[indrokneel]

Why the Versys?

Being an avid motorcyclist for many years and having toured the length and breadth of our country (barring east and northeast) on my Enfield’s ( Lightening, Electra and Classic), I always had that itch for something a bit more powerful, something a bit more speedy but something not at all less comfortable. I had been a big fan of Ninja 650 when it was launched and had almost saved up money to buy it but something just didn’t feel right when I took my friends N650 for a test tour of around 500 kms. Whether it was the missing ABS or the not entirely upright posture or the low ground clearance, I am not sure. But how they say in Delhi – “Feel nahi aayi”!!! and I ended up spending the money on the evergreen Indian dream of buying a house.
Over the years many new touring bikes were launched in India but either they were out of pocket by a huge margin or they didn’t fit my requirement.
Fast forward a few years and the Versys was launched in India. After waiting for it to reach the Bajaj probiking showroom, I went for a test ride and immediately fell in love with the bike,

The LOOK,
The tall & upright stance,
The size,
The handling,
No vibration,
The windshield,
The ABS,
The adjustable rear shocks,
The oh so comfortable seat,
The power delivery,
The torque..

All of it!!!

Just loved the package but had no money in pocket and didn’t want to end up with another EMI.
I kept drooling over the bike for some time and kept searching for second hand deals but rarely came across any. The ones which did crop up did not either have proper service records or were poorly maintained so I shelved my dream for a while.

Then came the launch of the 2017 Versys 650 and loved the Green even more than the black. What a head turner that was and the drooling began again.

This time wifey convinced me that it was now or never and helped me with the finances and lo behold I was at the new Aurum Kawasaki show room again on 30th April and this time to book my Versys!!!
The 2017 model was not there currently and the guys at the showroom had no idea when it would arrive. I went back home with a glum face only to receive a call from the showroom that they checked with Pune HO and if I book now, they should be able to guarantee delivery by May 20th..
What a Birthday gift it would have been!!!

The Booking !!!

May 1st 2017 was a holiday on account of May day/ Labour day in Delhi and I landed up again at Aurum Kawasaki to book my dream machine without even looking at the new model. The booking amount was 50K which the showroom gladly accepted through a credit card with a “Guarantee” of delivery on 20th May. I also met a couple of other customers at the showroom who were there to book the V650.
The Sleepless Nights and the Accessory market.
To keep myself busy and my mind clear, I started hunting for accessories for the V so that I had my arsenal ready on the day of the delivery. As with everyone else upgrading from a RE I am sure, the prices of the accessories just gave me the shock of my life. I was sure to find a value for money aftermarket accessory shop and my search through other Versys owners led me to a guy in Bangalore. The reviews were good from the users and prices matched my budget and he himself was a V owner so had tried and designed all these on his own bike. I placed my first order (front fork sliders, frame sliders, saddlebag stays and swingarm sliders) and received them within 4 days. He also introduced me to the VIR whatsapp group.
I was constantly following up with the showroom for the delivery timeline and PDI and on 15th May I was told that the truck was stuck somewhere in Rajasthan and the Delivery date surely had to be pushed by a few days… What a bummer!!!

However

On the evening of 18th May, I got a call from the showroom that the bike has arrived (my happiness had no bounds) and that I could come over for the PDI and make the balance payment. I reached the showroom at 10 in the morning along with a superbike (Ninja 1000) owner friend for the PDI.

[indrokneel]

The Pre Delivery Inspection

What a feeling it was. The crate being opened in front of you!!! I was a kid all over again. Don’t remember being this excited the last time.

The entire process took around an hour and the beauty was begging to be ridden away from the showroom.
The PDI took another couple of hours or so where we noticed that the front wheel was fitted in the wrong direction and was corrected immediately. Rest all was in good order.
1. All the electronics were working properly,
2. Checked the engine for any unusual noise
3. The plastics and peripherals were fitted well.
4. I got the chain adjusted wrt to my weight.
5. Checked the brakes.
6. Checked the play in the clutch and accelerator wires.
7. Checked the engine oil and coolant levels.
8. Got the tyre pressure checked
9. Checked the tyre and tail alignment
10. Got the accessories fitted

In the meanwhile I had made the balance payment and was awaiting confirmation of the showroom receiving the money in their account which they did in about half an hour and I was only dreaming about the ride back home.

Reality check!!!

In my excitement I had completely overlooked 2 little things – Insurance and Registration!!!

Since the machines had reached the showroom the previous evening, they hadn’t got a chance to get the insurance done. The showroom guy was unwilling to let go of the bike without these two and much to my pleading he said that he will be able to get the insurance done today but will have to wait for the registration till next week….NEXT WEEK !!!

Although the showroom gave me an option of taking the bike the next day with a temp registration, my problem was that the next day was Saturday (my folks would have had a fit if I brought home something of metal on Saturday) and I was to visit my grandparents in Agra on Sunday.

So as fate would have it, I left the showroom empty handed after clicking a few pics of the bike and the engine/chassis number along with a promise that the showroom won’t use the bike for display or test ride and they will try to get the registration done by Tuesday.

Man proposes Work Disposes!!!

The whole week turned out to be jam-packed with work and although the registration had come through on Wednesday, I had a very busy schedule till Friday although the excited and hopeful toddler in me still made me carry my helmet to work each day of the week hoping to steal a couple of hours and go take delivery. So the only likely day when I could take delivery was Sunday.

Impatience

No……. I couldn’t wait any longer!!! Took the second half off on Friday and went to the showroom straight from work.

- Got the paperwork checked
- Warranty booklet signed and stamped
- Took the road tax receipt
- Took the insurance papers
- Checked the bike again with the chassis and engine number and for any scratches (none)
- Checked if any miles had been clocked after I had left the showroom (none)
- Christened the machine “Juggernaut”
- Rushed through the ceremony & I was on the road

[indrokneel]

Reality Check

My home was about 23 km’s from the showroom through one of the most populated and jam-packed roads of Delhi and then I got to know the perils of riding a high motorcycle. Somehow in my excitement during the test ride and PDI, I had missed out on this very important aspect and the real world bumper to bumper traffic brought me back to reality. I could barely plant my toes due to the seat height and formal shoes and the weight of the bike in slow traffic was intimidating. Riding through the traffic was a struggle and I reached home a bit anxious about my new purchase.
How did I miss out on this???

The first 1000

Another sleepless night as I had planned to finish my running in of 1000 kms in the next couple of weekends and send Juggernaut for his first service asap after that. I couldn’t wake up on time and missed my first ride on Saturday. Did a little bit of research on riding high adv bikes and quick fixes for riders (I am 5’9). I came across this thing known as seat lowering kit from the same guy from whom I had purchased my other accessories and he highly recommended the same but also outlined the negatives of installing it (loss of ground clearance by 10 mm and rear shock bottoming out earlier than before being the most important ones). He had sold quite a few kits to people on the VIR whatsapp group and told me check with them before getting this installed.

I spoke to Trilok from the group and a very big “Thank You” to him for telling me – “Ride for a few days on stock settings to get a hang of the bike and you may not need the lowering kit. I took his words with a pinch of salt and went for the running in ride the next day to Jewar toll and back which was around 200 kms and was easy and difficult at the same time.

Easy – there was no traffic and I did not need to keep my feet down even once except when I parked it for my tea break after 100 kms and then again back at my home.

Difficult – How does one ride this machine under 4000 rpm??? Hell the throttle kept begging to be opened up and the open tarmac wasn’t helping at all.

On my way back I kept thinking about what Trilok had told me and then I planned to do substantial part of my running in in the city traffic.

The next week I rode around the city covering close to 200 kms which included peak hour traffic and Trilok’s words were coming true. I was less intimidated of the height and more confident of my ride. The next Saturday I rode to Sariska along with a friend and it was even more difficult to stop the rpm from crossing 4000. The 400 km roundtrip had brought the odo to 850 kms. Another 150 kms in the city traffic and I was back at Aurum Kawsaki for the first service.

P.S. also got to test the ABS when a happy go lucky truck driver coming from the opposite direction decided to take a sudden U turn at a break in the divider on the Sariska Ride. I had to slam the brakes but bike was very much in control as I brought it from 85 – 0 without much problem.

[indrokneel]

The First Service

Being the early bird always helps. I was the only customer at the service centre and Juggernaut was getting good attention from the mechanics out there.

They recommended Motul 300v over the Motul 7100 and I gladly obliged. I have had a habit of adding an oil additive (either STP or ABRO) to my vehicles during every oil change which the Kawa guys strongly discouraged.

The airfilter was cleaned and I was already searching for an aftermarket K&N for Juggernaut but I wasn’t able to find a K&N filter for the Versys.

The chain had developed some slack and was adjusted again wrt my weight.

Some of the things which disappointed me at the service centre

1. Use of head shampoo (clinic plus) for washing the bike instead of an automotive shampoo
2. The dilly dally attitude of the service staff
3. Time taken for the first service
4. No chain cleaner available at the service centre ( they used kerosene and chain cleaning brush I believe)
5. The hourly cost multiplied by the lackadaisical attitude.
6. Charge of 2% extra on credit cards ( I mean who does that anymore)
The total cost of the first service was 5185/-
P.S. These feedbacks have been channeled to the right person and I have heard that things have improved. Can confirm only on my second visit.
Since the first 1000 kms were under 4k rpm (not that I am a red liner), the actual saga began after the first service.

[indrokneel]

The next 4000

I am not a racer and I absolutely hate riding in city traffic (although that helped me gain confidence on the bike). I love touring and that’s all I have ever done. The next 4200 kms spanned over a period of four months and the hills of Himachal and Uttarakhand and from these rides stem my following observations.

I Like

The engine

Lovely in one simple word. Very smooth and no vibrations. The power delivery is very linear and there is a good amount of it available when you need it. I found the power more than adequate for our Indian roads. The throttle is very responsive and as per its name the machine is very versatile. I have been able to ride comfortably along smaller 150 – 220 cc bikes without feeling frustrated and have been able to keep up with the litre class bikes as well. One thing I noticed was the sudden drop in speed from triple digits as soon as the throttle is closed. Initially I thought that there was something wrong with the alignment of the wheel and maybe the disc pads were engaged leading to this sudden deceleration. But I was told by a lot of moto gurus that this is inherent in parallel twins (still don’t buy the story and will wait for a more plausible explanation).

The ride posture, the seat and the suspension

When you weigh as much as I do, have a bad back but the riding bug refuses to let go, then this is the bike for you. I have modified all my previous bikes (handles, seats) so that my posture is upright and I don’t strain my back even on those 1000 km days. Although with all my self modified bikes, I still had to take a break every 150-200 kms, on my first long ride on Juggernaut, the first stop was after 330 kms. The seat is that comfortable and the posture that upright. The stop was due to my empty stomach rumbling rather than my rear hurting. If I hadn’t spotted that Mc’Donald’s then my first stop would surely have been to refuel the bike another 50-60 kms later. The seat width is just right and provides good support. The seat foam is not too soft and neither too hard. For me it’s at the right spot but I am sure that this view will differ from rider to rider.
The adjustable rear shocks also go a long way in ensuring good ride quality. On the flats and tarmac, I had kept the rear suspension on a slightly stiffer setting and on the hills & village roads the suspension was at a softer setting. I am yet to tinker with the adjustable Showa forks.

The Range

A 21 ltr fuel tank and an average of 25kmpl+ (my figures) translates into lesser fuel stops and more nonstop kms on the bike.

The Windshield

Love the adjustable feature of the windshield. There is no wind blast on the helmet at the highest setting for my height. Although I would have preferred it to be a bit wider, I am happy with the stock one. There are numerous aftermarket options available but something tells me that they will play with the aerodynamics of the bike. Will try an aftermarket one someday and share my experience.

The handling

Make no mistake, this is a tall bike and that too with a 170mm ground clearance. But the 17 inch wheels make the bike extremely agile and easily flickable. The bike is a bit top heavy and I quite haven’t got the hang of leaning a lot into corners. At high speeds the bike feels quite planted and even at speeds above 150 the confidence isn’t lost. The ABS does its work well and sudden braking doesn’t lead to loss of control. Riding while standing on the footpegs is comfortable for a person of my height (5’9”) but would recommend handlebar risers for taller riders who wish to stand and ride comfortable or for those with shorter arms for that comfortable grip.

The sound

It purrs and then it grunts!!!

Having ridden RE’s for donkeys years with aftermarket silencers, I had almost forgotten what it feels to ride silently. Noise had been the new black.
On the Versys, at cruising speeds all you hear is the wind noise through your helmet vents and if you shut them too then all you see is the scenery going by. In case you decide to give the throttle a twist, you are welcomed by a throaty grunt. Some people prefer to change to higher decibel exhausts but I am happy with the stock setting.

What I don’t like

The lights

If you are into night riding then its best to spend some moolah on those aux lights (preferably a combo of spot and flood). The stock lights are just not enough for the highway. There are a lot of options available to change the stock bulbs as well but I am not a big fan of those as they blind oncoming traffic in the city. The new led bulbs also are not a direct fit in the stock headlamp case and need a bit of tinkering with the dustcap. I am yet to install the ones I bought but will do so at the second service. In. Also in my opinion, the focus of the headlamp could be a lot better.

The Tyres

The stock tyres are excellent on tarmac but as soon as you leave the highways for some dusty trails, the confidence level begins to drop. Kawasaki could have given 60-40 on off road tyres but I guess this bike was never designed for full blown off-roading. The little trail riding that I attempted, left me wanting for more grip as the tyres neither inspire confidence in slush nor on gravel. From my peers I have heard a lot about aftermarket tyres but most of them are either quite expensive or do not last too many miles. I will stick on to these till they do their time and hope that some good, value for money alternative comes up by then.

Yet to experiment with
The adjustable Showa forks
The adjustable clutch lever
Knobby tires
MRA Vario touring screen
I am very close to the second service and will update this post the visit to the workshop.

[mobike008]

Note from Mod : Ownership thread moved from Assembly Line to Superbike & Import section. Thanks for sharing !!

[daretodream]

Many congratulations Indrokneel!

OT: Its pouring Kawasaki's on team-bhp and I ain't complaining!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Congratulations indrokneel and welcome to the Kawasaki Versys family.

Is the the seventh ownership thread on the Versys 650? I guess so - After Mobike008, techfreak, myself, kailashnj, atul.ktm and Red Liner. Certainly proving to be the most popular bike ever in the 'Team Bhp Superbikes & Imports' section. I doubt if I ever saw so many Ninja 650 threads in as many years!

I personally don't think I'll ever play around with the suspension because the best setup provided seems perfect for our conditions. Adjustable clutch lever is simple and you should really be just turning it and trying it for yourself if the clutch lever feels too close or too far from your fingers.

[mobike008]

Welcome Indraneel & Congratulations for your new Versys 650 !!!

I think your ownership report is one of the fastest from the time to becoming a member. Wonderful stuff

Glad to know that you are enjoying the bike and using it as it should be-for touring duties

Look forward to hearing more about your bike, travel stories and other interesting banter about Juggernaut on this thread

[sandx]

Congratulations indrokneel on acquiring one of the most able touring imports in the market today. The machine in the 650 guise ticks all the right boxes according to me. Good to see that you are putting it into good use as well, makes me think about going back to owning a capable motorcycle again. Wishing you many more miles on this green steed .

[gururajrv]

Congratulations indrokneel! Like one of the bhpian said above, it surely is raining kwackers on the forum of late Versys is pretty much on the roll in most of the threads on Motorbikes section and gives an image of being a complete tourer!

Safe riding!

[indrokneel]

Originally Posted by gururajrv

Congratulations indrokneel! Like one of the bhpian said above, it surely is raining kwackers on the forum of late Versys is pretty much on the roll in most of the threads on Motorbikes section and gives an image of being a complete tourer!

Safe riding!

Thanks Gururaj. Last I heard about you, you were crossing Delhi from your Leh trip. Where are you riding to these days?

[gururajrv]

Originally Posted by indrokneel

Thanks Gururaj. Last I heard about you, you were crossing Delhi from your Leh trip. Where are you riding to these days?

Sorry Indrokneel - I believe you have mistaken me to another Gururaj! I am yet to plan on a Leh trip

[indrokneel]

Originally Posted by gururajrv

Sorry Indrokneel - I believe you have mistaken me to another Gururaj! I am yet to plan on a Leh trip

I mistook you for another Gururaj who was part of the VIR group and then suddenly went incommunicado post his Leh trip.

My Bad!!!

[gururajrv]

Originally Posted by indrokneel

I mistook you for another Gururaj who was part of the VIR group and then suddenly went incommunicado post his Leh trip.

My Bad!!!

No need to be sorry indrokneel! common names do cause confusion at times. Something similar where people mistake a Duster to a Terrano Or Dacia Duster to a Renault Duster

Versys is a tall looking bike we humans look so puny in front of these man made wonders at times!

I forgot to welcome you to the group on the other hand. Looking forward to hear stories and travelogues on your Versys! Have a pleasant stay.