The Versys Thread

[Walkabout]

The Versys KLE650CAF (non ABS) - a road bike.
Just for clarity, I'm referring here to the second version that has been on sale most recently, specifically a 2010 bike. Reputedly, these have a less vibey engine compared with the first version, being mounted differently.


I have owned mine for just over 2 months and put in nearly 3500 miles, all on the highway – this is not an off road bike! Yes, it's not a vast mileage but enough to make a judgement about the Versys. So what I am saying here is simply my experience of riding this bike for quite a short time but over a few miles.
Most of the miles have been one up with luggage by the way, but I have carried a pillion a few times, with no significant luggage fitted on those occasions.
The bike is shod with Michelin road pilot 3s which have a load of grip; very likely far more than this bike needs.


Comfort:
The handbook says the ground clearance is 7 inches; this seems really good on the face of it, but the bike is a road bike i.e. it doesn't actually need this amount of clearance for road use and it does mean that the seat is quite high. Lots of information/reports about the Versys have pointed out the under-slung exhaust collection box which is just forward of the back wheel – this may be why the ground clearance is so high.
Sure, the bike does have a high ground clearance for a road bike, but, as a consequence, the foot pegs are a bit too high, for me anyway. I certainly expected them to be lower and more comfortable in that important dimension between seat and foot pegs which determines the amount of bend in the knees – a big contributing factor to all day riding comfort and putting in the distance.
Everything else about the bike e.g. the stretch to the handle bars and the saddle are fine for me when putting in 300+ miles per day (but then so was the F650GS when doing 500+ mile days).
The overall riding position feels “high” because of the high seat position and the wide spread of the handle bars; it is quite possible to stand on the pegs while riding thereby easing the knees!
My pillion says that the rear part of the saddle is very comfortable.


Range:
The fuel tank is quoted as 19 litres capacity and it certainly can return about 250 miles between fill ups; the fuel warning starts to flash when there is about a gallon (UK gallon, i.e. about 4.5 litres) remaining. So, you can easily push this on a bit with the knowledge that it is not going to run out of fuel for some time – I have got to within about 2 litres remaining before refuelling (based on brimming the tank), hence the 250 mile range.
I have got up to a best of 69 MPG from this bike with 65 MPG easily returned when the throttle was used a bit more liberally and down to a lowest return of 63 MPG when running on 10% ethanol mixture ( French fuel that claimed to be 95 RON – before I saw the 10% sign it was in the tank!).




Suspension:
They come with preload and rebound adjustment on both the shock absorber and the front forks. Nevertheless, I have fiddled with all of these adjustments but I still consider the ride to be worse than other bikes I have owned (most recently ridden has been a F650GS which had a much softer suspension). The Versys seems to be harsh and my pillion has made the same comment, feeling every bump in the highway. Now I have everything, front and back, adjusted to the softest settings but it is disappointing for the quality of ride on anything but very smooth surfaces. Also, the forks are upside down in design (I've never owned one of these designs before) and I expected more from this suspension arrangement.
As a comment, as with most Hondas, the competitive pricing of the Versys may be achieved by economising in the suspension.


Engine:
The quoted horsepower is not a lot for a parallel twin 650cc, but that is OK for me, riding one up. The riding experience is about more than outright HP and it gives the impression of a decent amount of torque which is what I would expect from any twin cylinder. I have found the bike more than OK for one up riding, including with luggage fitted, but a bit breathless for carrying two people who more or less equate to the maximum all-up weight recommendation of Kawasaki.
I guess this means that the engine is doing pretty much what it was designed for, so, overall I consider this to be a good engine with good performance coupled with good fuel economy. It has more vibration than I expected after reading the reports comparing this version with the first, but I probably expected too much and I shouldn't have done after owning V twins.


Finish:
Yep, the plasticky bits are a matter of taste I suppose, but the polished alloy bits do mark easily and those marks can be just about anywhere that something touches the bike, including the matt paint on the fuel tank.
Sure, this doesn't matter one bit for an off road bike but this is a bike that is designed for the road and competing with other bikes that, arguably, have a more robust finish.




I guess that will do, for now.

Footnote regarding the engine: at an indicated 70 MPH (the legal speed in the UK for the motorway) the bike is pulling about 5500 revs, but it feels a bit high for that cruising speed. The engine is not "strained" at those revs, but it does feel like a higher engine revolution than I am used to.