Good to see a Versys 650 take on some dirt tracks. Been looking at the Versys 650 for adventure touring & I like to travel backroads plus dirt. After seeing your video on my search I was impressed with where you took the bike. Yeah it’s not a dirt bike & nor do I expect the bike to handle the rough stuff well, but you did great! 👍🇦🇺🏍
Thanks for watching! The Versys is a really underrated platform. With a few suspension and wheel tweaks, they will go places they definitely shouldn't lol
1:50 Agreed about what they should do, but I'd expand the Versys line like Triumph does. Do a Versys XC or Adventure R or whatever. IE copy the crap out of the T7. I'm kicking around taller profile tires as well. I've read about putting the Vstrom wheel on it to get 19", but it seems a 80 or 90 tall tire gets a lot of the way there without messing about with everything else.
2023 model just needs: Longer suspension travel, it already got 5.9 inches that too adjustable for preload and rebound, 1 or 1.5 inches more, boom adventure specs. Tubeless 19' inch spokes wheels if that's too much too ask then at atleast tubless 19 inch alloy. Off road abs, a switch rather than going through screen menu & doing on and off thing.. The new one already got Adjustable levers Traction control USD forks Adjustable suspension front & back And really looks are also updated with now two color options who dont like green😅 That's it...
Great Video! First one that have seen anyone really riding a "trail" other than a a perfectly graded and maintained gravel road! Right here in the Mid Atlantic area! I have a stock 2012 with some basic add ons, like barkbusters and heated grips. Fantastic on said gravel roads and took it up to Dolly Sods just for the hell of it when exploring some back roads in WVA. Did great on the climb up with street tires. How well do you my stock bike would handle MABDR with some Shinko 705s or similar tires? I know there are a few water crossings that I would need to avoid, but seems like this bike would do just fine. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I've taken mine on some super gnarly stuff. I think you would be fine on the MABDR with some 705's. Hit me up sometime when the weather breaks and we can do some riding!
Nice video and nice ride, congrats! I am sorry I am not English speaker so I am not sure if you said in the video the model of tires you are using. I am looking for info to change them as you did it. Thanks in advance!
The rear is a Kenda Big Block, the front is a VeeRubber VM33 which I don't think is available anymore. I would recommend a set of Continental TKC 80 front and rear if I could do it over again. Thanks for watching!
Anything is a dualsport if you try hard enough haha 😄 I'd love to try one of the new Moto Morini X-cape 650s since they're a more offroad oriented Versys.
Wider bars, taller tire, different sprocket(s). I wonder if the KLR forks are the same tube diameter? Nice vid. I've been wondering about this for some time.
KLR forks are a different diameter, but the steering stem bearings are the same so you can technically bolt the entire front end on. I know KLR forks are marginal at best on a stock KLR and the Versys is heavier so probably not the best setup. I have a set of redone DRZ400 front forks with adapters to put on the front, along with a 19" front wheel. Out of the gate though, the Versys will do alot of fun trails!
@@wrightcycleworks Thanks for the info. I have Progressive front springs in the forks of my KLR and it helped the braking dive quite a bit. I was hoping for the Versys engine on the new KLR myself. Thanks Wright-
@@ralphwatten2426 yeah Kawasaki missed the mark not making the Versys into a Tenere competitor. They literally have all the stuff in house to do it for little to no R&D
@@wrightcycleworks they would need to do a lot of work for a versys to even come close to a tenere 7 . Love the bike but would need a whole new platform to even be relevant on dirt like the Yamaha . Hence why R&D chose efi and abs on the Klr , little work was needed on the bike and it is a solid platform that can do the kind of riding .
Nice ride. What's old is new again. G.I. and NAZIs were doing similar with road bikes in WWII. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Yeah when raised the front fender, I had to reroute the front brake lines. I ended up having to order a new on for the left side and they sent one a bit too long. Should work perfect with the new DRZ400 front forks going on soon!
@@wrightcycleworks thanks for the info dude. I'm surprised you got it that low I thought you'd say like 22psi...can I ask what pressure you running on the street? Really good video, you definitely got skill chucking that 200+ kg bike around in some parts of the video
These were a set of old tusk brand handguards I had on my XR650R. The stock bars were already threaded for the weighted ends, so I just mounted them up. I'm pretty sure any 7/8 bar sized handguards will mount easily.
