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-   -   One bike to tame them all! 'Black Panther' - My Kawasaki Versys 650. Edit: Now sold! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superbikes-imports/183764-one-bike-tame-them-all-black-panther-my-kawasaki-versys-650-edit-now-sold-27.html)

Hi Sujai,

nice to read your updates.

you can also check ASG topbox, few of our VIR members have installed : https://www.asg.store/product-category/luggage/

regards,
Pranav

Hey Pranav :)

ASG looks like a good alternative and is certainly one of the better Chinese imports around, especially after Trek-n-ride prices have been hiked. I was really interested in their SG35 and SG47 models, which is an exact replica of the Givi V47 which is also the OEM model for the Versys.

Bit sceptical about rattles though! Haven't read the ASG related messages on VIR. Any idea how long owners have had them? And if they have been rattle free?

A friend has the small size ASG on his Versys. I would say it is really VFM and a decent purchase. I quite liked the way this looks too.

True. There is no question about the looks department. Here's the comparo with the Kawasaki original and the same Givi -

I wouldn't be surprised if Givi is outsourcing this box from China, and the same Chinese factory is selling unbranded to companies like ASG. :uncontrol Or otherwise its a ditto copy! :)

Madness. Just buy the ASG and slap a givi sticker on it!

It might look the same - but you will easily make out the difference between Givi/SW/Hepko and these cheap brands in person. The top brands are totally worth their price.

That is true. Before I plonked money in my Givi top case (and tank bag), did a lot of research and also went and saw in person the different brands. While Givi is expensive, the build quality is impeccable.

Here's the Givi Trekkr 52B on Toothless:

Met up with BHPian 'Sathya.bhat' today for a quick breakfast ride + bike wash plan. The bike wash didn't happen though - as the store was closed for the festivities.

But - this gave us a chance to catch up after a long time! It is wonderful to see him achieve his dream finally - from the Gixxer 150 days to the Dominar to the Z650 now. clap:

The current generation Z makes for an amazing motorcycle.:thumbs up So lightweight and easy - Sathya feels it is much easier to handle than his Dominar! And I don't disagree one bit. Just swinging a leg over the Z after riding the Versys makes you wonder how these two motorcycles can be related in any way at all!

I truly hope he pens down the ownership review. This bike deserves more attention than it currently gets - just perfect for first-timers looking to upgrade to a 650cc machine.


Please ignore the dirty motorcycles. Was due for a proper wash, but like I mentioned above - the place was closed today.

Congratulations once again Sathya, the Z650 is a perfect upgrade and glad to have seen you buy it. To me, the VSTrom 650 and the Kawasaki Z650 are probably the two most under rated motorcycles in the country today. The V STrom because it came late to the game and the Kawasaki Versys 650 did a great job of establishing itself very well by then, and the Z650 because it gets overshadowed by the very capable Ninja and Versys 650 and to some extent the Z900 as well which is at a different price point but gets all the attention.

The Z650 is now the bike that I recommend to anyone upgrading from smaller capacity bikes and now that our friendly Mod has mentioned it, looks like we can expect an ownership thread from Sathya.bhat very soon :D

BTW CD, why dont you do a short comparison between the two 650s to give potential owners a glimpse into the tangible differences. From the pics, it is very difficult for anyone to imagine that they have the same engine and share a lot of parts underneath.

Sorry this was meant for CD but I own a Z650 and considering I wanted to 'side-grade' to a V650, have ridden the latter for a few times as well. Engine wise they share the same 'physicality' but figures are a more power for Z, lesser for V and more torque for V, lesser for Z - but these are also factoring the weight of the bikes. The Z comes with a slip-assist clutch while the V doesn't come with one. The console is also different - with Z opting for a more compact and informative digital dash as compared to the digi+analog one on the V.

If you ride the Z and the V back to back, you'll prefer the power delivery of the Z over the Versys (weight being an important factor as mentioned above). The only thing noteworthy is the heat management systems in the entire 650cc platform. Most of the time you won't feel the heat at all. Probably a little wave might hit you in peak snail-paced traffic. If riding solo, the Z is a breeze and quite under-rated in the commuting segment. Pretty smooth, quick and nimble.

Parts wise, I doubt they share anything similar because of different chassis. Chassis wise, the Z shares similar frame with the Ninja 650 (2017+) while the V shares the similar frame as the outgoing Ninja 2016; almost similar dash as well.

Personal pov when comparing the Z to the N650 2017 - I feel the newer Ninjas CANNOT be called a tourer because its a completely new design. The riding posture/stance (with the clip on-esque setup) gets to you after a while and the seats (rider and pillion) are not at all like the previous gen, which I felt got the 'touring' specs bang on barring the weight and non-abs.

I feel Kawasaki's 650cc platform division is pretty on point -
Commute/Highway/Speed-track = Z650 + Ninja 650
Highway = Vulcan 650
Commute/Highway/Tour/Off-road (basic) = Versys 650.

On the 1st of March, I was able to join Sathya.bhat and shaikhmimran for a nice small ride to a beautiful location - Mavanuru Malleshwara Temple. Ethanhunt123 rode with us till the breakfast point at Mayura and lavish_n joined us there directly.

Hey Ashwin,

Replying here, because it would be off-topic in the center stand thread.

The oddly placed horn is the stock horn! :D There is no power supply to it now, just that it hasn't been removed and can be connected later if needed.

The newly added dual tone horn is the sideways facing one on either side, and it is wired with a harness and relay in place.

• Dead for 9 months
• Relegated to Page-8 of the 'Superbikes & Imports' section
• Featured on Italian gossip diaries

It is finally time to redeem this thread - hoping for a better year ahead! After a nice run in 2019 - I was hoping to ride/ drive/ travel a lot more in 2020, but we all know what happened with that plan! So there is nothing more to explain - BUT, there is actually a lot to post. In fact, it needs a dedicated post. So, here goes -

Let us rewind the clock back to April 2020. The whole country is in lockdown, no rides, no groceries, no nothing! Skip a month - and Kerala started online passes for 'migrant workers' to get back home - and we did apply too - only to be rejected time and again! And then again! Only a limited few slots were allotted every day and we never made the cut. This story went on for a month!

Life went on in the same boring fashion for another month - the #thenewnormal way of life, till June 12, 2020. By evening, we got a message from the Govt of Kerala that the pass is approved, and that we had to be present at a checkpost 700kms away, by evening on the very next day. Good news, bad news! Good news - we could finally get back home and be of some help to parents and also finally enjoy some WFH benefits, never before received in my 12 years of career. Bad news because I didn't know what to do with the bike.

Well, not exactly true because I knew exactly what to do with the bike. Leave it with close friend and BHPian biker KarthikK. He already had three immaculately maintained machines (Ninja 1000, Interceptor and Himalayan) and had a lot more love to spare.

However, with this sudden approval strategy - the Govt of Kerala didn't give us time for that! BHPian rbp to the rescue then, and he lived in 'proper' (read: North) Bangalore too. Time only permitted me to leave the bike at his place and then drive down to Kerala.

KarthikK picked it up from him soon afterwards and the Versys spent the next 9 months as his favourite bike in the garage. In fact, some might even point out that it inspired his 'wandering spirits'.

The one bike that suits him -



The one bike to tame them all -

Jokes apart - it would be an understatement to say that the bike could not have been better cared for - even if I had stayed back during this period. He washed and detailed the bike multiple times, took it for short runs, ensured the tyres and battery were always topped up to spec, cleaned and lubed the chain religiously and even did a full 2 hour detailing prior to handing over the bike! :coldsweat

First vahan puja in four years



Passion for vehicles and the attention to detail is on another level with this guy, as the below excel sheet he maintained shows -

September became November, November became December and finally - but mid January, I was able to get to Bangalore and back without having to go through quarantine procedures once again. Thanks to KarthikK - finally some pics of the immaculate condition of the bike, when I picked it up!


Since it had been over 14 months since the last oil change, took the bike to Gear Gear motorcycles and had the oil replaced with Liqui Moly. Chain slack was checked, horn was tuned, brake pads were checked and cleaned and a quick inspection performed for other parts.


Getting back on the bike after such a long time felt strange and somewhat scary even! But all it took to fall in love was a long ride!

Dr CD, nice to see an update on this thread after such a long time. I have enjoyed all your posts here and was missing the regular ride updates since Covid started. Hopefully you can make up for lost time by enjoying more rides in 2021.

Once you are cover 1000 kms post service, can you please share your feedback on the Liqui Moly engine oil? Im assuming you went in for a fully synthetic oil. I have been hearing excellent feedback on the Liqui Moly oils from different riders here in Kerala, though I dont recall reading much about it on the forum. So, it will be interesting to see feedback from a more diverse rider base.

P.S - I really hope I can get a vaccine shot soon so that I can plan my long delayed ride to Bangalore. By then, Ill find some innovative reason to leave my Continental GT at KarthikKs home and pray that he lets me borrow one of his beauties (hint hint cough cough Ninja 1000). Then I will patiently wait for him to detail my GT back to showroom spec over the next 1 week before confirming that I am ready to collect my bike from his care!

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.


Dr? :cold sweat

1300 kms over by last week itself, just been lazy to complete the trip logs. Liqui Moly feels good, but over the last year - I have lost reference if this is better than the Amsoil used last!

Now you plan a ride to Trivandrum, or should I plan Cochin? :D