Took My Versys Out Today
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 5:10 pm
My Versys is still in my garage, so I decided it needed some love (and needed to have the gas cycled a bit).
It's in the low 60s in Dallas today so my wife and I hopped on our bikes (she has an M50) and went for a quick ride.
I wish I could have gone out all day. It's a great day for a long ride. Warm sun, cool wind, beautiful.
Anyway, it was interesting being on the Versys again. I love how light the bike feels, how easy it is to manipulate the throttle and the breaks. It has much less torque and less engine compression. So rolling on the throttle is easier, and it's less touchy when coming off the throttle. There's still quite a bit of engine compression, but much less that the R1200R. And then the riding position is much better "stock", except for the knee angle. Surprisingly, I think the knee angle is wider on the R1200R, at least with that Russell seat (which raises the seat hight a bit).
I have always thought of the Versys as a great handling bike. Not that I have a lot to compare. After my Norton, it's my first bike, and certainly the first every-day bike I've had. But it's quite a bit heavier to turn than the R1200R. The control is still pretty good though, it goes where I want it to go. But it's not as good as the R1200R.
Then there's the engine. The vibes had my pinky getting numb after 30 or 40 minutes puttering around back roads. I hadn't noticed it until I pulled in to get gas. One of the things I love about the boxer is how smooth it is at most RPMs.
So it was a fun experiment. All bikes have trade-offs and I'm enjoying the overall package of the R1200R so far.
It's in the low 60s in Dallas today so my wife and I hopped on our bikes (she has an M50) and went for a quick ride.
I wish I could have gone out all day. It's a great day for a long ride. Warm sun, cool wind, beautiful.
Anyway, it was interesting being on the Versys again. I love how light the bike feels, how easy it is to manipulate the throttle and the breaks. It has much less torque and less engine compression. So rolling on the throttle is easier, and it's less touchy when coming off the throttle. There's still quite a bit of engine compression, but much less that the R1200R. And then the riding position is much better "stock", except for the knee angle. Surprisingly, I think the knee angle is wider on the R1200R, at least with that Russell seat (which raises the seat hight a bit).
I have always thought of the Versys as a great handling bike. Not that I have a lot to compare. After my Norton, it's my first bike, and certainly the first every-day bike I've had. But it's quite a bit heavier to turn than the R1200R. The control is still pretty good though, it goes where I want it to go. But it's not as good as the R1200R.
Then there's the engine. The vibes had my pinky getting numb after 30 or 40 minutes puttering around back roads. I hadn't noticed it until I pulled in to get gas. One of the things I love about the boxer is how smooth it is at most RPMs.
So it was a fun experiment. All bikes have trade-offs and I'm enjoying the overall package of the R1200R so far.