Trade Wee for Versys???

I am seriously considering trading in my 07 Wee on a Versys. Why? They're almost the same bike? Now I've been very happy with the Wee. Took it to Wisconsin and Arkansas on separate trips. Great bike. However. The suspension seems lacking to me. First, the crosswinds I have to be able to handle in west Texas make this bike hard to handle. I've been in crosswinds that felt like the bike was going to be pushed out from underneath me, so I slowed down to 55 until I could change directions. Second, the front wheel seems to often be off the pavement on any kind of bumpy road. The front wheel just doesn't feel planted.

I also have a St1300, and would really like to have just one bike for travel, errands etc. I figure I can pretty much configure the Versys just like I want. I'm 6'3, so I need a comfy bike for big guys. Anyone have any experience on both bikes? Did you have a preference? Am I wasting my time and money? Any help is appreciated?

ricks brace for the front stiffens it up nicely. Can't avoid crosswinds, but at least you won't get that front end wiggle when you pass the sixteen-wheeler.

VRoss said:

ricks brace for the front stiffens it up nicely. Can't avoid crosswinds, but at least you won't get that front end wiggle when you pass the sixteen-wheeler.

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+1 running a superbrace (on the vee), same thing. I honestly would spend the dime on getting the suspension set up to your liking. Cheaper in the long run. And from your height I would say your prolly not the 160 lbs that the suspension was designed for. I doubt the cross winds will be any less as the surface area isn't that much different. Best in cross winds are cruisers/metrics as the seating is lower (leverage) and there is typically less surface area where it has leverage. Now if your looking for justification for a new bike, that is a different story and you should have just asked

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I have ridden Stoms a bit and own a Versys... I can say right away that switching to a Versys will not help your cross winds situation. Same basic weight and cross section, same result when passing the trucks in a stiff breeze.

I don't know what weight rider the Wee is setup for in factory trim. When adjusting a Wee for a smaller rider (sub 150 pounds) I had to go to a stiffer than stock spring to get correct sag. Budget at the time precluded installing emulators, so I used the old school method of changing fork oil weight to firm up damping. Out back the stock shock is prone to wearing out quickly. It is a low end unit and the best option is picking one of the many good aftermarket replacements up.

Long story short.... fixing what you have today is a good option. That Wee I adjusted is approaching 60,000 miles on the meter and the rider is still happy with it.

Ed. Good advice. AFter looking at all the factors, I decided to do what you suggested, fix up the Wee for several reasons.

The Wee is slightly bigger and heavier, which I like.
Both bikes need farkles to make them good rides. The Wee has more available as its been on the market longer.
Both bikes suffer from crosswinds, so in the long run, I couldn't find any reasons at all to go with the Versys.