ld_rider
Elite Member
Cover the tach with blue painters tape.....<Then> head to the Darien Gap and beyond......Problem solved ;-)
Kawasaki Versys 300 ABS
- Thread starter ld_rider
- Start date
D
Deleted member 5383
Yeah, all that really says is the way you ride it is more like a high-revver than a low-revver. Kinda like the WR which redlines at 11.5K and gets decent fuel economy for its performance all the same.
MalcolmReynolds
Site Supporter
That would drive me insane... and it is a pretty short drive! LOL It might be a fun bike once you can get it offroad, but getting it there would grind on me... Just my riding style and preference I guess.
One of the reasons I chose the NC over the CB.
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Deleted member 5383
Fuzzy
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I'm strongly considering getting one of these. Some want to upsize for off road like the Africa Twin. I'd rather down size to do it.
I agree 100% Fuzzy. I hope all the manufactures add bikes like this.
Hondafan
Member
I traded in my 2011 CBR250R on a 300X a week ago...read what little there is in the way of reviews, and it seemed exactly what I was looking for. Rode 250 miles on the CBR to the closest dealer and handed him the keys and some cash, and rode home on the 300. First time I bought a bike without test riding it.
It is basically a 300 Ninja motor with a differently tuned airbox. About 39HP. Kawasaki used gearing to increase torque at the back wheel. The final drive on the Ninja is 14/42, and the 300X is 14/46.
Things that impressed me are the build quality, the smoothness of the motor, wind protection, and the suspension. Although it uses the same budget suspension as the NC, the chassis is well controlled, and there is no harshness over sharp edged bumps. It soaks up bumps very well. Much better build than my 2008 KLR, and smoother, lower and lighter. 70mph is a comfortable cruise. One last thing....it is easy to remove body work.....all Allen Hex fasteners and no clips.
Here is a short road test that is pretty accurate imho.
2017 Kawasaki Versys-X 300 ABS - FIRST RIDE REVIEW | Cycle World
It is basically a 300 Ninja motor with a differently tuned airbox. About 39HP. Kawasaki used gearing to increase torque at the back wheel. The final drive on the Ninja is 14/42, and the 300X is 14/46.
Things that impressed me are the build quality, the smoothness of the motor, wind protection, and the suspension. Although it uses the same budget suspension as the NC, the chassis is well controlled, and there is no harshness over sharp edged bumps. It soaks up bumps very well. Much better build than my 2008 KLR, and smoother, lower and lighter. 70mph is a comfortable cruise. One last thing....it is easy to remove body work.....all Allen Hex fasteners and no clips.
Here is a short road test that is pretty accurate imho.
2017 Kawasaki Versys-X 300 ABS - FIRST RIDE REVIEW | Cycle World
D
Deleted member 1183
Now, that is a plus for me. I wish Honda would get over the cheap plastic tabs and clips. If folks think they are a nuisance on the NC, I can assure you that they are a nightmare on the Africa Twin. Folks are breaking bits to get off bodywork in some instances. My old Dominator is like the Kawasaki and body work removal is fuss free.
Best of luck with your new purchase.
Fuzzy
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Pulled the trigger and bought one on Craig's List. Dealer in Alabama had one with 224 miles on it $1,000 below list. Dealer himself put the miles on. Hope to pick it up Friday. Now if someone will just get a skid plate on the market for it.
Will keep NC so two bikes in stable.
Will keep NC so two bikes in stable.
Congrats! Sounds like fun. Farkle time all over again.
In my case, once the stable contained more than one bike, the psychological barrier was broken, and there seemingly became no limit to the number of bikes "allowed". Be careful.
ld_rider
Elite Member
Nice! Congrats on the new addition and great price!
Fuzzy
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Won't be the first time I've had 2 in stable. Wife constantly reminded me I could only ride one at a time. Bottom line previous times I found one bike gathering dust so I sold it. If that happens again (the dust part) I will sell the dusty bike.
This will be the second time I bought a bike that was not a Ninja, but had a Ninja engine. The other was a 1993 Vulcan EN500.
