I’m seriously considering buying one of these. I know it’s an “appliance” but it’s a nice appliance and truth be told I kind of need a bike that’s more like an appliance and less like an object of lust. Anyone wanna talk me out of it? Or not? My other choice is a Triunph Scrambler which does give me serious wood but I’d end up modding the hell out of it and it’d cease being my appliance and start costing me more than it’s worth. And I already have a bunch of bikes like that…
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Motorcycle Photo Of The Day 
This is the good blog with good images and good details. Please keep on posting the more stuff. I will like to hear more from you.
might as well buy a weed-eater while your at it…
Don’t do it! Ride the classic ones…the world needs more rolling artwork!
keep up the good work!
Eric
Hello,
The Versys is very nice, even nicer than the ER-6N. I had one and, if I were you, I’d consider other trails like the BMW F800 amongst the trail-type bikes. About the Scrambler, I think it’s difficult to compare to the Versys. Scrambler, no doubt.
I have owned this appliance for two years, after 11 years of owning and riding the ‘classic’ 1981 BMW R80 G/S. Both bikes toasted my bread evenly on both sides, cleaned the dried egg yolk off my china and kept my veggies crisp and fresh for days and days. My Versys has performed flawlessly, over many miles and types of road surfaces. I could not be happier with my choice and hope you will be with yours.
Well another big part of this is the price. I can pick it up for nearly $2K less than the scrambler and I’m pretty sure it’s a lot less than the F800.
I’m considering a bike purchase in the spring, and I’m in a similar pickle as you. I don’t want an “appliance,” but it will need to be real, practical, reliable transport, not just a toy. Most of my preferred choices have been out of production for two decades or more, and I can’t say as I’m happy with what the current market offers. My short list includes the Dorsoduro (or Shiver, although the Dorso is better looking), the new CB1100F (more bike than I need), and…the Versys. I’m not really excited about it, but it keeps popping back up, like Horshack raising his hand — “Oooh! Oooh! Pick me! Pick me!”
Tanshanomi, It’s funny you mention the Shiver. We have a new Aprilla dealer here in town and I stopped by to take a look at the lineup. Very impressive bikes but I’ve heard horror stories regarding parts availibility and warranty work. I dont “know” that it’s true but there’s enough of it to make me cautious. The price difference again keeps me coming back to the Versys. It’s a LOT of motorcycle for the money.
Well Steve, I work at a Triumph dealer and consider myself a “triumph guy”, but I’d say go with the Versys from a practicality standpoint. Scramblers have WAYYYYY more cool factor, but are way less practical.
If I had money to buy a bike in this realm, it would be am F800 for sure. I want one so bad!
its looking like a super bike thanks for sharing this with us.
Another problem with the F800 (at least for me) is that there are NO dealers within 100 miles me. There was once but it didn’t last. The owner ws a multiline dealer and BMW was pushing him hard to at least Isolate the BMW brand in it’s own store. When he refused they left him hanging on parts and support so he dropped the line in general disgust leaving a market of about 1.3 million people without a dealership. And before the purists jump all over me, yes this was from a personal conversation I had with him. The closest BMW dealership is in Daytona about 100 miles away. Too far for my comfort level.
Sounds like the Versys is the way to go then…
I love my Versys! There’s a lot to be said for modern, reliable bikes, but this bike is just plain fun, too! I rode the F650GS (the almost 800 cc version of BMW’s 650) for a few days, but it wasn’t nearly as much flickable fun as the Vs. I’ll choose my big BMW RT for long term road work, but the VS is a lot more user friendly for daily work.
It’s really too bad it’s so “FUGLY.” Even for an “appliance.”
I just had a test ride on one of theses= and it was way more fun than I expected. It;s sooooo ugly I wanted to not like it. Now I’m confused!
If you are thinking about getting a Versys save yourself a lot of time and confusion trying to figure if it’s right for you. Just get a test ride and you will probably be sold. Yes it’s ugly, modern, plastic but it’s just sooooooooooo much fun and fairly cheap too.
What about a Tiger 800?
I want one badly. It is just very nice to sit on. To me it is not an appliance, it is just what looks fun. Light-ish, nimble, comfortable posture. I can flatfoot easily at a stoplight and go out to fun places. To me it isn’t a compromise, so much as just exactly what I want for most things. Specialized bikes are the bigger compromise. You give up everything in order to do one thing. This would be fun going to work at 35 mph, or running up a canyon. And I can get to the neat canyons from my house on it without being so sore that the twisties loose their fun. I like my old standard (KZ650) for the same reasons, but this is lighter and better in every way. Plus it looks weird. It is more fun to have a bike that people ask about than be one of the many with a common fancy bike. Sportbikes, cruisers, UJMs all look about the same. This is a light and nimble standard that can handle a gravel road. It has a modern engine that is fun at the speeds I actually drive, and EFI so it will start without a hassle during my winter commute. The GS650 also looks cool, but it costs a lot more and just seems more ‘obvious’. Plus I see these sit in the dealers for a long time and sell for ~$6k USD new with some fluff thrown in. I don’t see many used ones when I look, which I take to mean that the owners like them. Hopefully in a couple of years there will be something else newer and cleverer and they will trade up to the new thing and sell me a versys for around $2k. It has about twice the power of your little suzuki too.
This is the most beityfull versys i have ever seen!!!! Any tips about where you got the parts???exhaust,windshield and the rest??
Steve doesn’t own this bike. it is a picture of someone else’s bike. Sadly I am not that someone else either.
Whoes bike is it??