done is to take a couple of seconds to update a sheet or an app, after each major expense. And the trip updates - I do so for my own sake, for, over the years, I have realised that Team BHP is one of the best ways to store vehicle related memories. The other archives just end up in some old disk or get deleted. If it ends up helping or inspiring others over the long run - thats just a bonus. And it will (at some point at least!) - for when I was looking to buy my first big bike - I had to read up a lot for such information - starting with the basics of everything - from maintenance to accessories to riding gear. Took me over three years to digest the fact that a center stand could cost well north of 20k INR!

[Mr.Ogre]

Amazing article. Loved every bit of it. I think Versys 650 is a very underrated bike. I myself was averse to getting a Versys 650. It never blipped on my radar.

I had spent quite some time with the Ninja 650 in India and it was the same thing. Before I got it I wasn't too sure, however after I got it, I regretted not getting her before.

Coming to the Versys 650 it is one of the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden, Ninja 650 comes a very close second.
Until you have owned or ridden either one of them you don't realise how much fun they are. From the outside they don't look like the kind of bikes you can have fun around the corners, however once you know your way around them it is hard to not be pleasantly surprised.

What astonishes me is the amount of corner speed you can carry. On the Versys the brakes are slightly better and the adjustable upside down suspension at the front is never low on feedback. I have set my front and rear to the hardest, and with that I feel she is very well planted when entering a corner. She gives me so much confidence that I can choose if I want to go inside or outside of someone in a corner.


At least for now my Versys 650 is here to stay.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Mr.Ogre

Until you have owned or ridden either one of them you don't realise how much fun they are. From the outside they don't look like the kind of bikes you can have fun around the corners, however once you know your way around them it is hard to not be pleasantly surprised.

What astonishes me is the amount of corner speed you can carry. On the Versys the brakes are slightly better and the adjustable upside down suspension at the front is never low on feedback. I have set my front and rear to the hardest, and with that I feel she is very well planted when entering a corner. She gives me so much confidence that I can choose if I want to go inside or outside of someone in a corner.

Well said! I'm glad you are having fun and it's so nice to read your reports and thread. Thanks for sharing.

In the Indian context - I absolutely love the stock suspension tune which is on the softer side and still confidence inspiring. Have been in situations like well-laid, but rough concrete roads where fellow riders on better cornering machines (like the Ninja 1000) had to back off due to too much feedback from the hard front end whereas the softer Versys just feels composed and sorted. Showa suspension was one of the highlights back then and many times I feel it was money worth in our conditions. Only had to play around with the rear preload at times.

The downside in the handling department though - is how easy it is to scrape the pegs!. Some non-owners might say this is an atrocious statement - on standstill the pegs look high as to avoid scraping, and the bike doesn't look like it can lean as much as to scrape a peg. I had stiff resistance initially when mentioning this complaint within the friends circle, but now we are sorted on that. Problem is that the comfortable footpeg position for the rider ensures the pegs are set at the lowest point possible (and not high rear-set) as in sport bikes and scrapes on aggressive cornering.

Nowadays I expect it to scrape and don't panic - but never a safe feeling to be dragging metal, isn't it?

I'm curious how you deal with it on the faster roads there?

[Mr.Ogre]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Well said! I'm glad you are having fun and it's so nice to read your reports and thread. Thanks for sharing.

In the Indian context - I absolutely love the stock suspension tune which is on the softer side and still confidence inspiring. Have been in situations like well-laid, but rough concrete roads where fellow riders on better cornering machines (like the Ninja 1000) had to back off due to too much feedback from the hard front end whereas the softer Versys just feels composed and sorted. Showa suspension was one of the highlights back then and many times I feel it was money worth in our conditions. Only had to play around with the rear preload at times.

The downside in the handling department though - is how easy it is to scrape the pegs!. Some non-owners might say this is an atrocious statement - on standstill the pegs look high as to avoid scraping, and the bike doesn't look like it can lean as much as to scrape a peg. I had stiff resistance initially when mentioning this complaint within the friends circle, but now we are sorted on that. Problem is that the comfortable footpeg position for the rider ensures the pegs are set at the lowest point possible (and not high rear-set) as in sport bikes and scrapes on aggressive cornering.

Nowadays I expect it to scrape and don't panic - but never a safe feeling to be dragging metal, isn't it?

I'm curious how you deal with it on the faster roads there?

Apologies for my delayed response. Suspension tuning is an art. There are shops here that charge you $250+ to tune the suspension of your bike based on your weight and your taste. You are taller than me and well built for your height. Hence, your preference for the suspension setting. I believe stock suspension on the Versys is good enough and has enough settings to suit your riding style.

I have been riding two up lately with my wife and I feel the extra hard setting for the front and back makes it wheelie lot more easier. I have to be very careful while opening the throttle else she is eager to take off in 2nd and 3rd gear too. While I love every bit of that its not something you want when riding pillion. Wheelies are lot more under control when riding single with the same settings. I guess I have to play around with it to find a good compromise when riding pillion.

I used to scrape my foot pegs earlier, i.e. before I went for track days. I have never scrapped my pegs after that. On the Versys I already sit very high, and I am constantly moving around while cornering.