[lohithrao]

Congrats buddy! Vstrom is a nice machine for touring, power is good and fantastic handling machine.
Happy Touring!

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

This is a THANK YOU post for all the folks here who contributed to the discussion and helped me with my queries.
I took delivery of my V Strom yesterday. Was gladly able to witness the unboxing and witness the assembly and PDI myself.

Awaiting unboxing from the container.

[Livetor1de]

Hello everyone,

I found the discussion in this thread interesting and can echo some of the queries and thought process.

If one was looking to largely stay on-road, and looking to comfortably munch miles, is the Versys 1000 such a bad choice? Given its price point, low/ lack of fancy electronics, easy maintainability (all quoted in posts above) and riding comfort, is there not a case for this machine as a tourer.

Also, I have not come across a long-term ownership experience / review of the Versys 1000 on the forum, perhaps someone can point me to one if I missed it.

Cheers!

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Livetor1de

Hello everyone,

I found the discussion in this thread interesting and can echo some of the queries and thought process.

If one was looking to largely stay on-road, and looking to comfortably munch miles, is the Versys 1000 such a bad choice? Given its price point, low/ lack of fancy electronics, easy maintainability (all quoted in posts above) and riding comfort, is there not a case for this machine as a tourer.

Also, I have not come across a long-term ownership experience / review of the Versys 1000 on the forum, perhaps someone can point me to one if I missed it.

Cheers!

Its the best choice in the market at the moment for what you want to do. Just get it nothing else even comes close at that price point.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Livetor1de

If one was looking to largely stay on-road, and looking to comfortably munch miles, is the Versys 1000 such a bad choice? Given its price point, low/ lack of fancy electronics, easy maintainability (all quoted in posts above) and riding comfort, is there not a case for this machine as a tourer.

Also, I have not come across a long-term ownership experience / review of the Versys 1000 on the forum, perhaps someone can point me to one if I missed it.

I have heard of cases where the Versys 1000 has not adapted well to our Indian conditions due to the poor quality of fuel found on our highways and the high RON rating required by the bike. The Versys 650 doesnt seem to suffer from this issue. Do check up on this with Versys 1000 owners before making a final decision.

[rb2399]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I have heard of cases where the Versys 1000 has not adapted well to our Indian conditions due to the poor quality of fuel found on our highways and the high RON rating required by the bike.

A very important point indeed. I think it needs RON 95 and hence it's not suited for touring in India. I don't know if Kawasaki has detuned the engine to suit our kind of fuel (RON 91)
I don't think it's a good idea to overlook this aspect if you are serious about going places on such bikes.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I have heard of cases where the Versys 1000 has not adapted well to our Indian conditions due to the poor quality of fuel found on our highways and the high RON rating required by the bike. The Versys 650 doesnt seem to suffer from this issue. Do check up on this with Versys 1000 owners before making a final decision.

Originally Posted by rb2399

A very important point indeed. I think it needs RON 95 and hence it's not suited for touring in India. I don't know if Kawasaki has detuned the engine to suit our kind of fuel (RON 91)
I don't think it's a good idea to overlook this aspect if you are serious about going places on such bikes.

I have friends who have taken the Versys 1000 to leh, ladakh and back from Bangalore and the bike runs well to date.

[Livetor1de]

Originally Posted by rb2399

A very important point indeed. I think it needs RON 95 and hence it's not suited for touring in India. I don't know if Kawasaki has detuned the engine to suit our kind of fuel (RON 91)
I don't think it's a good idea to overlook this aspect if you are serious about going places on such bikes.

The dealer has indicated that the MY2021 bikes have their ECU setup differently to address the stalling experienced by owners in the last 18-24 months (purportedly due to lower octane fuel), and that IKM acknowledges this change. The new bikes do still have stickers recommending 95 octane fuel. However, I have not much more than the dealers' word to go on, at this time.

On another note, I have put money down and am expecting to take delivery in the next week or so. Fingers crossed! 😀

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Livetor1de

The dealer has indicated that the MY2021 bikes have their ECU setup differently to address the stalling experienced by owners in the last 18-24 months (purportedly due to lower octane fuel), and that IKM acknowledges this change. The new bikes do still have stickers recommending 95 octane fuel. However, I have not much more than the dealers' word to go on, at this time.

On another note, I have put money down and am expecting to take delivery in the next week or so. Fingers crossed! 😀

Congratulations on your booking. Do share more details on your booking experience, pictures and pricing. I hope we will be treated to an ownership thread, there isnt too much info in the public domain from Indian owners on the Versys 1000 so it would be a great help to everyone interested in the bike.

Coming to the points you shared, this is the first time that I have heard of a Kawasaki India dealer acknowledging issues with the Versys 1000 related to fuel octane ratings. So that is a great step forward. I havent followed the Versys 1000 too closely, so I dont know what exact changes would have happened with the MY2021 bike. Im guessing it got updated to meet Euro 5 / BS6 norms and that could / should take care of the stalling issues. Time will tell.

With the Z900, the local dealer initially claimed that there was no issue with using regular fuel but when I pointed out known instances being shared on public forums, they agreed that the lower octane fuel did cause some issues which they were able to address.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I have friends who have taken the Versys 1000 to leh, ladakh and back from Bangalore and the bike runs well to date.

Was this with additives? Or did they use that fuel filter cap thingy which I believe you had posted about on your Versys thread? Or was it just the old Hero Honda style - fill it, shut it, forget it with just the regular services?

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Was this with additives? Or did they use that fuel filter cap thingy which I believe you had posted about on your Versys thread? Or was it just the old Hero Honda style - fill it, shut it, forget it with just the regular services?

From what i know, fill it, shut it, forget it. 2017 model i think. That fuel filter will only warn you about adulteration, it cant do anything about octane ratings.

[wangdu]

Originally Posted by Livetor1de

The dealer has indicated that the MY2021 bikes have their ECU setup differently to address the stalling experienced by owners in the last 18-24 months (purportedly due to lower octane fuel), and that IKM acknowledges this change. The new bikes do still have stickers recommending 95 octane fuel. However, I have not much more than the dealers' word to go on, at this time.

On another note, I have put money down and am expecting to take delivery in the next week or so. Fingers crossed! 😀

Congratulations !.

Lately I was at Kawasaki showroom with similar requirements like yours. Test rode both MY020 Versys & MY 2021 Ninja 1000; while the Versys felt great ergonomically and it did attract me a lot, it was the Ninja 1000 that felt a suitable replacement for most type of roads & touring needs so I signed the cheque for it.

Did you consider the sports tourer Ninja MY21 which now has very useful features such as cruise control, up/down quick shifter (not in versys 1000), more touring friendly seats et al. Would like to know what shifted your decision towards Versys or was it the latter all the way?

Pls. do share some pics of Versys.

[Livetor1de]

Originally Posted by wangdu

Did you consider the sports tourer Ninja MY21 which now has very useful features such as cruise control, up/down quick shifter (not in versys 1000), more touring friendly seats et al. Would like to know what shifted your decision towards Versys or was it the latter all the way?

Pls. do share some pics of Versys.

Congratulations to you too.

My consideration was purely with regards to riding posture and the amount of time I intend to spend on the saddle in a given day. On my Enfields I have spent between 12 & 15 hours riding in a single day. The experience has taught me that posture and saddle comfort are as important as balance & ability to keep pace over long distance rides.

While I did not test drive the Ninja, the lean in was enough of a deterrent, given the use case I have for a tourer. Low fairing clearance, and doubtful pillion comfort were other concerns. Yes the tech on the Ninja is more advanced and tempting, but since it did not tick some boxes on my list, gave it a pass.

On the other hand, the Versys seems closer to THE bike (if there is such a thing), but only time will tell.

Regarding the quick shifter, Kawa offers it as an add on, on the Versys. However, being new to this class of bikes and looking at how powerful the engines are with low end torque, combined with decent shifts (during my test rides); I felt/feel that it will take quite a while before I miss this add-on. But who knows, maybe I'll get there quicker 😉

Here's a teaser pic, from the day the bike was unloaded at the dealer. With guidance from the mods, I hope to write a full purchase and ownership experience piece about this beautiful machine!

[wangdu]

"The sport bike for the real world" is here.

My 2013 Ninja 300 resurrected into inline-4 super machine and is coming home this week.

[Hamza123]

Hello all
Hope you all doing great.
Have been looking to upgrade my motorcycle and have been shopping around and started doing research. I use a pre loved 2015 Ninja 650 which was a lovely bike and very very reliable but the itch to upgrade finally got to me after using it for 2.5 years and 15000kms . I also own a Thunderbird 500 which is my daily rider.
I usually ride almost every weekend and sometimes when I get time even during the week. I don't ride at fast speeds at all and like to stick to the 90 100 range. I would love to have an upright and comfortable seating posture which I think plays the biggest role when it comes to touring. Reliability and sensible maintainance and spares are the other requirements as I would like to ride the motorcycle rather than it being a garage queen.
Even my breakfast and Sunday rides are between 200 to 300 kms as I hate going for anything shorter than that. Not much of an off road guy and the max I would go is into some B roads and dust trails. My budget is 12 to 13 lacs at maximum as I would like to avoid financing the motorcycle as much as possible.
I have shortlisted the following motorcycles and would love to know your opinion on the same

1.Kawasaki Versys 1000
Loved the sheer size and road presence of it. Took a very very short test ride and was instantly home. Did not find it too big and unwieldy and could flat food one foot easily. Surprisingly my wife was very comfortable on the bike instantly ( she was not at all on the ninja) a longer test ride is due. Also hoping that kawasaki get the S model which has replaced the base model internationally.

2. Kawasaki Ninja 1000
Find the lean angle to be more than that of the Ninja 650 and not sure if I would be comfortable on it for long durations or not. A longer test ride is due.

3. A pre owned multistrada 950/1260/Diavel
Ducatis have always made me a bit weak in the knees but not sure how reliable they would be or affordable they would be in terms of running costs and spares. Still a dark horse.

4. A pre owned tiger 800
Another contender but I like the versys 1000 a bit more than this. But will keep looking for one if I get a sweet deal .

Don't like the vstrom / Africa twin purely on the basis of their looks.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed

The purchase will happen next year so I do have some time for the same

Thanks
Hamza

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Have been looking to upgrade my motorcycle and have been shopping around and started doing research. I use a pre loved 2015 Ninja 650 which was a lovely bike and very very reliable but the itch to upgrade finally got to me after using it for 2.5 years and 15000kms . I also own a Thunderbird 500 which is my daily rider.

The bike you need is probably either the Suzuki V Strom 650 or the Versys 650. Between the two, I would suggest the former. That said, you cant go wrong with either.

But, since you are already used to a Ninja 650, both these bikes may not feel like a proper upgrade. And since your budget is sufficiently more than what the Suzuki and the Kawasaki cost, then you definitely will want something bigger and better. In that case, the Versys 1000 makes a lot of sense. But, at some level, these are not just logical buys. Since you have time, test ride everything in your budget. You will never know what connects with you the best.

In summary,
Only head - VStrom 650. Eyes closed.
Head + heart - Versys 1000. You already seem to have a liking to it and your wife is comfortable on it.
Only heart - Based on test rides. You never know what tugs your heart strings!

My only suggestion is to keep your finances in place. You never know when a really good preowned deal might popup and help you save a lot of cash. Happy hunting.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

3. A pre owned multistrada 950/1260/Diavel
Ducatis have always made me a bit weak in the knees but not sure how reliable they would be or affordable they would be in terms of running costs and spares. Still a dark horse.

@Hamza, for your sanity and to keep enjoying weekend rides, I will discourage you from looking at used Ducatis. This is purely my opinion and my current experience from owning 4 Ducatis at the moment.

1. Learned this the hard way - insurance companies will say that you can get cashless, 0 dep insurance on Ducati. But you have to pay the repair expenses in full upfront, and then you have to claim the money from insurance, which takes anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 month. My Hypermotard got rear ended, and the total repair bill is 5.8 lacs. I have to now pay 5.8 lacs upfront to dealer and then get the money back from the insurance company. My insurance provider is New India Assurance. When I took out the policy, I was told it is cashless, but now New India told me that I need to pay upfront and then file for a claim. Why? Because brands like Ducati, Aprilia do not have any factory presence in India, hence insurance company uses this method. I have no idea about the rationale and logic, but I am sure SnS_12 who has background in insurance or any other bhpian can shed light on this matter. Probably the insurance agent is bluffing me, since my policy does not mention anything, but I am too exhausted arguing with insurance agents.

2. None of the spare parts come from Thailand directly, where Ducati has a factory. They are shipped from Italy. Average shipping time is 2 -3 months. You have to wait weeks or months to get any spare parts for the bike. It becomes a waiting game and it is not fun.

3. Every spare part is outrageously priced. I was quoted Rs 1,000 for one small screw for my V4S windshield. As per Ducati vendor management tool, its 5 euros for the cost and then add in shipping, GST, customs, fitment charges and the Rs 500 doubles to Rs 1,000.

4. Average servicing costs will run you from Rs 20k - 30k. Desmo service, which is required every 24k km runs anywhere from Rs 40-60k. Tires are Rs 40k, brake pads are Rs 10k.... the costs will add up very fast.

4. Most of the used Ducatis for sale in India are in poor shape. Not terrible, but poor. Due to the expensive servicing and maintenance costs, most owners skip on the service. That means, annual service, oil change, filter change, fluid change, brake pads, forks.. none of the consumables are ever changed by owners. I view on average 1 - 2 Ducatis per month in Delhi, as I help out my friends / prospective clients in sourcing bikes. I also work very closely with the Ducati dealers and always hear the horror stories.

5. If you want to buy Ducati, buy a new one. Otherwise, your next best option is to use Ducati's preowned service, where Ducati dealers and Ducati themselves sell pre-owned bikes with warranty. This is a safer option if you want to go through the used route.

http://approved.ducati.com/en_in/

Ducatis are a joy and they definitely stand out, but there is a serious amount of commitment required to own them from a time and finance point of view. My weekends are completely full just maintaining my bikes, and it affects my social life greatly. I am not complaining, as I would gladly choose spending my free time on my bikes, but if you are looking for a very stress free ride, where you do not want to invest time in maintaining and working on bikes all the time, then a Ducati may not be the safest bet.

Happy hunting