Topic: New Biker....ME!! Well kinda.....

[PJungnitsch]

Still, I assume it's a basic, simple bike? Should be plenty reliable once you get the bugs worked out.

Maybe. I rented a Minsk once in Vietnam. Commie Russian two stroke, simple and built the same since time began (or at least since they 'liberated' the German factory after WWII.

You'd think it would be reliable, but every part you could see seemed noticeably poorly made and made of worse quality metal compared to a western bike. Just about piled into a crowd of scooters because I had a hard time getting the brakes to work right

[Triple Bob]

Its a really cool bike, but every test I have seen on it warns people about the poor reliability and build quality. I love the looks of it though

One of the mags did a test with it.

And the footpeg (!) fell off during testing.   

I haven't looked into it (at all), but if it's cheap enough, I'd probably still bite.

Before riding it anywhere, you'd want to give it a thorough going over - put a wrench on every nut, just to be sure. And even after all that, I'd probably put together a small tool kit to carry around with me everywhere. Still, I assume it's a basic, simple bike? Should be plenty reliable once you get the bugs worked out.

THIS.  It's soooooo ridiculously cheap though, such great value for money.  Some time and money modding it would make it perfect, and it would still be super cheap.  When I rode one, the weight, power, and ability were perfect.

On the clothing front, it's easy for everyone to break down clothing into it's constituent parts, but everyone conveniently forgets about design, cut, fit, looks etc.  They also play an important role.

I have a few bike jackets, but the latest Kilm one I bought (Carlsbad) is my absolute favourite.  I also used to wear Rev it Tornado 2 pants over jeans for work, got a bit sick of them in the end and just switched to armoured jeans instead.  A bit hotter, but less hassle.

[prm]

Yup that is mostly putting on the handlebars. I wouldn't trust a trip nor my life toa junky bike. No when there are lots of reasonably priced quality alternatives.

Tell that to itchyboots!! (Look her up, blog/yt, can't post link)

On the clothing, over pants are way to go, especially if you commute to work.

[ktm525]

Why mess with third world crap when you can buy something like this which will run until the end of time?

[Fobroader]

Well, as much as I don't like it, the Versys 300 X keeps going to the top of the list. Fuel injected, cheap insurance, gear indicator, ABS and cheap to buy. I bought a jacket today, Klim Marrakesh, and my boots, Alpinestars Corozal, also came in. Next dividend cheque, Klim K Fifty One jeans and I'm set for my course. Looking at the end of may for it, I'm going for my class 6 licence tomorrow.

[dirtyjeffer]

Why mess with third world crap when you can buy something like this which will run until the end of time?

good point...made from granite and cast iron and powered by an anvil...you can include it in your will and pass it down through the family over time.

[Fobroader]

Why mess with third world crap when you can buy something like this which will run until the end of time?

If i didn't want to commute and do a lot of highway I would 100% agree with you.

[ktm525]

Well, as much as I don't like it, the Versys 300 X keeps going to the top of the list. Fuel injected, cheap insurance, gear indicator, ABS and cheap to buy. I bought a jacket today, Klim Marrakesh, and my boots, Alpinestars Corozal, also came in. Next dividend cheque, Klim K Fifty One jeans and I'm set for my course. Looking at the end of may for it, I'm going for my class 6 licence tomorrow.

They are running motorcycle road tests in AB right now? Where? Snowfall warning in Southern AB.

and weren't you decided on a KLR?

[dirtyjeffer]

Well, as much as I don't like it, the Versys 300 X keeps going to the top of the list. Fuel injected, cheap insurance, gear indicator, ABS and cheap to buy.

all of those are valid and good reasons to start with a small bike...seriously, the only negative is you may want to replace it next year...but you'll still be learning on a good bike that is easy to manage and still capable...as well, if you find yourself more of a casual rider, maybe you'll keep it...DKAZ still rides a small cc bike, and rrocket has had numerous smaller cc rides over the years too (as have i)...riding a bike should be enjoyable...you may find yourself really enjoying the bike...worse case scenario, you sell it next year and get something different...consider the depreciation part of the cost of learning to ride.

[Fobroader]

Well, as much as I don't like it, the Versys 300 X keeps going to the top of the list. Fuel injected, cheap insurance, gear indicator, ABS and cheap to buy. I bought a jacket today, Klim Marrakesh, and my boots, Alpinestars Corozal, also came in. Next dividend cheque, Klim K Fifty One jeans and I'm set for my course. Looking at the end of may for it, I'm going for my class 6 licence tomorrow.

They are running motorcycle road tests in AB right now? Where? Snowfall warning in Southern AB.

and weren't you decided on a KLR?

I was decided on the KLR, but I went and sat on one for a longer while, too tall/tippy for me, even the salesman was like, "that doesn't look comfortable", I love the bike though. I'm just doing the written part for now.

[Fobroader]

Well, as much as I don't like it, the Versys 300 X keeps going to the top of the list. Fuel injected, cheap insurance, gear indicator, ABS and cheap to buy.

all of those are valid and good reasons to start with a small bike...seriously, the only negative is you may want to replace it next year...but you'll still be learning on a good bike that is easy to manage and still capable...as well, if you find yourself more of a casual rider, maybe you'll keep it...DKAZ still rides a small cc bike, and rrocket has had numerous smaller cc rides over the years too (as have i)...riding a bike should be enjoyable...you may find yourself really enjoying the bike...worse case scenario, you sell it next year and get something different...consider the depreciation part of the cost of learning to ride.

Yeah, it just fits well, I can two foot it, the controls fall perfectly in hand. Sat on a CB500 and it wasn't comfortable, did not like the seating position.

[dirtyjeffer]

Well, as much as I don't like it, the Versys 300 X keeps going to the top of the list. Fuel injected, cheap insurance, gear indicator, ABS and cheap to buy.

all of those are valid and good reasons to start with a small bike...seriously, the only negative is you may want to replace it next year...but you'll still be learning on a good bike that is easy to manage and still capable...as well, if you find yourself more of a casual rider, maybe you'll keep it...DKAZ still rides a small cc bike, and rrocket has had numerous smaller cc rides over the years too (as have i)...riding a bike should be enjoyable...you may find yourself really enjoying the bike...worse case scenario, you sell it next year and get something different...consider the depreciation part of the cost of learning to ride.

Yeah, it just fits well, I can two foot it, the controls fall perfectly in hand. Sat on a CB500 and it wasn't comfortable, did not like the seating position.

if the Versys 300 "fits" best, that's your bike...think about a Mazda MX-5...it's not the biggest "sporty car"...it's not the fastest...it's not the cheapest, nor most expensive...but it excels at what it is and once you drive it, you just "get it"...bikes can be like that too...if it's comfortable, you're more likely to ride it...if you're comfortable on it, you're more likely to pay attention to riding than be distracted by getting yourself comfortable on it (moving around on the seat, moving your legs around, etc)...since it's lighter and smaller, it will be easier to maneuver, or even pick up if you do happen to lay it down...and while it's not overly powerful, you're less likely to get in over your head with too much speed...fast is fun...i get it...but a speed wobble at 230 km/hr is not fun...it's looking death in the eyes...and going over 200 km/hr on most bikes over 500cc is super easy...i know we talked about scooters earlier, and you don't like scooters (that's fine, i get it), but something like the Versys 300 gives you all the same benefits i mentioned about scooters (that you repeated above) without driving a scooter (since you don't like them)...i like scooters for all the same reasons we talked about already...cheap to buy, cheap on gas, cheap to insure, easy to ride...just get on, throw some stuff in the storage areas (lunch, etc) and go for a ride...crappy weather outside and don't want to ride??...no big deal...i don't have a $30k motorcycle sitting in the garage collecting dust half the time i can't ride it (because that's no fun)...in the end, it's your money and your bike...get a bike you like and can be comfortable on...you certainly won't hear any criticism for me because it's a 300 (my first bike was a Honda CH250 scooter) because i like riding period, and i don't think you'll hear any flack from anyone else in here for it either...we all started somewhere, and many people are fine with staying there (you don't HAVE to get a bigger bike later, maybe you'll keep it for several years).

[Fobroader]

I have no qualms about people judging me. This is my first bike, I want to learn safely and not have something that scares the out of me out of the box and puts me off of riding. It will come, maybe in a few years I'll be the one pulling dank nooners on a supermoto, but you have to learn to crawl before you walk and all that.

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[ktm525]

I have no qualms about people judging me. This is my first bike, I want to learn safely and not have something that scares the out of me out of the box and puts me off of riding. It will come, maybe in a few years I'll be the one pulling dank nooners on a supermoto, but you have to learn to crawl before you walk and all that.

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Fair enough. Nothing wrong with buying what you are comfortable with.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I have no qualms about people judging me. This is my first bike, I want to learn safely and not have something that scares the out of me out of the box and puts me off of riding. It will come, maybe in a few years I'll be the one pulling dank nooners on a supermoto, but you have to learn to crawl before you walk and all that.

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I think that's exactly the mentality a new rider should have. 

[PJungnitsch]

Heh, it sounds like a hoot

It invites you to rev the snot out of it, with not much happening until around 8,000 RPMs. Between the 10,000-12,500 RPM range is where it hits hardest. There’s nothing irritating about the high revs though. The little Ninja motor feels extremely smooth and generates a nice sounding exhaust note. It just takes some getting used to living in those high RPMs. But eventually, you come to realize there is a good amount of usable power on tap.

Up to about 60 mph, its big brother the KLR650 would probably beat it in a drag race but the pesky little Versys-X 300 keeps accelerating, continuing to build speed until it eventually catches up. On one speed run we clocked 104 mph on the speedo, something we’ve never seen on the KLR. Needless to say, this bike leaves its 250cc thumper counterparts in the dust. Even more impressive, it can carry speed. On two occasions, we crossed over mountain passes starting at around 7,000 feet climbing to nearly 10,000 feet in elevation. All the time, the Versys-X 300 had enough torque to cruise in 6th gear without the need for a downshift and the power loss from the elevation gain was minimal.

https://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/kawasaki-versys-x-300-test-review/

[dirtyjeffer]

Heh, it sounds like a hoot

It invites you to rev the snot out of it, with not much happening until around 8,000 RPMs. Between the 10,000-12,500 RPM range is where it hits hardest.

that's interesting...i didn't think parallel twins revved that high...i figured they'd be just a little more than singles (which seem to like to stay under 7k).

[Fobroader]

The fact that its a twin is a huge bonus as well for smoothness

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[dirtyjeffer]

The fact that its a twin is a huge bonus as well for smoothness

parallel twins are interesting...smoother than singles (and V-twins), but much cheaper than I4 (or V4, but those are rare)...they are also fairly compact, which helps with packaging (shape of bike).

[ktm525]

Heh, it sounds like a hoot

It invites you to rev the snot out of it, with not much happening until around 8,000 RPMs. Between the 10,000-12,500 RPM range is where it hits hardest. There’s nothing irritating about the high revs though. The little Ninja motor feels extremely smooth and generates a nice sounding exhaust note. It just takes some getting used to living in those high RPMs. But eventually, you come to realize there is a good amount of usable power on tap.

Up to about 60 mph, its big brother the KLR650 would probably beat it in a drag race but the pesky little Versys-X 300 keeps accelerating, continuing to build speed until it eventually catches up. On one speed run we clocked 104 mph on the speedo, something we’ve never seen on the KLR. Needless to say, this bike leaves its 250cc thumper counterparts in the dust. Even more impressive, it can carry speed. On two occasions, we crossed over mountain passes starting at around 7,000 feet climbing to nearly 10,000 feet in elevation. All the time, the Versys-X 300 had enough torque to cruise in 6th gear without the need for a downshift and the power loss from the elevation gain was minimal.

https://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/kawasaki-versys-x-300-test-review/

My pet peeve with bike reviews is rarely do they detail out the size of the rider. If the rider in this case was bottoming the suspension on some cross ruts and was riding a unloaded bike and weighs 165 lbs. then a rider weighing 200lbs with some luggage is going to absolutely destroy the suspension. Very rarely do they go into detail how (if) they had the sag set correctly etc. The handling is very reider specific especially if the suspension is left stock.