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For almost 30,000 miles, a Versys 650 was my daily commuter through the five boroughs of New York City. Riding made the commute more enjoyable, more fuel-efficient, and gave me more options when traffic got tight. In heavy traffic, drivers would sometimes make sudden moves trying to escape a backed-up lane, potentially leaving a car boxed in with nowhere to go. The Versys' smaller footprint and maneuverability made it easier to safely work through those situations and regain a good position in traffic. This is just one of the practical advantages of having a smaller, maneuverable vehicle in a very crowded city. Staying safe and staying out of trouble is always a challenge in New York traffic. That bike was a 2014 white Versys 650 that I codenamed "Puddle Jumper" because I would commute on it rain or shine. If it was pouring rain before I had to leave for work, I would just put on a rain suit and carry on with business as usual..
The Versys 650 that I currently own is an all black 2023 that I codenamed "Battle Bike". The updated looks are just a bonus. As this bike is currently in our fleet, we will be updating this page with more products and information. Visit us on social media for more pics and videos of these bikes. You can see a pic of it at the bottom of the page in the social media post.
This bike is a fun errand runner and is always prepped and ready for a long ride. Stock, the long-travel suspension soaks up the bumps, while the aftermarket "skid plate" deflects road debris to protect the oil pan, filter, and exhaust.I added many other aftermarket parts to make this a long-distance runner with no worries. I see the low-tech nature of this bike as a feature. There is no tablet-style dash with too many options and too many sensors. It's not fly-by-wire either. It is so basic that reliability comes easily to this bike. Adding things like a chain oiler and dual camera DVR setup are all discussed on the road trip page
It is very nimble, which makes it fun in the turns. More sporty than a sport bike - NO. More adventurous than an ADV - NO. But for a third of the price of those bikes, you can "go to battle" with this bike and know it will keep going.
Why didn't I buy the Versys 1000? For my needs, that was way too much tech to worry about on long trips.
The Kawasaki Versys 650 will always be a machine in my garage for the down-and-dirty work. I also own a 2.5L muscle cruiser, which I enjoy very much. But there are some things that I just have to get on the Versys for.
ATGATT: All The Gear, All The Time - is the only standard that we can encourage. While we are guilty of breaking the ATGATT recommendation, we do not encourage others to do so. A properly sized and rated helmet, along with protective clothing and body protection, is always best practice.
Follow us on social media to see our bikes and where we are on the motorcycle journey now. We would love for you to ride with us in the comment section and join the discussion.