Bajaj Bikes Pulsar 220 ad from India…amazing stunting!!
Now here is some awesome stunt riding! Check it out and then let’s see who is willing to partner up and replicate this performance! 
The Commute by KLR
Everyone’s commute should be such an adventure!!
Well after a 2600 mile trip on the new bike, I can sort of formulate my thoughts on how the Versys performs.
Most of you know that I am coming off a 1250 Bandit which is probably one of the most underrated motorcycles of all time. I loved riding my Bandits and the combined miles on the two I have owned is over 100,000. Now that said, I have to qualify why I wanted another motorcycle.
The Bandit when fully loaded weighs near 600 lbs. That’s with gas and other liquids, hard bags, a top box and gear. When I have dropped that bike, it ain’t easy to pick up…period. Last year i dropped it on a horrid dirt road and had a hell of a time getting it upright even with help. It’s a beast. So, every year I get older and feel like I need to consider a lighter machine.
Enter the Versys.
It’s 100 lbs lighter. Wet weight is around 425, where the Bandit before hard bags and top box is about 525. It’s flickable, has a wonderful power band and handles great on any surface. It can also be tweaked to fit nearly any sort of riding style. There are wonderful OEM and aftermarket mods that can be added to tweak it for a perfect personal fit.
It’s a tall bike, right outa the box. The seat height is 33.1 standard. That is quite tall for many female riders. I talked to several people on forums, and discovered that the best lowering kit came from Motowerk
. It had rave reviews. It doesn’t lower the bike by much, only 1.85 inch or 31.25 but that was enough that I can get my toes down now. I am 5’6″ and my inseam is 30 inches on a good day. 
I demoed a standard Versys in 07 on the track and after riding my lowered version, I don’t notice any difference to speak of. It handles great in the twisties thus far, but I’ll be able to tell more as I ride it more, especially on some of our Sierra Nevada roads.
I do notice that it’s more tippy than normal. I believe the dealer was supposed to have lowered the kickstand when they lowered the bike, however I need to call then and see. It seem really upright to me, more than it should be and when i put gas in the bike in 50-60mph gusts it seemed like it could easily blow over. That’s something I will further investigate now that I am home.
The stock windscreen seems nearly pointless. I was buffeted in any position, but maybe that because I sit up fairly straight. I found myself having to tuck over the tank bag in the high winds to keep myself on the bike! 
I hear that you can actually flip it upside down for better protection or just buy an aftermarket touring screen, which I will most likely do. But I will give the screen a flip and see if it helps.
As to the power. I don’t feel like I am suddenly on a power diet with the Versys. It seems to have plenty of power and I never had the throttle pinned on my original journey. It always had more to give even traveling at 95mph on an empty highway in NV. I did find it’s rpm sweet sport is over 5000. It performed best on the tight twisties of Hwy 168 between 6000 and 7000 rpms in 2nd and 3rd gear. It was responsive and flickable. I do believe it will be fairly easy to drag a peg on this machine. It seems to like a mean lean. Now that doesn’t mean you have to ride it aggressively. You don’t. It’s a great little cruiser.
Headwinds will eat the mileage on this bike and crosswinds as well, but not so much. With normal riding I was getting about 40mpg, but headwinds cut that in half and cross winds by about 1/3. The gas gauge is great, showing one bar as having 1.9 gallons and when that one bar is blinking it’s down to .09. Best to get gas at one bar!
At to mods now in order of importance.
Heated grips
12V powerlet.
Handguards
Windscreen
Kickstand fix and center stand
I also need to fix my tank bag placing magnets down the middle of the bag. Because the tank is narrow and the edges of the tank cover plastic, the usual tank bay won’t adhere without feeling insecure. I’ll be fixing that NOW!!
We are all a bit different in how our needs are met by riding. But I can’t say enough good about this little Versys. It’s a wonderful mid sized machine with an upright seating position, great powerband and a huge fun factor!
Leaving Cedar City was best described as chilly at 47 degrees but I truly had no idea just how cold I was about to be. Even the GPS seemed confused wanting to take me north to Beaver before heading west and I’m sure it too was too cold to think. I combed over the maps and decided that the best route would be going through Ely and across NV via Hwy 50. By the time I reached Panaca, NV I had changed my mind knowing that Ely is one of the coldest places in the state of NV and I was already vexed from the cold.
The winds were just starting in Panaca with a fairly strong breeze but nothing overwhelming like the day prior. But the cold was another matter. I left Cedar City figuring the temps could only rise, well I was wrong. It was 47 degrees when I left and in Panaca it was a bone chilling 42. Ok, time to head south and maybe go over the ET Hwy 375, surly it couldn’t be as bad! I headed south to Caliente only to have the winds gaining in strength. When I got to the cut off, I decided Vegas would be the warmest decision. So off to Sin City I went.
Beautiful but COLD!
Just west of Caliente.
Now this is truly the beauty of traveling solo. There is never anyone to confer with regarding direction!
In this case my decision was not the best scenario as little did I know that sin city was battening down for a horrid record-breaking wind storm. Yes, it was warmer, but the wind created the such a challenge I became all too aware of the spot on skills needed to keep the bike upright. When I stopped for gas, I was told that they were expecting gusts over 60mph and the current gusts were blowing 40-50. If that was the case, I definitely wanted to be off the road before they became 60mph! I headed into the heart of the city and found a room.
A neon zoo would be the best description of LV.
I believe he and I are thinking the same thoughts.
I spent the better part of the afternoon and evening hanging in Vegas people watching. Truly one of my least favorite cities, Las Vegas is a Disneyland for adults with all the insanity of crazed children standing in a queue. I was really quite ready to be home. The weather report was for gale winds not only that day, but the following. I was disappointed, but knew it was probably for the best to stay put, however after a decent nights sleep, the warnings didn’t stop me from trying to leave.
Sitting outside at the Tropicana, watching the winds blow!
You can see that I am the only one braving the elements. I asked the waiter if anyone had ever died from the sun screens blowing down. He replied, “not this year.”
Now those are some gams…i guess those shoes definitely build some calves! I don’t believe I have ever seen as many platform shoes since the 1960′s.
With a leisurely morning start, the wind just didn’t seem so bad, so much improved over the previous day that I altered my route and thought it would be warm and lovely in Death Valley. Well, that change in route was my nearly swan song. I had filled my bike in Baker, CA and by the time I reached the intersection of Hwy 95 in Amargosa Valley, I was down to one blinking bar’s worth of gas meaning I had 9/10 of a gallon left. I had ridden only 95 miles in extreme headwinds and my mileage had taken the toll.
I stopped in Baker, NV at the Mad Greeks for a quick coffee and Baklava.
Luckily there was gas at the intersection and I didn’t have to cross fingers while making my way to Beatty which was only another 30 miles. Nevertheless the wind made for a dicey ride. Those 30 miles to Beatty were filled with deliberations and I decided I simply couldn’t keep going, as I was tired of fighting the machine and the elements. It was just too cold, too tiring and too dangerous. I had not seen another motorcycle since I had passed through Shoshone, where a group of BMWs where all parked and laying low. There were no other fools out on April Fool’s Day.
When I got to Beatty, NV and the winds were so extreme that I just got a room and hoped for the best the following day. I always stay at the Atomic Inn which is reasonable, comfortable and quirky and as much as I wanted to get home, this felt very inviting!
The room interior
The following morning when I arose it was 37 degrees. I waited until the temps rose to 45 and then braved the lesser winds and headed toward home. This was to be the day fraught with brutal cold temperatures, medium winds, and almost zero focus. I felt lucky to have made it to my friend’s home in Carson City and there I called it a day. It was 4:30 pm and I had ridden my very favorite road Hwy 266 and Hwy 168 like a new rider. I was FREEZING, unfocused and just plain tired of fighting the elements. It was sad to not be able to enjoy one of my favorite roads. I was even passed on this road by a FedEx van. Yep, I was tired.
After nearly 350 cold and windy miles, one night with friends made up for all the nights alone. I had a wonderful home cooked meal, sat outside under heat lamps and looked to the starry sky. It was lovely. We listened to music, drank wine and spent hours talking. At the end of the evening, I slept like a baby.
The final leg was only 130 miles, but the forecast was for cold temperatures and possible snow over the summit. My friend Mike who is also a rider, had a motorcycle trailer and suggested that he take me and my new Versys home. After about a moments deliberation, I said, “let’s do it”. So I trailered my bike the last run home. I was thrilled to be both warm and wind free.
Now hows that for a final leg?? I’ve had my new bike for 10 days and I have 2800 miles on it!
Ahhhh….there’s no place like home.
The route to Carson…
I left Taos fairly late since the a temperature was a brisk thirty five degrees. I can’t believe how much time I spend being cold on this trip. Yes, it was the first time I have been without my heated gear this time of year as it’s still a bit early to take to the roadways in much of the county. Taos was no exception. I layered up and hoped for the best, and got it, that is until I reached the scenic high mountain pass between Tres Piedras and Chama. The mountain climbed to over 10,000 feet and the roadsides were covered in snow. It was a chilly ride, one where my fingers went numb and I was bone chilled. It’s difficult to keep your mind clear when you are so cold, somehow all you think about is being cold. I was glad to reach Chama and get inside to a cup of HOT tea which I not only savored but hovered over soaking up the heat!
Leaving Taos around 10am. I messed with the perspective for fun and decided my Versys looks pretty tough from this angle.
A versys streetfighter!
Rio Grand Gorge
My plan was to reach Moab on this day and after looking at my newly acquired maps, I discovered that I could do so fairly easily. The rest of the ride was gorgeous but several miles were very brisk. I was thrilled to get back down to the desert country around Monticello, UT where the air was dryer and warmer.
Outside of Taos is a area where Earthships are built. It’s actually quite the site, and sadly I didn’t stop so my photos are not the best but it will give you the idea. All these homes are off the grid, making their own power, composting waste and using the earth for warmth and cooling. They were pretty cool and I was wishing I had more time to check them out.
As I rose in elevation, I began seeing snow on the roadside. I had no idea how much more was ahead!
I had hot tea and homemade fries here and they were delicious. In fact all the food from the kitchen looked fabulous and freshly made. The portions were huge.
I don’t know what this butte is called, but witches tit seemed appropriate.
By the time I got to Moab, I was certainly ready!
Motels are not cheap in Moab, but I did find a good one that seemed a great deal. It was the Big Horn Lodge and while everything else in town was at least $100+ this was $78. The room was really cute, all knotty pine, with a great bed and plenty of hot hot water!
Map Taos to Moab
I began by actually getting up early and getting on the road after a quick cup o’ coffee. I wanted to see Canyonlands, which I had not yet visited. Don’t skip this park if you get down there, as I did the first time Gary and I rode through the area. We went instead to Arches, which is also not to be missed, but this park is not overly crowded, great for hiking and with few tourists. I spent way longer than I should have, but enjoyed it immensely.
The Grand View
The combination of colors, I found amazing!
This is what traveling solo does to the portrait! Nice hair!!
Not a lot of wildflowers growing, but this flowering plant was seen now and again.
Versys queen of the desert!
Heading towards Hanksville.
Riding into Capitol Reef area, my very favorite National Park! There are many reasons why I love this place, but one is because it has all the beautiful warm colors of the sandstone desert, but also has water running through it. There are petroglyphs, wonderful hiking trails, and they even have amazing homemade pie at the historic Gifford Homestead. You can even pick fresh fruit when in season and see a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles. The park is truly am amazing place, one that is really quite undervalued.
What could possibly be more awesome!
I have to admit…I’m inclined to consider camping here…and that means a lot!
The astonishing Hwy 12.
Hwy 12 is probably one of my all time favorite highways. I simply never tire of the sights or the twisties. Only the speed limit vexes me, and that I push as much as I dare!
Hwy 89
This time I decided to make Cedar City so took 89 to the hwy 14 cutoff. As I turned onto the road I saw a reader board saying that the road was closed at Duck Creek Village only about 10 miles up the road.. I was frustrated about the prospect of routing another road when I saw a guy riding an ATV and flagged him down to ask if there was any other way around. He told me to take the Forest Service rode 061 right before Duck Creek and it would eventually connect to Hwy 143, unless there was too much snow and ice. Uh huh…how long is eventually?
I set off on another adventure over a road that seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t see another vehicle until I reached the ski area on the other side. Before the ski area, I experienced a very cold but gorgeous ride the summit being over 10,000 feet, but let me tell you just how pleased I was to be losing elevation and I careened downward to the valley below. Hwy 143 and the subsequent forest service road was a delight and one that I will be sure to ride again, in warmer weather.
Love seeing the progression of my dirty windscreen.
The summit of Hwy 143 near Brian’s Head ski area.
When I finally reached Cedar City the time was nearly 8pm. I was ready for a hot shower and a quick bite before bed in yet another motel room.
Map Moab to Cedar City
Next: the unexpected wind storm!
Better sunsets than the desert are difficult to imagine. It’s a gift that begins with a sharpened sky-line as the unwrapped details emerge from nowhere. Suddenly the fence in the distance is defined making even the wire more noticeable. Colors you can’t even imagine in nature become commonplace. A desert sunset can only compare to a desert sunrise.
I found myself leaving Lordsburg at an early hour for me, but the lighting made the departure well worth the sleep forfeiture.
I had decided that a good ride to Truth or Consequences would be to go over Hwy 152 from Silver City, NM. When seeking road conditions, the report said there was still snow up on top with icy road conditions in the shady corners, but I knew the daytime high was going to be in the 80s so how much ice could possibly be coating the blacktop around noon.
It was a perfect ride on an amazing road. In fact it was such a good ride, I didn’t bother taking many photographs. I was really busy having some twisty fun with my new machine!
The copper mine country near Silver City.
Jes one curve…
Near the bottom of Hwy 152 by the town of Hillsboro.
My Alaska friends now in TorC moved there due to Annie’s RA. The desert was simply a better fit for her health. Since their relocation, she is feeling better. I believe that desert air is working its magic.
I spent two glorious days with my friends, gabbing, riding around the desert, and eating David’s amazing cooking. Great, now to try and get on my unforgiving motorcycle pants.
In a brisk 35 degrees, I left David and Annie’s to get the new bike serviced in Albuquerque at R and S Powersports Kawasaki/KTM about a 2.5 hour boring ride.
I was greatly rewarded upon my Albuquerque arrival by two of my Two Wheel Female forum friends. We dropped the bike and had a great lunch together.
Nina on her big ol’ BMW 1200GS
Parking next to her made me feel like a red-headed stepchild and a tiny one at that.
Colleen and I saying our goodbyes.
Colleen provided me with some AAA maps which were very handy and she sorted me out direction wise for a more scenic route to Taos, NM going through the town of Madrid (said as MADrid in NM). Madrid was the town they used as a backdrop to the film Wild Hogs. The road there was nothing special, but quite scenic and did at least have a few good twisty bits.
I stopped and got a few shots of the little artsy town.
Loved this car!
The diner they used in the film.
My favorite sign in town.
I had to get up close before I realized this was a fake cactus.
The surrounding hills.
Taos, NM
I arrived around dusk and found a motel. Tomorrow, on to UT via Colorado.
