Kawasaki Versys is here

Nov 7, 2007
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"So did you loose your cover before or after the 1000km service-check?"

Before. Must have come off somewhere on the road as I didn't even notice.
 
Nov 7, 2007
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Was at Kawa CM today and as luck would have it, they had just received a new MRA Vario Touring windscreen.

While in the packaging it didn't look much bigger than stock but I said what the heck and got it anyway - 7,000 Baht. I didn't even have time to try it yet - need to play around with the different settings. But I can already say it's worth the money because it just looks fantastic. See here!

Attached files
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Jul 25, 2010
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Saw Nikster at Kawa when I was picking up my Versys. The screen really looked good so I got one too. Don't you love shopping?
 
Nov 7, 2007
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ronwebb;262821 wrote: Saw Nikster at Kawa when I was picking up my Versys. The screen really looked good so I got one too. Don't you love shopping?
I know, right ;) Good to see you today Ron.

I was at the dealer to bring them my proof of residency. When I was about to leave I asked one of the owners whether they have the MRA Vario screen now, more out of habit than anything else, I'd been asking about this since I got the bike. And there it was, fresh out of the box! An early xmas present! 10 minutes later it was on my bike :)

I've been going a little faster on the canal road, with the wing all the way up it's way, way better than the stock screen. MRA know what they're doing. Givi and Puig seem to be a little larger, but they're also MUCH uglier.
 
Sep 7, 2010
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The big day arrived this morning. My friend Leif gave me a ride to Pattaya to fetch my new Versys. After an hour of fiddly fucking around with paperwork (all of which could have been done long before I arrived), my wife & I were on our way back to Ban Phe, a 75 km trip. The cheap bastards gave me enough gas for about 2 km, so that was the first task. Then I could finally settle down and ride. Once south of the slums of Pattaya, traffic thinned out a bit and I could concentrate on the ride.

The first impression was the torque. A couple of time while leaving a traffic light, I felt the forks top out and the front tire was was lightly floating. Awesome! Some have been complaining about the stock brake pads, but I found them quite acceptable. Granted they take some pedal/lever pressure, but they are very progressive and quite linear. However, with my wife riding pillion, I didn't think it would be prudent to pull a stoppie or two.

Direction changing was very impressive. The suspension geometry, tire profile, and low mass all add up to a very low effort and smooth lane change. Carving a quick curve or three showed very confident stability that increased with more throttle after the apex.

So far, I am very pleased with the V Bike. It's faster than my former R1150RT, and significantly more nimble. The only complaint I have is wind noise and turbulence. I assume that is caused by the fly screen, and I will play with the different positions and see if that helps. Also at 120+kph, the turbulence is lifting my 'safety hat' off my head. Very annoying indeed.

That's all for now, I'm a happy camper now.
 
Nov 7, 2007
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[Huh - the forum just ate my post - oh well]

Congrats on your new bike :)

I find the MRA Vario Touring screen a huge improvement over stock. Just a slight breeze at 150 kph. This is the one sold Kawaski-branded in Europe. Givi and Puig screens have pretty good reviews too - and they look huge.
 
Sep 7, 2010
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Hi Nikster
Thanks for the congrats. Much appreciated. I changed the screen to a steeper angle and tried it out today on an 85km jaunt. The wind noise is still unacceptable, although my helmet no longer lifts off my head. I find it weird that my Phantom naked bike had no wind noise at all, even at 120kph. Perhaps I should try taking the screen off and see what that is like. The noise may be due to other tupperware parts.

Where did you purchase your Vario screen? It it available here in Thailand?
Cheers
 
Nov 7, 2007
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salbrecht;262931 wrote:
Where did you purchase your Vario screen? It it available here in Thailand?
Cheers
Kawasaki dealer in Chiang Mai.

I was reading about helmet noise online and they said it very much depends on aerodynamics which are very hard to predict. Very well possible you get less noise with no windscreen.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Wahoo! Knee down on a Versys!
VersysBIRADec18th.jpg

That takes some doing!
Hats off to Khun Pep from TR Race Team!

ps. no smilies on GTR anymore? :-(
 
Dec 27, 2007
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2wheels;262956 wrote: Smiles are there Tony; keep scrolling down to bottom right.

" * You may post new threads
* You may post replies
* You may post attachments
* You may edit your posts

* BB code is On
* Smilies are On
* code is On
* HTML code is Off "

Rgs :shh:[/quote]

Aha! There they are! :mrgreen:

Must say, compared to most VBulletin Forums I use such as [url="http://www.advrider.com"]http://www.advrider.com[/url] and [url="http://www.kawiforums.com"]http://www.kawiforums.com[/url] this one is still in need of a lot of work. (That's not a complaint, mind you! I'm sure that it's all in the works and that transitioning the forum over from the previous PhPBB software must be a monumental and time consuming task!)

Keep up the good work! :clap:

Tony
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Locally produced engine guards available for the Kawasaki Versys!
VersysCrashGuardsASSR.jpg


sdc13544SSR.jpg


sdc13545SSR.jpg


These are modeled after the SW Motech engine guards but are a lot less expensive and actually feature an improved design, borrowing from the locally produced Ninja 650R no-cut frame sliders these engine guards feature a steel cross bar that connects both sides for added strength.

I'll post up more pics as soon as I receive mine!

Let the Good Times ROLL!

Tony
 

stubzi

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May 10, 2009
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Tony,

Where do you get these engine guards from and how much??

Cheers
Dave

TonyBKK;262985 wrote: Locally produced engine guards available for the Kawasaki Versys!
VersysCrashGuardsASSR.jpg


sdc13544SSR.jpg


sdc13545SSR.jpg


These are modeled after the SW Motech engine guards but are a lot less expensive and actually feature an improved design, borrowing from the locally produced Ninja 650R no-cut frame sliders these engine guards feature a steel cross bar that connects both sides for added strength.

I'll post up more pics as soon as I receive mine!

Let the Good Times ROLL!

Tony
 
Nov 7, 2007
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Kawasaki Rayong factory QA team checking out my bike at Kawa CM today :)

They diagnosed my fallen off exhaust cover as bad weld and are going to replace the exhaust under warranty. I was a bit disappointed to learn they don't get discounts from Kawasaki, or bikes to ride around on. Never heard of "eat your own dog food" I suppose?

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imd8ta

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Jul 1, 2009
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nikster;262698 said:
There are some indications the Versys is a bit rare now even though they certainly had enough to fill demand on day 1.

Udon currrently has 1 red unit and are supposed to be getting a couple more today. They are now offering the engine guard that was mentioned here along with a new skid plate and other add ons.
 
Nov 7, 2007
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imd8ta;263010 wrote:
nikster;262698 said:
There are some indications the Versys is a bit rare now even though they certainly had enough to fill demand on day 1.
Udon currrently has 1 red unit and are supposed to be getting a couple more today. They are now offering the engine guard that was mentioned here along with a new skid plate and other add ons.

The Kawa man ensured me they're going to get more of these into Thailand in the near future. Personally I think Kawasaki is pretty good about filling demand - the current shortage (if there even really is one) should be short-lived.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Hi Guys!

I've received a lot of inquiries about the locally made engine guards and other accessories for the Versys so here's what I know of so far:

I've got a line on two different engine guard manufacturers here in Bangkok and am hoping I can get samples before everyone takes off for the New Year Holiday.

The Thai-made engine guards are basically "refined" copies of the SW Motech and Givi brand engine guards. By "refined" I mean that the Thais have taken these expensive imports and actually improved on their design. Don't know if that makes much sense but hopefully I'll soon be able to show you in pictures what I'm trying to explain.

I expect the Versys engine guards will retail for around 5000 Baht but prices are not yet fixed.

Bash plate... Haven't seen a locally made one yet...

Pipes... Most common local brand I've seen on the EX650s and Versys is Tsukigi:
Dec18thKawaTrackDayER6nPui.jpg


I believe the Tsukigi retails for about 10000 Baht. Here's the same pipe on a Versys-
Dec18thKawaTrackDayVersys.jpg


In the pic above you can also see an Aluminum Radiator Guard. That retails for 2000 Baht.

I've seen some GP-style prototypes from Tyga that look amazing but I'm not sure if they are available retail yet.

And then there are all of the locally produced knockoffs of such brands as Akrapovich, Yoshimura and others. I'm not interested in knock-offs and don't know what they sell for.

YSS has already developed a shock for the Versys. In addition to a progressive spring, preload and rebound damping the YSS is also adjustable for RIDE HEIGHT! I've ordered one and will post up pics and a review once I've received it.

Let the Good Times ROLL!

Tony
KhaoKho39.jpg
 

Fatlad

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Nov 27, 2010
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Hi Tony
These engine guards are exactly like my Sw Motech down to the last nut and bolt, are you sure they are a copy??
 
Nov 9, 2010
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Hi Tony,
I'd be interested in getting an aluminium radiator guard. Could you please provide contact details for the suppliers?

Many Thanks

P
 
Jul 25, 2010
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ThePedroDB;263182 wrote: Hi Tony,
I'd be interested in getting an aluminium radiator guard. Could you please provide contact details for the suppliers?

P
I got mine at Kawasaki Chiang Mai. I dont know if dealers country wide stock them though.
 

Fatlad

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Nov 27, 2010
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Look on the Versys Thailand website have guards and many other items for sale, MPC korat also stock.
 
Nov 7, 2007
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What gas mileage are you guys getting? I took 2 pretty accurate readings recently - compare trip meter km vs. liters put in tank, and made sure it was completely topped up every time - and both times a rather disappointing 14.5 km / l.

On the ER-6n I usually got 16 km/l or just a hair under. Could be because I have been riding the Versys mainly in the city, stop and go, short trips with cold engine etc. Still...
 
Nov 21, 2010
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That is pretty bad I would say ... but I do not drive(yet) a Versys.
My XT250x would do 28km/l

What kind of fuel are you using?

Chang Noi
 
Nov 7, 2007
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Plain old 91 (no gasohol - I am annoyed with the whole gasohol scam so I am boycotting it ;) F*** them.)
 

ralf99

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Nov 11, 2010
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Hi Nikster,

Have done a couple of thousand K's on my Versys now - 1500 or so on the highway at around 23 Km/L or maybe just a little more if cruising - the rest in Bangkok traffic at about 21 Km/L.

At the rate your bike is using fuel maybe you should consider the savings with Gasohol, but otherwise I tend to agree it's a sham. When I first picked my bike up the mechanic who did the pre-delivery setup warned me off Gasohol as it can apparently cause problems gumming up the fuel system if let stand for a month or two - at least that's what I think he was getting at...

Cheers
 
Nov 21, 2010
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ralf99;263397 wrote: Hi Nikster,

Have done a couple of thousand K's on my Versys now - 1500 or so on the highway at around 23 Km/L or maybe just a little more if cruising - the rest in Bangkok traffic at about 21 Km/L.

At the rate your bike is using fuel maybe you should consider the savings with Gasohol, but otherwise I tend to agree it's a sham. When I first picked my bike up the mechanic who did the pre-delivery setup warned me off Gasohol as it can apparently cause problems gumming up the fuel system if let stand for a month or two - at least that's what I think he was getting at...

Cheers

Well that is what the Owners Manual says, they also warn you not to use gasohol with a certain higher percentage (depending on the kind of mix).
I do not know what kind of gasohol they sell here in Thailand. With what is it mixed? And at what percentage? And are all gasohol of different brand name they same?

Chang Noi