Chris takes us on a Welsh tour of his top 5 favourite roads on the Kawasaki Versys 1000, from the famous Black Mountain Pass to a sheep poo covered trail. is the Versys up to the job? #kawasaki #touring #versys
Great video 👌👌 I'm so glad that someone like Chris is riding the versys 1000, as I have been looking at one, but no one is giving it the berries, I'd definitely consider one now, albeit the electronic skyhook suspension version, I'm from South Wales and I haven't ridden any of those roads, albeit to be fair, I've been living in Scotland for the last 20yrs, and if you are looking for great roads, you might want to check out the west coast of Scotland, great roads up here, Inveraray to oban, Tyndrum to Glencoe, Kinlochleven loop 👌👌 Fort William to Maliag 👌👌 and there's many more...
Dude, I've ridden all those beautiful roads on a 2019 Versys 1000. Don't hesitate, get one bought - you won't be disappointed . Inveraray....what a gem 👍
I know it's 5 months late but I spent today playing with my 2011 V-thou around the English side of the Solway Firth. I've only had it a few weeks but it flipping goes. I'm definitely not as fast as Chris but these things are so easy to ride quickly
I regularly ride my Versys 650 on tours round Wales. Bloody heaven!. I’m sure there are better bikes, but it does everything I want it to and is great fun!
I’ve got a 650 v strom, had a few hyper bikes but now give me my little strom I can’t ride that flat out over these sort of roads. If you see his speedo he’s barely doing more than 65. My strom will pull like a train from 3k rpm
Head north from Bridgend on the A4061 and when you reach Nant y Moel you head up into the mountains on the Bwlch mountain road. follow this all the way over to Treochy and turn left to follow it up the Rhigos mountain road. when you reach the A465 roundabout you can take the A4059 which eventually leads to the A465 Brecon Beacons road. or turn off this to the left at the diner and follow it through the lanes (it joins with the Sarn Helen one of the oldest Roman roads in Britain) to the Devils Elbow and Heol Senni until you join the A4215 and then back to the A465. Now there's a ride.
Hi Chris, another great video you are a quality presenter !! The Versys 1000 is a very underrated motorcycle but I can attest with your conclusions as I own one. I have also completed some of the roads you spoke of and they are excellent ! Great bike and even better reviewer you and Fort9 are head and shoulders above the competition, keep up the good work 👍
Honestly it looked like you needed to dial in the suspension. Rear ended liked like it was wallowing a bit-a little more rear preload would be a good start.
The a 483 is amazing and by head of population stats the second most dangerous road in the country. Every time I ride it my ass puckers up ,but by the time you're a few minutes along it the devil on you're shoulder comes out. Watch out for cops coming over the rise 1 mile before crossgates. If you go at the weekend you might get you're picture taken on that bend you were parked by a pro biking photographer. Great video Chris as usual
Nice vid again Chris, i'm lucky enough to live in North Wales and have some awesome roads on my doorstep and never get bored of them or your hard work putting this great content together💪👍🏾 Just be safe everyone have a great ride and respect the roads and locals that live here and the sheep!!
Wow! Incredible video! Very fun to watch. Usually video from the rider’s point of view doesn’t work for me. This one does. Very flattering to the bike as well. You almost made a top box look cool! What a beautiful place that I may never get to see in person, so thank you to both rider and crew for brining it to us.
Me and a mate did a couple of these roads on my first trip to Wales on a bike. Thanks for your tip on others to do. I've been hankering to go back and you've given me the reason. We've done Scotland to death and Wales was a breath of fresh air. Really enjoyed that trip. Our trip back up north followed the A483 from Llandovery, Newtown, Welshpool, Oswestry, Wrexham to Chester. A grand run leading us to yet more roads and home.
Great video and shows a lot of my favourite Welsh roads as well as some I haven't done before. Another decent road is the B4521 Old Ross Road between the A49 near Ross-on-Wye and Abergavenny. Not stunning mountains, but hilly, rural, a couple of castles, a bit of a jump on a bridge and plenty of bikers, coffee and a pitstop at the bus station in Abergavenny. Push onwards on the A40 to Brecon, Llandovery and the Brecon Beacons
Definitely agree with Chris, the Versys 1000 is a great bike to be riding all day. It's actually a bit more than a 300 mile/day bike, I've done several 1000 mile days on mine.
I remember when I was running in my 2018 KTM 1290 Super Duke R, I ended up this track covered in sheep sh*t with grass up the middle thinking, I know I shouldn't be here on a bike like this, but it is fun! Great vid guys, I've a Wales trip for 2022 in the making so I've noted down these recommendations. Cheers 🍻
I swear this is me living my past life....rode all those roads and better, plus has the NC30. Chris you the man, you made what you love a living 💙 much respect 🏍🏕🏔🏞🏔
Brilliant Vid guys, I've ridden some of those roads and they are epic.. Chris your riding skills are amazing. I fancy a versys even more now I know what a good rider can do with it.. Great photography Ollie.
Those "allegedly tarmac" country roads are my favourite as well and why adventure bikes with a bit of poke and modern rubber were such a revelation to me.
I done a Honda MAC course about 20 years ago and stayed at the bikers retreat , the roads were as you say Chris amazing, especially as a new rider and one who had never at that point rode outside of London, this video has got me thinking 🍻
Snowdonia is magnificent motorcycling country,where I try to ride at least once a week sometimes twice. Living just north of Warrington Cheshire I have easy access to the Peaks,North Wales,the Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes,whilst there's some awesome riding in all three areas,nothing beats North Wales,outside silly season the roads are empty,beautiful,extremely beautiful. I never tire of riding there,who could? Brilliant video BTW and very well presented and photographed,Thanks
I live right at the start of the cat n fiddle and all the amazing twisty mounting roads leading from the cat n fiddle. Such a fun road to ride and doing it daily just for fun or to de stress is amazing
How ironic, I was talking to the girlfriend yesterday about doing our first trip to Wales on my 2012 Versys and Chris and Bike World chuck a video up! Nice one.
Great stuff, I used to go into the peaks every weekend for years. The roads you listed here reminded me of that. I wondered if I could pitch an idea. Could Chris do a round up about the bikes he has ridden this year ? Then as an extension to that which he would buy with his own money, the one that ticked all the boxes for what we do on a day to day basis ? Thank you.
What a video man! I live in the south west and ride mostly over exmoor, I’m riding these roads next year, my friend lives in Newtown which is handy 😎 can’t wait
A loop I like is: From Newbridge on wye take the b4358 to beluah, then take the Beulah to Tregaron single track (an absolute beaut) with a detour to ride around llyn brianne reservoir (but I saw you tested the ducati monster there) Then from Tregaron take the b4343 up to pontarfynach, then the b4574 into nation cycle route 81 to rhayader (the elan Valley loop is also good fun here) and back to Newbridge on wye Also Lovely list Chris, the only road I haven't ridden from it is the little single track off the black mountain pass, and considering how much I also love those roads I will add it to my list.
Looks like that tiny single-track sheep-poo n' grass covered track is the ideal place for a Hypermotard with some 50/50 blocky tires. Thanks Chris and BW for touching on some of the romance of motorcycling, it's the often neglected part of the rider's emotional part hidden down inside the mind. Roads are amazing things, especially the less known and less traveled, the roads not designed for efficient and safe A-to-B.
I was in Snowdonia a couple of months ago hiking (took the car). Was thinking it’s a shame I didn’t bring the bike because the roads here are beautiful! Thanks for making this vid because I have wanted to come back on 2 wheels 👍🏽
Chris thanks for the tour. It was really more about the scenery than the bike; but that's okay. I like that type of riding and have already read many tech reviews of the US version of the Versys. I ride a 2015 Harley Road Glide Ultra SE. I have been looking for something lighter and I like all the tech bundled into the Versys. Most reviewers talk about how big and heavy it is. It's 400 lbs lighter than my current bike. I did a very short test ride at a local dealership, it would work for me.
Hi Chris, great video and glad you like the A483 from Newtown to Llandovery as much as I do 🙂 I have one road I'd like to recommend that's probably not well known but it's proper ace. Check out the B4520 from Brecon to Builth Wells. Quite, twisty roller-coaster of a road. Enjoy 😜
Superb piece Chris 👍 Wales is a fantastic place to ride a motorcycle so let's not tell everyone 😁 PS - love to see you take a Ducati SL over 'sheep poo pass' 🙃
Great edit 👌 I live in south wales by Cardiff Airport and regularly hit the bwlch,rhigos,Penderyn to brecon then up to Llangollen or Aberystwyth on the ZX10R,the roads are amazing and very lucky to live here 🙏
Should we expect that future bike reviews will include a commentary on "how well it performs on sheep poo"? 😂😂 Those are truly spectacular views, almost equal to some of our best biking routes in Australia 😂 (but then again, I've never been to Wales).
Chris you need to get your arse over the Cray mountain. Now THAT is a riders dream. Fast flowing bends with plenty of undulations. Great little thrill.
Hi Chris, the dovey pass is my favourite too. Quiet always and visibilty great. Some gravel in centre sometimes. Only have a vstrom 650 nowadays but I can’t ride it flat out over that. The bikes suspension over there is superb out of my 40+ bikes. So supple and grippy even if only 70bhp. I usually ride to wales coast but do this back to front twice can’t help it
Been thinking about getting a camping weekend in Wales for next year so this will be very useful. Now I need to find a campsite right in the middle of these roads and pray for good weather.....
You have plenty to choose from!!! I would recommend finding something around the Llandovery area and go riding towards mid-wales from there. There are two biker cafes in Llandovery and friendly bikers who will tell u a tonne of good routes to keep u smiling when your in Wales😉
Wales is on my radar to go ride your video is mega helpful thank you. Have you thought about the peak district to go map out some good roads would make for good video 👍
Try Minera mountain road to Worlds end then follow it around to the Panarama road you won’t be disappointed, also what we call the old horseshoe pass road along side the a542 road, and llantysilio mountain road all single lane roads up here north east wales.
Hi Chris can I add another, the B4329 North out of Haverfordwest over the Preselis and back down to where it meets the A487 (which is also epic). You can also detour off at Rosebush to Crymych on a nice little single track or down the Gwaun Valley to Fishguard.
The second you mentioned snowdonia I knew it would be the road outside Ffestiniog to bala. My first ever time out with my dad we went here an its still my favourite road! Only issue I had was the old man can move! My ER6f couldn't keep with his V Strom 😂
Have a little go of the A541 / A543 Mold to Denbigh. Then head to Llyn Brenig café via A4501(average speed cameras here so no fun to be had) Then on to Cerrigydrudion and either Bala to Trawsfyndd via A4501 and A4212 or Cerrigydrudion to Ruthin via B5105. Enjoy
That's awesome, I had a vfr400 nc30 when I passed my test at 18 it had a tyga performance body kit on it in rothman colours I felt like a rockstar on it haha
You remind me so much of Christian Predoi… That same “I’m invincible” attitude Taking that corner extra fast just for the camera… Life is too precious Ride safely 🙏 BB
well, the fact that a cameraman was there means there were no truck approaching the corners.. and if you DO KNOW what are you doing, risk factor plummets to near zero.