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Good Bye FJR Hello Versys 1000

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Weljo2001

Weljo2001

0
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Messages
952
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11
Location
Haslet,Tx. Norwalk,Ca.
First Name
Joseph
Last Name
Wells III
Had an 09 Versys 650*loved that bike.Sold it and got an FJR in 2014. Traded the FJR on a2016 Versys 1000.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--5UlPZJ2V4"]Good Bye FJR Hello Versys 1000 - YouTube[/ame]

27525778444_a67d5b7e1e_h.jpg
Kawasaki Versys 1000LT by weljo2001, on Flickr

27525778244_641bc3a321_h.jpg
Kawasaki Versys 1000LT by weljo2001, on Flickr
 
Nice, I've heard good things about those. I'll be hanging onto my FJR though as it still isn't used up. :D
 
gixxerjasen said:
Nice, I've heard good things about those. I'll be hanging onto my FJR though as it still isn't used up. :D
Click to expand...

I liked the FJR but it just wasn't comfortable on my knees and hip. So went back to a taller bike. When i took the FJR to have a tech check it out during the trade. The parts manager came over to the tech to see what shape the FJR was in.After a short talk he came up to me and asked about the bike so i went over everything with him about the up keep of the bike. He goes into the office and tagged it so he could buy it.:mrgreen:
 
Nice, gotta have a bike that fits you. I can barely handle the FJR, so anything taller would be out of the question. :D
 
Well, 3 months in, overall thoughts?

This big girl has really caught my attention all of a sudden. I've been looking at the FJ-09 (still hoping to catch a test ride), Super Tenere (so big, so expensive), Africa Twin (too off-road focused for my needs), and a few others as eventual replacements for the NC. For some reason I've always dismissed the big Versys, but I don't know why... there's a lot to like I think.

How's the smoothness? High frequency vibes in particular -- I can't stand them... I've read the FJ-09 has some buzziness, but most reports on the big Versys is that it's silky smooth. I miss the big, torquey lump from my Bandit 1250, which was very smooth.

Anything that bothers you? Surprising things you like? Wind protection gets high marks from the reviews I've read. Inquiring minds need to know!

Hoping to test ride one this weekend at a dealer to get a feel for it. Spec sheet comparison says it should feel awfully close to my old Bandit.

trey
 
Last edited:
treybrad said:
Well, 3 months in, overall thoughts?

This big girl has really caught my attention all of a sudden. I've been looking at the FJ-09 (still hoping to catch a test ride), Super Tenere (so big, so expensive), Africa Twin (too off-road focused for my needs), and a few others as eventual replacements for the NC. For some reason I've always dismissed the big Versys, but I don't know why... there's a lot to like I think.

How's the smoothness? High frequency vibes in particular -- I can't stand them... I've read the FJ-09 has some buzziness, but most reports on the big Versys is that it's silky smooth. I miss the big, torquey lump from my Bandit 1250, which was very smooth.

Anything that bothers you? Surprising things you like? Wind protection gets high marks from the reviews I've read. Inquiring minds need to know!

Hoping to test ride one this weekend at a dealer to get a feel for it. Spec sheet comparison says it should feel awfully close to my old Bandit.

trey
Click to expand...

Really enjoying the V-1000. Much more comfortable for me i have a bad hip and knees so i need a taller bike. Bikes real smooth no vibes so far. On the FJR i had to put extra heavy bar ends on it to knock out some of the vibes. The wind protections pretty good but I'm 6'2" with a 32" inseam so i bought a V-Stream Tall Windscreen and i keep it on the lowest setting for city and the tallest for lots of freeway riding. The Versys was well thought out everything is fairly easy to work on unlike the FJR you had to remove a lot of plastic anytime you worked on it. To me the V-1000 feels lighter than my V-650 did and the extra horsepower is really nice. Engine and transmission is like butter.
 
Weljo2001 said:
Really enjoying the V-1000. Much more comfortable for me i have a bad hip and knees so i need a taller bike. Bikes real smooth no vibes so far. On the FJR i had to put extra heavy bar ends on it to knock out some of the vibes. The wind protections pretty good but I'm 6'2" with a 32" inseam so i bought a V-Stream Tall Windscreen and i keep it on the lowest setting for city and the tallest for lots of freeway riding. The Versys was well thought out everything is fairly easy to work on unlike the FJR you had to remove a lot of plastic anytime you worked on it. To me the V-1000 feels lighter than my V-650 did and the extra horsepower is really nice. Engine and transmission is like butter.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback, glad you're still enjoying it.

Happy to hear you don't have any vibrations to speak of. I seem have a really low tolerance for high frequency buzziness. My Bandit never bothered me, but I've ridden a few big I4 that wouldn't be acceptable long term. Windscreens are so personal (and you're pretty tall) I'm not surprised you made a change. It's nice to have the adjustable bracket built in -- that's a big plus to fine tune it. I've always done a windscreen shuffle on just about every bike I've had.

Also glad to hear it feels light. My Bandit was OK, but I wouldn't want anything much heavier. The Honda's lighter weight has been nice for sure. My dad rides an FJR, and I really like it, but it's just too much heft for me on a daily basis. I think the Tenere might be the same, but I'm hoping to ride one soon.

I commute, and about once a month visit some family that involves 15 miles or so of gravel county roads. They're decently maintained, but still washboard in places with plenty of dips and bumps. I don't need an 'offroad capable' bike like the Tenere, but a little extra ground clearance/suspension than the average street bike sure comes in handy. The little Honda has been perfect for this, but a little more spunk day to day would be a nice change :) .

Long story long, somehow the Versys seems to really fit the bill for my needs. I'd love a shaft drive and cruise but.... for around $10k for a leftover new or very lightly used bike, that's fine. Looks like the only updates for 2017 are BNG and a built in gear indicator, I may start looking for a '15+, new or lightly used soon. Looking forward to getting an up close look at one this weekend.

Thanks!

trey
 
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