500X Delivered Yesterday
- Thread starter SilverhawkUSA
- Start date
Aye, but the Versys forks are inverted and adjustable for pre-load and rebound. The CB500X features standard forks that are adjustable for... nothing?
At the back the Versys shock offers adjustable rebound and pre-load. The CB500X offers pre-load only?
Spec-wise, the suspension on the CB500X is comparable to the ER6n/Ninja650. The Versys enjoys much higher spec suspension. :happy1:
does anyone mess with the suspension settings anyway !?
I rode my Cb500X from Chiang Rai to Pai a couple of days ago, can't recall the distance but it was 5-6 hours with stops.
got there about 4pm and because I was enjoying it so much had a can of birdy at 711 and then drove back to Chiang Rai (a different route ofcourse)
nothing wrong with the Bike's suspension. It's not a Versys but it's a really great bike
I rode my Cb500X from Chiang Rai to Pai a couple of days ago, can't recall the distance but it was 5-6 hours with stops.
got there about 4pm and because I was enjoying it so much had a can of birdy at 711 and then drove back to Chiang Rai (a different route ofcourse)
nothing wrong with the Bike's suspension. It's not a Versys but it's a really great bike
Absolutely! Suspension settings for road and off-road are completely different.
Thursday in dirt-
Saturday at the track-
Generally I up the pre-load and reduce the rebound damping for smooth road and track, and soften the pre-load and increase the damping for rough roads and off-road. There are books and websites devoted to the art of suspension set-up and I am a noob, but trust me, having your suspension set properly makes a very noticeable difference in the way your bike handles and performs.
I messed with the settings on the KLX and then put them back to standard as it felt weird.
Guess I was lucky with the CB500X , it rides and handles beautifully as standard.
both the versys and the CB500X are road bikes though IMNSHO, so no real need to alter the settings for most of us. I guess your pushing the envelope.
How do those Corsa's handle the Mud ? .
I've been toying with the Idea of using them as an do it all tyre. I understand they where developed as a wet weather racing tyre and excel on rough roads and in the wet.
Guess I was lucky with the CB500X , it rides and handles beautifully as standard.
both the versys and the CB500X are road bikes though IMNSHO, so no real need to alter the settings for most of us. I guess your pushing the envelope.
How do those Corsa's handle the Mud ? .
I've been toying with the Idea of using them as an do it all tyre. I understand they where developed as a wet weather racing tyre and excel on rough roads and in the wet.
If stock suspension settings work for you then I agree, no need to mess with them. Sounds like you've ridden an ER6. I'd recommend you rent a Versys some time so that you can see how much better the suspension is. I've owned a couple ER6's and a Ninja 650R and couldn't believe how much better the Versys handled when I rode it off the showroom floor.
The Pirelli MT60RS Corsa's are great dual purpose tires BUT they wear very very fast on pavement. That they were originally developed as a wet weather tire explains their short life on dry pavement. I'd recommend the MT60RS Corsa if you ride mostly off-road. But if you ride mostly pavement you can expect the rear tire to not last more than ~5 or 6 thousand km. Pretty short life for such a pricey tire. They do look the business though
Ha, just realized the pics above are from my old ER6n, but anyway, same same but different
I have two sets of wheels for the Versys and use the MT60RS Corsa's for off-road and have been using Scorpion Trails for road, and hit the track with Supercorsa's once. I'd quite like to try the Avon Distanzia as I've heard good things about them, they're cheaper than the Scorpion Trails, and are said to last longer-
Happy Trails!
Tony :happy1:
The Corsa's do look the business. those Distanzia's actually look like they'd be better in the rough stuff than the Scorpion Trails.
Don't need to test Drive the Versys , I'm more than happy with the cb500X.
I did 14 hours in the saddle on my Pai trip in one day , mostly in the mountains, I really enjoyed it, It did feel like I'd done a 'night shift' when I eventually got off the bike and had a well earned beer or two. I can't imagine having a better bike for the mountains than the Cb500X. If there is then I'm not ready for it yet
Don't need to test Drive the Versys , I'm more than happy with the cb500X.
I did 14 hours in the saddle on my Pai trip in one day , mostly in the mountains, I really enjoyed it, It did feel like I'd done a 'night shift' when I eventually got off the bike and had a well earned beer or two. I can't imagine having a better bike for the mountains than the Cb500X. If there is then I'm not ready for it yet
Decided to take the CB500X for a spin this weekend on a trip to Pai.
Versus my Versys:
- CBX500 is a better value
- Versys is a better bike, but probably not 100,000 Baht better.
The CBX has a lot less power than the Versys, suspension is softer too, not as tight.
On the plus side the engine is very smooth, kind of encourages smooth riding. Its probably better for scooting around town. Compared to this the Versys is a clunky beast. I like the CBX engine a lot - I like that it's quiet too. My rental CBX had an aftermarket exhaust but doesn't seem to be a whole lot louder than stock.
CBX top speed is not a problem, happily and quickly reaches 160 and on the way to Pai thats as fast as you want to go anyway.
The main problem with less power is that I can't pass like I am used to. Passing cars is harder with significantly less power and torque on hand. Not that the Versys is such a monster machine but you can feel those extra 17hp more than I'd have thought - maybe also because the Versys is specifically geared for more torque.
In the twisties, the CBX took a bit getting used to but then I started having lots of fun and despite giving it my best effort failed to make it slip - this bike is planted on the road, sticks to the pavement in the curves. The Scorpion Trails doing their bit. Tried to scrape the footpegs too but didn't quite get there.
The ABS on the CBX seems more refined than the V, allowing some slip on the front which I guess should result in better stopping power. I still feel that the Versys stops quicker though, maybe thanks to having two disks upfront instead of just one. Tested in a real life situation thanks to a drunk farmer in Pai who shot out of a soi at speed....
Versus my Versys:
- CBX500 is a better value
- Versys is a better bike, but probably not 100,000 Baht better.
The CBX has a lot less power than the Versys, suspension is softer too, not as tight.
On the plus side the engine is very smooth, kind of encourages smooth riding. Its probably better for scooting around town. Compared to this the Versys is a clunky beast. I like the CBX engine a lot - I like that it's quiet too. My rental CBX had an aftermarket exhaust but doesn't seem to be a whole lot louder than stock.
CBX top speed is not a problem, happily and quickly reaches 160 and on the way to Pai thats as fast as you want to go anyway.
The main problem with less power is that I can't pass like I am used to. Passing cars is harder with significantly less power and torque on hand. Not that the Versys is such a monster machine but you can feel those extra 17hp more than I'd have thought - maybe also because the Versys is specifically geared for more torque.
In the twisties, the CBX took a bit getting used to but then I started having lots of fun and despite giving it my best effort failed to make it slip - this bike is planted on the road, sticks to the pavement in the curves. The Scorpion Trails doing their bit. Tried to scrape the footpegs too but didn't quite get there.
The ABS on the CBX seems more refined than the V, allowing some slip on the front which I guess should result in better stopping power. I still feel that the Versys stops quicker though, maybe thanks to having two disks upfront instead of just one. Tested in a real life situation thanks to a drunk farmer in Pai who shot out of a soi at speed....