Well, I've put a little over 200 miles on the bike and I'm ready to share some thoughts on the Versys. Don't take anything I have to say about the ways the new bike is better than the old bike as me talking smack about vintage bikes. I still love my vintage KZ. Technology has just come a long way in the last 34 years. And some of the difference between the vintage and modern could be lessened if I did things like upgrade the KZ's brake lines to braided stainless steel, or worked out my recurring starter clutch gremlins. I get all that. Just want to give you my personal impressions of the Versys. And there ARE a few ways in which the KZ is superior to the modern bike.

What I love about the Versys

It's a very peppy bike with plenty of power for a 650. It's officially got about 60hp which isn't a lot but it's plenty for me. Redline on this bike is up around 10.5k rpm so riding it is way different than my old 750 twin with a 7k(ish) redline and a much lower optimal shift point. And the Versys wants to go fast. It's got 6 gears and I think I could easily get by without ever using 5 & 6. It'll cruise in 4th gear at 6k rpm and a comfortable 70mph. I'm using the higher gears primarily to save fuel (or if I want to go faster).

The brakes and clutch are completely different from my '79 KZ. The clutch on the KZ has more of a "friction point" where the Versys really has more of a "friction zone". The brakes on the KZ feel like they're either on or off, without a lot of subtlety to them at least when compared with the Versys. The rear brake on the KZ has always been way over powered for the bike (it's the same as the front disk) and it's prone to rear wheel lockup in quick stops if you aren't careful. The Versys brakes are much more effective and have much better feel. The levers are adjustable so they can be made comfortable regardless of whether you've got small hands or ham hocks at the end of you arms.

The Versys is fuel injected so no messing with the choke, no waiting for the bike to warm up, etc. Oh and no wondering in the back of my mind whether or not the bike will even start, which is always a possibility with the finicky starter clutch on my KZ. Just push the button and the Versys starts to purr.

Riding it was a little like riding a space ship at first. The bike is eerily quiet. The first time or two I rode it I felt just like I did the first time I got into a friend's hybrid car. Some of this changed when I got into different riding situations, not the engine/exhaust noise, but other noise (see below).

The headlight is brilliantly bright. It's so much easier to see when riding at night. I upgraded my KZ headlight to a more modern, higher watt bulb and reflector setup, but it just doesn't compare to the new light.

It's got a 5 gallon tank, gets 50mpg and I don't have to worry when I put ethanol in it.

I'm guessing it's the wide tires (160rear/120front vs. 120rear/100front on the KZ) but the bike feels very stable at speed. Like when I put it in a lane position it's just going to stay there forever. Those wide tires generate a bigger contact patch and make it feel more stable in the twistys.

I love the look of the bike (for a modern bike). Few modern bikes do anything for me. Most sport bikes just have too much plastic for me and I'm not really into cruisers either. There are a few naked sport bikes out there I like, but not many. I like the Versys and the most recent iteration of the V-Strom. They're not cruisers, they're not sport bikes. They have a utilitarian bent to them that's oddly reminiscent of the aesthetic of vintage bikes (IMHO).

What I don't like about the Versys

It's a tall ride and I'm not a tall rider. Seat height is 33 inches and I've got a 31 inch inseam on a good day. The bike is also a little top heavy. That's making slow speed turns a little tricky to master and I dropped the bike once at a stop already. They make a lowering link and I'm probably going to get it. Not every rider would have this problem, but I'm 5'8" tall and I think the bike is designed for people 5'10"+

The side stand seems too tall making the bike sit very upright when parked. I'm constantly worried it's going to tip over. When I lower the bike, I'll also shorten the side stand. That should help.

The suspension is very stiff. It seems to handle corner bumps better than the KZ but at slow speeds has a rougher ride.

The plastic fairing produces a lot of noise at slow speed when the rpms are somewhere around 3-4k. I haven't quite pinned it down yet, but other owners on Versys forums complain about it too. Can be fixed with some careful placement of foam sticky tape, but seriously, Kawasaki should have done that at the factory.

What I Still Love About the KZ

So there's no way a 34 year old bike that's been abused by a numbskull mechanic (yours truly) is going to compete with a modern bike's performance, braking, handling, etc. But I still like the KZ's style much more than the modern bike. When I think of a motorcycle, those 70's era Japanese bikes are still the images that come to mind.

I love the exhaust note of my KZ750 twin. It's got a nice guttural thump that's not loud or obnoxious but still has some balls to it. The Versys is almost silent. There's really no exhaust note to speak of and I miss it.

The KZ comes with a center stand. HELLO??!! I can't believe modern bike makers don't include this. Hell they don't even put spools on the swingarm so you can lift the rear wheel to clean the chain. This would be like selling a car that had no place to put a jack to change a tire. Ridiculous.

I actually think the KZ handles gravel and dirt better than the Versys. I live on a gravel road out in the middle of nowhere. So a routine commute for me consists of a mile of gravel and 20+ of highway. This is what the Versys is designed for. But honestly, the KZ handles the gravel better. Could be the tires (the Versys tires are very sporty), could be the top heavy nature of the Versys, could just be what's familiar and comfortable for me. I don't know, but right now I'd rather take the KZ down the dirt road.

Not once in the week that I've had the Versys has someone walked up to me and asked "What year is that?" or said "That was my very first bike!". When I rode with buddies on their modern bikes, when we'd stop, my KZ was always the one that generated comments and conversations with strangers. I don't see that happening much when I'm on the Versys.

You know what else isn't happening as much? The Harley guys aren't waiving to me. I don't know if the round headlight on the KZ fooled them or they just appreciated an old bike regardless of make, but I seem to have fallen into the sport bike/crotch rocket category for them now. I wouldn't consider the Versys either of those things. But I'm definitely feeling a little more snubbed by the fringed leather crowd.

Best of Both Worlds

For a long time I've wanted to have a vintage bike to tinker with and a modern bike that I could ride anywhere, anytime. I'm glad to finally be there.

I'm going to allow myself a few weeks to be infatuated with the new toy. I guess that means I better drain the carb bowls in the old toy so it'll be ready and waiting once I'm ready to get my knuckles dirty again.

Old Man Rock wrote: Well-well, look at that purdy Swing arm....

OK, which route did you go to get it to this level... ?

I see a chem-dip carb cleaner in the image, is this what you used to get that coating off...?

Is this a non buffed state, damn looks good if so.... Wait till you hit it with some white compound... BLING-BLING.... :laugh:

I tried so many things it's hard to say what I did exactly, but here goes........

I started with an angle grinder and a sanding disc to get the anodize off. It worked pretty well but left all of the nooks and crannies and also beat up the swingarm pretty badly. I wouldn't recommend it.

Then I tried the EZ Off oven cleaner to remove the anodize and it worked very well. If I had to do over, I'd go with the EZ off right from the start. Since the arm was so bad after the sanding disc, I went with some heavy duty sanding paper and LOTS of sanding just to get it pretty smooth again. I then went with several types of scotch brite to get everything pretty well scuffed up and consistent all over. I tried some very fine sand paper and a little polish and it really brought out all of the defects. It looked terrible! Polishing brings out every little defect....it truly has to be perfect if you want your final result to be perfect.

So, back to heavy sanding...I think it was 150 grit, and I worked all of the bad areas. Then I worked my way back up through the scotch brites and then to the three new abrasive wheels. I went with the gray (course), the orange (med) and then the blue (fine). It was pretty shiny by that point. Those wheels are really great. I gave it a quick hit by hand with some mothers and that's where it is now.

I would like to get a buffing wheel for my drill and see how that works. Do you recommend the polishing compound over something like Mother's?

Oh, and the Chem Dip is just sitting there, it wasn't used for the swingarm, just the carbs.

Well-well, look at that purdy Swing arm....

OK, which route did you go to get it to this level... ?

I see a chem-dip carb cleaner in the image, is this what you used to get that coating off...?

Is this a non buffed state, damn looks good if so.... Wait till you hit it with some white compound... BLING-BLING.... :laugh:

Hollywoodmx wrote:

turboking wrote: QUOTE: I have these extra 2 parts that I have no idea what they are for?? They are threaded bungs..any idea's?


the 2 lugs are to be welded to the frame in front of the swing arm pivot to support the outboard bearing support, ties it all together...... makes it stronger :huh:

Awesome, thanks!! That makes sense, except they don't drill the holes for those bolts to make it more plug and play, likely because of the welding not going to be 100% exact. Except if the holes were drilled then you could bolt the bungs and tack them on the frame with everything in place. In the end between that, no directions, and the bit of interference on the foot pegs I'm disappointed. It's too bad because a nice piece and the clutch cable mount is ingenious (took me over an hour to figure that's what it was for) and the price is reasonable.

no pre drilled location holes :blink: still you are welcome..... :woohoo: keep up the great work

That KX looks awesome. Funny how those bright pinks and purples look a bit dated now but I sure remember when they were "in". A ton of street and dirt bikes were loaded with those colors back then along with the sea-doos and just about everything else.

Any yes, OMR did good. Those wheels are great to work with.

Here's a picture that the seller sent me before I bought it....The Before:



And here is what it looks like now....I'm getting there! :woohoo:

turboking wrote: QUOTE: I have these extra 2 parts that I have no idea what they are for?? They are threaded bungs..any idea's?


the 2 lugs are to be welded to the frame in front of the swing arm pivot to support the outboard bearing support, ties it all together...... makes it stronger :huh:

Awesome, thanks!! That makes sense, except they don't drill the holes for those bolts to make it more plug and play, likely because of the welding not going to be 100% exact. Except if the holes were drilled then you could bolt the bungs and tack them on the frame with everything in place. In the end between that, no directions, and the bit of interference on the foot pegs I'm disappointed. It's too bad because a nice piece and the clutch cable mount is ingenious (took me over an hour to figure that's what it was for) and the price is reasonable.

QUOTE: I have these extra 2 parts that I have no idea what they are for?? They are threaded bungs..any idea's?


the 2 lugs are to be welded to the frame in front of the swing arm pivot to support the outboard bearing support, ties it all together...... makes it stronger :huh:

OMR provided not-crotchety good advice in this thread..."Just saying"..

79MKII wrote: Great looking rims by the way. Is that a KX?

Yes, that's my baby. 1994 KX250 I started doing a showroom restoration on, then turned it into a works style bike, had some fun with it. Right now, I've been sourcing some unique factory/team parts. The bike has period parts either refurbished or NOS. for instance, the pipe is from 94 with the old logo, no a new version. Won 1st at a motorcycle show with it. The $40k Harley guys must have been pissed. haha

Thanks, Patton! I'll get a pressure brake switch hooked up soon then

Al- we did get some work done last night, but nothing really picture-worthy. There wasn't any proper size tubing in the shop, so we had to spin down a section of 1.5" solid bar to make a custom shock mount tube for the lower link. Got that all spun down, re-made the lower mount arms, and have it set for welding. My buddy might have a slower week coming up, so he may be able to weld it up then.

The swingarm has been mounted for quite some time, just working on getting the shock mount out of the way.

My new bar grips came in, and my Acewell speedo/tach combo is in too!

As for my degree, I've got my undergrad in Kinesiology (sports medicine). I can go into physiotherapy, chiropractic, occupational therapy... All things like that. And the one I'm working on right now is my Master's degree in Kinesiology. It just puts me ahead on the pay scale, and gives me more freedom with work when I start.

I head up to work tomorrow, back in town next Wednesday. I'm aiming to get work done over the weekend that I'm home- if I can get a solid day in, the suspension will for SURE be done, and should be able to get the sprocket alignment going. Fingers crossed I can get lots done soon. I'm also aiming to get my Dyna ignition wired in when I'm off, and also to get my Acewell wired in.